Everest | 1997 N Col-NE Ridge

A Croatia expedition to Everest in 1997 via N Col-NE Ridge, led by Darko Berljak. Summit reached on 22nd May 1997. 20 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2253
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER97124
Peak ID EVER
Year 1997
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Croatia
Leaders Darko Berljak
Sponsor Croatian International Everest Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 258,265
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Slovenia
Approach KTM->Tingri->Rongbuk BC
Basecamp Date 1997-04-19
Summit Date 1997-05-22
Summit Time 1100
Summit Days 33
Total Days 41
Termination Date 1997-05-30
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 20
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 5
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(19/04,5200m),ABC(27/04,6460m),C1(01/05,7060m),C2(07/05,7800m),C3(21/05,8300m),Smt(22-23/05)
Route Notes C1 at North Col. Lost 4 tents to wind with all equipment inside blown away (2 in C2 between 10 & 20 May with 2 others inside to be used for C3). 21st May Pepevnik and Da Nima Sherpa from C2 to C3 while Kozjek, Stiller and another Sherpa from ABC to C1. Another member with Pepevnik had turned back at 8100m (very cold). 22nd May Kozjek, Stiller and their Sherpa from C1 to C3. Sherpa dumped his load and descended. Da Nima down also while Pepevnik up to summit. Pepevnik left C3 at 3:00 am NST and reached top with Andy Evans (of Kazakh expedition) at 11:00 am. 23rd May Kozjek and Stiller from C3 at 5:00 am both without oxygen. At 11:00 am Stiller stopped at top of Second Step, where Kozjek had waited for him; he had had trouble with one crampon and was now exhausted so he returned to C3. Kozjek continued to summit alone and reached it at 1:40 pm and returned to C3 at 7:00 pm. While Kozjek and Stiller were climbing above C3 and it was empty, people from Brice's expedition arrived and set up their tents, when 3rd summit team of Petrin and Tenzing Sherpa arrived at C3 for their summit bid next day, they found all 4 sets of oxygen masks and regulators had been stolen. So because of lack of oxygen equipment, the need to help Stiller (who was now blind from apparent retinal hemorrhages) descending and fact weather was changing, all in C3 went down on 24th and no further summit bids.
Accidents Pepevnik 6 hrs retinal hemorrhage 1 eye; Stiller same problem 2 eyes; Tomazin serious pulmonary edema at Col and put on oxygen in bag and drugs; 2 less serious starting edema
Achievement -
Agency Everest Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452813
Year 1997
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n col-ne ridge

Members

20 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Mario Bago M 1953 Croatia Climber Zagreb, Croatia Nuclear power station oprator Details Other expeditions
Darko Berljak M 1950 Croatia Leader Zagreb, Croatia Mountaineering association official Details Other expeditions
Stojan Burnik M 1951 Slovenia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia Professor of physical education Details Other expeditions
Igor Cindric M 1975 Croatia Climber Sisak, Croatia Architecture student Details Other expeditions
Muhamed Gafic M 1948 Bosnia-Herzegovina Climber Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina Sociology professor Details Other expeditions
Gordon Jovic M 1958 Croatia Climber Vienna, Austria Economist & engineer Details Other expeditions
Hrvoje Kamenjarin M 1967 Croatia Climber Split, Croatia Police officer Details Other expeditions
Alen Klabot M 1970 Croatia Climber Zagreb, Croatia Police inspector Details Other expeditions
Pavle Kozjek M 1959 Slovenia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia Computer programmer Details Other expeditions
Bojan Leskosek M 1961 Slovenia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia Physical education teacher Details Other expeditions
Dubravko Markovic M 1953 Croatia Exp Doctor Pula, Croatia Neurologist Details Other expeditions
Franc (Aco) Pepevnik M 1959 Slovenia Climber Sentjur, Slovenia Worker on tall buildings Details Other expeditions
Danko Petrin M 1962 Croatia Climber Zagreb, Croatia Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Drazen Pezer M 1967 Croatia Climber Zagreb, Croatia Police inspector Details Other expeditions
Mario Rodes M 1963 Croatia Climber Varazdin, Croatia Alpine equipment Details Other expeditions
Milan Romih M 1960 Slovenia Climber Maribor, Slovenia Worker on tall buildings Details Other expeditions
Branko Separovic M 1947 Croatia Deputy Leader Zagreb, Croatia Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Smiljan Smodis M 1957 Slovenia Climber Celje, Slovenia Forestry engineer Details Other expeditions
Josef Stiller M 1954 Germany Climber Bayrischzell, Bavaria, Germany Cook Details Other expeditions
Iztok Tomazin M 1960 Slovenia Climber Zirovnica, Slovenia Physician & alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER97124 HIGH - - - 179:23-24 (Oct 1997) -
EVER97124 - Berljak, Darko Kljucevi Neba By author, Zagreb, Croatia - -