Everest | 1992 SW Face (to 7250m)

A USSR expedition to Everest in 1992 via SW Face (to 7250m), led by Viacheslav Volkov. Summit reached on 12th May 1992. 20 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1108
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER92105
Peak ID EVER
Year 1992
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face (to 7250m)
Route 2 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USSR
Leaders Viacheslav Volkov
Sponsor Everest 1992
Success 1 False
Success 2 True
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 132,135
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1992-03-23
Summit Date 1992-05-12
Summit Time 1145
Summit Days 50
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 20
Summit Members 8
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 -
Campsites BC(23/03,5360m),C1(28/03,6100m),C2(29/03,6600m),C3(11/04,7500m),C4(21/04,7900m),Smt(12,14/05)
Route Notes Made some attempt to climb to climb SW Face but snow situation very dangerous & some members hit by stone (one member's helmet broken & another shoulder hurt slighty & 2 fingers broken & had to stop climbing). Reached 7200m 2 members 6th April. Had already decided that face not safe and would have to change route and had moved C2, but third face to be able to say they had done so. Asked permission to change route to col route; permission refused because too many other teams already on that route, but climbed it anyway. 12th May left C4 4 am, reached top 11:45 and returned C4 2:30 pm; 2 members stayed there other 2 to C3 because Volkov's fingers slightly frostbitten. 14th May another 4 to top; left C4 4 am, on top 1 pm & C4 4 pm with 2 members desending to C2 while other two very tired & stayed at C4 where had "very little tent"; no other summit bids. Hukum Singh - 2 June 1992 The way US and NZ told Russians to wait was "very rude." These foreigners had no authority to tell them to stall off South Col route. Looked at SW Face from C2 while Singh was there, saw there was no snow on face and they could not climb it, found it extremely hazardous. Said they had tried to climb it. After 15 April did not try it (15th Singh to C2). No Indian saw them try SW Face. Main cause of friction with New Zealand, US and Dutch was difference in attitude between commercial teams and Russian contemptuousness of commericial climbers. They lived in ITBP tent at C4 by agreement and used of ITBP similarly by mutual agreement. Kefford - 1 June 1992 Russians kept renegging on all their agreements. Did maintenance of Icefall only 2 days and did not wait as they agreed for NZ and US to go ahead; agreed with their intrepreter present at BC meeting. Russians never went onto SW Face. British saw no ladders to cross bergschrund, which would have been seen by British; saw no people on face anywhere at all except Spanish army, whom saw to C3 from Cwm. Burleson and Athans - 29 May 1992 Athans and Burleson confident 4 Russians went to top on 14th. Athans saw them just below South Summit going up. Russians never set foot on face. Athans never saw any activity near face except Spanish army who were far away, to right of Pillar and others could not confuse them for everyone in center of face. Athans thinks that Jan Robertson would not necessarily know about a Russian with broken fingers. Russians agreed to everything but didn't act on agreements. Russian did fix a considerable amount of rope on Lhotse Face tied into old ropes. Then Ball and Athans went up later putting in anchors and fixing rope more securely. Total fixed on face was 800m and Russians put in at least 500m. Fixed their own rope and Athans put in ice screws, etc. Not aware of Russians not taking their turn maintaining Icefall. Russians did not have understanding with ITBP and Galicians. Russian tried to enter Dutch C3, was refused entry and went to Americans, who took him in. He had no sleeping bag or down jacket for the night, which Americans lent him - was very windy. Naar's altitude was no responsibility for other teams' personnel. Americans angry at Russians because they were unpredictable and hard to plan around them. Furthermore they were refused permission by Tourism after US and NZ leadership wrote letters of protest because they didn't do what it was understood they'd agreed to, especially waiting as agreed until others made progress upwards, coming along behind them; could have been a language problem. Burleson calls them liars because they agreed several times to wait and then immediately broke these agreements.
Accidents Smirnov hurt by falling stone; 3 slight frostbite
Achievement -
Agency Mustang
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450927
Year 1992
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) sw face (to 7250m)

Members

20 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Viktor Bouldynski M 1960 USSR BC Manager Togliatti, Russia, USSR Makes repairs on high buildings Details Other expeditions
Ivan T. Dusharin M 1947 USSR Climbing Leader Togliatti, Russia, USSR Engineer who designs robots Details Other expeditions
Alexander Gerasimov M 1953 USSR Climber Kharkov, Ukraine, USSR Theoretical physicist Details Other expeditions
Vladimir Jestkov M 1945 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Sergei Penzov M 1950 USSR Climber Severodvinsk, Russia, USSR Computer instructor Details Other expeditions
Ilia Sabelnikov M 1963 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Manager of group that repairs high buildings Details Other expeditions
Boris Smirnov M 1963 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Chemical engineer Details Other expeditions
Vladimir Shuvalov M 1946 USSR Film Team Togliatti, Russia, USSR Film-maker Details Other expeditions
Liubove Shvedova M 1941 USSR Exp Doctor Jejezndorojiny, Russia, USSR Physician Details Other expeditions
Andrei Volkov M 1960 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Computers Details Other expeditions
Viatcheslav Volkov M 1948 USSR Leader Togliatti, Russia, USSR Consultant on education in banking Details Other expeditions
Vladimir Zakharov M 1953 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Electrical engineer Details Other expeditions
Nikolai Ashirov M 1944 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Engineer Details Other expeditions
Igor Benrin M 1958 USSR Leader Togliatti, Russia, USSR Engineer Details Other expeditions
Petr Bulgakov M 1957 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Police inspector Details Other expeditions
Yuri Karyakin M 1962 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Driver Details Other expeditions
Fedor Konyukhov M 1951 USSR Climber Nakhodka, Russia, USSR Painter & adventure traveller Details Other expeditions
Nikolai Onischenko M 1947 USSR Exp Doctor Togliatti, Russia, USSR Physician Details Other expeditions
Alexander Shalay M 1957 USSR Climber Togliatti, Russia, USSR Worker on tall buildings Details Other expeditions
Evgeni Vinogradski M 1946 USSR Climber Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk), Russia, USSR Physician Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER92105 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 67:213-215 (1993) -
EVER92105 HIGH - - - 117:7 (Aug 1992) -
EVER92105 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199321300/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Ascents-Attempts-and-Tragedies-via-the-Western-Cwm-in-the-Pre-Monsoon-Season - - -