Everest | 1988 W Ridge from N

A UK expedition to Everest in 1988 via W Ridge from N, led by Douglas Keelan. Summit reached on 18th May 1988. 42 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 462
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER88102
Peak ID EVER
Year 1988
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 W Ridge from N
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Douglas Keelan
Sponsor British Services Everest Expedition 1988
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 1988-03-08
Summit Date 1988-05-18
Summit Time -
Summit Days 71
Total Days 75
Termination Date 1988-05-22
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8550m due to bad weather, lack of oxygen, strong manpower
High Point (m) 8550
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 6
Fixed Rope (m) 900
Total Members 41
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 6
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(08/03,5240m),C1(12/03,5560m),ABC(16/03,5975m),C3(31/03,6550m),C4(05/04,7255m),C5(14/04,7255m),C6(17/05,8150m),xxx(18/05,8550m)
Route Notes BC at road C1 at Tilman's camp C2 (ABC) on glacier at foot of steep climb start C3 halfway up French spur C4 just below top of shoulder C5 at 1.5m east of C4 C6 at bottom of yellow band, halfway up Hornbein Couloir. Climb to C3 quite technical on 60 degrees steep ice. C6 problem to establish and made lower than planned because of oxygen problems; actually properly established only on 8th May. Summit group of 4 [Nicholls, Maxwell, Moore, McLeod] left C5 on 28th April and got only to 8100m. Next day 4 got only to 8300m because oxygen problems and camp not high enough, but weather good. They withdrew from mountain and 2nd bid mounted for 8 May with 2 summiters [Bell, Middleton] on 9th and 4 [Williams, Garratt, L. Hughes, Pelly] on 10th, but big snowfield 600m wide made getting into Hornbein dangerous and they withdrew at 8000m on 8th. 3rd bid for 18th May with 4 summiters [Nicholls, McLeod, Day, L. Hughes] and support party [Middleton, Moore]. C6 now placed at 8150m. Day withdrew because not well. Night of 17 May weather changed completely, spindrift and snow kept thundering down Hornbein and tent kept being squashed. Nicholls and McLeod set out at 8:30 am from C4 and kept on to 14:30 to top of Hornbein Couloir, but ferocious wind in storm to top of yellow band where summit snowfield began. Storm not abating and snow conditions getting worse and worse, making withdrawal increasingly dangerous. In withdrawal Middleton descending from C5 caught by slab avalanche and had leg injury (but not broken) so had to be carried down.
Accidents Middleton's injured leg (while descending from C5 caught by slab avalanche) but not broken; 4 cases of frostbite which will heal
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449423
Year 1988
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) w ridge from n

