Everest | 1991 S Col-SE Ridge

A USSR expedition to Everest in 1991 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Vladamir Balyberdin. Summit reached on 7th October 1991. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 601
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER91311
Peak ID EVER
Year 1991
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 W Cwm-W Ridge (to 8100m+)
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USSR
Leaders Vladamir Balyberdin
Sponsor Himalaya 1991 Expedition of USSR - to Everest
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 128,129
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Ukraine, USA
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1991-09-17
Summit Date 1991-10-07
Summit Time 1500
Summit Days 20
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 4
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 False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Pumori (?)
Campsites BC(17/09,5350m),C1(25/09,6100m),C1(23/09,6400m),C2(24/09,6800m),C3(02/10,7300m),C4(30/09,7900m),Smt(07,10/10)
Route Notes C1 by Kopeika C1 by Davis & Boukreev (removed after C2 established) C2 at bergschrund at bottom of Lhotse Face (by Balyberdin & Boukreev) C2 on Lhotse Face (made and used only by Kopeika group) C3 on Lhotse Face (made and used only by Kopeika group) C4 at South Col (pitched by Balyberdin group). Camp made at S Col by Balyberdin, Boukreev and Cooney group on 30th Sept and down to BC next day because of acclimatization needs. These 3 rested at BC 3 days and all 3 started up 5th Oct and went to C2 at 6800m; 6th Oct to S Col; 7th Oct started from C4 8:00 am. Boukreev reached summit at 3:00 pm and returned to col 6:00 pm while Balyberdin on top at 5:30 pm and back at 8:00 pm. All down to BC 8th Oct. Boukreev found on summit a small cross (3") in snow; cross left by Spaniard day before. This group rested, Cooney left BC 9th Oct (was enough for him in his 1st time in Himalaya and he headed for Thai beach to rest there). 12th Oct Balyberdin wanted to do one day ascent and started at midnight and at Geneva spur 11:00 am, but met Kopeika who descending from col said very strong wind above col and both descend to BC that day. Boukreev continued up and 13th Oct 8:00 am at 8300m and turned back because of very strong wind; reached BC 5:00 pm 13th. Balyberdin on 17th Oct 6:00 am up from BC to go to C2 to clear this camp but now saw weather improving so decided to go for top but his crampons and 2 heavy down jackets no longer in camp; 11:00 am in C2, 8:00 pm reached S Col without crampons 11:00 pm at 8300m - now wind changed from coming from west, now from south and now above rocks and hard snow: without campons impossible to continue; waited till morning in sleeping bag in snow till morning and then down; no frostbite at all; down to C2 only because must have crampons to go through Icefall in one day (on 17th Sherpas removed ropes and ladders) so big problem." On 19th at 5900m drop his rucksack and manages Icefall without crampons and reached BC in 1-1/2 hrs by very indirect route. 20th Balyberdin and Klimine go up to retrieve his rucksack. This group never used oxygen. Kopeika group (Kopeika, Giutachvilli, Klimine, Kulishova and Mazur) Made C1 at 6100m on 25th Sept; 26th to 6800m; 27th BC. 1O Oct to 6800m; 2 Oct established C3 at 7300m; 3 Oct 3 members slept at S Col and 2 members slept at C3. 4th Oct all to BC (normal acclimatization). 7th Oct all 5 to C2; 8th Oct 2 members to C3 and another 1 member to BC; 9th Oct 2 members to C4 and other 2 members to C3; 10th Oct 2 members to C4 and Giutuachvilli and Mazur to top using oxygen during climb and back to S Col 9:00 pm and slept there. 11th Oct Giutuachvilli to C3 only (very tired started form col down only at 2:00 pm). 2 members on 12th Oct tried to go up from col but very strong wind and went down instead and met Balyberdin in descent. 2 members and Balyberdin stayed in tent from C4 at 7500m waiting for good weather but weather bad and 15th Oct a member to C2 and 16th C3 to clear C3. Their climb now finished. May he will come again for 1-day climb said Balyberdin but must have 1 year rest and think about it. Boukreev wants to try in 1 day: BC-summit-BC. "It's possible but good weather and good rest before and every time I have no good rest in this autumn's attempts. Greg Davis spent 2 nights in C1 at 6100m then went down and left BC about 4 to 5th Oct. Why Balyberdin cannot say (according to TASS's KTM correspondent 11 Oct, Davis had trouble with altitude above 6000m, was in KTM 9 Oct and left 10 Oct). Mazur agrees Davis had altitude problem. Mazur 29 Oct: Balyberdin did not pay Icefall toll demanded by expedition and made own route close to bottom of W Shoulder, from which there was avalanching "constantly." 1 avalanche took out 4 fixed lines at 6:30 one morning in late Sept. Then Balyberdin gave some supplies (oxygen?) to Nepalis and was allowed onto Nepalese Icefall route. There also was avalanching from S Col to C2 bergschrund area. "Russians take great risks." B & B's ascent on 7th was not solely to acclimatize for speed climb: wanted to reach summit. Mazur - 29 Oct 1991 Greg Davis told Mazur at Everest BC he had gone to Gorak Shep and Pumori BC for about 3 days but had not climbed Pumori, as he has been reported he did to Ministry of Tourism. Mazur wonders what he did for 3 days at base camp. Mal Duff, British Pumori expedition leader, says an American from Balyberdin's team did reach summit about 6 Oct. [Balyberdin told me 27 Oct Davis did not climb Pumori].
Accidents Nothing expect Kopeika lungs and chest problem
Achievement -
Agency Mustang
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450708
Year 1991
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Vladimir Sergeevich Balyberdin M 1949 USSR Leader St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, USSR Alpine instructor & computer engineer Details Other expeditions
Anatoli Boukreev M 1958 USSR Climber Almaty (Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan, USSR Alpine instructor Details Other expeditions
Kevin Cooney M 1955 USA Climber Boulder, Colorado Engineer Details Other expeditions
Gregory Scott (Greg) Davis M 1951 USA Climber Boulder, Colorado Hydrologist Details Other expeditions
Roman Giutachvilli M 1951 USSR Climber Tbilisi, Georgia, USSR Engineer Details Other expeditions
Vladimir Gorbunov M 1946 USSR Exp Doctor St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, USSR Physician Details Other expeditions
Alexei Klimine M 1959 USSR Climber St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, USSR Engineer Details Other expeditions
Elena Kulishova F 1956 USSR Climber St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Russia, USSR Hydrology engineer Details Other expeditions
Gennadi Kopeika M 1960 Ukraine Climber Kharkov, Ukraine Cameraman Details Other expeditions
Daniel Lee (Dan) Mazur M 1960 USA Climber Waltham, Massachusetts Economics student Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER91311 AAJ Mazur, Daniel - - 66:203-204 (1992) -
EVER91311 MM - - - 143:5 (Jan 1992) -
EVER91311 - - http://summitclimb.com/new/default.asp?linktype=r&mtype=smenu&vid=18&nid=75 - - -
EVER91311 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199220302/Asia-Nepal-Everest - - -