Everest | 2004 S Col-SE Ridge

A Switzerland expedition to Everest in 2004 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Rupert Heider. Summit reached on 16th May 2004. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4608
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER04145
Peak ID EVER
Year 2004
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Switzerland
Leaders Rupert Heider
Sponsor Dream Everest Expedition
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 -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2004-04-07
Summit Date 2004-05-16
Summit Time 0615
Summit Days 39
Total Days 42
Termination Date 2004-05-19
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 3
Summit Hired 3
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(07/04,5300m),C1(12/04,6100m),C2(16/04,6500m),C3(13/05,7500m),C4(14/05,7950m),Smt(16/05)
Route Notes C1 at top of Icefall C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse Face C4 at South Col. Down to BC 22 April. Lost lot of time because no organization by Sherpas and bad leadership amongst themselves. On to Deboche on 24th; stayed there, and returned to BC 2nd May. 9 days lost time here because of disorganization. Left BC on 11th to C2; 13 May to C3; C4 on 14th. Tried to go to top later night of 14th; turned around at balcony and back C4 14th. Left C4 15th at 9:00 pm Heider, Naga Dorje, Pemba Dorje and Nura Wangchu and got to top 6:15 am in lovely weather no wind at all no clouds, returned to C4 to sleep at 11:00 am. To C2 on 17th by Heider and Naga Dorje while other 2 Sherpas to BC (Pemba Dorje trying to make new expedition record 21st May). Oxygen used Heider and Naga Dorje from C4 to top to C4; Pemba Dorje and Nuru Wangchu intermittently from C4 to top to C4. Pemba Dorje soon afterwards made speed ascent. Summit Sherpas: Nuru Wangchu, 18/8/77, Pangboche, Everest 2000 + 2002 Naga (aka Nanda) Dorje, 30/12/66, Khumjung, Everest X1, Cho Oyu X3 Pemba Dorje, 29/4/77, Beding, Everest X2, Lhotse X1 Pemba Dorje - 25 June 2004 Left BC at 6:10 pm - liaison officer Shahdev Raymaji noted this time. Pemba Dorje reported regularly to Sagarmatha Pollution Control Commander's Nuru Jangbu at BC as he climbed the mountain as follows: 7:03 pm - at C1 9:16 pm - leaving C2 10:10 pm - bottom of Lhotse's West Face 10:51 pm - at C3 on the face 11:25 pm - at the Yellow Band 11:47 pm - at the Geneva Spur 12:58 (0:58 am) - about 30m above the bottom of the Balcony. 1:44 am - 10-15 meters from the Hillary Step after having climbed South Summit 2:00 am - at the top of Hillary Step 2:08 am - arrived at summit and radioed LO at BC 2:10 am - LO noted time Pemba Dorje climbed entirely alone. Last year a Sherpa joined him the climbing from C4 but he was not much help. When he went to the top on 16th May this year, he left an oxygen bottle for himself in C2 of Japanese (Muraguchi) team and another bottle below the South Summit. It was only on speed climb he used oxygen: from C4 to top and down to bottom of South Summit, where he discarded first bottle and began using second one, down to C2. He had also posted a cook at C2 and when he arrived there at 9:00 pm he drank tea. He stayed 35 minutes on top and used walkie-talkie to report to liaison officer. He saw headlamps at 2 or 3 climbers coming up North Face from a little above the last camp on the face. At top he found a Swiss flag and as 2004 Greek Olympics flag and brought them to KTM (gave them to tourism ministry). At top he also radioed to Nanda Dorje (Naga Dorje), who had summited with him on 16 May at BC. Last year he had raced to the top but took 4-1/2 hours longer. He explained his ability to climb in so much less time: he had no training in 2003; this time he trained for 6 months, cycling around KTM valley for 8 to 20 kms a day. Went rock climbing at Balaju, jogged from northern KTM to its western edge daily. Furthermore he knew South Col route used and was well acclimatized by his first ascent this spring on 16 May. Russell Brice - 24 Aug 2004 Regarding Pemba Dorje's Ascent - 20 May 2004 It is impossible to see North Face or even First and Second Steps from summit - cannot see anything above North Col because of "Marks" (Whetu's) Rock (at about 8830m) which cuts off all the mountain to Col from sight. From top to Rock 10 minutes in descent, 20 minutes ascent - as to light from headlamps from people at C3, the lamps would have to be aimed in direction of summit, and since no one was ascending Everest that night no lamps could be seen. His Majesty's Government Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Press Release Whereas Mr. Lhakpa Ghelu Sherpa, a resident of Solukhumbu, has submitted an application