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 | - | - | - |