Everest | 1996 S Col-SE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 1996 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Scott Fischer. Summit reached on 10th May 1996. 17 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1736
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER96113
Peak ID EVER
Year 1996
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Scott Fischer
Sponsor Mountain Madness Everest Expedition 1996
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 227
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Denmark, Kazakhstan
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1996-04-07
Summit Date 1996-05-10
Summit Time -
Summit Days 33
Total Days 39
Termination Date 1996-05-16
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 12
Summit Members 9
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 10
Summit Hired 4
Hired Deaths 1
No Hired False
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 Boukreev joined UK Lhotse (LHOT-961-01)
Campsites BC(07/04,5400m),C1(15/04,6100m),C2(21/04,6450m),C3(28/04,7300m),C4(09/05,7900m),Smt(10/05)
Route Notes C2 in Cwm C3 on Lhotse Face C4 at South Col. At midnight of 9th/10th May summit party set out from col for top; they were all summiters and 2 Sherpas who turned back at SE Ridge at about 8500m. Storm brewed up about 5:00 pm with snowfall at 4:00 and from below. Fischer radioed c. 3:15 pm - extremely tired at summit and had same kind of previous medical problem; Lobsong reports that 8300m Fischer very confused sat down and refused to continue, so Lobsang left him at bivouac perch after trying to warm Fischer's face and reached col asking someone to go up to him. Beidleman in group and 11 together at Col unable to find tents. Gau probably shared Fischer's bivouac and next day said he left Scott more dead than alive. Fischer's death not related to clients; Beidleman's job was fixing ropes at front of party and Fischer's to bring up the rear and enforce summit off time. No client has said they saw Fischer after they left Col during his ascent. He obviously left Col later than all from this team and moved slowly. Lobsang said Fischer ripped off oxygen mask, glove, opened dome jacket. Fischer clearly seriously disoriented by cerebral edema. Krakauer of Hall's team 17 May 96: "Beidleman did amazing job saving the lives of his clients" but Sandy Hill Pittman disagrees. Sherpas: Lobsang Jangbu, Beding, atop Everest 3 times, Cho Oyu and Broad Peak once Nawang Dorje, Rolwaling, atop Cho Oyu twice, Everest never before Tenzing, Thami, 28, atop Everest 2 times before, no other 8000m Tashi Tshering, Pangboche, atop Everest 2 times before 10 June 97 - Trekking agent P B Thapa and Dr. Buddha Basnet: Another Nawang Dorje from Rolwaling became very sick from pulmonary edema in C2 on 23 April, was evacuated from Pheriche by helicopter on 26 April to KTM, and died in Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital on 7 June 96. He may have had some underlying illness (e.g., TB) but his death definitely due to his high altitude sickness and having been to C2's altitude. From BC he had been taken to Pheriche aid post where bad weather prevented immediate helicopter evacuation and he stopped breathing in Pheriche's Gamov bag for 5 minutes; in hospital showed some signs of dementia. (This Nawang Dorje had never been to any 8000m summit).
Accidents Fischer died of cerebral edema; Fox and Madsen altitude sickness; Kruse altitude sickness 2nd time in C1 about 6 May and left night after 10th; Nielson frostbitten fingers
Achievement 1st Scandinavian Danish woman to summit
Agency Wilderness Experience
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452435
Year 1996
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

