Everest | 2008 S Col-SE Ridge

A Nepal expedition to Everest in 2008 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Dawa Steven Sherpa. Summit reached on 22nd May 2008. 25 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 7218
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER08103
Peak ID EVER
Year 2008
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Nepal
Leaders Dawa Steven Sherpa
Sponsor Asian Trekking Eco-Everest Expedition 2008
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed True
Disputed False
Countries Austria, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Mexico, S Korea, Slovakia, Spain, USA
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2008-04-13
Summit Date 2008-05-22
Summit Time 0555
Summit Days 39
Total Days 46
Termination Date 2008-05-29
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 15
Summit Members 5
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 15
Summit Hired 4
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 Climbed Lhotse by Dawa Steven Sherpa (LHOT-081-13)
Campsites Smt(22,24-26/05)
Route Notes Asian Trekking Eco Everest 2008, led by Dawa Steven Sherpa - 5 June 2008 Dawa Steven Sherpa was a nominal leader of this Everest Expedition, which was actually a collection of 11 independent foreign climbers. He was also on a permit to climb Lhotse, and he scaled both mountains. He moved independently of others schedules but sometimes joined them in sections of his ascents. First he climbed Lhotse. On 19 May he went up to C3 without any prior acclimatization trips. He had moved from C2 to C3 on the 18th with David Liano, the American member of his Everest group, and Stuart Smith, an American climbing Lhotse. On the 20th he went to Lhotse C4 at 7800m, at the bottom of the rock formation known as the Turtle below the couloir, with three Sherpas, Palden Namgye (22/9/72, Phortse), Nima Kancha (15/5/80, Khumjung), and Pemba Tshering (18/4/79, Khumjung), who were working with Smith's two-man team led by Will Cross. On 21 May, he left Lhotse C4 at 2:00 am and was on the summit at about 7:45 am same day with Stuart Smith and Pemba Tshering. He descended to C2 that day and went to BC on the 23rd. He immediately turned his attention to Everest. On the 24th he was back in C2 and on the 25th he moved up to Everest C4 on the South Col, which he reached at 12:45 pm. David Liano and Mingma Dorje (1/10/77, Thamo), had already arrived there earlier that day. They left C4 at 10:00 pm on the 25th and went to the summit on 26 May together at 6:55 am. He descended to C2 that day and to BC on the 27th. Dawa Steven used oxygen for his Lhotse climb in C4 to the summit to and in C4 and down as far as the bergschrund at the bottom of the West Face, where it ran out. On his Everest climb, he used it up from C2 to about an hour's climb below the Geneva Spur, then again in C4 to the summit and to C2. Name: Dawa Steven Sherpa Camps: BC(13/04,5300m),C1(21/04,6100m),C2(05/05,6500m),C3(19/05,7300m), C4(25/05,7900m),Smt(26/05) Left: 28/05/2009 Hired: 0 Term: Success The individual accounts for the other teams are given below: Apa Sherpa (Nepal) Name: None Camps: BC(13-14/05,5350m),C2(16/05,6500m),C4(21/05,7900m),Smt(22/05) Left: 24/05/2009 Hired: 1 Term: Success Apa climbed to C2 on 16 May with Dawa Steven Sherpa and went to BC alone on 17 May. He began his summit push from BC with Mingma on 20 May to C2, on 21st to C4 and summit on 22nd at 5:55 am. They descended to C2 same day, but Apa arrived there late, at 6:00 or 7:00 pm, because he stopped to help another expedition's leader, Willi Benegas, get his snowblind member down. Apa complained that they had to wait an hour at the top of the Hillary Step for others to descend ahead of them. Hired Sherpa: Mingma Sherpa, 21/2/68, Yilajung, Everest X6 Walter Laserer (Austria) Helmust Linzbichler (Austria) Name: None Camps: BC(16/04,5350m),C1(24/04,5850m),C2(25/04,6430m),C3(22/05,7100m), C4(23/05,7960m),Smt(24-25/05) Left: 28/05/2009 Hired: 2 Term: Success BC at Khumbu Glacier C1 at above Icefall C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse West Face C4 at south col. Laserer and Rita Dorje left C4 at 9 pm of 23 May, reached summit at 7 am of 24 May. They stayed on summit about 30/40 minutes, then descended to C4 at about 1 pm, slept there. Next day to C2 and the following day to BC. Linzbichler and Pasang left C4 at 7 pm of 24 May, reached summit at 9:07 am, stayed on summit about 35 minutes, descended to C4 around 5 pm, slept there. Next day to C2 and following day to BC. Laserer had to wait almost two hours because of senior citizen's (Sherchan's) expedition which were ahead of Laserrer between Balcony and South Summit. Weather on 25 May, south summit to summit