Everest | 1984 S Pillar-SE Ridge (up); SE Ridge-S Col (down)

A Czechoslovakia expedition to Everest in 1984 via S Pillar-SE Ridge (up); SE Ridge-S Col (down), led by Frantisek Kele. Summit reached on 15th October 1984. 22 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 501
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER84306
Peak ID EVER
Year 1984
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Pillar-SE Ridge (up); SE Ridge-S Col (down)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Czechoslovakia
Leaders Frantisek Kele
Sponsor Expedition Himalaya 1984 Sagarmatha
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 66th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1984-09-06
Summit Date 1984-10-15
Summit Time 1515
Summit Days 39
Total Days 45
Termination Date 1984-10-21
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 21
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 9
Summit Hired 1
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
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(06/09,5350m),C1(09/09,6050m),C2(12/09,6400m),C3(22/09,7300m),C4(02/10,8050m),C5(14/10,8300m),Smt(15/10)
Route Notes BC at 5350m at usual site C1 at 6050m at top of Icefall C2 at 6400m in Cwm a little below usual site because other expeditions there C3 at 7300m on SW Face C4 at 8050m on right side of Pillar C5 at 8300m on right side of Pillar on snow and rock (1 tent). Decided at BC to change route: too late for trying SW Face and had only 12 bottles of oxygen (had expected to use 34 bottles left by Soviets on face but bottles not there), so time and oxygen not enough for difficult face climb. No technical problems with Pillar route. In descent used normal route and saw a tent on Col from South Summit in descent (and also on way up), but when reached Col could not find it. Descended together to about 100m below South Summit where Psotka told Demjan to go to Col and prepare tent while Psotka and Ang Rita move slowly (this account continued in attached notes of 31 Oct 84). Orolin had blood clot in groin while in C3 late Sept; stayed at BC rest of climb. Psotka died in fall on 15/16 Oct. Bass party helped get Orolin down mountain. Jozef Psotka might be alive if Nepalese-Bass camps in place on Col and Lhotse Face. Kele - 31 Oct 1984 Last walkie-talkie radio contact at 4:30 am at 100m below South Summit. Demjan left other 2 at 5 pm and arrived South Col 6:00 pm in very good mental condition, found no tent and went to C3 but again could not find tent in dark (had given head lamp to Ang Rita). Arrive C2 1:00 am next day. Psotka and Ang Rita arrived at Col 11:00 pm midnight. Psotka so tired they dug snow cave. AR then to C3 (which he found) to prepare drink but no cooker and no sleeping bag. After 1-2 hours there felt bad and could not go back up to help Psotka so went down: 8:00 am reached C2. 16 Oct 3 Sherpas including Ang Dorje from police C2 to C3 and wanted to go above but not strong enough go much above C3 and 2 Czechs from BC to C2. One Czech just in C5 pillar 15th night and on 17th Oct went over to normal route and traced Psotka footprints to Col but no trace of Psotka and cave (did find tent at Col). Just met 3 police Sherpas at C3 on 17th and on down. Found body in Cwm at 1:00 pm at bottom of Lhotse face. Psotka must have fallen 1200m down from traverse on face to C3. Then no more attempts for top. Used strongest men in 2nd summit party for search. Fiala finished leadership when route changed from SW Face whichhe was prepared for and became regular member. No climbing leader after that. Reached site of C5 and made fixed rope to there. Kele - 3 Nov 1984 Czech expedition's summiters found on top oxygen blue US bottle sticking out of snow; small figure of bear on top also. Czechs saw footprints from N Face to top and from South Col to South Summit but not to main summit. No fixed ropes above Col. Vos said used 2 ropes at Hillary Step. Kele - 3 Nov 1984 Czechs had good relations with all the other Everest expeditions this autumn but could not really understand why Dutch felt so strongly about not having others on their route. Dutch even raised question about how close Czech route would be to Dutch. Dutch had helped Czechs get permit by agreeing to let them use Icefall but their stand against police-Bass team meant that there were no proper camps on South Col route, even Czech summiters came down that way. Perhaps Psotka would be alive if police-American camps had been there at Col and on Lhotse face. Americans had provided important equipment for Icefall route to Czechs, Hillary team and Dutch so many ladders, for example. Americans helped Czechs get Orolin down when he was struck by blood clot - very important help. Shrestha, Tourism - 5 Oct 1984 3 members and 2 Sherpas established C4 at 7780m on 2 Oct and saved day the 2 Sherpas went to C2 leaving 3 Czechs at C4 intend to establish C5 by 13 Oct. Shrestha, Tourism - 2 Oct 1984 Big team of 20 men of rescuers brought injured member Michal Orolin, born 43, aircraft engineer, Velky Slavkov, suffering from thrombosis in groin and respiratory problems. Rescue operation with 5 Sherpas from Czech and police team. Brought to BC from C3: arrived BC yesterday.
Accidents Orolin had blood clot in groin while in C3 late Sep (stayed at BC rest of climb); Psotka died in fall on night of Oct 15-16
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448108
Year 1984
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s pillar-se ridge (up); se ridge-s col (down)

