Everest | 1984 S Col-SE Ridge

A Netherlands expedition to Everest in 1984 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Herman Plugge. Summit reached on 8th October 1984. 11 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 499
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER84305
Peak ID EVER
Year 1984
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Netherlands
Leaders Herman Plugge
Sponsor Dutch Everest Expedition 1984
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 65th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed True
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1984-08-29
Summit Date 1984-10-08
Summit Time -
Summit Days 40
Total Days 43
Termination Date 1984-10-11
Termination Reason 3
Termination Notes Success unrecognized
High Point (m) 8800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 17
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 False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(29/08,5350m),C1(02/09,6020m),C2(13/09,6400m),C3(21/09,7300m),C4(02/10,7980m),xxx(08/10)
Route Notes 2 Sherpas slept in C4 in 2 Oct, first Dutch on 3 Oct. On 5 Oct 1st summit attempt made by Timmers, Ubbink & Oefner who all reached about 8600m on one oxygen bottle each but when reached 8400m (when hit ridge) encountered deep snow with breaking crust on top of it, ran out of oxygen and time. Ubbink stayed C4 while other 2 went to C2. On 8 Oct Vos, Mourik and Ganesh Gurung set out for top at 2:00 am; Mourik turned back when oxygen ran out at 8600m; Ganesh stopped at S Summit not wanting to go on and Vos went on to top, left his pack at S Summit so no oxygen from S Summit. Took 1-1/4 hr from S Summit to top where he found nothing and left nothing at 4:30 pm. Vos arrived C4 8:00 pm and C2 next day, which he spent on oxygen and intravenous fluids. Another attempt by Timmers, Oefner and Pertemba scheduled 11th for but C4 tents torn apart by wind during night of 10th and had to go down. That ended the climb. First summit party of Timmers, Ubbink and Oefner reached about 8600m on 5 Oct but had to turn back because of deep snow with thin crust, which made progress very slow, and oxygen supply exhausted. Second party of Vos, Miss Mourik and Ganesh Gurung left Col camp on 8 Oct together, but Mourik turned back at 8600m when her oxygen was finished, and Gurung stopped at South Summit while Vos claims he himself went on to the main summit, having left his pack, oxygen gear and camera at South Summit. He found nothing and left nothing at the summit, and there has been considerable debate ever since as to whether he actually did reach main summit. (He was in such poor condition when he got down to C2 in the Cwm that he spent 9 Oct on oxygen and intravenous fluids). Another attempt by Timmers and Oefner plus Pertemba Sherpa was scheduled for 11 Oct, but wind tore open their tent at the Col camp during the night of 10-11 Oct and they had to descend instead. Shrestha Tourism - 9 Oct 84 This morning's message is cancelled; correction is: 8 Oct Vos reached to by himself at 4:30 pm. Mourik and Gurung and Vos left South Col 2:00 am. Ang Temba stayed at Col not feeling well. After reaching 8400m because of insufficiency of oxygen, Mourik and Gurung compelled to turn back. Vos left camera and oxygen at South Summit went on up to main summit where he stayed 5 minutes. Left nothing at South Summit. He left microfilm which has names of people who helped expedition. Last attack on top Friday by Timmers, Mourik, Edmond Ofner. Shrestha, Tourism - 5 Oct 84 4 failed today. 3 turned back 200m from top. Got low on oxygen and bogged down in deep snow. 1 turned back very soon after left C4. Some are now in C4 and others in C2. Next attempt in a few days. Shrestha, Tourism - 5 Oct 84 2 Oct sirdar Mingma Tenzing Sherpa and Ang Dorje Sherpa stayed at C4 at 7980m 3 Oct climbing leader Han Timmers joined them at C4 4 Oct no movement 5 Oct intend to go to top - weather good. 3 other members and 1 Sherpa intend to go to C4 today for summit attempt tomorrow. Shrestha, Tourism - 3 Oct 84 A team of Dutch climbers hope to make attempt on summit within 48 hours of 17 hours yesterday. Han Timmers and 2 Sherpas expedition to reach top first followed by 3 other Dutch members next day. Today planned to step tonight at C4. Shrestha, Tourism - 2 Oct 84 Reached South Col yesterday 2:30 pm and expect assault in next few days. C4 to be established at