was 30-40 mph and -35 degree. Summit was clear, there were clouds below, however Makalu Kangchenjunga could be seen. On 24 May weather was much the same as on 25 May, but wind was strong. The team returned to Kathmandu on 31 May and will leave on 3 June. Sherpas: Rita Dorje, 24/10/77 (08/07/2034), Khumjung-9, Phortse, Everest X3 Pasang Sherpa, 10/07/76 (27/03/2033), Siddhapokhari-8, Kerabari, Everest 31/5/05 Tejvir Singh Khurana (USA) Gabriel Willmann (Germany) Name: Everest Hypoxia Research Expedition Camps: BC(25/04,5300m),C1(27/04,6100m),C2(29/04,6500m),C3(26/05,7300m), C4(27/05,8000m),xxx(28/05,8500m) Left: 29/05/2009 Hired: 2 Term: Abandoned at 8500m due to mice started dying Other: Climbed Island Peak (5 May by both members, Lhakpa Nuru & 8 mice) C4 at South Col High point below the Balcony. Khurana, Willmann, Lhakpa Nuru and Tenzing left C4 at about 8:30 pm of 27 May. Willmann, Lhakpa Nuru and Tenzing reached at 8500m probably at 12:30 am of 28 May. One of the Mice died; then the team turned around arrived at C4 at about 1:30. Khurana went up to 8300m. It was cold and windy. The team descended to C2 between 3-4 pm. Blood sample of mice was taken in C2. Next day to BC. The objective was to take blood sample of mice on the summit. The team returned to Kathmandu on 1 June and will leave on 4 June. Sherpas: Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa, 21/5/75 (7/2/2032), Namche-4 Tenzing Dorje Sherpa, 19/11/70 (4/8/2027), Khumjung-9, Phortse, Everest X3 Email from Tejvir S. Khurana to Miss Hawley - 17 June 2008 What was the reason that you ended your research when one of your eight mice died at about 8500 meters? Our gaol was to analyze gene changes from blood. One needs to a take a blood sample while animals are alive (as blood will clot after death). Hence when one mouse died probably from cold and the rest didn't look too good (just below the Balcony), we believed it was just a matter of time before all of them would be dead of hypothermia (this despite the insulated heating chamber they were in). Hence we returned to South Col. Why not continue up with the live ones and discover whether any of them could survive at 8850m? As mentioned our goal was to obtain from live animals and not to test whether they could survive at the summit. Why did you have to climb to do this research? We wanted to to these experiments in the "death zone" hence Everest was an obvious choice here. Why not do it in pressure chamber, where you can control and alter conditions at will? We do have a chamber at our lab, however, the kind of hypoxia you get using a chamber simulation ("normobaric hypoxia) is not the same as in the real world ("hypobaric hypoxia"). Additionally, the "real world" conditions such as cold/dehydration due to loss of water from mouth breathing, etc., probably also contribute to the bodies responses to hypoxia, especially in the peripheral tissues. Hence computer simulations or chamber simulations cannot replace the real world experiments. Indeed, we hope to be back next year to do more experiments. Tatsuo Matsumoto (Japan) Helena Coelho (Brazil) Name: M.M.E. Everest Expedition Camps: BC(22/04,5300m),C1(25/04,6000m),C2(26/04,6500m),C3(13/05,7100m), C4(22/05,8000m),xxx(23/05,8500m) Left: 24/05/2009 Hired: 1 Term: Abandoned at 8500m due to cold and high wind BC at Khumbu Glacier C1 above Khumbu Icefall C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse West Face C4 at South Col. Matsumoto and Phurba Sherpa left C4 at 9:30 pm on 22 May. They reached balcony around 12:30 am of 23 May. Weather at the beginning was good. At Balcony it was little windy and Sherpa told Matsumoto that high up there is strong wind and not safe to continue. Then Matsumoto and Phurba turned around to C4 and to C2 at 6 pm. Next day to BC. Coelho went up to C2 on 13 May. She said that she did not come to climb but to coach Matsumoto. The team returned Kathmandu on 27 May and Matsumoto left on 28 and Coelho will leave on 30 May. Sherpa: Phurba Sherpa, 28-6-81 (14-03-2038), Namche-4, Phurte David Liano (Mexico) William Burke (USA) Quang Trong Than (USA) Name: None Camps: BC(14/04,5300m),C1(20/04,6100m),C2(22/04,6500m),C3(10/05,7100m), C4(25/05,8000m),Smt(26/05) Left: 28/05/2009 Hired: 1 Term: Success Other: Climbed Lhotse on May 21 by David Liano (LHOT-081-18) Liano and Mingma left C4 10 pm on 25 May, reached summit at 6:45 am, stayed on summit for 45 minutes, descended to C4 at 10:30 am, then to C2 at 5 pm, and slept there. Next day to BC. It was windy, maybe 60 kmph and snowing. At the beginning up to balcony, cloudy till below the South Summit; summit was windy. Liano had good view from the summit. Others who were on summit, Japanese Miura with 3 or 4 Sherpas, Dawa