Everest | 1987 N Col-N Face (Great Couloir)-W Ridge

A Sweden expedition to Everest in 1987 via N Col-N Face (Great Couloir)-W Ridge, led by Ebbe Whalund. Summit reached on 21st May 1987. 30 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 451
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER87101
Peak ID EVER
Year 1987
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-N Face (Great Couloir)-W Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Sweden
Leaders Ebbe Whalund
Sponsor Swedish Mount Everest Expedition 1987
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 -
Basecamp Date 1987-03-16
Summit Date 1987-05-21
Summit Time -
Summit Days 66
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8650m due to winds
High Point (m) 8650
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 6
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 28
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 7
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(16/03,5150m),C1(23/03,5400m),C2(5800m),C3.ABC(28/03,6400m),C4(earlyApr,7000m),C5(19/05,7500m),C6(20/05,8000m),xxx(21/05,8650m)
Route Notes BC at 5150m at Rongbuk (classical area - normal site today) C1 at 5400m at Rongbuk Glacier C2 at 6800m at Rongbuk Glacier C3.ABC at 6400m at Rongbuk Glacier, highest yak point in bad spot (not well protected from wind naturally) C4 early April at 7000m at North Col C5 at 7500m on N Ridge C6 at 8000m at Great Col High point at top of yellow band and onto snowfield. Route attempted was same as that of Reinhold Messner in 1980 via the North Col, North Face and Great Couloir. But the Swedes failure to get much above the yellow band was due, according to a member, Hans Lagerhorn, to three mistakes: (1) ABC should have been placed on a site better protected from the winds, which blew it away in mid-May; (2) C6 should not have been pitched at only 8000m, but at 8150m, where team had originally planned to put it, but the first summit-attack team did not have the strength to get it so high -- they should not have done all the lead climbing, but one of their members, Lars Cronlund, did reach the expedition's highest point; and (3) the second summit team had enough manpower and time to move the camp higher but failed to do so. Made rapid progress to N Col. Then C5 only in mid-May because of winds and very cold. ABC completely blown away in 1st half May and had to retreat. 1st summit attempt on 21st; had traversed from C5 to Great Couloir as per Messner route to C6. On 21st reached 8650m by Gronland who started up with Americans and he turned back because oxygen ran out; had done lead climbing on rock band and turned up his flow of oxygen; back to C6 and next day down to N Col and lower. 2nd and last summit bid by Malmsten and Tenzing Sherpa, who started from C6 on 23 May, day after 30cm new snow and windy: at 2am left camp and in knee-deep loose snow gained 300 vertical meters in 9 hrs, so at 11 am stopped and rested long time. Knew before they started up it was known theirs would be last attempt because would take another week to get more oxygen and other supplies up. Yaks and trucks are arriving at BC. In descent moved very slowly, trying to take down too much gear. 1 member spent entire night pacing back and forth till collapsed in morning and lay under rock; very luckily Sirdar Nawang saw him collapse and he could be found and brought down with no frostbite at all. Tenzing had made biv and got frostbitten fingers which will heal. Degerfel used special wing-type parachute from N Col to almost ABC on 22 May. Expedition failed to reach summit because of 3 mistakes: 1. ABC should have been placed in better protected site. 2. C4 should have been placed at 8150m as planned but did not have strength. 1st team should not have done all lead climbing. 3. 2nd summit team had manpower and time to move it up but did not do so. Higher C6 could have meant summit success. Only 2 days of really good weather with negligible wind and clear skies. Two Sherpas got mild frostbite and then stayed at BC. Only 4 Sherpas available for high climbing because of this and illness. David Breashears - 30 Apr 1987 Swedes on Everest Made normal steady progress to N Col. David was with 1st team to Col late March using Chilean fixed ropes all way to Col. All then descended, leaving some members at ABC and rest to BC puja on auspicious day, 2 or 3 April. Early April high winds 4-5 days. At ABC destroyed 2-3 several tents and both tents at Col. ABC collapsed and all from Col and ABC down. BC - 5150m (site of US hang-glider team: east side of glacier) C1 - old British C1 - 5300m C2 - lost autumn's yak camp - 5800m C3 - 6000-6000m - used by yak herder and members ABC - 6300-6400m C4 - 7000m, 10m below Col on leeward side On 24 April tried to go to C5 and got to 7300-7400m and then turned back by high winds and col. Are going over to Great Col at about 7900m. Plan: C6 at 8000-8100m C5 at 7600-7700m As of 27 April Breashears had high point on mountain 7750m; last American's C5 on 21 or 22 April. So on 27 Apr all Sherpas had moved to Col and 3-4 members at col to fix route to C5 and stocking it (with supplies from US C5). Several members cracked ribs from cough.
Accidents 1 member broke leg in 20m fall at 7600m 12th April [?] resulting in severe toes and fingers frostbite
Achievement 1st Swedish attempt
Agency Nepal Himal
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449059
Year 1987
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n col-n face (great couloir)-w ridge