Col. Shrestha, Tourism - 12 Sept 84 According to a letter from Nepal Police HQ, the Dutch expedition was allowed to use the route made by Nepal Police from 5 Sept and Dutch reached C2 site. When Tourism Ministry sent Dutch LO's report to Police HQ, ministry said police team should allow Dutch to use their route and that until and unless the ministry gives its sanction to the agent, the agent is not valid. Ministry also informed Dutch LO of above 2 points. Shrestha, Tourism - 11 Sept 84 Tourism Ministry have sent to police here text of Dutch LO and asked whether they have comments regarding report from Dutch Everest expedition's LO revealed by ministry yesterday. Shrestha, Tourism - 10 Sept 84 Dutch Everest LO report: 31 Aug BC 5350m Police team set up C2 by 31 Aug LO of Dutch received message from mountain that Dutch team would not be permitted to use route to C2 made by police. Since alternative route very dangerous until today, Dutch have not been able to climb. Sept 5 Dutch LO, Plugge and Inspector Thapa discussed situation and following understanding: 1) from BC to C2 Dutch can use police made route 2) C2 to South Col route to be made by Dutch which police can use after Oct 4 3) route BC to C2 to be maintained by both teams 4) before 4 Oct police cannot go above C2 but after 4 Oct police can go above C2 to South Col and above 5) Dutch will inform police about condition of route and campsites if police request Dutch will leave fixed ropes to South Col 6) American members with police will be considered members of police expedition at all times and Americans will be considered bound by this agent 7) After Dutch established C3, police can go there twice a week for acclimatization but cannot sleep in camp overnight. Police can put their tents next to Dutch tents to store equipment. Dutch LO asks ministry for instructions regarding this agent. Will ask police to explain police failure to comply as they have been instructed to cooperate with Dutch at all times and should not impose conditions. So far ministry stands by the permission to police team to be down at BC on or before 15 Sept and ministry will ask police how they are making conditions about their own climbing after 15 Sept. Autumn 1984 ascent of Everest by Bart Vos disputed: I met the Dutch expedition's climbing leader Henri (Han) Timmers in Kathmandu on 20 October, 1984, after they had returned from their climb. He told me that Vos, Miss Mourik and Ganesh Gurung set out from their Camp 4 at the South Col for the summit at 2:00 am on the 8th of October; Mourik turned back when her oxygen ran out at 8600m, Ganesh stopped at the South Summit not wanting to go on, and Vos went on to the top. Vos had left his pack at the South Summit, so he had no oxgyen from there on up. It took him 1:25 hours from South Summit to main summit, where at 4:30 pm he found nothing and left nothing. He was back in Camp 4 at 8:00 pm and Camp 2 the next day, which he spent on oxygen and intravenous fluids. The expeditions that year published a book which stated Vos reached the top alone; the chapter on the summit was written by Vos. But soon stories emerged contradicting Vos's summit success, and a lively debate sprang up in the Netherlands -- it has continued ever since, with some Dutch climbers who say they know Vos well declaring he would not claim success if he had not reached the summit, and other expressing doubts about his success. I have talked with Dutch mountaineers in Kathmandu about this dispute over the years, and with other knowledgeable people as follows: - American climber David Breashears, who was on the mountain at the same time, told me in Febuary 1985 he was on the same flight from KTM to Bangkok in October as members of the Dutch team and Mourik said that when Vos got back to the South Col camp, he told her he had not made it to the top, and she felt he had returned to the Col too soon after she had left him for him to have been able to get to the summit. Vos, Breashears said, was not a strong climber. Breashears would leave Camp 2 a couple of hours after Vos and still catch up with him. For him to take off his oxygen set at the South Summit and still be able to continue at a normal rate is "impossible." On the Kathmandu/Bangkok flight Vos said he thought he had gotten to the top, but could he have been somewhere else? Timmers said on the flight that, on evidence, he did not believe Vos reached the