Steven, 4 or 5 more Sherpas and also saw 3 or 4 climber coming up. Liano returned to Kathmandu on 31 May and will leave on 4 or 5 June. Burke suffered from lung infection in Namche. He stayed 3 nights in Namche. In Pheriche Burke suffered from pulmonary edema. He was given oxygen. He was evacuated by helicopter on 11 April. Burke left Nepal maybe on 16 or 17 April. Than had acclimatization problem in BC. He could not sleep and eat. HRA clinic doctor advised him to go to Pheriche. He spent two nights in Pheriche. But back in BC he had same problem than left BC on 30 April. He probably left Nepal on 4 or 5 May. Sherpa: Mingma Dorje Sherpa, 1/10/77 (15/06/2034), Thamo, Summited Cho Oyu on 2006 and 2007, Everest in 2000, 2004 & 2007, Friendship Peak and Kanguru X4 William Holland (USA) Name: None Camps: BC(15/04,5350m),C1(18/04,6100m),xxx(18/04,6100m) Left: 21/05/2009 Hired: 0 Term: Abandoned due to deportation for possession of Tibetan flag in his backpack as he climbed from BC to C1 Independent climber on Everest - 28 April 2008 Holland had a Tibetan flag in his backpack as he climbed from BC to C1 on 18 April. He planned to raise it on the summit, although he said he had no strong feelings about Tibetan independence. Apparently he thought it would be "cool" to put it up on the summit. Holland said he was unaware of the strict rules laid down by the Nepalese Tourism Ministry against possessing (even at base camp) any flag, banner, poster or other item dealing with Tibet during the sensitive time in March-May when Tibetans were staging protest demonstrations in Tibet and elsewhere in the run-up to the Olympic games in Beijing in August, which included the Chinese plan to take the Olympic torch to Everest's summit from the Tibetan side of the mountain in May. A unit of the Nepalese army was posted at BC and above to enforce these rules. His possession of the flag was reported to the army (see text of his statement of 28 April), and when he returned to BC on 19 April, he was ordered to immediately return to Kathmandu and report to the tourism ministry. He was never escorted by soldiers or police, but obeyed orders and left BC on 20 April. He flew from Lukla to Kathmandu on the 24th and went to the ministry. He was interrogated during several days and finally deported from Nepal on 28 April, and he left on that afternoon's flight by Thai International to Bangkok. The ministry banned him from climbing in Nepal for two years. (He could have been given a stiffer penalty of being banned from entering Nepal for two years, and of being fined $5000.) Letter from William Holland to the US Embassy - 28 April 2008 I intended to climb Chomolungma from Tibet side for this spring and signed up for one of the Asian Trekking fixed departures. For the purposed of better acclimatization and for the condition I came via China by bicycle. While my trip in China and Tibet I enjoyed very much and had a great time experiencing the people and culture. As pre-planned, my mother and sister came from USA on 8th March to Kathmandu and we did Ghorapani Trek and Chitwan from 10 March till 18th March. When we arrived back from Chitwan I got the messsage from Asian Trekking that all the Tibet expeditions are postponed for this spring. I was very upset and did not know what I should do as I wished to climb Chomolungma for long time and worked hard last couple of year to save the money. I then requested Asian Trekking to put me on their Nepal Everest expedition, but since the expedition was full Asian Trekking managed to join with Himalayan Guides III Everest Expedition permit in the condition that I still can stay with Asian Treking basecamp service. Meanwhile I visited Bhutan 24th March till 2nd April. I then departed from Kathmandu to Lukla on 9th April and reached the base camp on the evening of 15 April. I was quite briefed that no electronic equipment such as camera, laptop, sat phone are not allowed to use without permission from security force at base camp until the May 10th. Upon late arrival to base camp I had missed the major meeting with rules and regulations. On 18th April I started crossing the Icefall and met the Mountain Maddness Expedition American team with their 2 Sherpas. I happened to have the Tibetan flag in my backpack which I showed to the team. They then informed me that the flag was a violation of the permit regulations. I told them that I had yet to receive the permit but that I was more than willing to follow the rules. I then disposed of the flag in the crevasse. Trusting to have the Sherpas dispose of the flag to alleviate a problem they instead took another action, as they then turned the flag over to security forces. I by no means intended to stage a protest or