Everest | 1988 S Col-SE Ridge

A Belgium expedition to Everest in 1988 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Herman Detienne. Summit reached on 22nd December 1988. 20 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 107
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER88401
Peak ID EVER
Year 1988
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Belgium
Leaders Herman Detienne
Sponsor Herman Detienne Everest/Lhotse Winter 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 Netherlands, Poland
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1988-11-10
Summit Date 1988-12-22
Summit Time -
Summit Days 42
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8700m due to bad weather and Sherpa death
High Point (m) 8700
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 17
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 10
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 1
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Lhotse (LHOT-884-01)
Campsites BC(10/11,5350m),C1(01/12,6050m),C2(03/12,6400m),C3(06/12,7300m),C4(21/12,8000m),xxx(22/12,8700m)
Route Notes C2 in Western Cwm C3 on Lhotse Face C4 at South Col High point just below South Summit. After C3 established bad weather. 3 times forced abandonment of climbing to col: wind and clouds. Finally on 11th Dec 4 Sherpas including Ang Rita carried up loads, 2 to Col (Ang Rita and Ang Jangbu) and other 2 an hour below col. On 21st Van Snick, Ang Rita and Ang Lhakpa Dorje (Ang Lhakpa of Everest 1985 spring summit) pitched camp at col. Left C3 8:30 and arrived 15:30. At midnight in bright moonlight left C4 for summit attempt by all three despite Ang Lhakpa's having been ill in evening twice. Van Snick and Ang Lhakpa used oxygen resting before start of climb on 21st night and during the climb above col Ang Rita carried full bottle for Van Snick. Was no wind, snow conditions very good. Ang Lhakpa had problem mask clogging with ice. 8 am arrived just below S Summit at 8700m and stopped to change Van Snick's oxygen bottle and drink tea. Ang Lhakpa fell on his back and slipped 8m, did not move, Ang Rita went to him and gave oxygen while Ang Lhakpa remained unconscious briefly then came around. Ang Rita spoke to him but Ang Lhakpa's speech confused. All three descended with Ang Lhakpa's walking roped between other 2; arrived at C4 9:30 am, rested 1 hrs, then Ang Lhakpa semi-conscious. Very strong wind and impossible to descend and had to return to tent almost immediately after they had started to descend; gave Ang Lhakpa more oxygen. By 4:00 pm it was clear descent impossible that day as wind stronger still. At night leg spasms; doctor thinks had cerebral thrombosis. At midnight Ang Lhakpa's oxygen empty and Van Snick stopped resting on oxygen and gave his to Ang Lhakpa. 2 am Ang Rita went out and found another bottle outside tent and Ang Lhakpa got new oxygen bottle. Ang Lhakpa found to be dead at 7 am while others trying to get radio contact with lower camps to ask 3 Sherpas come up to help. Still strong wind at col but on face not so bad and Ang Rita and Van Snick could descend and went to BC same day. Now decided Everest climb finished: exhausted and ill after 6 weeks on mountain, and strongest climbers, Ang Rita and Van Snick not in top condition. Soon afterwards came big storm which destroyed higher camps. No attempt to return to col for body. If Van Snick and Ang Rita had gone to summit, would have gotten there at about 10:00 am and perhaps would not have survived descent. Everest effort by Belgians failed - collapsed after 1st bid and Xmas at BC: 1. No strong leadership - Detienne got sick and went to KTM; deputy leader Vreugde interest in scientific research for one month and not leadership; climbing leader Cornellissen not strong personality, too mild; Sirdar Ang Phurba's wife seriously ill and he left BC. 2. Psychological problem of first experience with winter's severe weather - Belgians not prepared for this 3. "Low altitude" sickness - Detienne would have died without use of 3 bottles of oxygen at and below BC. 4. Came too early in season - now is time to be mounting ascent, not Nov 5. Death (in this case Lhakpa Dorje's) is problem for young climbers and Tettelin, who is strong, took death very hard. 6. Few strong climbers: Miss Baeyeons (sick), Van Snick and Tettelin only. Much money spent on expedition including 3 generators at BC for electric lights, 7 kitchen staff