Members

22 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Zdenek Brabec M 1946 Czechoslovakia Climber Prague, Czechoslovakia Technician Details Other expeditions
Zoltan Demjan M 1955 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Geologist Details Other expeditions
Vincent Duben M 1940 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Geologist Details Other expeditions
Ivan Fiala M 1941 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Managing director of hospital building enterprise Details Other expeditions
Jozef Just M 1955 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Teacher, physical education Details Other expeditions
Frantisek Kele M 1936 Czechoslovakia Leader Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Geographer Details Other expeditions
Vladimir Launer M 1947 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Engineer, hospital building enterprise Details Other expeditions
Milan Matis M 1948 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Manager, high building repairing firm Details Other expeditions
Rudolf Mock M 1943 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Geologist Details Other expeditions
Miloslav Neumann M 1942 Czechoslovakia Climber Kelmark, Czechoslovakia Architect Details Other expeditions
Michal Orolin M 1943 Czechoslovakia Climbing Leader Velky Slavkov, Czechoslovakia Mechanic, helicopter Details Other expeditions
Jaroslav Orsula M 1942 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Secretary, sports club Details Other expeditions
Vladimir Petrik M 1946 Czechoslovakia Climber Spisska Nova Ves, Czechoslovakia Engineer, construction Details Other expeditions
Pavel Pochyly M 1945 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Paints & repairs high buildings Details Other expeditions
Jan Porvaznik M 1956 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Economist Details Other expeditions
Jozef Psotka M 1934 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Electronics and physics teacher, high school Details Other expeditions
Marian Sajnoha M 1939 Czechoslovakia Climber Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Professor of physical education Details Other expeditions
Milan Simunic M 1940 Czechoslovakia Exp Doctor Bratislava, Czechoslovakia Physician Details Other expeditions
Ludovit Zahoransky M 1939 Czechoslovakia Climber Ostrava-Zabreh, Czechoslovakia Repairs mining machinery Details Other expeditions
Ang Rita Sherpa M 1948 Nepal H-A Worker Yilajung, Khumbu High-altitude porter Details Other expeditions
Miloslav (Milos) Koncok M 1947 Czechoslovakia Film Team Bratislava, Czechoslovakia - Details Other expeditions
Milan Skladany M 1951 Czechoslovakia Exp Doctor Bratislava, Czechoslovakia - Details Other expeditions

References

9 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER84306 AAJ Kele, Frantisek - - 59:263 (1985) -
EVER84306 HJ Smida, V. Sagarmatha, 1984 - 42:157-159 (1984-1985) -
EVER84306 - Kele, Frantisek Everest Sport, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia - K104
EVER84306 MM - - - 100:14 (Nov 1984) -
EVER84306 MM - - - 102:12 (Mar 1985) -
EVER84306 - Kele, Frantisek Sagarmatha CSTK Pressfoto, Bratislav - -
EVER84306 - Kele, Frantisek Moje Dotyky s Everestom Dali, Bratislava - -
EVER84306 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198526302/Asia-Nepal-Mount-Everest-Ascent-and-Tragedy - - -
EVER84306 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/42/21/expeditions-and-notes-42/ - - -