Everest | 2003 S Col-SE Ridge

A Ireland expedition to Everest in 2003 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Pat Falvey. Summit reached on 22nd May 2003. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4281
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER03133
Peak ID EVER
Year 2003
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Ireland
Leaders Pat Falvey
Sponsor British Everest Expedition 2003
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries UK
Approach Standard
Basecamp Date 2003-03-29
Summit Date 2003-05-22
Summit Time 1000
Summit Days 54
Total Days 59
Termination Date 2003-05-27
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 270
Total Members 6
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 6
Summit Hired 2
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(29/03,5364m),C1(04/04,6000m),C2(18/04,6400m),C3(02/05,7300m),C4(19/05,7900m),Smt(22/05)
Route Notes May 21 Falvey, McDonnell, Murphy, Shields and Sherpas left C4 at 22:30 hours. Summit by Pemba Gelu at 10:00 hours followed by Murphy, stayed about 10-15 minutes. Pemba Rinzi and McDonnell summited between 10:00-10:30 hours, spent about 5-10 minutes on top. All four returned to C4 between 15:00-16:00 hours. Next day to C2 and following day to BC. On summit day Miss Shields got just above Balcony, then got minor frostbite nips (fingers) back to C4. Falvey reached to Hillary step, then oxygen did not work, so back to C4. Note: O'Leary got sick stomach on May 19; back to C2 and BC. Expedition returned to KTM on 27 and leaving Nepal on June 3. Sherpas copied from website: 1) Pemba Rinzi Sherpa (14/8/2030) 29/11/73, Kharikhola, Solu Everest summit 2) Nima Sherpa (12-08-73) Jubing, Solu Cho Oyu, Everest south in 2001 and 2002 3) Nang Chhemi Sherpa (12-09-80) Jubing, Solu Everest - 8484m; Cho Oyu - 8200m 4) Mingma Tshering Sherpa (12-12-80) Kharikhola, Jubing, Solu 5) Dorje Sherpa (11-10-71) Brother of Cho Oyu 8200m; Everest summit 6) Pemba Gyalze/Gyalzen Pangkoma, Solu Everest South - 16 May 2000, 23 May 2001 Cho Oyu - 98, 99, 2000 Baruntse - 2001 and 2002 From Irish Examiner - 6 May 2003 Irish Climber Recovering after Everest Setback, by Michael Brennan A climber on the Irish Mount Everest expedition is recovering in hospital after a near-death experience. George Shorten, a 41-year-old anaesthetist with Cork University Hospital spent seven hours crossing the Khumbu glacier with the team, suffering from double vision and fainting spells. The deep crevasses and moving ice in the Kumbu glacier make it the most dangerous part of Mount Everest and it has already claimed the lives of nine climbers. Team leader Pat Falvey said Mr Shorten, an experienced climber who has climbed four of the highest mountains in the world, had shown great courage. “On this occasion, George pushed himself to the limit so that he would put no one else in danger to get out of the dangerous situation he was in. We’re playing around in an area called death zone and it’s not called death zone for no reason,” he said via satellite phone on the Pat Kenny show yesterday. The Irish Everest Expedition is aiming for the first successful ascent of Everest by a woman and to complete the first Irish ascent on the southern route from Nepal. Mr Shorten had found it difficult to sleep after a 12-hour ascent to the team Camp 3, and his energy levels were severely depleted. After his ordeal on the descent, he collapsed on the floor of the Himalayan Rescue Clinic at Base Camp and was diagnosed with high altitude cerebral oedema. This mountain sickness arrives when the body can no longer cope with the high altitude and can be fatal, but Mr Shorten was recovering well yesterday and, on the expedition web site, thanked the other team members and the medical staff. The team is led by Pat Falvey, a professional Cork mountaineer who climbed Everest in 1995, two years after Dawson Stelfox became the first Irish man to reach the summit. The two women on the team are Clare O’Leary (31), a doctor at Cork University Hospital, and Hannah Shields (37), a Derry dentist. Also in the group are Gerard McDonnell, originally from Kilcornan, Co Limerick, and Mick Murphy, owner of an outdoor pursuit centre in West Cork. At present the climbers have dropped back to stage one on the climb to prepare for the final assault on the summit. “It was a lot of slogging and it’s been fairly mundane and boring for them,” said team co-ordinator Liavon Flattery, “but after the rest period is over, it’ll be all go.” More than 120 corpses still lie on Everest, including nine of Pat Falvey’s climbing friends. Why, some may ask, are the team willing to pay 40,000 each and risk their lives to climb Everest? When George Mallory, the British climber who died on the slopes of Everest, was asked the same question, he replied simply: “Because it is there.”
Accidents Shorten cerebral edema on May 3 (evacuated by helicopter to KTM, May 8 and left Nepal, he is Ok now)
Achievement 1st Irish ascent from south side
Agency High Country Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458880
Year 2003
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Patrick (Pat) Falvey M 1957 Ireland Leader Killarney, Kerry, Ireland Alpine guide & motivational speaker Details Other expeditions
Gerard McDonnell M 1971 Ireland Climber Anchorage, Alaska Computer engineer Details Other expeditions
Michael (Mick) Murphy M 1959 Ireland Deputy Leader Gardiners, Cork, Ireland Owner of outdoor pursuits center and of climbing school Details Other expeditions
Clare Louise O'Leary F 1971 Ireland Climber Bandon, Ireland County Cork Details Other expeditions
Hannah Shields F 1964 UK Climber Kilrea, Derry, Northern Ireland Dentist Details Other expeditions
George Declan Shorten M 1961 Ireland Climber Kilshabbig, Mallow, Cork, Ireland Anesthesiologist Details Other expeditions
Pemba Gyalzen/Gyalje Sherpa M 1973 Nepal H-A Worker Pangkoma, Jubing-9, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pemba Rinji Sherpa M 1970 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER03133 - Falvey, Pat A Journey to Adventure Collins Press, Wilton, Cork, Ireland - -