Everest | 1998 S Col-SE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 1998 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Wally Berg. Summit reached on 20th May 1998. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2621
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER98106
Peak ID EVER
Year 1998
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Wally Berg
Sponsor American Everest Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 286
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1998-03-29
Summit Date 1998-05-20
Summit Time 1030
Summit Days 52
Total Days 55
Termination Date 1998-05-23
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 13
Summit Hired 0
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.Sherpas(29/03,5350m),Members.BC(10/04,5350m),C1(17/04,6100m),C2(18/04,6400m),C3(24/04,6700m),C4(18/05,7900m),Smt(20/05)
Route Notes Berg sent all others of his team to top on 19th while he went C3 to C4 to operate GPS station at C4. Corfield badly wanted Everest summit and Simonson and Wilson wanted it from south side and if another westerner (i.e., Berg) didn't go up, Sherpas had less oxygen to carry. Berg arrived at C4 at 7:00 am while others left it at 11:00 pm on 19th. But deep snow below South Summit made progress very slow and tiring so turned back on 19th at South Summit at 9:30 am, tired and intimidated by deep snow and steep, exposed conditions to Hillary Step. Berg would have known that was normal condition, but others (which other teams) members didn't; returned to C4 in early afternoon and on down to C3. Berg didn't take sleeping bag with him so used Simonson's bag and all down so as to save oxygen. Berg 20 May carried 3 bottles from Col. GPS equipment had been left at South Summit but no oxygen left. Berg went up from Col on 20th with Apa from Hoffman expedition (didn't talk to Hoffman but Hoffman couldn't climb later without rope). Berg and Apa fixed before Hoffman expedition went for them top: Apa and Berg had climbed to top twice before and Berg trusted him. At col between South Summit and Step Berg found thermos of coffee Berg had left in May '97 (Hall's body not seen this year or last year), Fischer's body partly visible much lower). Apa fixed route across to Hillary Step and up it while Berg sorted GPS equipment left by Simonson on 19th at South Summit. By now Hoffman and team arrived and happy at route's being fixed. Berg's instructions were to drill hole in "Bishop rock" to mount permanent GPS station (Bishop rock's large relatively flat rock permanently fixed to mountain and highest exposed bed rock, about 100 linear meters and about 40 vertical meters from summit - see Bishop photo of Jerstad approaching summit and US flag on 22 May 63) and did so, much to Berg's pleasure, relief and pride. Was lovely clear not windy day. Berg stopped at rock and went to work drilling while Hoffman team went past. Berg later went to to top (10:30 am) took photo of prism on top and of GPS station are fixed on rock (which was hinged plate with 5/8" standard surveyors bolt - to this bolt, which sticks out about 1-1/2", is screwed (and can be unscrewed) Trimble receiver (station = bolt only) when receiver is in place station is occupied). This receiver sends signals to satellites (and this determines where receiver is) and those signals are bounced off satellites off and received back by receiver which then records signals. Berg returned to BC 22nd May; returned to C4 at 3:00; 23rd to C2 GPS means Global Positioning System. Henry Todd, Everest Expedition leader - 5 June 98 Berg several times categorically promised to several leaders that his Sherpas would fix rope above South Summit. "I was horrified at what happened" at South Summit on 19 May where many people arrived there and no rope fixed or being fixed. Todd had to regroup his people and resources at considerable cost in funds and disappointment to members and so did other leaders. "Berg acted as though he owned the mountain." According to Henry Todd (6 June 98), Wally Berg had categorically promised the leaders of several expeditions including Todd that his Sherpas would put in the fixed rope from the South Summit to the top of Hillary Step. However the pile-up of over 50 climbers on the morning of 19 May occurred because Berg's Sherpas did no fixing. According to Ang Babu/Babu Chiri Sherpa (8 June 98), who was there with the Swedish couple, Berg's Sherpas had not fixed rope that morning because "they were scared" by the cornices beyond the South Summit, so they stopped at the South Summit and did nothing. Ang Babu and Dorje Sherpa (with the Singapore team) did fix 50m of the 100m of rope brought by Berg's Sherpa. Ang Babu says that a total of 200m of rope were needed, but Berg's Sherpas ahd only 100m with them at the South Summit because they had used up the rest of the rope they had carried that day, while expectation that others coming up would also have rope with them. But when no more rope materialized, Ang Babu felt there no point in fixing only 50m more and stopped. The rope situation was as follows, according to Ang Babu: 50m of Berg rope were fixed 50m of Berg rope there at South Summit but not fixed 100m more rope needed but not there --- 200m total needed to fix from South Summit to top of Hillary Step.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Above the Clouds
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453222
Year 1998
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Wallace Wayne (Wally) Berg M 1955 USA Leader Copper Mountain, Colorado Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Charles Nicholas Corfield M 1959 UK Climber Palo Alto, California Mathematician Details Other expeditions
David James Mencin M 1965 USA Climber Boulder, Colorado Engineering graduate student Details Other expeditions
Eric Robb Simonson M 1955 USA Climber Ashford, Washington Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Ronald Gregory (Greg) Wilson M 1956 USA Climber Hailey, Idaho Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Kenneth Mark (Ken) Kamler M 1947 USA Exp Doctor New Hyde Park, New York Physician Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER98106 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 73:370-371 (1999) -
EVER98106 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 73:373-374 (1999) -
EVER98106 HIGH - - - 193:24-25 (Dec 1998) -
EVER98106 - - http://classic.mountainzone.com/everest/98/dispatches.html - - -
EVER98106 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199937300/Asia-Nepal-Everest-Scientific-Expedition - - -
EVER98106 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199937002/Asia-Nepal-Mount-Everest-Activity-in-the-Pre-Monsoon-Season - - -