Everest | 2008 S Col-SE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 2008 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Joby Ogwyn. Summit reached on 24th May 2008. 1 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6023
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER08140
Peak ID EVER
Year 2008
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Joby Ogwyn
Sponsor Joby Ogwyn 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 2008-04-19
Summit Date 2008-05-24
Summit Time 0500
Summit Days 35
Total Days 36
Termination Date 2008-05-25
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
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(19-20/04,5350m),C2(22/05,6400m),C4(23/05,7950m),Smt(24/05)
Route Notes Joby Ogwyn Everest Expedition, led by Joby Ogwyn - uly 2008 Ogwyn's memory of events on Everest is not entirely clear; "Inaki's death, and my near death, really put the zap on my head but I am better now," he wrote in his email of 21 July. (The Spanish climber Inaki Ochoa was a close friend of Ogwyn; Inaki died on Annapurna I on 23 May). Ogwyn arrived at BC on 19 or 20 April, "when the military control (of climbing Everest) was in full swing." He went into the Western Cwm before all climbers were confined to BC till the Olympic torch had reached the summit on the north side; he had no camp of his own but used Henry Todd/Rob Casserley's camp (he was on their climbing permit). But he never climbed above C2 until he made his final summit push. He slept in C2 (6400m) the night before he went for the top. He left the camp at about 7:45 am on 23 May. He took with him one bottle of oxygen but did not use it immediately. "I thought maybe there would be a chance to go without it, but I did not want to waste a chance to summit again after waiting for several weeks there (during the climbing ban)." "I arrived to the top (on the 24th) around 5 am. I think. The sun was just coming up. There were a few guys from another expedition nearby but most climbers were far below me. I ran out of oxygen just below the top and my summit is something I barely remember at all. It was very difficult to get down. I was lucky to make it without frostbite as it was very, very cold and windy. I had no camps of my own on the mountain. I used Henry's Todd's C2 and briefly used C4 on the way up and way down. I got the mask and regulator and a bottle from Henry Todd at C2. I used oxygen from the Balcony (about 8500m) when the winds started to get really bad. Before that it was not so cold. The bottle I had picked up must have been leaking though, as it ran out within the hour and was finished. I tried to find more but other people had no extra. On the way down I discarded the bottle and other things and just tried to get to C4. I arrived all the way to BC at around 6:30 pm on the 24th." In his email of 15 July, Ogwyn had written, "I did summit on the 24th after passing most all of the climbers that night. I left from the bottom of the Lhotse Face (e.g., C2). I used oxygen because it was simply too cold not to use it. I ran out of oxygen on my way down and started to become very sick and hallucinate. I met some Sherpa and guides from Henry Todd's team on the way down and asked for O2; they had none. I continued down to C4 as fast as I could. I made radio for rescue or assistance of some kind. Nothing happened. I made it to a C4 tent and was given water to drink by a Sherpa. [On the 21st Ogwyn wrote that he must have reached C4 at about 8:00 am.] I rested there for about one hour then put on new O2 and climbed all the way down to base camp that night. I was told about my best friend's death (Inaki) and left immediately the next morning to Kathmandu. ... I was destroyed by Inaki's death and still am." "I will return in the future to try again the speed ascent without O2. Still my climb to the top took only about 10 hours with O2." Casserley said on 30 May that Ogwyn passed him when Casserley was going up and Ogwyn was on his way down; Ogwyn "looked distressed" and asked for a bottle of oxygen. Casserley had none to spare, but told him to get one from a Sherpa just below, and Casserley believed the Sherpa gave him one. Casserley believed that Ogwyn got no higher than about 8700m, where they met and where he saw Ogwyn continue down; Casserley did not meet him again that morning. Ogwyn did not announce by walkie-talkie that he was on the summit, as was their group's custom, but he did radio that he had an oxygen problem. Casserley, another leader on Todd permits, Kenton Cool and another team's assistant leader, Victor Saunders, knew of no one who had seen Ogwyn in the summit area.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Himalayan Guides
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2460894
Year 2008
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

1 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Joby David Ogwyn M 1974 USA Leader Santa Barbara, California Alpinist & TV producer Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.