Members

42 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Richard C. Pelly M 1951 UK Climber UK Commander in Royal Navy Details Other expeditions
Mark Anderson M 1942 UK Film Team London, England TV producer and director Details Other expeditions
Roger M. Antolik M 1958 UK Film Team Liaison Suffolk, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
Patrick H. (Pat) Parsons M 1955 UK Climber Exmouth, Devon, England Royal Marines (Captain) Details Other expeditions
Ian Edward (Ted) Atkins M 1958 UK Climber Cotgrave, Nottingham, E Midlands, England Motor mechanic in army Details Other expeditions
William (Bill) Batson M 1956 UK Climber N Yorkshire, England Government service Details Other expeditions
Martin H. Bazire M 1958 UK Climber Camberley, Surrey, England Army Captain, British Army Details Other expeditions
Stephen J. (Steve) Bell M 1959 UK Climber Devonshire, England Tour operator & Royal Marines reservist Details Other expeditions
M. W. Henry Day M 1942 UK Deputy Leader Cambridge, England Lieutenant Colonel in Army Details Other expeditions
Andrew J. S. (Andy) Edington M 1957 UK Climber Scotland Army Captain (Engineers) Details Other expeditions
Alan James Evans M 1948 UK Film Team Cheshire, England TV cameraman Details Other expeditions
Jonathan P. J. Garratt M 1962 UK Climber London, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
J. Giles B. Gittings M 1962 UK Climber London, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
Simon David Gray M 1963 UK Climber Southampton, Hampshire, England Lieutenant, Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment Details Other expeditions
Richard H. (Dick) Hardie M 1933 UK Climber Hampshire, England Physician in Army Details Other expeditions
Charles W. Hattersley M 1949 UK Climber London, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
Ian Robert Hills M 1949 UK Film Team Cheshire, England Sound recordist Details Other expeditions
David A. (Dave) Howie M 1957 UK Climber Ayshire, Scotland Sergeant in Army Details Other expeditions
Andrew Simon (Andy) Hughes M 1960 UK Climber Plymouth, Devon, England Lieutenant in Army Details Other expeditions
Luke Alexander Hughes M 1957 UK Climber London, England Furniture designer & Captain in Army Details Other expeditions
Keith E. Hunter M 1937 UK BC Manager Derbyshire, England Royal Air Force officer Details Other expeditions
G. Douglas B. Keelan M 1942 UK Leader Cargill-by-Perth, Tayside, Scotland Colonel in Army Details Other expeditions
Stephen John (Steve) Last M 1956 UK Climber Devonshire, England Colonel in Royal Marines Details Other expeditions
Simon Patrick Rhodes Lowe M 1960 UK Climber Nottingham, E Midlands, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
David Thomas (Max) Maxwell M 1956 UK Climber Hereford, England Sergeant in Army Details Other expeditions
Alan McLeod M 1961 UK Climber Scotland Senior aircraftman Details Other expeditions
E. Mervin (Merv) Middleton M 1956 UK Climber Bodmin, Cornwall, England Staff sergeant, engineer Details Other expeditions
Alastair R. O. Miller M 1954 UK Climber Cumbria, England Surgeon, Lieutenant Colonel Details Other expeditions
T. G. (Terry) Moore M 1953 UK Climber UK Sergeant, RAF Supplier Details Other expeditions
James L. (Jim) Morning M 1953 UK Climber Grantown-on-Spey, Moray, Scotland Senior aircraftman Details Other expeditions
David Vernon Nicholls M 1949 UK Climber Portsmouth, Hampshire, England Major in Army Details Other expeditions
David Malcolm Orange M 1950 UK Climber W Germany Staff sergeant Details Other expeditions
Nicholas Plowright M 1956 UK Film Team Cheshire, England Film cameraman Details Other expeditions
John Lincoln Rowe M 1951 UK Climber Scotland Artist Details Other expeditions
Christopher Brine (Kit) Spencer M 1955 UK Climber Hong Kong Major in Army Details Other expeditions
Duncan G. Strutt M 1960 UK Climber Middlesex, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
P. Neville (Nev) Taylor M 1942 UK Climber N Yorkshire, England Chief technician in Royal Air Force Details Other expeditions
David Torrington M 1960 UK Climber Essex, England Gunner in Territorial Army Details Other expeditions
John Vlasto M 1964 UK Climber Somerset, England Lieutenant in Army Details Other expeditions
Gavin Nigel Williams M 1956 UK Climber Warminster, Wiltshire, England Army Captain Details Other expeditions
Alexander Deral Wilson M 1955 UK Climber Plymouth, Devon, England Sergeant in Marines Details Other expeditions
Chowang Rinzi Sherpa M 1949 Nepal Sirdar Namche Bazar, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER88102 AAJ Keelan, Douglas - - 63:272-273 (1989) -
EVER88102 HJ Keelan, Lt. Col. G. D. B. Keelan Everest, 1988 - 45:151-153 (1987-1988) -
EVER88102 AJ Hughes, Luke Parasite or Publicity - 94:15-19 (1989-1990) -
EVER88102 - Anderson, Mark On the Big Hill Faber and Faber, London - A212
EVER88102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198927200/Asia-Tibet-Everest-West-Ridge-Attempt - - -
EVER88102 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/45/22/expeditions-and-notes-45/ - - -
EVER88102 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1989-90_files/AJ%201989%2015-19%20Hughes%20Everest.pdf - - -