summit. Ang Rita Sherpa was convinced Vos did not. - The leader, Ronald Naar, and a member of a Dutch Kangchungtse team, who said in October 1985 that a journalist friend had interviewed Vos and other team members intensively and could not determine whether he had reached the summit or not; he was not convinced either way. Vos, they said, was a "very confused personality," divorced after the Everest climb, his personal life in confusion; he gives conflicting accounts of his ascent. - Ronald Naar came back to lead another Dutch Everest expedition and told me in May 1992 that Vos's claim to have been seen by Ganesh Gurung from the South Summit when Vos was on the Main Summit could not have been true because the Main Summit is not visible from the South Summit. Ganesh told Naar in 1986 and 1988 that he saw Vos reach the bottom of the Hillary Step and then turn back without have gone any higher. - An ex-president of the Royal Dutch Alpine Club, Mr. Schreve, said to me in January 1992 he personally thought Vos to have been very near the summit, above the Hillary Step perhaps, but not to the top itself. (He pointed out that all members of the 1984 expedition had signed a statement that they believed he did get to the summit). - Ms. Mariska Mourik was a member of the 1984 team and was with Vos in the final assault party on 8 October. She wrote me a letter on 24 Nov, 1999 about her knowledge of Vos's incorrect claims to have summited both Everest and, in 1996, Dhaulagiri I. She says: "I do not wish to harm him, but, on the other hand, I find the truth should be known. To me it has to do with the ethics of mountain climbing, and also, especially this past decade, with the crazy drive to go beyond oneself to find the sponsors to be able to climb these expensive mountains.... In mountain climbing not everyone is truthful. They need the summit to get sponsors for their next climb, and they need the attention from the media to get the sponsors. Or they get addicted to being famous. Or they really start believing their own imagined ascents..." "I know incontestably that Bart never made it to the summit of Mt. Everest because I was with him and Ganesh Gurung that day. Around 2:00 pm my oxygen canister was empty (I had only received one bottle, Bart and Ganesh both had two). I tried to go on without, but as I was filming while Bart and Ganesh floundered in navel-deep snow, I was overcome by an enormous urge to close my eyes and have a nap. I wasn't tired physically, the sleep was in my head -- lack of oxygen. It was late, and all three of us knew that it was impossible to reach the summit that day, so I decided to turn around, approximately 50 meters below the South Summit." "Bart told me that he wanted to try to at least reach the south summit. It took him and Ganesh about another five quarters of an hour to get there (they were there at 3:15 pm). That was the end point. Bart made all the sponsor photos (flags) on the South Summit, and also buried an aluminium box with the names of all individual Dutch $5-sponsors on microfilm in the snow. On the way back down Bart radioed to Herman Plugge in Camp 2 that he and Ganesh had not gone further than the South Summit and that he was on his way back down. This was around 4:30 pm. He gave this exact position: 200 meters below South Summit, where the trace of our first summit three days earlier ended." "Ganesh was back in Camp 4 on the South Col one hour after I was. He told us Bart was coming down also. When I radioed to Herman Plugge, at around 5:00 pm to tell him that Ganesh and I were back safely and that Bart was coming down, Herman already knew (through the radio contact with Bart) that the summit had not been reached. Bart arrived at Camp 4 less than two hours after me, it was still fully daylight. Bart told me he had not reached the summit. I asked him the question twice, and twice he replied 'No, I didn't make it.' Then suddenly, as if vaguely remembering something, he said 'Yes, I made it.' But he never could have, in so little time." "When you (E Hawley) came the Summit Hotel (where the team stayed) in Kathmandu, with the story of the Slovakians and Australians and their description of the summit, the things Bart should have seen but never saw, it all concorded with what I already knew. For me there is not a shadow of a doubt. But for most other expedition members it was hard not to believe a fellow climber, and the motor