at BC, 2 Belgians at BC only for food and equipment, etc. Detienne - 24 Dec 88 22nd early 1:00 am 3 start from S Col - 8:00 am reached just below S Col. Lhakpa Dorje sickness, lost control and collapsed in snow. Rudy and Ang Rita brought to South Col tent and gave higher flow of oxygen. Big snow and wind storm, stayed in col with sick man now in coma in late afternoon - 7:00 am died. Rudy and Ang Rita to BC late evening, leaving Lhakpa Dorje at Col; want to bring him down but winds preventing this. Everest cancelled but 1 Belgian and 2 Poles try Lhotse. Stayed 10-14 days, others leaving BC 23rd not so well; all others 27th leave BC. In KTM 31st. On 22 Dec they started at 1 am from South Col toward the summit. At 8 am they reached just below 8700m. Sherpa Lhakpa Dorje collapsed to unconsciousness. Ang Rita and Rudy brought Sherpa to South Col. They put him on oxygen. That whole afternoon Sherpa was in coma. At early morning on 23rd Dec (7am) he died. In South Col there were no other member except summit party. On 22nd due to very bad weather (storm, windy, snowfall) Ang Rita and Rudy cannot bring down Sherpa body. After Lhakpa death two climbers left South Col and in the late afternoon, they reached base camp. It was not possible for them to bring down the dead body of Lhakpa due to exhaustion and bad weather. Sherpa's are going to try to bring down the body if weather permits. Everest expedition decided to abandon their bid due to this accident, but Lhotse bid be continued with Belgian lady climber.
Accidents Dewaele exhausted, shocked, needed O2 and was brought down; much slight frostbite; leader's serious lung ailment; Ang Lhakpa fatal fall
Achievement -
Agency Mountain Travel
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449641
Year 1988
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

20 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Luk Beccu M 1955 Belgium Climber Kapellen, Belgium Army Corporal Details Other expeditions
Philip Cornelissen M 1957 Belgium Deputy Leader Heule, Belgium Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Herman Detienne M 1936 Belgium Leader Antwerp, Belgium General manager in cargo-handling business Details Other expeditions
Vincent Dewaele M 1946 Belgium Climber Deurne, Belgium Plumber Details Other expeditions
Karl Huyberechts M 1956 Belgium Climber Overijse, Belgium Sports instructor Details Other expeditions
Andre Peeters M 1943 Belgium Climber Wommelgem, Belgium Journalist Details Other expeditions
Nico Smeets M 1944 Belgium BC Manager Mortsel, Belgium Sports shop owner Details Other expeditions
Dominique (Nick) Tettelin M 1963 Belgium Climber Leuven, Belgium Architectural and interior designer Details Other expeditions
Herman Tettelin M 1937 Belgium BC Food Manager Leuven, Belgium Restaurant owner Details Other expeditions
Lars Van Haelewijck M 1963 Belgium Climber Borgerhout, Belgium Temporary worker Details Other expeditions
Christa Van Schaerdenburg F 1958 Netherlands Exp Doctor Antwerp, Belgium Physician Details Other expeditions
Rudy Van Snick M 1956 Belgium Climber Vieux Genappe, Belgium Furniture maker, cabinet maker & artisan Details Other expeditions
Maurits Vreudge M 1938 Belgium 2nd Exp Doctor Deurne, Antwerpen, Belgium Physician Details Other expeditions
Ang Rita Sherpa M 1948 Nepal H-A Worker Yilajung, Khumbu High-altitude porter Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Dorje (Ang Lhakpa) Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Khunde, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Ingrid M. Baeyens F 1956 Belgium Climber Ramsel, Antwerp, Belgium Physiotherapist Details Other expeditions
Krzysztof Wielicki M 1950 Poland Climber Tychy, Poland Electrical engineer Details Other expeditions
Andrzej Zawada M 1928 Poland Advisor Warsaw, Poland Geophysicist Details Other expeditions
Leszek Cichy M 1951 Poland Climber Warsaw, Poland Engineer of geodessy Details Other expeditions
Ang Jangbu Sherpa M 1961 Nepal H-A Worker Phortse, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER88401 AAJ Detienne, Herman - - 63:203-204 (1989) -
EVER88401 - Detienne, Herman & Peeters, Andre Everest Uitgeveruj Lannoo, Tielt, Belgium - D178
EVER88401 MM - - - 126:12 (Mar 1989) -
EVER88401 MM - - - 127:12 (May 1989) -
EVER88401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198920302/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Attempt-Tragedy-and-Winter-Ascent-of-Lhotse - - -