Everest | 1998 S Col-SE Ridge

A Nepal expedition to Everest in 1998 via S Col-SE Ridge, led by Kaji Sherpa. Summit reached on 17th October 1998. 5 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3193
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER98302
Peak ID EVER
Year 1998
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Col-SE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Nepal
Leaders Kaji Sherpa
Sponsor Speed Everest 1998
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 307 disputed
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed True
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1998-09-18
Summit Date 1998-10-17
Summit Time -
Summit Days 29
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 5
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent True
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(18/09,5350m),C2(27/09,6400m),C2(01/10,6400m),C4(16/10,7900m),Smt(17/10)
Route Notes BC with other team C4 at South Col. Did just practice climbs to C3 on Lhotse Face but not slept there. Did a lot of climbing up and down and even trekking below BC getting into condition. 16 Oct 4:00 pm from BC started up alone. Climbed alone from BC to South Col; arrived C2 6:30 pm 16th, stayed 5 hours to eat and drink and change clothes. 7:00 pm 16th up from C2 and arrived at C4 Oct 17th 2:30 am after stopping at 7600m for 1 hour because of wind. At 3:00 am Kaji, Tashi and Kami set out from C4; Kami stopped at 8700m below South Summit (it was cold, his oxygen regulator damaged and oxygen leaking) at 8:30 am. Kami and Tashi used oxygen up from South Col but Kaji only in descent from South Summit. Kaji and Tashi to top 12:24 pm with Tashi 5-10 minutes ahead. "I am very, very tired." At top saw scarfs and poles but not prisms. Photo taken by Tashi just below these items from previous expeditions. At top 4 minutes only because Tashi afraid that bad weather could come very quickly and Kaji very tired. Tashi gave Kaji Tashi's oxygen at South Summit because Kaji very tired and they wanted to get back to C4 quickly. Back to C4 at 4:00 pm and slept in C2 (9:00 pm arrival) where good food supply and Kaji stopped using oxygen at arrival at C4/S Col. Kaji also stopped at South Summit in ascent while Tashi fixed rope where route not easy with crust on deep snow above S Summit to Hillary Step; Kaji stopped one hour while rope being fixed. Kami and Tashi had made all routes above South Col; Tashi very strong." Kaji followed in their tracks slowly. Kami waited at Col and made hot water and tea. All three men down from Col together. "I have confidence in my speed" and can do climb in 18 hours - want to do it in 2 years before strength diminishes with age. 26 Oct 98 - Matsumoto, leader of Japanese expedition on Everest at same time: "I don't think they [Spaniard Pitarch and Kaji] reached summit." Kaji's teammates oxygen supply "pipe" froze and broke before "summit" and Kaji then alone with only good oxygen set. Kaji's "a liar": lied about not using Japanese radio and so many other things" - "where's the evidence? no pix." Oxygen used: Kaji from South Summit to C4 in descent; Tashi and Kami in ascent from C4
Accidents Tashi very slight frostbite
Achievement Speed of record - 20 hours 24 minutes
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453372
Year 1998
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) s col-se ridge

Members

5 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Kaji (Pasang Kaji, Pasang Kami) Sherpa M 1963 Nepal Leader Loding Tamakhani, Solukhumbu Alpinist (scaled Everest four times before) Details Other expeditions
Kami Sherpa M - Nepal Climber Mapung (Junbesi), Solukhumbu High altitude porter Details Other expeditions
Kami Tshering (Ang Chhiring) Sherpa M 1962 Nepal Climber Pangboche, Khumbu Alpinist/high altitude porter Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Sherpa M - Nepal Climber Loding Tamakhani, Solukhumbu Trekker and college student Details Other expeditions
Tashi Tshering Sherpa M 1970 Nepal Climber Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER98302 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 73:374 (1999) -
EVER98302 HIGH - - - 198:38 (May 1999) -
EVER98302 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199937401/Asia-Nepal-Everest-South-ColSoutheast-Ridge-Speed-Ascent - - -