Everest | 1974 S Col-SE Ridge

A Spain expedition to Everest in 1974 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Juan Ignacio Lorente Zugaza. Summit reached on 12th May 1974. 17 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2332
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER74101
Peak ID EVER
Year 1974
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Juan Ignacio Lorente Zugaza
Sponsor Tximist Expedition to Everest 1974
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 -
Approach Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1974-03-25
Summit Date 1974-05-12
Summit Time -
Summit Days 48
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8530m due to high winds
High Point (m) 8530
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 6
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 16
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 10
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 True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(25/03,5380m),C1(03/04,6100m),C2(06/04,6440m),C3(13/04,6950,7000m),C4(22/04,7450m),C5(04/05,7600m),C6(12/05,8530m),xxx(12/05,8530m)
Route Notes Lorente - 4 June 74 Bad weather defeated them. 1st time just wind; 2nd and 3rd bad weather: snow and wind circles. Ok at South Col, finished and no time to carry up more - 11 only left below C6 when there were more - all C6 provisions still there. Remaining 3 members come tomorrow. Felipe Uriarte - 31 May 74 2 frostbitten right fingers, will perhaps lose a little of one. Think monsoon began in Everest area 24-25 May. Japanese meterologist who visited BC and Sherpas said coming early this year, but AIR said nothing (but AIR often wrong). For 13th May AIR said little but was 80 km/hr. 2 clear forecast days 14th and 26th. 14th - very bad weather with strong wind and snow 26th - day they gave up After 25th could do nothing above C2. 22nd-23rd weather was good. 21st Abalde and Gallardo in C5, but Abalde not well and Sherpa not willing to go to summit. Abalde went down again on 22nd and Gallardo alone in C5. 23rd - Villar and Kirch came to C5 24th - weather not good wind and cloud 25th - worse 26th - 3 Spanish went down 12th - Rosen and Uriarte left C5 11:15 and searched C6 site 4 pm in very good condition; via left couloir, not Hillary Couloir (Italian and Japanese route). With 7 Sherpas (2 of whom without oxygen, all Sherpas down to C5) - by 6 pm had tent up; 8:30 went to sleep on sleeping oxygen - 11:00 pm woke up with fingers swollen and very painful; while erecting tent gloves wet, but didn't realize; slept again until 3:00 am. 13th 3:00 am got ready for summit ,but wind very strong. 5:30 both went out of tent, but wind so strong decided to wait. 11 am again went out and decided to go up but still same wind and saw clouds below and prepared to go down shortly after left C4, snow began. Went to C5; took long time without oxygen. Slept without sleeping bag or mattress. C5 and had to share one oxygen mask 3 Sherpas reached C5 with loads and descended 14th went to C4, no one in C5 15th Sherpas helped them down to C2, to open route since 1 meter snow had fallen on Lhotse face. Without summit doesn't please him to have reached that height of 8500m; South Summit very very near. Everest not technically difficult but very complex in weather, logistics, altitude effect coming all right at same time Wants to come again to Everest because it is a beautiful mountain; is a big problem, always very interesting mountain: every year a new problem; for one climber is always a beautiful, no problem. 13 Sherpas went to C6 and were very good but none wanted to go to summit: thought then condition not good? or afraid? don't know. LO Chotare on walkie-talkie on 2nd day send Ok for Sherpas to go to summit and Ang Dorje agreed but the day of good weather lost; Ang Dorje too late. 14 Jestha - 27 May (message's date) Hamal, MFA - 28 May 74 Climb abandoned. Planned send 2 groups to top 11 Jestha. However group stayed 9-13 Jestha at C5 and because of bad weather 14th one returning from C5 and within 4 days expected in BC. On 22 Jestha expedition reach KTM. Wolfgang Nairz - 27 May 74 Saturday (25th) Everest weather bad (he flew to Tumlingtar). Sunday also bad. Today fine as friends report from mtn flight. Glen Silveste - 24 May 74 "Yesterday the weather was sunny and clear all day. Look like being so again today." Hillary expected back in Khunde on 24th. 25 May 74 - AIR Weather forecast Occasional showers and thundershowers 9.5 km above sea level: winds WSW 100 Km/hr temperature, -30 degrees C (7,6 Km ASL, 40 Km/hrs - 21 degrees) Subsequent 24 hours, little change Egusquitsa - 24 May 74 Today's mountain flight very smooth and no clouds over mountains Ex-Basecamp, rec'd 23 May 74 Hillary at BC 23 May with film team. Summit 24/25 May definitely Abalde and Gallardo in 21 in C4 AIR predicted high winds 60 Km/hr 4000m 140 Km/hr 9000m in these days Alfonso from Calle Telegrams - 22 May 74 