behind the whole expedition: Bart." "Bart started changing the hours, first in KTM, then at the press conference on our arrival in Holland, shifting them to make it all match (saying we left earlier, and that he reached camp 4 after the summit at 8 pm, which is two hours after dark), but I have all the exact times on the tapes of the radio programs I made that day. Also Bart's description of the summit kept changing. First it was a big plateau 'as big as a soccer field.' Then he reduced it to the size 'of a few carpets.' Implicitly revealed he had never been there. (I have been analyzing all this for my book)." "Of course the wind can erase footsteps, as you write in your fax (to Mourik), but the teddy bear that the Australians left on the summit, was still there, clearly visible, and also the oxygen bottle that was left by an Indian(?) expedition (that the Australians had seen), and the wind that had formed a round wall of snow, and this was twelve days after the Australians had been on the summit. Also, the Slovakians saw no trace of the rope that supposedly helped Bart (without oxygen and without a rucksack) up the Hillary Step, nor of the two ropes he says to have pulled loose. This is all your own information, with which you confronted Herman Plugge in Kathmandu, and once again, it all concords. Even our own Sherpas claimed that Bart never went to the summit." Langley, NZ Everest - 7 Nov 84 Gurung, who climbed to South Summit with Bart Vos, says Vos turned back at bottom of Hillary Step. (Gurung angry because had been promised a very expensive sleeping bag from Dutch but did not receive it). David Breashears - 21 Oct 84 Dutch would never have made Everest climb if Breashears and Neptune hadn't put in route in Icefall. They hadn't enough ladders had little motivation and really not up to such a climb. Doubtful whether Vos actually made summit. Came down delerious (Mrs Schmatz talked to him). May have thought he did when didn't. Should have seen samething on summit but didn't. Dutch were arrogant, condescending, difficult. No thanks for route. Marched into icefall with banner declaring "we will climb Everest alone" or same such words about being alone. Rodney Korich: Vos was 3 days at Col on oxygen. Long time to get to South Summit where he abandoned oxygen equipment and camera and everything. Proceeded to hardest part of climb. No new snow after that but no footprints above South Summit. 7 Everest summiters around BC doubt Vos ascent. Dutch were under great pressure to have success. David Breashears - 3 Feb 85 Breashears was on KTM/BKK flight with members of Dutch Everest autumn 1984 expedition last Oct. Mariska said when Bart Vos got back to South Col camp from summit bid, he said to her he hadn't made it to top and he came back to Col too soon after her th have been on top. Bart was not a strong climber. Breashears would leave C2 couple of hours after him and still catch up with him. For him to take off oxygen at South summit and still be able to continue at normal rate is impossible. On KTM/BKK flight Bart said he though he'd gotten to top but could he have been somewhere else. Naar and Ms. Lippmann, Makalu II exped - 25 Oct 85 Dutch Everest autumn 1984: A journalist friend interviewed Bart Vos and other team members intensively and could not determine whether Vos reached summit or not. Not convinced one way or other. Vos a very confused personality. Divorced after Everest climb, personal life in confusion. Gives conflicting accouts of ascent. Edmond Ofner and all other members of Dutch Makalu Exped: Bart Vos did reach summit of Everest. The ropes on Hillary Step he said he found were also found by Norwegians next spring. When he returned to South Col he was too exhausted to report. Ofner knows him and is sure Vos would not claim success he had not had: he would not be able to live with himself if he made false claim. Ganesh Gurung - May 1986 During a trek across Sherpani Col in May 1986, Ganesh Gurung told Richard Salisbury that he (Ganesh) had summited instead of Bart Vos and that Vos had stopped at the South Summit. Ganesh credited Vos with the success at the time because Vos was his client and he felt obliged to do so. [See also route notes for KANC-853-01 where Ganesh Gurung makes similar claim to 1985 Spanish Kangchenjunga Central expedition]. Schreve, ex-president Royal Dutch - 3 Jan 92 Schreve personally thinks Vos got to very near Everest