Everest | 1998 S Col-SE Ridge

A USA expedition to Everest in 1998 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Tom Whittaker. Summit reached on 20th May 1998. 13 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2611
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER98108
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 Tom Whittaker
Sponsor Ester-C Everest Challenge
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 284,304
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Argentina, UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1998-04-03
Summit Date 1998-05-20
Summit Time 0900
Summit Days 47
Total Days 56
Termination Date 1998-05-29
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 9
Summit Hired 4
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(03/04),C1(12/04,5945m),C2.Sherpas(14/04,6490m),C2(17/04,7160m),C3(25/04),C4(18/05,7900m),Smt(20,27/05)
Route Notes C1 at lower C1 just at top of Icefall C2 at West Cwm C3 on Lhotse West Face (lower C3 site). 18th May midnight party set out for top: Hawse, Heinrich, Richards and Sherpas Tashi Tshering, Lhakpa Tshering and Dawa Sona. That day, 19th 53 people reach "balcony" and 49 went to South Summit. This party reached South Summit 9:30 am after waiting 2 hours above balcony for rope to be fixed above. Whittaker was not in this party because he was sick (bronchitis) and went to Pheriche for one day but was strong pressure to get some people to top and fearful of cyclone coming which might dump great quantities of snow on mountain and stop climbing. Henry Todd saying he was going close to Icefall and pull out all ladders; he didn't, but he did bring his oxygen down from C4. This team paid Todd $2000 to open Icefall and maintain it. Turned around at South Summit in strong wind and ropes not fixed. Richards and Hawse back to Col 12:30 and Heinrich fell 150m (200m short of Col) and bruised himself: got to Col 4:00 pm. 16th J Rhoads and Whittaker BC to C3: 19th left C2 4:30 am arrived any at Col at 3:00 pm, left Col at 11:30 pm to go to top; Sherpas Tashi Tshering, Pemba Temba, Norbu Sherpa. Whittaker lost crampon twice, flex foot broke up in extreme temperature and Sherman Bull of Hoffman's team fell 50m into crevasse just on edge of Lhotse Face. Whittaker had rope which used to help Bull onto moderate terrain - then started up again but Whittaker's stump very cold and he had been "rattled" by Bull's fall and out of steam after another 1-1/2 hours decided at just before 4:00 am at 8300m to turn back and was in C4 by 5:30 am. "I thought that I'd blown it" with storm coming in and would not have another chance - also having trouble breathing and coughing bubbly stuff; took drugs for pulmonary edema and recovered later (hadn't been to altitude for 23 days). But came down to C2 on 20th was given examination and declared free of my lung problem but dehydrated and exhausted. Jeffery Rhoads and Tashi Tshering continued and summited and arrived there at 9:00 am on 20 May. Hawse, et al, encouraged him to go again for top but Sherpas refused to go up with him till he came down to BC and confer; Sherpas fearful Whittaker would die on them. Whittaker to BC on 22nd with late afternoon and scary descent through Icefall, doctors did not examine him but did not say he shouldn't go up. 4 Sherpas then volunteered to go up with Whittaker, J Rhoads and Tashi Tshering (Pangboche), Norbu, Lhakpa Tshering and Dawa Sona; members and on 24th to C2. 25th members to C4 and Sherpas BC to C2. 26th everybody reached C4, members arriving at noon; 26th left Col 10:00 pm, at South Summit at 5:30 and made summit at 6:30 am. "I wore myself out I'll tell you - that was a big week for me." Travelled together and got to top pretty much together: Whittaker had one bottle on his back, Rhoads carried 2 bottles Sherpas had 3 extra bottles for Whittaker and 1 for Rhoads. Sherpas made trail in deep snow. Back to Col in 5-1/2 hours in dangerous snow conditions (avalanche danger with fresh unconsolidated snow now on mountain). Back at noon at C4, left at 2:30 pm and down to C2: members used oxygen to C2 by Whittaker and Rhoads to below C3 (oxygen ran out). Rhoads crampon came off and he fell 5 ft but was clipped into rope (had fall also on 20th) in his own summit success with Tashi Tshering. "Very satisfying, had very competent sirdar, very strong Sherpa team. We