Plan on 19 May 20 May C2->C4: Abalde and Gallardo 21 May C4->C5: Villar and Kirch, one day behind 22 May C5->C6 23 May C6 Diez & Cortazar - 20 May 74 Left BC to arrange expedition affairs MP Khanal, MFA - 19 May 74 After establish C6 at 8500m, members could not move forward because of bad weather and one of 2 members got frostbite in his 2 toes. They came down to BC 16 May and replaced by others. Rosen - 12 May Uriarte: 2 fingers frostbitten 13 May - C6 16 May - BC 21 or 22 2nd assault planned C5 has equipment and axe In C2 6 members, all strong Gallardo and Abalde; probably 2nd assault team Domingo - 28 Feb 74 Sun 24th Feb 26th - 3 flights 27th - 4 flights 28th - 4 flights 1st March - 2 flights 2-3 March - at least 6 or 7 flights By 3rd March, all cargo and all members in Khumbu By now 14 tons and 8 members in Lukla; now 50-50 KTM/LUK Are one week late over first plans but now concerned. Last truck load of equipment expected KTM tonight or tomorrow am. Domingo - 26 Feb 74 Today to Lukla -> 4 members and 3000 Kg Tomorrow and 3 more members in 4 or 5 flights 3 days more flights Total flights about 20 by Twin Otter. Lorente (via Domingo) - 14 Feb 74 Chotare = LO Equipment on about 20th in KTM and fly to Lukla and all members will fly to Lukla. Base camp established 20 to end March with best acclimatization perhaps opening icefall after 20 March. Domingo - 7 Feb 74 Rest arrive 15 or 16 Charters ex-Copenhagen 45 Sherpas (porters) total All equipment by air to Lukla and all members also to Lukla. 20th Feb camp at Thyangboche with 7-10 days acclimatization climbing. Base camp about 10-15 March with everything there 20 March. South Col route with oxygen. 17 tons equipment 16 members 10 Sherpas Letter from BC - 28th March Very urgent emergency medical casualty evacuation. Spanish subject Luis Domingo, age 28, lying critically ill expedition base camp Khumbu Glacier suffering acute high altitude pulmonary edema, patient on oxygen. Request royal flight helicopter evacuation soon as possible today 28 March landing ground reach by 1100 hours. Weather at 0900 windless sunny cloudless will keep radio open and pass weather. Report on request parties will be accompanied on flight by expedition.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2444244
Year 1974
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

17 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Juan Ignacio Lorente Zugaza M 1939 Spain Leader/Exp Doctor Vitoria, Alava, Spain Ophthalmologist Details Other expeditions
Angel Alexandre Vallejo Rosen M 1942 Spain Climber/Exp Secretary Vitoria, Alava, Spain Designer Details Other expeditions
Angel Landa Bidarte M 1935 Spain Technical Manager Sestao, Vizcaya, Spain Technical designer Details Other expeditions
Felipe Uriarte Camara M 1944 Spain Climber San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Industrial engineer Details Other expeditions
Alfonso Alonso Diez M 1924 Spain Climber San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Salesman Details Other expeditions
Luis Abalde Alzuart M 1941 Spain Climber San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Industrial designer Details Other expeditions
Juan Cortazar Larrea M 1924 Spain Climber Vitoria, Alava, Spain Industrial Details Other expeditions
Luis Ignacio Domingo Uriarte M 1942 Spain Climber Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain Economist Details Other expeditions
Luis Maria Saenz De Olazagoitia M 1943 Spain Climber Burgos, Spain Mechanical technician Details Other expeditions
Juan Carlos Fernandez De La Torre M 1940 Spain Climber Malaga, Spain Attorney Details Other expeditions
Francisco Lusarreta Grumeta M 1927 Spain Climber San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Industrial Details Other expeditions
Rodolfo Kirch Ugarte M 1940 Spain Climber San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Industrial technician Details Other expeditions
Julio Villar Gurruchaga M 1945 Spain Climber San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Writer Details Other expeditions
Ricardo Gallardo Senosiain M 1941 Spain Climber Oiartzun, Guipuzcoa, Spain Car-bodies maker Details Other expeditions
Fernando Larruquert Aguirre M 1934 Spain Cinematographer Irun, Guipuzcoa, Spain Film-maker Details Other expeditions
Angel Lerma Herrero M 1940 Spain Cinematographer San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain Film-maker Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Tenzing Sherpa M 1940 Nepal Sirdar Namche Bazar, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER74101 AAJ - - - 49:197-198 (1975) -
EVER74101 HJ Lorente Zuguza, J. A. Expeditions Tximist to Everest, 1974 - 34:146-147 (1974-75) -
EVER74101 MM - - - 37:9 (Jul 1974) -
EVER74101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197519702/Asia-Nepal-Mount-Everest-Spanish-Attempt - - -
EVER74101 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/34/30/expeditions-tximist-to-everest-1974/ - - -