summit, above Hillary Step perhaps, but not to top itself. All members of 1984 Everest expedition have signed statement that they believe he did reach summit. Ronald Naar, Dutch Everest Exped leader - 20 May 92 Vos's claim to have been seen by Ganesh Gurung from South Summit when Vos was on main summit could not be true because main summit is not visable from South Summit. Ganesh told Naar in 1986 and in 1988 that he saw Vos reach bottom of Hillary Step and then turn back without having gone higher. In March 2000, Vos brought legal proceedings against a Dutch newspaper, Algemeen Daqlbad, for an article it had just published written by Ms. Milja de Zwart, a Dutch journalist who had recently been investigating the credibility of Vos's climbing claims, in which she concluded he had not summited Everest and Dhaulagiri I. In April, the judge hearing his case ruled against Vos: "We will not sustain the demand to rectify because the indications Bart Vos didn't reach the summits (Dhaulagiri and Everest) are this strong, that it is not improper to disbelieve Bart Vos in public. "We refer to the fact that Vos changed his formerly firm claims on important subjects, such as dates, and in the end doesn't give a sound explanation of his activities and whereabouts during the climbs of Everest 1984 and Dhaulagiri 1996. Doing so, he admits he gave false statements at the time. "Everything considered, at this stage we think it very plausible on the ground of these investigations, the Algemeen Daqlbad could fairly conclude that Bart Vos's story doesn't fit. There are many contradictions, which hardly could be explained, except by assuming vos didn't reach the summits." Vos had the right to appeal this decision until 20 April, but did not do so, according to a fax to me from Milja de Zwart on July 19, 2000. From the respected daily newspaper 'Algemeen Dagblad' on March 10 [2003] Mountain climber Bart Vos had accidently proved in a court case, which was meant to clean his image, that he never reached the Summit of Mount Everest (8848m). A tape brought in as proof contained a passage in which Vos explains to expedition leader Herman Plugge that he did not make it to the summit. The recording was made shortly after Vos abandoned his final climb, on 8th October 1984 at around the five o'clock in the afternoon. A few hours later Vos claimed via the walkie-talkie that he had reached as first Dutchman the top of the highest mountain in the world. The tape was played during a court case, filed by Bart Vos, against his former expedition companion Mariska Mourik. She wrote a book, three years ago, that Vos got stuck on the South Summit, 85 meters lower that the main summit. On the tape Vos clearly says that he did not reach the main summit. "We reached the South Summit of Everest and the saddle between the South Summit and the main summit. We climbed that saddle, it collapsed partly. We went back in a hurry because time was running out. Vos uses the word "we." He means himself plus the Sherpa Ganesh Gurung who was with him on the South Summit. Mourik who made a film of the expedition, returned on 8700 meters. Her oxygen was insufficient to climb any further. The tape recording of the walkie-talkie contact has been lost during many years, but was found shortly before the court case. It was found in the house of Leo Jansen, the former editor in chief of the Tros Nieuws show. This popular radio program had an exclusive contract with the Everest expedition. Vos's success on Everest was doubted from the very beginning. The climber always said that in fact he'd not planned to go further than the South Summit, but that he found himself light and strong enough to push on, after having put off his rucksack and oxygen bottle on the South Summit. 