원정 개요

Summit Climb Everest Expedition, Arnold Coster - 1 June 2009

The expedition reached the summit in two groups. The first one was composed of Chen, Coron, Geranmayea, Springer, Yazdipour, Sherpas Jangbu and Lhakpa Gelu, and Tibetans Karsang, Lopchong and Yonten. The party left C3 at 10:00 pm (Chinese time) on 19 May and all of them got to the summit, but at different times. The first to summit were Coron with Jangbu and Springer with Lopchong at 8:15 am (6:00 NST). Next came Chen with Yonten at 8:30 am (6:15 NST), and Yazdipour with Lhakpa Gelu at 9:00 am (6:45 NST).

Much later came Geranmayea with Karsang at 12:00 noon (9:45 NST) or later. Geranmayea was very slow, which resulted in his running out of oxygen at the Second Step while descending from the top. Karsang also ran out of oxygen at the same time, and he went down to C3 to fetch more for both of them while Geranmayea fell asleep at about the First Step. Karsang went back up to Geranmayea at 7:00 am on the 21st and they descended to C3 together at 8:00 am.

Now Geranmayea was very confused. He refused to descend any more, threw away his backpack containing his passport, money and other items. His compatriot Yazdipour stayed with him in C3; he also had altitude sickness and didn't want to descend. The leader, Coster, sent more Sherpas up to make them come down; they were brought to C2 at 2:00 am on the 22nd and were on their way home on the 30th. Both had badly frostbitten fingers and toes.

The second summit party consisted of just two members, a Sherpa and a Tibetan: Hopper, Tertil, Pasang Gelu and Bianba. They started up from C3 at 11:00 pm on the 21st. They encountered the two Iranians at 8500m, gave them medication and assigned Bianba to stay with them; Hopper and Tertil turned back with them to help get them down to C3. By the time Hopper and Tertil had finished helping the Iranians, it was 8:00 am on the 22nd, and Hopper and Tertil were too tired to reach the summit; they and Pasang Gelu descended to C1 at 4:00 pm.

Other non-summiting members:

Coster went to only C1 this time.
Ludlow got to C2 only; too slow to make real progress.
Palmer reached 7200m, lost motivation to climb and left the expedition on 22 May.

Oxygen was used by both summit teams: members from C1 to their high points to C1, Sherpas and Tibetans from C2 to their high points to C2.

Sherpas:
Jangbu, 22/2/81, Kharikhola, Everest X2
Lhakpa Gelu, 13/4/77, Thumduk, Beni-3, Solu, Everest X3, Lhotse X1, Cho Oyu X1
Pasang Gelu, 28/11/63, Dhimbul, Gudel-9, Solu, Everest X5, Dhaulagiri I X1,
Cho Oyu X1

Tibetans:
Bianba, 7/1/89, Karung
Karsang, 13/1/84
Lopchong, 1982, Tingri
Yonten, 3/12/83