everest 2003 north face rescue

Everest 2003Philip James

February 2009

Founder of Snooth- Worlds largest wine site- Price comparison shopping site- 500,000 users per month

MChem Oxford University, MA Oxford, MBA Columbia Business School

Former iBanker at Merrill Lynch

“Adventure” Capitalist- Sailed across the Atlantic- Lived on 4 continents and travelled to 50+

countries- Everest in 2003

Height: 29,045 feet / 8,850 metersSummit Temperature: -40F / -40CSummit Air Pressure: 300mbar

(compare to 1,000 at sea level)

First climbed in 1953:- Sir Edmund Hilary- Sherpa Tenzig Norgay

North Face, 1st ascent: 1955- Chinese expedition using ladders

Spring 2003 Expedition- 6 Climbers- 3 Sherpas- 2 Nimas- 4 tons of equipment- 40 Yaks

Bid to become Britain’s youngest to climb the North Face

Day: 1-3Kathmandu, NepalAltitude: 2,000 feetTemperature: 70F

Day: 5Nepal / China BorderAltitude: 4,000 feetTemperature: 60F

Day: 8Tibetan PlateauAltitude: 12,000 feetTemperature: 20F

Day: 10First Everest sightingAltitude: 15,000 feetTemperature: 20F

Day: 17Beer tentAltitude: 18,000 feetTemperature: 20F

Day: 20Puja ceremonyAltitude: 18,000 feetTemperature: 20F

Day: 20Base CampAltitude: 18,000 feetTemperature: 20F

Day: 21-23BC – Interim – ABC

25 miles

Moraine “Super-Highway”

Day: 24-27ABCAltitude: 21,000 feetTemperature: 5F

Day: 35West WallAltitude: 22,000 feetTemperature: 0F

2,000 ice wall

Basic Equipment: - Ascender

- Harness- Ice axe- Carabineer

Keeping me on the fixed line

Day: 42North ColAltitude: 23,000 feetTemperature: -10F

Camp I

Day: 53N RidgeAltitude: 25,000 feetTemperature: -15F

Camp I – Camp II

Day: 54N RidgeAltitude: 26,000 feetTemperature: -20F

Camp II

Day: 55NE RidgeAltitude: 27,000 feetTemperature: -30F

Camp III

Day: 56NE RidgeAltitude: 27,750 feetTemperature: -40F

Summit Attempt / Rescue Mission

Death Zone Time: 17 hours9:00am

Day: 56NE RidgeAltitude: 27,500 feetTemperature: -40F

Summit Attempt / Rescue Mission

Death Zone Time: 20 hours12:00pm

Day: 56NE RidgeAltitude: 27,250 feetTemperature: -40F

Summit Attempt / Rescue Mission

Death Zone Time: 24 hours4:00pm

Day: 61Nepal / Tibet borderAltitude: 10,000 feetTemperature: 60F

Casualties:- 3 frostbitten fingers- 2 cracked ribs- Dysentery- Pulmonary edema- Compound leg fracture- 3 fatalities

Day: 100Australia

Effects of frostbite

Everest 2003Philip James

February 2009