Everest | 1988 S Col-SE Ridge

A Australia expedition to Everest in 1988 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Austin Brookes. Summit reached on 25th May 1988. 26 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 461
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER88104
Peak ID EVER
Year 1988
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Australia
Leaders Austin Brookes
Sponsor Australian Bicentennial Everest - Spring 1988
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 80th,81th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries New Zealand
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1988-03-12
Summit Date 1988-05-25
Summit Time 1230
Summit Days 74
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 25
Summit Members 3
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
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(12/03,5400m),C1(26/03,5900m),C2(04/04,6500m),C3(14/04,7300m),C4(14/05,7900m),Smt(25,28/05)
Route Notes BC at normal site C1 at not quite top of Icefall C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse Face C4 just below Col but normal site. Used 3-nation team's fixed ropes above C3 to S Col. Australians did some but not all Icefall maintenance after having put in entire route through Icefall; were ahead of 3-nation's team to C3, then deliberately waited for others to put up C4 thus putting in rope to that point; asked to wait by 3-nation team who now had great load carrying capacity and moving faster to meet their May 5th summit date. 1st Aussie summit team [Rheinberger, Muir, Strohfeldt, Smith, Curry and Truscott] did not get higher than C3; turned back by wind on 12 May. 2nd summit team [Farmer, Lambert, Van Gelder, Zaharias] got to S Col 14th May and to 8500m 16th; deep snow (knee-deep) took 11 hrs to reach this point and going too slowly and returned to C4 on 16th. 3rd summit team [Boyne, Cullinan] slowed by deep snow in icefall (left BC 16th, to C2 17th, arrived C3 18th, C4 19th) and spent next 6 nights at C4 and set out for top. Bayne on top 12:30 pm (afternoon) 25th and Cullinan 14:30 pm 25th; Cullinan back at C4 at 11 pm, Bayne couple of hours earlier. Spent all 26th exhausted in C4. Arrived C2 evening 27th and BC 28th having used at least 5 oxygen bottles each from C3 to top and at C4. 4th summit team were Rheinberger, Curry, Strohfeldt, Muir, Truscott and McCullagh. 19th Truscott turned back from C2 exhausted while others to C3; Muir stayed at C3 sick. On 20th other 4 to Col and spent nights of 20th and 21st, MuCullagh down on 22nd, Curry and Strohfeldt down on 23rd and Rheinberger to C2 on 24th till 30th. Curry and Muir were 5th team: left BC 26th and arrive C2 same day, C2 to C4 27th, left C4 12:15 am (midnight) 28th; Curry's Japanese oxygen system malfunctioned (Australians own oxygen supply exhausted and only Muir had any by now) and he turned back at 8500m while Muir went on to summit, arrived there at 11:15 am 28th, returned to C4 at 4:30 pm 28th; both down to C2 on 29th (arrived at 4:30 pm) and BC 30th (midday). Only accident: Pitham fell 500 ft on Lhotse Face into crevasse - merely bruised. 3 members in BC only: Allen, Delaney, Trenam 3 members to C2 only 4 members to C3 only 6 members to C4 only 6 members reached 8500m only 3 members reached summit --- 25 Brooks & Rheinberger - 5 June 1988 No attempt made to climb West Ridge, for which had permission. Rheinberger: "we kept it as an option till we saw how much 3-nation expedition would tolerate us." Towards end of climbing period when 3-nation team was with leaving from Everest, several Australian members urged them to take on some Sherpas to send up load-carrying and save members strength - matter was debated and decision went against the idea. 18 May 1988 Australians 2-3 May reached Col - after that leader and some members went at Lobuche 26-27 and others 2-3 May. Left BC 13th May. Brookes said they attempt would summit 13-14 May. No one had occupied Australians Col camp, as far as Isono knows, before he left BC. 1 June 1988 John Muir on 28 May to summit. Chris Curry and Muir left C4 (at midnight) 12 pm but Curry had to turn back because problem of oxygen bottle not functioning well. Muir on top 11:16 hours on 28 May - saw Japanese flag. Oxygen cyclinder and prayer flags of 3-nation expedition; he was extremely happy. Muir and Curry reached C4 15 hours same day.
