Nuptse | 2003 Rib on N Face

A USA expedition to Nuptse in 2003 via Rib on N Face, led by Damian Benegas. Summit reached on 23rd May 2003. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4356
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID NUPT03102
Peak ID NUPT
Year 2003
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 Rib on N Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Damian Benegas
Sponsor Lhotse International Expedition 2003
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 7th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2003-04-07
Summit Date 2003-05-23
Summit Time 1240
Summit Days 46
Total Days 52
Termination Date 2003-05-29
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7864
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 100
Total Members 2
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(07/04),C1(11/04,6100m),C2(15/04,6350m),Biv1(18/05,6500m),Biv2(19/05,6700m),Biv3(20/05,6950m),Biv4(21/05,7100m),Biv5(22/05,7400m),Smt(23/05)
Route Notes BC at Everest site C1 at top of Icefall C2 at Cwm. From C2 normal Everest campsite, Benegas brothers went down the Cwm towards C2 to 6150m at base of rib and placed depot there on 15 April on the way to C2. 10th May went up to C3 of Everest/Lhotse to acclimatize after 2-1/2 weeks waiting for snow and wind to stop and for snow conditions to become safe; slept in C2 on 10 May. 1st attempt 15 May from C2 via depot up 10 pitches of ice and rock mixed on a triangular face below where rib starts and spent night bringing harnesses; stove broke at 2:00 am, so rapelled down and returned to C2. 18th May up again. Snowed every afternoon (wet sleeping bags after 2nd night). Got above real avalanche danger but hit by spindrift. 1st biv at 6500m on 18 May; 2nd biv again on face at 6700m; 3rd on 20th at 6950m still on face. Could climb only 3-1/2 to 4 hours per day because of spindrift. Took only 3-1/2 days food supply. We climbed light (light weight). 4th biv on 21st on rib at first rock band of rib at 7100m. 5th biv on 22nd at 7400m at 2nd rock band. 23rd to top at 1:00 pm. 22nd worst day: snowed and 3 avalanches day and night of 22nd every 15 minutes had to clean off snow, Damian stayed awake all night while Willie fell asleep. 23rd ready to give up but at top of rib at 7600m saw climb not difficult and weather cleared, got so hot that they took off their down jackets. Willie on top 12:40 and Damian joined him at 1:00 pm and then climbed down to 7600m, where had left backpacks, and rapelled down Doug Scott route and direct to C2 and arrived C2 at 10:00 pm where other teams gave them food and dry sleeping bags. 24th both had to help evacuate [Guller] team's Sherpa Karma and spent all day but that evening Karma died. Return BC 11:00 pm. Willie left BC 29th. Face of Nuptse (Willie Benegas): Later, when we arrived to our Nuptse camp, we found our poor tent looking like a snow crystal in the immensity of the Khumbu Glacier. At first glimpse, Damian thought she [the tent] had either gained a lot of weight, or she was constipated. All of the Sherpas and climbers passed her on their way to C2 of Everest and Lhotse, and it seems someone had paid her a visit and taken shelter in her sometime during the last week of storms. And that someone left the zipper on the door open a couple of inches, which was enough to let all of the snow of the Khumbu blow inside to keep her company. Damian and I stood on opposite ends of the tent, and opened the doors, expecting to see each other through the tent, Well surprise surprise - the entire tent was completely packed with snow! It took quite some time to empty her out and clean out our gear. After all of that, we decided to do a little side hike over to C2 and pay a visit to my Sherpa friends. After 3 summits of Everest with the same group of Sherpas, we have become really good friends, and I know that if I didn't stop in at C2 to visit, I would be in really big trouble. We stayed for dinner, and I so much enjoyed all of the comradery. To be part of this wonderful team is so amazing to me. But, I did one huge mistake. Tashi, the cook, was eyeing my MP3 player, so I let him check it out. From that moment on, the music came on and the rest of the world disappeared for him. The next thing I know, I asked him for some mango pickle to mix with my rice, and he handed me green chilly pickle. I realized his mistake when my mouth was instantly on fire and my face turned the same color as my TNF down jacket. Of course for ego reasons, I could never turn down anything passed to me from the boys. And that was our day. Tomorrow, Damian and I will head back over to the base of Nuptse, and began fixing the first few pitches of our route.
Accidents -
Achievement 1st alpine ascent of North Face
Agency Mountain Madness
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2456091
Year 2003
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) rib on n face

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Damian Benegas M 1968 USA Leader Berkeley, California Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Guillermo (Willie) Benegas M 1968 USA Climber Berkeley, California Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
NUPT03102 ALP Scott, Doug Nuptse - 5:40-45 (Winter 2003-2004) -
NUPT03102 HIGH - - - 256:69-70 (Mar 2004) -
NUPT03102 AAJ Benegas, Willi The Crystal Snake - 78:14-23 (2004) -
NUPT03102 AAJ Griffin, Lindsay - - 78:407-408 (2004) -
NUPT03102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200440702/Asia-Nepal-Malahangur-Asia-Nepal-Khumbu-Nuptse-North-Face-The-Crystal-Snake - - -
NUPT03102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200401400/The-Crystal-Snake-Overlooking-the-Everest-Circus-and-Yet-a-World-Away-A-Rivulet-of-Water-Ice-Plunges-Down-the-Huge-North-Face-of-Nuptse-Asia-Nepal - - -