Everest | 1984 N Face (left of Great Couloir)

A UK expedition to Everest in 1984 via N Face (left of Great Couloir), led by Pat Gunson. Summit reached on 19th April 1984. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1569
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER84105
Peak ID EVER
Year 1984
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Face (left of Great Couloir)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Pat Gunson
Sponsor Cumbrian Expedition
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 USA
Approach Lhasa->Shigatse->Tingri-Rongbuk BC
Basecamp Date 1984-03-19
Summit Date 1984-04-19
Summit Time -
Summit Days 31
Total Days 57
Termination Date 1984-05-15
Termination Reason 7
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7700m due to heart attack of Gunson
High Point (m) 7700
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(19/03,5000m),C1,C2.ABC(01/04,5560m),C3(11/04,6200m),C4(18/04,6700m),C5(19/04,7700m),xxx(7700m)
Route Notes Originally planned to attempt W Ridge, but switched route to N Face after avalanche fell on Bulgarian W Ridge expedition. David Kay (email to Salisbury) - 2 March 2006 We arrived in Lhasa on 15th March and departed for the mountain on 17th March. The trip to Rongbuk via Xigaze, & Xigar took 3 days. We arrived at Rongbuk on Monday 19th March to be met by members of the SAS team who were attempting the direct ascent of the Hornbein Coulouir. We knew quite a few of them quite well as Gunson had been on Everest in 1976 with Lane & Stokes, the 2 leaders. During the trip to base camp Rawlinson contracted cerebral edema and was left at Xigar on 18th with Delamere (doctor), Godfrey & Duncan. Delamere & Duncan rejoined us at base camp on 25th March and Rawlinson & Godfrey arrived on Monday 2nd April with Rawlinson fully recovered and able to play a full part in the climbing. The following day 3rd April (my birthday) Kay & Delamere were setting out to establish C3 on the upper Rongbuk Glacier when we were advised that a large avalanche had hit the SAS team. We spent the next 3 days helping the injured down to Base Camp. The Army left us a load of rations, radios & fuel when they evacuated the mountain which helped us enormously as we were on a bit of a shoestring budget. We eventually established C3 on the upper glacier on Wednesday 11th April. Lynch & Kay traversed the glacier to the foot of the Hornbein Coulouir and retrieved several ladders and 300 ft fixed rope left by the SAS to secure the badly crevassed route to C3 across the glacier. C4 was established on 18th April after a distinctly dodgy traverse under the S Face of Changtse; an easy route but dangerous. Gunson & Delamere climbed on the following day (a long day for them) and established C5 in the bottom of the Central [Great] Coulouir on the N Face, much higher than C4 [est. 7700-7800m]. Only Gunson & Delamere reached this camp. The next few days were spent stocking the higher camps before the weather broke on 23rd April. Gunson had his heart attack on 1st May at about 7000m between C3 & C4 as we were on our way back up the mountain after a period of bad weather during which we retreated to C2. We erected a tent directly under the S Face of Changtse and Gunson & Delamere stayed there for 3 days until Delamere considered that Pat was fit to be moved. The evacuation to C3 was a nightmare & after the make-shift stretcher (ladder) proved impossible to handle safely, Gunson was walked back. The only oxygen used was medically for Gunson after his heart attack. We only had 2 bottles and found that one had a defective valve and was empty. An American team on the N Col route loaned us a couple of extra bottles which probably saved Pat's life. Nuttall climbed to C3 on several occasions and once to C4 during the evacuation of the mountain. Godfrey & Duncan only got as far as C2 which was effectively an Advance Base Camp. Yaks were used to carry to C2. No porters were used beyond C2. We evacuated Base Camp on the morning of Tuesday, 15th May. Paul Moores, Lhotse Shar - 31 Aug 84 Pat Gunson plus at least seven members. Gunson maybe not leader. Unknown bunch, badly disorganized & deeply in debt. W Ridge was route but hadn't gotten onto it but only on its flank. Gunson was at 23,000 ft (7000m) when had heart attack, was evacuated by stretcher and expedition ended. Had already run out of gas fuel & borrowed some from SAS team also on Everest. Brian Hall - 27 May 84 Cumbrian Everest: Route = W Ridge from N - not to go to Lho La but via another approach like French - then to use Hornbein Couloir. Hall not surprised if they got nowhere, even if they didn't get to Rongbuk. Badly organized, climbers not competent. Bulgarian Everest summiter - 23 May 84 British climbers for W Ridge from north came to Bulgarian's C1 on Lho La but never went above it & were not seen again (these may have been SAS visitors).
Accidents Gunson suffered heart attack at 7000m
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447929
Year 1984
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n face (left of great couloir)

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Patrick W. Gunson M 1939 UK Leader Ulverston, Cumbria, England Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (Captain) Details Other expeditions
Kenneth Rawlinson M 1944 UK Climber Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England Chartered accountant (Ultimate Equipment in Warkworth) Details Other expeditions
Mike Lynch M - UK Climber Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England - Details Other expeditions
David (Dave) Kay M 1948 UK Deputy Leader Penrith, Cumbria, England - Details Other expeditions
Alan Charles Hinkes M 1954 UK Climber Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England - Details Other expeditions
Gordon Nuttall M - UK BC Manager Ulverston, Cumbria, England - Details Other expeditions
John Delamere M - UK Exp Doctor Birmingham, England - Details Other expeditions
Richard Harry Godfrey M 1946 UK Journalist Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England BBC producer Details Other expeditions
Bruce Duncan M - USA Climber - - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER84105 AAJ Bonington, Chris - - 59:337-338 (1985) -
EVER84105 AJ Bonington, Chris - - 90:214 (1985) -
EVER84105 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198533700/Asia-China-Everest-Two-British-Attempts - - -
EVER84105 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1985_files/AJ%201985%20213-215%20Bonington%20China.pdf - - -