Everest | 1988 S Col-SE Ridge

A France expedition to Everest in 1988 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Marc Batard. Summit reached on 26th September 1988. 1 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 486
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER88307
Peak ID EVER
Year 1988
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Marc Batard
Sponsor Marc Batard Autumn 1988 Everest Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 84th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1988-09-08
Summit Date 1988-09-26
Summit Time 1530
Summit Days 18
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 3
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
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 Attempted Lhotse S Face (LHOT-883-03), climbed Cho Oyu (CHOY-882-01)
Campsites BC(08/09,5350m),C1(6200m),C2(7300m),Smt(26/09)
Route Notes C1 at low end of Western Cwm C2 on Lhotse Face. Sungdare did no climbing on Everest; came to BC on about 17-18 Sept, drunk, asking for money but bringing his gear; he didn't want to climb in 1 day, didn't agree to go ahead of Batard by a day. 7th Sept - KTM/Thyangboche by helicopter 8th Sept - arrived BC for meeting with other French climbers 9th Sept - Pheriche to see radio man 10th Sept - Lobuche overnight 10/11 11th " - tried to go to top and reached South Col; left BC 8:15 pm 12th " - arrived S col 11:00 am; slept in biv at 7100m 1 hour and and all returned to BC at 4:00 pm; turned back at Col because snow too deep; had 1 Gurung Sherpa from biv to Col and they too tired also; all 3 took turns leading 13th " - in BC 14th " - started up at 5:15 pm alone; 6 Sherpas were above him: 1 tent at about 6200m (in Icefall alone with headlamp, spoke with Chamoux on North side) C2 at 7300m; 2 Sherpas. 15th " - Batard slept in C2 1 hour - (2:00-3:00 am). Batard up again and met other 3 Sherpas who were making trail; he caught up with them at 7900m they stopped at 7900m but Batard on up alone with 1 Sherpa following him; Batard made track above 7900m himself (no others above him); at S Col at 8:00 am. At 8200m Kami Rinjee stopped at 10:00 am; Batard on up alone without rucksack, in which left down jacket in hot windless day; "it was my mistake" to leave jacket with Kami Rinjee. At 8600m, near South Summit, cloudy and little (15-20 minutes) of snowfall, about 3:00 pm; Batard "getting cold, very tired and it was very difficult; snow was very deep" at 4:00 pm reached 150m distant from summit (30 vertical m); could have climbed Hillary Step, but so very tired, not sure of returning down mtn; had done this alone and those below saw how high he reached and in 3rd bid others ahead of him to top amazed at what he had been able to do (getting so high) 15 Sept - returned directly to BC from 8820m; arrived at BC midnight; Kami Rinjee had waited at South Col without tent: Batard arrived Col at 6:00 pm and both down (via left of Geneva Supur direct to Cwm) together; at Cwm, two Batard Sherpas brought hot tea up from US C2; two Batard Sherpas with him now 16 Sept - BC arrived 0:15 am; stayed at BC 10 days now in BC because very tired at first and then bad weather from about 17th with daily small snowfall 25 Sept - up from BC at 5:00 pm alone in full moon; Sherpas had been above BC; 23rd Gurung and ? Sherpas had deposited tent at Col, but all except Gurung down to BC on 25th, but same day Koreans and French arrived at Col 25 Sept - slept in C2 where Iman Gurung was in tent; Batard arrived midnight and slept 3 hours; Batard alone left C2 at 7300m at 4:00 am 26 Sept - Batard arrived South Col 8:00 am, stayed at Col 1/2 hour; no one now at Col: Korean leader came through Col, retreating for oxygen-less summit attempt while other Koreans (on oxgygen) and French (all except Metzger on oxygen were at 8500m when Batard saw them; Batard vomitted here: from Col to top to BC couldn't eat or drink; had not recovered strength from 2nd attempt; without this problem would have made it to top in less than 20 hours. - left Col 8:30 am and climbed alone in "good track" of Koreans and French and on top at 3:30 pm; also on top were French. Batard stayed 20-30 minutes and down. - stopped at Col because of sickness; still could not drink without vomiting; arrived at Col 6:30 pm 27 Sept - left Col 6:00 am and stopped in US C2, etc; left BC 12 noon and left BC 2:00 pm to Lobuche 28 Sept - arrived KTM Benoit Chamoux - 7 Aug 1988 Batard is very strong; is capable of doing "express ascents" between South Col route is very long and much depends on how much trail breaking he must do as well as weather and health. 1st to do "express ascent" (Chamonix term) was Krzyztof Wielicki in 23 hours to summit (but not down) in 1981 Chamoux only other: 23 hours up Nanga Parbat 23 hours up K2 23 hours up and down Broad Peak (16 hours up) routes mostly already established by him and others EP Hillary - 28 July 1988 "A partly fair effort" if Batard and/or Sungdare 24 hours BC-top-BC. "If in the report, it was made quite clear route established halfway up Lhotse Face, I'd be quite impressed; but if report does not mention all difficult routes established then not so impressed." EP Hillary - 18 March 1988 "Pretty unusual, wish them luck - more legitimate activity - would be remarkable effort - only reservation I would have: I'd be much more impressed if trip up mountain not on fixed ropes put in for him." Comment on Marc Batard and Sungdare's 24-hour ascent of Everest Aut 1988. Ministry of Tourism - 15 Sept 88, 5:45 pm Batard 100m below summit 4:15 pm today and exhausted due to bad weather; lost some clothing and turned back; was alone; where now not known at 5:45 pm. 10 am today at 8300m. 5:15 pm yesterday left BC.
Accidents None except Batard's inability to retain food or liquid on summit day
Achievement Fastest ascent of Everest; 1 man to scale 4 8000ers in less than 9 months
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449554
Year 1988
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

1 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Marc Marie Bernard Batard M 1951 France Leader Megeve, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER88307 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 63:200-201 (1989) -
EVER88307 - Batard, Marc Le Sprinter de l'Everest Denoel, Paris - B160
EVER88307 MM - - - 124:10 (Nov 1988) -
EVER88307 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198920002/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Rapid-Ascent - - -