45 minutes later he reached the summit, according to what he told later. Because he had no camera with him, he was not able to prove his success. Translation of quote from "Witboek Everest", Edward Bekker, 2001 (the lost tape recording mentioned above) Bart is almost unintelligible during the radio contact at half past six. Noise and hissing make his voice hardly audible. Radio contact is lost all together on several occasions. Total length of the contact is 2.08 minutes. [noise] Herman (Camp 2): "Hello Bart, this is Herman, this is Herman, Camp 2. Bart, how are you? Over." Bart (South Ridge, approx 8700m): "This is Bart for Camp 2. Over." Herman: "This is Herman, this is Herman. Bart, can you read me? Over." [noise and crackling] Herman: "This is Herman, this is Herman. Bart, can you read me? Over." [noise and crackling] Herman to Peter: "We've lost him again, damn-it." Bart: "This is Bart for Camp 2. Over." Herman: "This is Herman, this is Herman. Bart, can you read me? Over." [noise and crackling] Bart: "This is Bart for Camp 2. Over." Herman: "Bart, this is Herman, this is Herman. Over." [noise and crackling] Herman to Peter: "Must I push this?" Bart: "Herman, I can only hear or understand you [coughing] when I push the squelch-button. I'll tell you what we did in short, therefore. We reached the South Summmit and the saddle [inaudible] the summit and the South Summmit. [hijgen] Eh... When we were at the saddle, it partly collapsed. Eh... Then we went back quickly, because we... time eh... was out [some seconds noise, most likely because Herman pushes the send-button. Peter says: "OK."] ... and I [inaudible] distance from Camp 4. And, eh... I'll be moving on now." [noise and crackling, Peter to Herman: "You again."] Herman: "Bart, eh... Are you still on the eh... Where are you now? Over." [noise and cracking] Bart: "Herman, I'm the last one. And I'm 45 minutes removed from Camp 4. Over." [noise and cracking] Herman: "OK, well that's jolly good. Are... are all the other ones safely back in Camp 4? Over." [noise and cracking] Bart: [inaudible] Herman: [no noise, no crackling. Herman most likely pushes the send-button, but he doesn't speak.] Bart: [coughing, noise and cracking] [no noise or crackling, Peter to Herman: "If you do that, he hasn't got whatsitcalled"] Bart: "Herman, [two coughs] I can't hear you anymore, eh... I'm heading for Camp 4 now. I'll warm up the walkie-talkie once I'm there, and I'll use new batteries to contact you again. Over and out." Herman: "OK. I'm glad to have heard from you." [noise, Herman to Peter: "Well, that's..."] [end of recording] Finally, after many years of Dutch debating, a court-case has brought all facts to light and Bart Vos lost total credibility. Just a few excerpts of the final jurisdiction: Mount Everest 1984 The contact via walky talky on Oct 8, 1984: NB: Herman is Herman Plugge, expedition leader, Bart Vos: "Hermann, I can only hear you [coughing] when I press the squelch button. Therefore I will mention short what we managed to do. We reached the South Summit of Everest and the saddle between the Summit and the South Summit. [deep breaths] Eh... when we stood on the saddle, it partly collapsed. Eh.. then we decided to return quickly, because time eh... was running out...[] Dhaulagiri 1995 Bart Vos published the book "Higher than Dhaulagiri," in which he states he summited Dhaulagiri on 17 October 1996. This cannot be true, because two Russian climbers witnessed that on 17th Oct 1996 they were with Bart Vos on the North-East Ridge of Dhaulagiri. So it is impossible that Bart Vos climbed a route solo in the East Face of Dhaulagiri that same day. The two Russian climbers proved their words with a photograph with automatic time/date notification, showing Bart Vos and themselves on: 17th Oct 1996!!! The Russians further mentioned that Bart Vos never reached higher than an altitude of approximately 7200m. After 17 Oct 1996 Bart Vos descended to basecamp, not only according to Bart Vos' book "Higher than Dhaulagiri," but also according to another Russian climber and an Austrian climber. So the justification by Bart Vos that he got the dates wrong, caused by bad weather and deterioration, and that he did not summit Dhaulagiri on 17 Oct 1996 (as published in his book) but on 20th Oct 1996, does absolutely not stroke with the facts that he was seen in Camp 1 on 18 Oct and between Camp 1 and basecamp on 19th Oct. As mentioned above, these are just two translated fragments of the court-case in The Netherlands, but these are the most important facts, which made the court decide: "Bart Vos loses the case completely and is sentenced to pay the total cost of the court-case(..)" Thursday 29 May 2003 To: His Majesty's Govt Ministry of Culture, Tourism From: Frank H. Schreve As you know, the first Dutch ascent of Mount Everest in 1984 by Bart Vos has been contested from the beginning. Therefore at the arrival of the expedition at KTM an ad-hoc committee was formed to verify the claim of ascent. It was composed of late Dr. Dolf Noordijk, Mrs Elizabeth Hawley and