17 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Martin Adams M 1949 USA Climber Houston, Texas Investor Details Other expeditions
Neal Jay Beidleman M 1959 USA Climber Aspen, Colorado Engineer & alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Anatoli Boukreev M 1958 Kazakhstan Climber Almaty (Alma-Ata), Kazakhstan Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Scott Eugene Fischer M 1955 USA Leader Seattle, Washington Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Charlotte Conant Fox F 1957 USA Climber Aspen, Colorado Ski patroller & investor Details Other expeditions
Sandra Hill (Sandy) Pittman F 1955 USA Climber New York, New York Writer Details Other expeditions
Karen Ingrid Hunt F 1963 USA Exp Doctor Berlin, New Hampshire Physician Details Other expeditions
Dale Kruise M 1952 USA Climber Craig, Colorado Dentist Details Other expeditions
Timothy Todd (Tim) Madsen M 1962 USA Climber Snowmass Village, Colorado & Aspen, Colorado Ski patroller & builder Details Other expeditions
Lene Gammelgaard Nielsen F 1961 Denmark Climber Copenhagen, Denmark Counselor of drug abusers Details Other expeditions
Klev W. Schoening M 1957 USA Climber Houston, Texas Investor Details Other expeditions
Peter Kittlesby (Pete) Schoening M 1927 USA Climber Seattle, Washington Building contractor Details Other expeditions
Lobsang Jangbu Sherpa M 1971 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Nawang Dorje (Da Nawang Dorje) Sherpa M 1965 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Tenzing (Tenzen, Tenzi) Sherpa M 1964 Nepal H-A Worker Thami, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Tashi Tshering Sherpa M 1970 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Nawang Dorje Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Rolwaling, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions

References

27 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER96113 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth A Season on Everest - 71:21-26 (1997) -
EVER96113 AAJ Fox, Charlotte A Time to Live, A Time to Die - 71:27-36 (1997) -
EVER96113 AAJ Boukreev, Anatoli The Oxygen Illusion - 71:37-43 (1997) -
EVER96113 AAJ Wylie, Linda - - 71:303 (1997) -
EVER96113 - Krakauer, John Into Thin Air Villard, New York - -
EVER96113 - Boukreev, Anatoli & DeWalt, G. Weston The Climb St. Martin's Press, New York - -
EVER96113 - Gammelgaard, Lene Climbing High Seal Press, Seattle - -
EVER96113 - Gammelgaard, Lene Everest Vejen Til Toppen Aschehoug, Copenhagen - -
EVER96113 HIGH - - - 164:9-11 (Jul 1996) -
EVER96113 CLMB Kennedy, Micheal By the Book - 163:94-104+ (Sep 1996) -
EVER96113 CLMB Beidleman, Neal The Last Step - 163:105-106 (Sep 1996) -
EVER96113 OTH Dowling, Claudia Glenn Death on the Mountain Life Magazine 32-46 (Aug 1996) -
EVER96113 MENS Wilkinson, Peter The Death Zone Men's Journal 36-46 (Aug 1996) -
EVER96113 MENS Wilkinson, Peter Everest: The Aftermath Men's Journal 40-46 (May 1997) -
EVER96113 OUTS Krakauer, Jon Into Thin Air Outside Magazine 46-66+ (Sep 1996) -
EVER96113 OUTS Bryant, Mark & Krakauer, Jon Everest: A Year Later Outside Magazine 57-62+ (May 1997) -
EVER96113 OUTS Child, Greg Lessons in Futility Outside Magazine 64-65+ (May 1997) -
EVER96113 HIGH Deegan, Paul Rescue on Everest - 165:86-88 (Aug 1996) -
EVER96113 - Norgaard, Christian Verdens Top Aschehoug Forlag, Copenhagen - -
EVER96113 OTH Pittman, Sandy Hill Cliff Hanger Vogue Magazine 226-231+ (Aug 1996) -
EVER96113 OTH Conant, Jennet Snow Blind Ambition - 80-84+ (Aug 1996) -
EVER96113 - Birkby, Robert Mountain Madness Citadel Press, New York, NY - -
EVER96113 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199730302/Asia-Nepal-Nepal-and-Tibet-Himalaya-Various-Ascents - - -
EVER96113 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199702100/A-Season-in-Everest-The-Rest-of-the-Story - - -
EVER96113 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199702700/A-Time-To-Live-A-Time-To-Die-Tragedy-on-the-Southeast-Ridge-of-Mount-Everest - - -
EVER96113 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199703700/The-Oxygen-Illusion-Perspectives-on-the-Business-of-High-Altitude-Climbing - - -
EVER96113 - Brown, Chip Sorrow on the Mountain - 226-5:56-91 (Nov 2014) -