hinder the Olympic torch. I had simply wished to take a picture with the flag on the summit and return home with the flag. I also by no means belong to any such pro-Tibetan group. I had come to see many Tibetan flags, etc in Thamel and assumed this was not a problem to carry. I have come to know the Ministry and wrote this letter for Asian Trekking and Himalayan Guides at fault for the incident. I was responsible and hope that the problem will be resolved. They have in no way intended to cause a problem. Upon returning home I will provide full cooperation with regards to the incident and am willing to help clarify with no fault to Asian Treking and Himalayan Guides. Letter from K. P. Gnwali (Under Secretary) Ministry of Culture, Tourism & Civil Aviation to William Brant Holland - 28 April 2008 As per the decision made by Government of Nepal, dated 2065/01/5 BC (27th April, 2008), you are deported from Nepal and banned to climb any of Nepalese mountain till 2 (two) years effecting from today against violating the Tourism Act 2035 (1978 AD) article No. 38, 1(c) and (f). Manuel Sanjuan (Spain) Name: None Camps: BC(14/04,5300m),C1(23/04,6000m),C2(24/04,6400m),C3(22/05,7100m), C4(23/05,8000m),xxx(24/05,8750m) Left: 26/05/2009 Hired: 1 Term: Abandoned at 8750m due to snowblindness Independent on Everest - 21 July 2008 C4 at South Col High point at South Summit. Sanjuan and Pemba Tenzing Sherpa left C4 at 9 pm on 23 May, arrived at 8750m at about 5 am of 24 May. It was very windy and San Juan became snowblind, turned around to C4 at about 12 noon, descended to C2 at 6 pm. Next day to BC. Sanjuan returned to Kathmandu on 29 May and will leave on 02 June. Sherpa: Pemba Tenzing, 6/1/88 (22/9/2044), Khumjung, Everest 21/5/07 Jozef Kubica (Slovakia) Name: None Camps: BC(15/04,5350m),C1(19-20/05,6100m),xxx(19-20/05,6100m) Left: 20/05/2009 Hired: 0 Term: Did not plan to climb Independent on Everest - 21 July 2008 Jozef Kubica was a non-climbing member of the Eco Everest Expedition, a collection of climbers under the nominal leadership of Dawa Steven Sherpa. He was told by Dawa Steven not to go above BC, but when Dawa Steven was climbing Lhotse, Kubica went without permission to C1. He was a student of photography, and he apparently went up to get some better pictures for his photography project. He went went to C1 on the 19th or 20th of May and returned to BC the same day. When he got back to camp, he was instructed by the liaison officer and sirdar to go immediately to Kathmandu, and he left BC the next day. In Kathmandu, he was banned from climbing any mountain in Nepal for two years. Tourism Ministry (via Jeevan Shrestha, July 2008): Kubica (19/7/79) was at BC with trekking permit with Asian Trekking. Lhakpa Tsheri Sherpa of High Altitude Dreams (aka Mountain Madness Trekking) expedition while descending from C2 to BC met Kubica at C1 area on 19 May 2008. Lhakpa had a chat with Kubica and became suspicious about Kubica. Lhakpa submitted a written note to one of the LO's in BC. On 1 June, Kubica said in the ministry that he does not know about the requirement of a permit to go to C1 area and he did not reach C1. He said that he was trying to have some photographs of the areas for his master's degree thesis. He is studying in Muthesrus University of Art in Kiel, Germany, which is mentioned in an e-mail sent by his professor to Asian Trekking for its assistance to Kubica to go to BC. On 2 June the ministry notified Kubica the decision of the Ministry that he is banned from mountaineering and expeditions in Nepal for two years from 2 June. Ministry also asked Asian Trekking to pay a penalty of Rs 10,000 for not abiding by the rules and regulations of the Ministry. Choi Seung-Hyun (S Korea) Name: None Camps: BC(15/04,5400m),C1(22/04,5900m),C2(24/04,6400m),C3(21/05,7300m), C4(22/05,8000m),xxx(23/05) Left: 26/05/2009 Hired: 2 Term: Abandoned at 8500m due wind was picking up, one oxygen cylinder stolen, and mask not working properly BC at Khumbu Glacier C1 above the Icefall C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse West Face C4 at South Col High point at 8500m at Balcony. Korean Everest, Choi Seung-Hyun "Charles" - Spring 2008 Choi and Tshering Thundu Sherpa left C4 at 8:30 pm on 22 May and reached Balcony around 4:30 am on 23 May. Tshering changed oxygen cylinder of Choi while Choi having rest and drinking water. Thukten went past leader and Tshering Thundu dropped two 4 lt oxygen far away from the place where Choi was sitting. When Choi and Tshering prepared to go up, Choi saw that the wind was picking up the speed. Choi saw dark clouds over Lhotse and lightning. At the same time Choi realized that the oxygen mask was not working properly. The slot that lets the