Everest | 1999 N Col-NE Ridge

A Belgium expedition to Everest in 1999 via N Col-NE Ridge, led by Pascal Debrouwer. Summit reached on 18th May 1999. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3311
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER99104
Peak ID EVER
Year 1999
Season 1
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Belgium
Leaders Pascal Debrouwer
Sponsor Belgian International Everest Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 322
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Brazil, France, Portugal
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1999-04-06
Summit Date 1999-05-18
Summit Time 1330
Summit Days 42
Total Days 50
Termination Date 1999-05-26
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(06/04),ABC(13/04,6400m),C1(20/04,7000m),C2(7800m),C3(8200m),Smt(18/05)
Route Notes C2 not slept in (place to rest & drink) C3 next to Kazakh body (also not slept in). Left supplies and tent at C2 at 7500m on 21 April but not occupied, used for resting only. Long times in BC after this because of strong winds at highest altitudes. Joao and Pascal tried for top on 4th May: to C2, spent few hours at C2 and down during night when winds had dropped; down to ABC and 5th to BC where was fresh food. Next summit bid: 15th both from BC to ABC with Hubert and Sherpa (Hubert turned back before C2) which Joao and Pascal kept on up: 16 Joao to North Col and Pascal stayed in ABC and up early from ABC and joined Joao at Col 7:00 am. Left together from North Col at 8:00 am 17th and climbed to C2, made drinks there. Joao left C2 with tent and oxygen at 2:30 pm and Pascal left 4:30 pm (he wanted to spend little time at altitude but Joao wanted time to pitch C3 in daylight). Joao arrived at C3 6:00 pm and Pascal at 8:00 pm. Joao and Pascal left C3 together at midnight and reached summit: Joao at 1:30-2:00 pm then spent about 2 hours looking for tripod and taking photo; Pascal joined Joao about 3:30 pm. Started down together and reached 2nd Step, now getting dark and Joao and Debrouwer had left head camps in a bag below. Joao went ahead, Pascal would catch up with him while Joao rested/dozed. This happened several times but one time Pascal did not come. Joao woke up and down alone to C3 at 7:00 am 19 May. Joao tried to go up to search for Pascal but not strong enough and had to turn down. Now so confused by altitude, had only wool gloves and fingers badly frostbitten now during day of 19th. Came to North Col during evening 8:00 pm of 19th, very slow semi-conscious and reached ABC on 20th. Pascal was shaken by Polish Sherpas below 1st Step but did not react and Sherpas left him. Mondinelli Sherpas saw Pascal fall 19th May from 8300-8400m and body not seen later. Garcia and Debrouwer did all the high climbing of the team. Alain Hubert, independent Belgian, climbed with them sometimes; other members were "useless." Mondinelli - 26 May: Pascal seen on 19 May at 2:30 pm falling after taking 4 steps at 8400m halfway between C3 and First Step - fell as Mondinelli, Miss Pasaban and 3 Sherpas had started towards him to help him, but when they saw him fall, did not continue towards him any longer because didn't know how far he fell. Brice - 9 June 99: Debrouwer and Garcia certainly were not strong enough climbers to attempt successfuly the sort of ascent they did make with such disastrous results - and they made the entire program for the expedition just for their own plans. Brice confirms their summit date was 18 May.
Accidents Joao bad frostbite both hands and nose; both feet also frostbitten
Achievement 1st Portuguese on summit
Agency None
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453586
Year 1999
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
Pascal Debrouwer M 1970 Belgium Leader Hogne, Namur, Belgium Organizer and guide for travel in mountain areas Details Other expeditions
Luc Fontyn M 1968 Belgium Climber Borgerhout, Belgium Textile producer Details Other expeditions
Joao Jose Silva Abranches Garcia M 1967 Portugal Climber Lisbon, Portugal Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Jean-Marc Monterisi M 1972 Belgium Climber Mons, Belgium Trekking guide Details Other expeditions
Helena Guiro Pacheco Pinto Coelho F 1953 Brazil Climber Sao Paulo, Brazil Primary school teacher Details Other expeditions
Paulo Rogerio Pinto Coelho M 1951 Brazil Climber Sao Paulo, Brazil Research nuclear physicist Details Other expeditions
Vincent Pierre Protopopoff M 1961 France Climber Courbevoie, Hauts-de-Seine, France Computer consultant Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER99104 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 74:358 (2000) -
EVER99104 HIGH - - - 205:69 (Dec 1999) -
EVER99104 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200035801/Asia-Nepal-Pre-Monsoon-in-the-Nepal-Himalaya - - -