Members

30 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jan Anderson M 1955 Sweden Climber Dete, Sweden Engineer, sound Details Other expeditions
Daniel Bidner M 1964 Sweden Climber Stockholm, Sweden Nurse in mental hospital Details Other expeditions
Piotr Bober M 1954 Sweden Climber Goteborg, Sweden Student Details Other expeditions
Lars (Lasse) Cronlund M 1953 Sweden Climber Upplands Vasby, Sweden Engine driver of train Details Other expeditions
Peter Degerfeldt M 1956 Sweden Climber Vasteras, Sweden Cinematographer Details Other expeditions
Ola Fagrell M 1957 Sweden Climber Goteborg, Sweden Civil engineer (chemistry) Details Other expeditions
Erik Fernstrom M 1954 Sweden Climber Krokom, Sweden Cameraman Details Other expeditions
Thomas Fors M 1947 Sweden Climber Liusdal, Sweden Teacher, sports Details Other expeditions
Jan-Erik Hellsvik M 1943 Sweden Climber Goteborg, Sweden Electronics engineer Details Other expeditions
Bjorn Holmgren M 1952 Sweden Climber Liungskile, Sweden Gardener Details Other expeditions
Clas Johansson M 1957 Sweden Climber Stockholm, Sweden Journalist Details Other expeditions
Lars-Ove Lindblad M 1948 Sweden Climber Storuman, Sweden Train driver Details Other expeditions
Sten-Goran Lindbladh M 1952 Sweden Climber Goteborg, Sweden Officer, insurance claims Details Other expeditions
Claes Lofgren M 1955 Sweden Climber Stockholm, Sweden Photographer Details Other expeditions
Per Malmsten M 1962 Sweden Climber Jamtland, Sweden Forester Details Other expeditions
Rocanb Nilsson M 1957 Sweden Climber Storuman, Sweden Art director (owner of company) Details Other expeditions
Zonas Oisson M 1962 Sweden Climber Stockholm, Sweden Student of mathematics Details Other expeditions
Lennart Olin M 1943 Sweden Climber Vaestrafrolonda, Sweden Engineer, fire Details Other expeditions
Arne Roos M 1951 Sweden Climber Moelndamdal, Sweden Neurosurgeon Details Other expeditions
Paul Rotmil M 1947 Sweden Climber Stockholm, Sweden Surgeon Details Other expeditions
Karltommy (Tommy) Sandberg M 1935 Sweden Climber Ludvika, Sweden Painter Details Other expeditions
Beunt Sorvik M - Sweden Climber Bokuslan, Sweden Forester Details Other expeditions
Rickard Strand M 1958 Sweden Climber Lulea, Sweden Engineer, mountain & teacher in technology Details Other expeditions
Michael Sundberg M 1962 Sweden Climber Froson, Sweden Construction worker Details Other expeditions
Bosse (Bo) Tingback M 1951 Sweden Climber Goteborg, Sweden Teacher Details Other expeditions
Peter Weng M 1956 Sweden Climber Uppsala, Sweden Physician Details Other expeditions
Ebbe Wahlund M 1946 Sweden Leader Balsta, Sweden Surgeon Details Other expeditions
Hans Lagerhorn M 1944 Sweden Climber Spanga, Sweden Managing director, fire-engineer Details Other expeditions
Nawang Yonden Sherpa M 1952 Nepal Sirdar Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Tenzing Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER87101 AAJ - - - 62:267 (1988) -
EVER87101 MM - - - 116:9 (Jul 1987) -
EVER87101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198826701/Asia-Tibet-Swedish-Everest-Attempt - - -