Accidents Nothing serious
Achievement 1st successful south side expedition without climbing Sherpas
Agency Mountain Travel
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449430
Year 1988
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

26 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Zacharakis (Zac) Zaharias M 1956 Australia Climber The Gap, QLD, Australia Major in Australian Army Details Other expeditions
Brian James Agnew M 1954 Australia Climber Canunera, QLD, Australia Major in Army Details Other expeditions
Peter Stuart Allen M 1950 Australia BC Staff Hampton, Victoria, Australia Urban planner Details Other expeditions
Paul Bayne M 1956 Australia Climber Whale Beach, NSW, Australia Alpine & ski guide Details Other expeditions
Austin Brookes M 1937 New Zealand/Australia Leader Wallsend, NSW, Australia Teacher, Major in Army Details Other expeditions
Norman Crookston M 1946 Australia BC Manager Perth, WA, Australia Army Sergeant (Special forces) Details Other expeditions
Patrick Alexander Cullinan M 1950 Australia Climber Dondi Junction, NSW, Australia Major in Army Details Other expeditions
Christopher Hugh Curry M 1953 Australia Climber/Exp Doctor Christchurch, New Zealand Physician Details Other expeditions
Anthony James Delaney M 1947 Australia Exp Doctor Rhodes, NSW, Australia Physician Details Other expeditions
Bruce Douglas Farmer M 1947 New Zealand/Australia Climber George Town, Tasmania, Australia Metallurgist & general manager of aluminum smelter Details Other expeditions
Charles Hart M 1947 Australia BC Staff Chapel Hill, QLD, Australia Consultant (building industry) Details Other expeditions
Peter Louis Lambert M 1957 Australia Climber Kingston, ACT, Australia Major in Australian Army Details Other expeditions
Terrence John McCullagh M 1958 Australia Climber Bardon, QLD, Australia Army Captain Details Other expeditions
Richard (Rick) Moor M 1955 Australia Climber Subiaco, WA, Australia Major in Army Details Other expeditions
John Robert Muir M 1961 Australia Climber Natimuk, Victoria, Australia Professional alpinist Details Other expeditions
Michael Rex (Mick) Pezet M 1960 Australia Climber Carlton, Sydney, NSW, Australia Repairman, car radiators Details Other expeditions
Phillip John (Phil) Pitham M 1958 Australia Climber Kippa-Ring, QLD, Australia Clerk Details Other expeditions
Michael Anthony Rheinberger M 1940 Australia Climber Parkville, Victoria, Australia Electrical engineer Details Other expeditions
Andrew Smith M 1964 Australia Climber Randwick, Sydney, NSW, Australia Lieutenant in Australian Navy Details Other expeditions
James Alan Strohfeldt M 1959 Australia Climber Bulleen, Victoria, Australia Mathematician, philosopher & doctor Details Other expeditions
Terence W. (Terry) Tremble M 1958 Australia Climber Deer Park, Victoria, Australia Electrical engineer Details Other expeditions
Catherine (Jill) Trenam F 1961 Australia Exp Cook Glenelg North, SA, Australia Cook Details Other expeditions
James Francis (Jim) Truscott M 1956 Australia Climber Canberra, ACT, Australia Major in Army Details Other expeditions
James Van Gelder M 1961 Australia Climber Fyshwick, ACT, Australia Physician Details Other expeditions
Sorrel Wilby F 1961 Australia Journalist Carlingford, NSW, Australia Photographer & waiter Details Other expeditions
Sonam Girme Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar Namche Bazar, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER88104 AAJ Brookes, Austin - - 63:199 (1989) -
EVER88104 HJ Zaharias, Zac The Australian Bi-Centennial Everest Expedition - 46:152-153 (1988-1989) -
EVER88104 - Wilby, Sorrel Beyond the Icefall Cloudcap, Seattle - W158
EVER88104 NZAJ Brookes, Austin Australian Bicentennial Everest Expedition 1988 - 42:44-46 (1989) -
EVER88104 - Cullinan, Patrick White Sherpas Barrallier Books, West Geelong, Victoria, Australia - -
EVER88104 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198919903/Asia-Nepal-Mount-Everest - - -
EVER88104 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/46/22/expeditions-and-notes-46/ - - -