had minimum number of Sherpas to do the job had to be done and experienced members. "I worked hard, I pushed, managed to overcome problems. Rhoads said other team members sacrificed chances for top to make Whittaker's ascent. When I summited we were using up our resources and scrounged them from other teams at Col (paid Berg $5000 for tents, oxygen, etc). Whittakers will spend life as usual in mountains but no 8000ers. * 1st person to climb to Everest summit in same season was Babu Tshering on 14 and 26/5/95 (via North Col with oxygen)- Rhoads and Tashi Tshering did so in shorter time ** Tashi Tshering (Pangboche) top Everest 4 times before Norbu (Beding) 4 times before Lhakpa Tshering (Khunde) 2 time before Dawa Sona (Pangboche) Nepal Mountaineering One-legged Man Scales Everest By Elizabeth Hawley Kathmandu, May 27(Reuters) - A man with one artificial leg reached the summit of Mount Everest today, Nepal tourism's ministry announced. Tom Whittaker, a 49-year-old British born American citizen who is an in instructor in outdoor pursuits living in Prescott, Arizona, climbed to the highest point on earth, 8848 meters above sea level, this morning at seven o' clock the ministry reported. Whittaker lost his right kneecap and foot in a motorcar accident and wears a prothesis that fits on his leg below the knee. He told Reuters in March that he was determined to be the first disabled person to summit Everest and show what the disabled can accomplish. He said that it takes him 30-35% more energy to climb mountains because of his disability. He scaled Everest by the standard Nepalese route via the southeast ridge through last night. He had left his highest camp at 7900 meters at 11 pm. Four Nepalese Sherpas accompanied him to the summit. They were Lhakpa Tsering, Da Sonam, Tashi Tshering and Norbu, the ministry said. They stayed at the top of the world's for 20 minutes. He told Reuters he would be using artificial oxygen during the last two days of his final push for the top. This was his second bid to reach the summit this month. On May 20, he climbed as high as 8230 meters (27,000 feet) before having to turn back because of a pulmonary infection. He had also attempted Everest in the spring of 1995 from the Tibetan side of the mountain. That time he got no higher than 8230 meters without artificial oxygen, and 50 meters (165 feet).
Accidents Heinrich fell; Whittaker throat infection
Achievement 1st one legged man to Everest summit; 1st non-Sherpa to top in same season; 1st summiter to report only 8 days after an ascent
Agency Great Escapes Trekking
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

13 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Steven Allen M 1955 USA Climber Scottsdale, Arizona Solar engineer Details Other expeditions
Angela Jo Hawse F 1963 USA Climber Prescott, Arizona Alpine guide & instructor Details Other expeditions
Tomas (Tommy) Heinrich M 1962 Argentina Climber Prescott, Arizona Photographer Details Other expeditions
Eric Howard M 1961 USA Climber Flagstaff, Arizona Communications consultant Details Other expeditions
Jeffery E. (Jeff) Rhoads M 1954 USA Climber Pocatello, Idaho Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Kellie Anne Erwin-Rhoads F 1956 USA Climber Pocatello, Idaho Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Gareth Richards M 1962 UK Climber Prescott, Arizona Instructor of outdoor pursuits Details Other expeditions
Thomas Granville (Tom) Whittaker M 1948 USA Leader Prescott, Arizona Instructor of outdoor pursuits Details Other expeditions
Tashi Tshering Sherpa M 1970 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Norbu/Nurbu (Nuru) Sherpa M 1968 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Tshering Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Khunde, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Dawa Sona (Da Sona, Da Sonam) Sherpa M 1965 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pema Temba (Pemba Temba) Sherpa M 1965 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER98108 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 73:370-371 (1999) -
EVER98108 HIGH - - - 193:24 (Dec 1998) -
EVER98108 - Whittaker, Tom Higher Purpose Lifeline Press, Washington, DC - -
EVER98108 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199937002/Asia-Nepal-Mount-Everest-Activity-in-the-Pre-Monsoon-Season - - -