to His Majesty's Government, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation on 2061/02/18 BS (31 May, 2004 AD) demanding for making true and actual investigation into the expedition of Mr. Pemba Dorje Sherpa, a resident of Dolakha, maintaining world record for reaching at the top of the World's highest peak - Mount Everest - in the shortest period of time (8 hours and 10 minutes) on May 21 of 2004 and Whereas, a seven-member Probe Committee, comprising the representatives of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Mount Everest Mountaineering Association, Nepal Mountaineering Federation including the Section Officers of Legal Consultances Section and Mountaineering Section of this Ministry, was formed under the coordination of Under Secretary of Training and Mountaineering Section of this Ministry to submit a report by making detail investigation into that regard with true and actual facts there of including the recommendations/ suggestions about the matter - process and working procedures to be adopted for setting world record in the field of mountaineering in the future, the said Committee has presented its report with this Ministry; and Whereas, the said Probe Committee ahs provided the recommendations/suggestions to the Ministry that even though Mr Pemba Dorji Sherpa could not produce the solid evidences such as the photographs taken while reaching at the top of the Mount Everest in the afore-mentioned time and the witnesses thereof, various aspects, i.e., an evidence of submission of items with the Ministry, which was mentioned through walkie-talkie to the Liaison Officer in the base camp, taking the same along with him upon his return; the information containing the same content provided to the Ministry; by the Liaison Officer the documents made by the leader of Expedition Team concerned with him with the certification that he was reached at the top of the peak in the afore-mentioned time; a flag consisting of white cross on red cloth including the flag consisting of stars, from amongst the evidences brought from the peak, which can be seen in the photographs taken on 17th May 2004 at the peak of the Mount Everest by other mountaineers and the document containing the words "Lama Gheseko Kupar" left by Da Sonam Sherpa of Pangboche at the peak while scaling the Mount Everest on 17th May, should be deemed as evidences until they are proved otherwise; for these reasons, there is no such circumstances to uphold the fact that the said person Pemba Dorje Sherpa did not scale the Mount Everest in the afore-mentioned time and Whereas, after the submission of the report by the said Committee, a information sent by Da Sonam Sherpa of Pangboche to this Ministry through email has been received stating therein that the "Lama Gheseko Kupar" was left by him on 17th May; Now, therefore, on the basis of the said evidences and information, this press release has been released for the information of all that his Majesty's Government, with the Ministerial level decision dated 2061/05/29 BS. (14 Sept, 2004 AD), has approved the world record of 8 hours and 10 minutes maintained by the said person Mr. Pemba Dorje Sherpa in the course scaling of the Mount Everest. Date: 2061/05/31 BS (16 Sept, 2004 AD) Translated by Shree Law Books Management Board Himalayan Times - 29 Nov 2017 The Himalayan Times reports that the speed ascent on 21 May at 2:08 is no longer recognized by the Nepal Supreme Court since Pemba Dorje was unable to provide substantial proof of his ascent. The Ministry of Tourism has been ordered to revoke his summit certificate. Pemba Dorje is still credited with his earlier ascent of 16 May 2004.
Accidents Nothing serious (Heider some frostbitten toes)
Achievement -
Agency Asian Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2459241
Year 2004
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Rupert Michael Heider M 1955 Switzerland Leader Wiesent, Bavaria, Germany Economist Details Other expeditions
Nanda Dorje (Naga Dorje, Nanga) Sherpa M 1966 Nepal H-A Worker Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pemba Dorje Sherpa M 1977 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Nuru Wangchu Sherpa M 1977 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER04145 CLIM - - - 4:97 (Jun 2005) -
EVER04145 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 79:394-395 (2005) -
EVER04145 - - https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/everesteer-pemba-dorje-sherpa-stripped-guinness-world-record/ - - -
EVER04145 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200539400/Asia-Nepal-Khumbu-Region-Mahalangur-Himal-Everest-Uncommon-Events-on-Standard-Routes - - -