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 | - | - | - |