Frank Schreve as Chairman of the Royal Dutch Alpine Club. Based on interviews with all concerned this committee concluded that there was enough likeliness in the reports that Bart Vos claim was warranted. We concluded then unanimously as ad-hoc committee that Bart Vos could be considered as the first Dutchman to have climbed Mount Everest. We followed the then prevailing rule that a climber's word is trusted unless there was evidence of the contrary. As living members now of the ad-hoc committee of 1984 we have to inform you that we cannot maintain our original conclusion. We consider it as very unlikely that Bart Vos reached the main Summit of Mount Everest. Evidence which was at the time not available to the ad-hoc committee, made us reach this new conclusion. Specifically a sound tape which was made heard at a recent court trial in the Netherlands, was not at our disposal in 1984. This sound tape relates a discussion between Bart Vos and the expedition leader in which Vos states that he turned back just a little farther than the South Summit. We submit this conclusion to you as ad-hoc committee (Waarheids Committee) which had as task to verify the facts of the Dutch Everest Expedition 1984. We, therefore, suggest you to reconsider the inscription of the Everest climb of Bart Vos in 1984, as well as the honours awarded to the first Dutch Everest climb. Letter from Herman D. Plugge, Expedition leader The Committee of the Royal Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Club It appears that Mr. F. H. Schreve in KTM, together with Miss Hawley, have sent a letter to the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism concerning the ascent of the Mount Everest by Bart Vos in 1984. I would like to give my reaction to this. In the letter emphasis is given to a tape with a walkie-talkie conversations recorded on 8th Oct 1984, the day of the ascent to the summit. This tape, together with the related films, was flown to the Netherlands by KLM for the TROS television/radio immediately the expedition returned to KTM. When shortly afterwards rumours started that Bart Vos had possibly not after all reached the summit, a commission consisting of Dr. J. A. Noordijik, Mr. F. H. Schreve and Miss Hawley carried out an investigation in KTM into these rumours. The commission interviewed all members of the expedition, a number of Tchechs who at the same time were on Mount Everest (on another route), and several Sherpas including Ganesh who had reached South Summit with Bart Vos. The tape was very probably not referred to in these talks, possible because it was hardly considered to be of importance compared to all the personal statements, apart from the fact that the tape was already in the Netherlands. The Noordjik-Schreve-Hawley commission came at that time to the conclusion that Bart Vos in all probability had reached the summit of the Mount Everest. That now, 19 years later, suggestions are being made that this tape had suddenly surfaced and moreover that it provides the conclusive evidence that Bart Vos didn't reach the summit, is for me that questionable. This tape was never deliberately concealed and it was not lost. We were under the impression that Mariska Mourik had it, but some years ago Leo Jansen - producer with TROS-TV - came across it while cleaning out his old files. After consulting Bart Vos, he sent it to him. After the publication of Mariska Mourik's book "One meter Everest" and at the request of several expedition members, the tape - because of the poor sound quality - was analysed by Jaap Vermeer (documentary producer and Dutch Broadcasting Corporation technician) using many filters and other technical equipment and then a transciption made. A debate started over the 2nd conversation on the tape: can the word "between" be heard or not. Jaap Vermeer did not include it in his transcription because he could not hear it, but according to some it can be heard. The question remains whether this is relevant or not. Can this one word in a recording of a walkie-talkie conversation under very extreme conditions really be the conclusive evidence that Bart Vos was or was not on the summit of Mount Everest? Moreover, after this 2nd conversation, a 3rd followed (see below). Two years ago this tape was put onto the internet, so that since then anyone interested had two whole years to listen to it. The 3rd walkie-talkie conversation was probably around 