Everest | 2003 N Col-NE Ridge

A Switzerland expedition to Everest in 2003 via N Col-NE Ridge, led by Karl Kobler. Summit reached on 22nd May 2003. 21 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4300
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER03152
Peak ID EVER
Year 2003
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Switzerland
Leaders Karl Kobler
Sponsor Kobler & Partner Everest Expedition 2003
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Austria, France
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2003-04-12
Summit Date 2003-05-22
Summit Time -
Summit Days 40
Total Days 44
Termination Date 2003-05-26
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8600m due to unfavourable weather forecast and members tired
High Point (m) 8600
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 16
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 14
Summit Hired 0
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(12/04,5000m),ABC(14/04,6400m),C1(19/04,7000m),C2(20/05,7800m),C3(21/05,8300m),xxx(22/05,8600m)
Route Notes C1 at North Col High point at just below 2nd Step. Long time to occupy C2 because of big storms that ruined tents, but no gear lost - tents at ABC and at 7800m (tent put there by Sherpa) but not at North Col, where camps were very well protected from wind. 22 May summit party left C3 at 1:00 am NST: Fessler, Julien, Kobler, Krug, Meyer, M. Pasche, Olivier Pasche, Ulrich, Karma Sherpa**, Pemba Sherpa, Pemba (Tibetan), Mingma Sherpa and (name?) Sherpa - reached 6:30 am slightly below 2nd Step, now windy and cloudy. At 2nd Step 15 climbers in queue for Step, Kobler decided to retreat because worried about recurrance of 1996 disaster. Most who went on up came back with frostbite, snowblindness and 1 with broken leg (Pritt's team), so Kobler happy with decision. 2 members down to ABC. Now weather forecast was bad winds till end of month and most members too tired to try again. Oxygen use: Summit party members and Sherpas climbing up from 7800m, sleeping at 8300m and summit attempt and back to 8300m (and sleeping). Iten left expedition end April, never reached ABC, frightened and couldn't sleep. Michel left 20 April homesick. Wellig left end April with his client Iten. This team, Brice's team and Chinese fixed almost entire route from 6700m. ** Iceland Trekking's Karma Gelja 18 July 2003: On 22 May summit bid Sherpas and Tibetan were: Mingma Sherpa to 8600m, Tashigaon, Makalu VDC Nima Tamang to 8600m, Tapting, Solu Pasang Sherpa to 8600m, Tashigaon Pemba Tamang to 8500m, Taksindu Pemba (Tibetan) to 8350m, then had to go down because of altitude sickness
Accidents Tibetan Pemba altitude sickness
Achievement -
Agency Iceland Trekking (Dorje)
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458880
Year 2003
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n col-ne ridge

Members

21 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Norbert Burgener M 1957 Switzerland Climber Brig/Glis, Valais, Switzerland Home electrical appliances shop owner Details Other expeditions
Brian Duthiers M 1968 Switzerland Deputy Leader Muri, Bern, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Peter Fessler M 1961 Austria Exp Doctor Schwarzach, Vorarlberg, Austria Physician Details Other expeditions
Emil Frehner M 1940 Switzerland Climber Gais, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland Retired businessman, author & alpinist Details Other expeditions
Andre Georges M 1953 Switzerland Climber Las Hauderies, Valais, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Josef-Konrad Iten M 1953 Switzerland Climber Oberaegeri, Zug, Switzerland Engineer Details Other expeditions
Mario Gustav Julen M 1963 Switzerland Climber Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Karl Robert (Kari) Kobler M 1955 Switzerland Leader Zollikofen, Bern, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Peter Krug M 1943 Austria Climber Leutasch, Tirol, Austria Retired bus driver Details Other expeditions
Markus Christian Michel M 1959 Switzerland Exp Doctor Muri, Bern, Switzerland Orthopedic surgeon Details Other expeditions
Pierre Ozenda M 1944 France Climber Publier, Haute-Savoie, France Horticulturist Details Other expeditions
Veronika Ruth Meyer-Gerber F 1951 Switzerland Climber St. Gallen, Switzerland Pharmacist Details Other expeditions
Madeleine Pasche F 1950 Switzerland Climber Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland Employee in commerce company Details Other expeditions
Olivier Pasche M 1951 Switzerland Climber Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland Mechanic Details Other expeditions
Thomas Ulrich M 1967 Switzerland Climber Interlaken, Bern, Switzerland Photographer Details Other expeditions
Diego Wellig M 1961 Switzerland Climber Blatten-Belalp, Valais, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Mingma Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Nima Tamang M - Nepal H-A Worker Tapting, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pasang Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Tashigaon, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Pemba (Bianba) M 1982 China H-A Worker Xegar, Tingri Dzong, Tibet, China - Details Other expeditions
Champa (Jhampa) M 1981 China H-A Worker Gyantse, Tibet, China - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER03152 - Frehner, Emil Der Alte Mann und der Berg Appenzeller Verlag, Herisau, Switzerland - -