Everest | 1987 NE Ridge

A UK expedition to Everest in 1987 via NE Ridge, led by Doug Scott, Rick Allen. Summit reached on 14th October 1987. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 456
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER87306
Peak ID EVER
Year 1987
Season 3
Host Country 2
Route 1 NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Doug Scott, Rick Allen
Sponsor Everest Autumn 1987 - NE Ridge, 'The Unclimbed Ridge'
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 Austria, India, USA
Approach Zhangmu->Shegar
Basecamp Date 1987-09-04
Summit Date 1987-10-14
Summit Time -
Summit Days 40
Total Days 48
Termination Date 1987-10-22
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8100m due to bad snow conditions, strong winds, death of cook, etc.
High Point (m) 8100
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 1
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits 1 summiter on Langtang area peak
Campsites BC(04/09,5150m),ABC(09/09,6400m),C1(20/09,7090m),C2(08/10,7900m),xxx(14/10,8100m)
Route Notes BC at 5150m at 1994 site on Rongbuk Glacier ABC at East Rongbuk glacier (as high as yaks can go) C1 at top of site (at first tents, later cave) C2 on NE Ridge (cave) High point at NE Ridge. First climbed Naya Kanga (Ganjala Chuli) in Langtang to summit for acclimatization. Between 9th and 20th Sept fixed rope on rib and rest period. On climb on ridge had dump at base of first buttress at 7300m which was as high as several climbers (Sustad, Indian woman) got because literally cold feet. The big day was 12th Oct. 6 started out for summit push and Sustad, Allan, Scott, Allen, Kekus and Schauer on up ridge from ABC. [Sustand and Allan turned back first day.] Kekus and Schauer numb feet and fierce wind and turned back on 13th while Scott and Allen to C2. 14th both to 8100m (half way up 1st pinnacle) but very strong gusts of wind numbing them and both back to C2. 15th up to 8050m and again unabated wind so Scott quoted Williams on token heroics and down to ABC late at night. Rested and down to BC for brief period than hoped. 19th blizzard started. On 19th 2 Nepalis in a tent at a half-way point above BC; on the 19th a blizzard began, and it created 3 avalanches which swept a tent and Mangal Singh Tamang buried by it; body found on 21st and cremated at Rongbuk monastery on 23rd. Yaks couldn't get to ABC and trucks couldn't get to BC, so 4 members ported loads for 4 days from ABC to BC yaks. BC to road in beautifully clear and windless weather but Scott gone and Allen not interested in trying solo bid. Left BC 28th Oct and in Nepal 6th Nov - had taken 3 days to gt from BC to Shegar which normally takes one day. If winds had died on 14th Scott and Allen would have made it through the pinnacles - whether would have gone on to summit or down classical route, don't know. * 2 Nepalese above BC to ABC Schunk (American team) - 3 Nov 87 Scott went to Lhasa twice,; Rick Allen, et al at Shegar 30 Oct; arrive KTM about 3 Nov. (Rick on 31st also to Lhasa) so perhaps not to KTM with others. Reached 50m below their own high point; did not get close to where Boardman and Tasker disappeared. Probably weather defeated them. (Schunk left mountain 28 Oct). Michael Scott - 15 Oct 87 British on N Ridge Worried by 100 mph winds still continuing. Doug, Schauer, Rick Allen, Sandy Allan, Nick Kekus and Sustad left ABC 6400m 11 Oct; snow cave 7090m on 12th, 13th the pinnacles. 14th, 15th through pinnacles to top. Rick highest to 8000m snow cave just below pinnacles about 7?60m. Doug said happy to get through pinnacles and down N Col; very long to Everest top from top of pinnacles: 2-1/2 km and down N Col because of winds. Michael left BC 12th with his girl friend (Johanssen) due to bronchitis and dysentery.
Accidents Cook killed by avalanche at BC
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449205
Year 1987
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) ne ridge

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Alexander Roderick (Sandy) Allan M 1955 UK Climber Fochabers, Moray, Scotland Technician, offshore Details Other expeditions
Richard Frank (Rick) Allen M 1954 UK Co-Leader Aberdeen, Scotland Petroleum engineer Details Other expeditions
Evan Johanssen F - UK BC Manager - - Details Other expeditions
Nikola (Nick) Kekus M 1957 UK Climber Cockermouth, Cumbria, England Civil engineer Details Other expeditions
Sharavati (Sharu) Prabhu F 1959 India Member Bombay, India - Details Other expeditions
Hans Robert Schauer M 1953 Austria Climber Graz, Styria, Austria Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Douglas Keith (Doug) Scott M 1941 UK Co-Leader Carlisle, Cumbria, England - Details Other expeditions
Michael Scott M 1963 UK Climber Hasket Newmarket, Cumbria, England Joiner (carpenter) Details Other expeditions
Stephen F. Sustad M 1960 USA Climber Nottingham, England Carpenter Details Other expeditions
Mangal Singh (Nima) Tamang M - Nepal H-A Cook - High-altitude porter Details Other expeditions

References

8 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER87306 AAJ Allan, Sandy - - 62:270 (1988) -
EVER87306 HJ Scott, Doug Northeast Ridge of Everest, 1987 Expedition - 45:117-123 (1987-1988) -
EVER87306 AJ Scott, Doug The Altos Northeast Ridge of Everest Expedition - 93:51-56 (1988-1989) -
EVER87306 MM - - - 119:8 (Jan 1988) -
EVER87306 IM Scott, Doug The Northeast Ridge of Everest - 22:26-37 (1988) -
EVER87306 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198827000/Asia-Tibet-Everest-Northeast-Ridge-Attempt - - -
EVER87306 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/45/22/expeditions-and-notes-45/ - - -
EVER87306 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1988-89_files/AJ%201988%2051-56%20Scott%20Everest.pdf - - -