7:30 pm (19:30). Indeed the first words spoken when Bart Vos returned to camp 4 on the South Col were confusing for us. In camp 2 we thought that Bart Vos hadn't reached the summit. After several minutes, when Bart Vos himself came to the phone and somewhat disjointedly told his story, it became clear to us that he really had got to the top. A great achievement considering that Bart Vos had spent three days at 8000m, before making his attempt to the summit and after reaching the "South Summit," had to continue without oxygen and without Sherpa Ganesh. Then, according to Bart Vos, after fighting his way to the summit he returned to the South Summit only to find that Ganesh had left (he had sensible decended to avoid frostbite). That he had to make the further descend alone must have been a severe mental blow to Bart Vos. Inspite of exhaustion, Bart Vos realized he had to continue and must not sit down, which probably would have let to him circuming! With his last strength he just managed to reach the South Col only to collapse in front of the tents. Luckily the expedition members there heard Bart Vos and dragged him into their tent. For the first ten minutes he lay apathetically in the tent, but a substantial dose of oxygen revived him somewhat. Those interested in reading the transcript of the 3rd walkie-talkie conversation (as stated in the paragraph above, the conversation can also be listened to) should look on internet site everest.boekboek.nl, page 116 lines 5-10. The text not always easy to understand - is literally given. I am well award that a number of aspects are vague and unclear, and in the course of time these have been given more weight as a result of uncertainies around later claims made by Bart Vos (e.g., a solo climb of Dhaulagiri). Even so on the basis of what I went through there at the time and on the factual aspects on and around 8th Oct 1984, I do remain convinced that Bart Vos did indeed reach the summit of Mount Everest. Apart from that, in correspondence of the last months, it has been repeatedly suggested that I deliberately kept facts hidden and perhaps am still doing so. It is such a serious matter that I would not like to make such accusations against others, yet alone have them made against me.
Accidents Avalanche on Lhotse Face did hit Sherpa in it; 2 Sherpas & expedition doctor got edema and never able to go up again
Achievement Vos's summit claim has been disputed by Czech team Sherpas
Agency -
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448101
Year 1984
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

11 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Edward Bekker M 1961 Netherlands Climber Klimmen, Netherlands Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Mariska Mourik F 1958 Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Film director Details Other expeditions
Edmond Ignatius Oefner M 1958 Netherlands Climber Sassenheim, Netherlands Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Herman Plugge M 1939 Netherlands Leader Scheveningen, Netherlands Consultant (management) Details Other expeditions
Peter Teeuwissen M 1956 Netherlands Exp Doctor Nymegen, Netherlands Physician Details Other expeditions
Henri (Han) Timmers M 1949 Netherlands Climbing Leader Amsterdam, Netherlands Organizer of outdoor adventure trips Details Other expeditions
Joost Ubbink M 1957 Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Medical student Details Other expeditions
Bart Vos M 1951 Netherlands Climber Femnes, Netherlands Organizer of outdoor adventure trips Details Other expeditions
Gopal (Ganesh) Gurung M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions
Mingma Tenzing Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar Thami, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pertemba Sherpa M 1948 Nepal Sirdar Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER84305 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 59:263 (1985) -
EVER84305 - Vos, Bart Himalaya Dagboek Nijgh & Van Ditmar, Amsterdam - V116
EVER84305 - Notten, Jan Everest 84 F. Vermeulen, Valkenburg, Netherlands - N164
EVER84305 - Mourik, Mariska Een Meter Everest Uitgeverij Contact, Amsterdam - -
EVER84305 - Bekker, Edward, et al. Witboek Everest Nijgh & Van Ditmar, Amsterdam - -
EVER84305 MM - - - 102:12 (Mar 1985) -
EVER84305 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198526301/Asia-Nepal-Everest - - -