outside air in was blocked with ice and snow. He felt his hands and feet were getting cold. For some time Choi was hesitant whether to continue or to go down for safety. After a while, Choi decided to turn around. Tshering Thundu started picking up oxygen cylinders then he realized that one of they cylinders was missing and found one used Korean cylinder instead of full cylinder. Earlier while Choi and Tshering Thundu were sitting facing Lhotse, Choi heard a Korean woman talking to a Korean man saying that the Korean woman's oxygen finished at that point and the Korean man told the woman to pick up one of the cylinders lying in the place (Choi's cylinders which were left by Thukten for Choi to use later). Choi was sure that his cylinder was taken by the Korean [woman] climber. Then Choi and Sherpas descended to C4 at 9:30 am. At 12 noon left C4 for C2 where they arrived at 8:30 pm and next day to BC. Choi had talk with the Korean expedition leader but the expedition denied taking Choi's cylinder. Choi returned to Kathmandu on 29 May and will leave on 2 June. Choi submitted his hand written 22 pages complain against the Korean team whose member had stolen the oxygen cylinder to Nepal Tourism Board on 29 May. The officer at NTB told Choi that his complaint will be forwarded to Mountaineering Section of the Tourism Ministry and to contact the Mountaineering Section on 31 May. Sherpas: Thukten Dorje Sherpa, 30/6/68 (17/03/2025), Thami, Everest X6 Tshering Thundu Sherpa, 4/10/74 (18/06/2031), Khumjung-2, Everest X2, Cho Oyu X1
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Asian Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID LHOT08113
Checksum 2460847
Year 2008
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

25 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
William Mitchell (Bill) Burke M 1942 USA Climber Costa Mesa, California Retired corporate attorney Details Other expeditions
Walter Laserer M 1961 Austria Climber Gosau, Upper Austria, Austria Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Dawa Steven Sherpa M 1984 Nepal Leader Kathmandu Asian Trekking executive Details Other expeditions
Seung-Hyun (Charles) Choi M 1986 S Korea Climber Ithaca, New York University student Details Other expeditions
William Brant Holland M 1981 USA Climber Powhatan, Virginia Arbitrager Details Other expeditions
Tejvir Singh Khurana M 1961 USA Climber Narberth, Pennsylvania Physician & researcher in high-altitude physiology Details Other expeditions
Jozef Kubica M 1979 Slovakia Non-Climber Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Student of photography Details Other expeditions
David Liano Gonzalez M 1979 Mexico Climber Huixquilucan, Mexico Owner of restaurant and import & export construction business Details Other expeditions
Helmut Linzbichler M 1941 Austria Climber Kapfenberg, Styria, Austria Retired school teacher Details Other expeditions
Tatsuo Matsumoto M 1940 Japan Climber Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Retired farmer Details Other expeditions
Helena Guiro Pacheco Pinto Coelho F 1953 Brazil Climber Sao Paulo, Brazil Retired teacher Details Other expeditions
Manuel Sanjuan Lara M 1970 Spain Climber Arties, Lleida, Spain Family tourism business Details Other expeditions
Apa (Appa) Sherpa M 1960 Nepal Climber Thami Og, Khumbu Partner in trekking company Details Other expeditions
Quang Trong Than M 1955 USA Climber Newport Beach, California Environmental engineer Details Other expeditions
Gabriel Willmann M 1977 Germany Climber Eisenbach, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany Physician & researcher in high altitude physiology Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa M 1975 Nepal H-A Worker Phurte, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Mingma (Ang Mingma) Sherpa M 1968 Nepal H-A Worker Yilajung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Mingma Sherpa M 1977 Nepal H-A Worker Thamo, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pasang Sherpa M 1976 Nepal H-A Worker Siddha Pokhari, Kerabari, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Pemba Tenzing Sherpa M 1988 Nepal H-A Worker Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Phurba Sherpa M 1981 Nepal H-A Worker Phurte, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Rita Dorje (Ang Rita Dorje) Sherpa M 1977 Nepal H-A Worker Phortse, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Tenzing Dorje Sherpa M 1970 Nepal H-A Worker Phortse, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Thukten Dorje Sherpa M 1968 Nepal H-A Worker Thami, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Tshering Thundu Sherpa M 1974 Nepal H-A Worker Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.