Everest | 1996 N Col-NE Ridge

A Indonesia expedition to Everest in 1996 via N Col-NE Ridge, led by Clara Sumarwati. Summit reached on 26th September 1996. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1983
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER96301
Peak ID EVER
Year 1996
Season 3
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Indonesia
Leaders Clara Sumarwati
Sponsor Putri Indonesian Everest Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 246
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1996-08-20
Summit Date 1996-09-26
Summit Time 1100
Summit Days 37
Total Days 41
Termination Date 1996-09-30
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 3600
Total Members 2
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 5
Summit Hired 5
Hired Deaths 0
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 -
Campsites BC(20/08),ABC(26/08,6400m),C1(09/09,7000m),C2(22/09,7900m),C3(25/09,8200m),Smt(26/09)
Route Notes ABC as same as others C1 at North Col C2 just below North Ridge on face C3 on North Face, a little before ridge. 26 Sept 1:00 am Clara and 5 Sherpas left last camp for summit. 2 Sherpas [Dawa and Chuwang] stopped at 8600-8700m together to await Clara's return. Clara and [other] 3 Sherpas went to top at 11 am. Kazi, Gyalzen and Ang Gyalzen returned to camp at 7900m to sleep at 2:00-3:00 pm. 27th to ABC. Clara got no sleep for 3 nights in ABC because body very tired. Climb difficult at Steps I & II and above because steep-ladder is there at 2nd Step - snow deep. Maybe Clara had edema in lungs on descent in ABC and BC. Basuki's oxygen finished at C2 so he did not go higher. 2 more Sherpas [Dawa and Chuwang] later same day to top. Sherpas: Kaji, Beding, Everest X3 before Gyalzen, Annapurna May 96 Ang Gyalzen, Thami, Everest Dawa Tshering, Thami, Everest X2 Chuwang Nima, Thami, Everest X3 (arrived at top very soon afterwards) Clara reportedly used extremely heavy flow of oxygen (as much as 10 litres per minutes) and consumed one bottle in one hour; was seen staggering in a daze even so and had to be dragged by unhappy Sherpas to summit. 26 Oct 1996 - South Africans have no doubt Clara and Sherpas reached summit; saw them above Second Step and no sudden descent. 10 Jan 1997 - Clara very elusive, produced photo of summit that could have been taken anywhere. Letter from Ambar Corbridge - 27 October 2009 In post monsoon, 26th September 1996 a young woman climber Miss Sumarwati from Indonesia is said to have achieved the summit of Mount Everest from North Col/North Ridge along with Sherpa Kaji, Sherpa Gyalzen, Sherpa Ang Gyalzen, Dawa Tshering and Sherpa Chuwang Nima. She has been recorded under the Indonesian expedition of which she was the leader. On her return to Indonesia, she was faced with critics and doubt, since she wasn't able to produce summit photographs. She alleges that Indonesia's regime (the President's son-in-law was a key person of official Indonesian Everest expedition under military and civilians climbers south side spring 1997) did burn negative photos and her collections. In effect she was unable to give a fully documented personal account of her climbing adventure and achievements. Spring 26th April 1997, the official Indonesian team finally put two men on top, Misirin and Asmujiono through South Col/South-east Ridge under Indonesian/ Kazakhstan or Russian/Polish Expedition with guide Anatoli Boukreev, Sherpa Apa, Sherpa Dawa Nuru and Vladimir Bashkirov under the leader Edhie Wibowo. This created a media frenzy about who was actually the first summiter of Everest for Indonesian. Miss Sumarwati subsequently became withdrawn from public appearances due allegedly to possible intimidation from military regime in Indonesia. She was also in hiding during the uncertain political situation in the late 90's which led the fall of General Suharto. Throughout those periods and up to the present time, Miss Sumarwati has suffered depression and has been submitted into mental hospital at her home town, Jogjakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. Email from Ambar Corbridge - 27 Dec 2009 The only claims from outside Indonesia that tell the doubt about Clara Sumarwati's 1996 North Col summit I have found from the All Women Philippines team 2007. They aimed to put the first ASEAN women on top of Everest actually over-ruled Miss Clara Sumarwati's claim as her nationality in fact from one of the countries on ASEAN.
Accidents Nothing serious
Achievement 1st Indonesian to summit
Agency Himalayan Sherpa Adventure
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452574
Year 1996
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n col-ne ridge

Members

7 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Gibang Basuki M 1966 Indonesia Climber Jakarta, Indonesia Teaches climbing in high school Details Other expeditions
Clara Sumarwati F 1967 Indonesia Climber Jakarta, Indonesia Psychology teacher Details Other expeditions
Kaji (Pasang Kaji, Pasang Kami) Sherpa M 1963 Nepal H-A Worker Loding Tamakhani, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Gyalzen Sherpa M 1962 Nepal H-A Worker Loding Tamakhani, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Ang Gyalzen Sherpa M 1962 Nepal H-A Worker Thami, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Dawa Tshering (Dawa Chhiri) Sherpa M 1966 Nepal H-A Worker Thami, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Chhuwang Nima Sherpa M 1967 Nepal H-A Worker Tesho, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER96301 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 71:303-304 (1997) -
EVER96301 HIGH - - - 175:85 (Jun 1997) -
EVER96301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199730303/Asia-Nepal-Nepal-Himalayas-Various-Ascents-and-Elizabeth-Hawleys-Law-of-Economic-Development - - -