Everest | 1987 S Col-SE Ridge

A Austria expedition to Everest in 1987 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Hanns Schell. Summit reached on 2nd October 1987. 15 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 457
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER87305
Peak ID EVER
Year 1987
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Austria
Leaders Hanns Schell
Sponsor International Everest/Lhotse 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 France, Italy, USA, W Germany
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1987-08-26
Summit Date 1987-10-02
Summit Time -
Summit Days 37
Total Days 49
Termination Date 1987-10-14
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8400m due to high winds
High Point (m) 8400
Traverse False
Ski True
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 15
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 False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Small rock peak, Lhotse (had permit, but not attempted) (LHOT-873-02)
Campsites BC(26/08,5350m),C1(07/09,6000m),C2(18/09,6400m),C3(19/09,7300m),C4(28/09,8000m),xxx(02/10,8400m)
Route Notes BC at normal site C1 at top of Icefall C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse Face C4 at South Col High point on SE Ridge. This expedition was a group of teams including American Snowbird expedition, 2-man USA expedition of Boyer and Rice, and several European climbers. European teams described below. See AAJ (1988) for descriptions of USA teams. Progress went well till 25th Sep; was sometimes snow but no wind. 26th Sep 10 members slept in C3 for summit bid either from C3 or C4. 27th Sep dowm because fierce wind. Patscheider and Schlicher up from C3 night of 1-2 Oct for summit bid and got only to 8400m on 2nd Oct because deep snow on one side of ridge and terrible wind on left side. Schlicher and Patscheider to C2 on foot and again to S Col on 10th Oct. On 16th they went to 8200m and again turned back by wind but Patscheider tried to ski down Lhotse Face from Col; skies merged into snow and he fell and dislocated shoulder. 8 members left BC 14th. Doctor leaving 15th and (not counting Snowbird climbers and Rice) left on mountain only French team of Muller, de La Ferriere and Lang. Winds began on Sep 26th and continued strong. Patscheider (via others) - 26 Aug 87 No oxygen, no Sherpas to Everest top with him. Skis to South Col and if has luck with snow above Col will take skis to summit and down. First to Lhotse summit from face via Couloir then without return to BC picks up his skis left at Lhotse Face and to South Col where sleeps 1 night next day up Everest wtih skis on his back to ski down most of this distance too (if not all because of rock like Hillary Step). Ski from Everest top to Cwm in same day, maybe 3 hours including rest at Col and again on Lhotse West Face. Will have come down via east side of Geneva Spur (but pillar and Spur). Max 45-degree slope. Past ski descents: 55-60 degrees in Alps. "Not problem about skiing, very good skier; but problem may be no breath on summit and not enough power to go down with skis from summit. His skis 130 cm long, 7 cm wide (normal 180 cm for alpine skis in Europe). Shorter and lighter weight easier to carry, easier to swing; larger skis mean no control to slow and stop and go around rocks, etc. Hopes go only 20 km/hour. No practice skiing in Khumbu. 55% chance he will be able to ski from Everest summit; if only 50-50, stupid to try, but 51-49 average not stupid. He is quiet and undramatic. European Everest after 14 Sept: Muller - 8 Nov 87 13th Muller were in BC to ensure Schell didn't take all tents, etc away. Went to C2, Muller and some Americans, about 16 Oct and back to BC 18 or 19 Oct in fear of bad weather. Muller and party were first Europeans to reach C3 after bad weather but camp flat and ropes to and above C3 gone. Now always wind from north so decided to stop climb, Muller and Americans decided. Down to BC 28 Oct and left BC 30. No yaks could reach BC, only to Gorak Shep, because of deep snow. "It was the wind - we could reach summit at beginning of Oct but always windy windy." No oxygen taken or used by Mullers. No serious trauma amongst Europeans except Patscheider. No one attempted to reached to reach Lhotse summit.
Accidents None to 14th except Patschieder's shoulder injury
Achievement -
Agency Mountain Travel
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449193
Year 1987
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

15 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Stephen (Steve) Boyer M 1946 USA Climber Portland, Oregon Physician Details Other expeditions
Michel Dacher M 1933 W Germany Climber Peiting, Bavaria, W Germany Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Markus Grasl M 1956 Austria Climber Baden, Lower Austria, Austria Ophthalmologist Details Other expeditions
Georg Hartlmaier M 1932 W Germany Climber Cedar City, Utah Businessman Details Other expeditions
Karl Hub M 1938 W Germany Climber Strasslach, Bavaria, W Germany Official in government patent office Details Other expeditions
Balthasar Kendler M 1926 Austria Climber Huettschlag, Salzburg, Austria Retired Details Other expeditions
Ruediger Lang M 1956 W Germany Climber Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Consultant (financial) Details Other expeditions
Bernard Roger Muller M 1952 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Reinhard Patscheider M 1957 Italy Climber Graun, Bolzano, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Murray Newmyer Rice M 1954 USA Climber Seattle, Washington Physician Details Other expeditions
Leopold Schausberger M 1952 Austria Exp Doctor Losenstein, Upper Austria, Austria Physician Details Other expeditions
Hanns Schell M 1938 Austria Leader Graz, Styria, Austria Merchant Details Other expeditions
Thomas Schlicher M 1961 Austria Climber Altaussee, Styria, Austria Technician, salt mine Details Other expeditions
Hans Steinbach M 1947 W Germany Climber Heusenstamm, Hesse, W Germany Merchant Details Other expeditions
Laurence Gautier De La Ferriere F 1957 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Director of mountaineering school Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER87305 AAJ Boyer, Stevan - - 62:203-204 (1988) -
EVER87305 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 62:204 (1988) -
EVER87305 AAJ Athans, Peter - - 62:204-205 (1988) -
EVER87305 MM - - - 120:10 (Mar 1988) -
EVER87305 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198820401/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Attempts - - -
EVER87305 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198820300/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Attempt - - -
EVER87305 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198820402/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Attempt - - -