Spring 2016 | Everest Without Supplemental Oxygen - Success and Failures / Updated
More than 20 climbers planned Everest ascent without bottled oxygen this season and at least five (or six?) of them were successful.
Summits
Nepal Side:
1. Azim Gheychisaz (Iran)
One of the most experienced climber from Iran reached Everest summit on May 19th. It was his second ascent of mountain; first without bottled oxygen. Azim Gheychisaz has climbed twelve eight-thousanders without bottled oxygen (considering the fact that historians regard his 2012 Manaslu ascent as unrecognized/disputed). He abandoned his plan to climb Lhotse after Everest, due to multiple issues like no-ropes fixed on mountain, bad weather and situation of Icefall for further crossings.
Tibet Side:-
2. David Roeske (USA)
David Roeske was one of the four first climbers to reach Cho Oyu summit, this year (May 7th). He climbed the mountain without supplemental oxygen. A pilot, runner, cyclist and mountain-lover from New York, David has previously climbed Everest in 2013 (with O2). This year he reached the top without bottled oxygen on May 23rd at around 10:00 am local time; shortly before Carla Perez.
3. Carla Perez (Ecuador)
“When other girls dreamed of ‘fiesta rosada (pink party)’, Carla Perez wanted to climb Cotopaxi.” Years later, at the age of 33, the Ecuadorian lady summits Everest without bottled oxygen. Carla Perez climbed Aconcagua South Face in 2009 and has been part of multiple new route expeditions. In 2013, her first attempt on Everest without supplemental oxygen ended a few hundred meters below summit, when she lost sensation in her toes. Carla has also climbed Manaslu (2012) and Cho Oyu (2014).
4. Melissa Arnot (USA)
Melissa Arnot topped out about an hour after Carla Perez on May 23rd, also without using supplemental Oxygen. Previously, she had climbed the mountain five times with O2 from Nepal side. “[A] caring guide and passionate adventurer” sums up Melissa’s profile.
Behind, Lydia Bradey (1988), Alison Hargreaves (1995), Francys Arsentiev (1998), La Ji (2004), Nives Meroi (2007) and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (2009), Carla and Melissa are apparently 7th and 8th women to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen.
5. Cory Richards (USA)
In public and mainstream media, Courtney Woodward (Cory) Richards is more famous because of his camerawork than mountaineering feats. In climbing community, he is best known for first winter ascent of GII, with Simone Moro and Denis Urubko. Cory summited Everest without oxygen on May 24th, while his partner Adrian Ballinger stopped a couple of hundred meters below. He climbed Lhotse in 2010.
Partial
6. Thomas Lammle (Germany)
“Heike will you marry me?” The German climber asked his love interest, right after reaching Everest summit without bottled oxygen. Thomas, however, used oxygen while back in C3 due to 'safety reasons'. Thomas Lammle is an established mountain guide, who has previously climbed Cho Oyu, GII, Manaslu and Shisha Pangma. He made two unsuccessful summit attempts on Cho Oyu before Everest single push ascent, this season.
Unsuccessful
Nepal Side:
>> Vladimír Štrba and Zoltán Pál: Had to be rescued from 7200m, after an avalanche hit the duo on SW Face. Injured Zoltán Pál suffered visibility issues.
>> Richard Hidalgo: Turned back from 8400m due to bad weather.
>> Isaiah Janzen: Decided to use bottled oxygen for climb.
>> Richard Parks: Ended expedition during acclimatization phase, after discovering a rare blood thickness related illness.
>> Jelle Veyt: Switched to oxygen due to bad conditions.
>> David Liano: Climbed with oxygen.
>> Mingma Sherpa: Seemingly, he also climbed with oxygen.
Tibet Side:
>> Mick Allen: Used oxygen above 8400m after feeling cold in his feet; suffered minor frost bite on toes and fingers.
>> Alex Barber: Started developing signs of altitude sickness in C3 (8300m); decided to turn back.
>> Jorge Antonio Salazar Gavia and Jorge Hermosillo: The two Mexicans decided to abandon their summit push above C3, after a fellow climber Luis Alvarez suffered snow-blindness; followed by a tiring rescue mission.
>> Adrian Ballinger: Cancelled his summit push near Second Step due to cold.
>> Esteban Mena: The Ecuadorian climbed Everest without oxygen in 2013. However, it appears that he used oxygen on current summit-push.
Summits
Nepal Side:
1. Azim Gheychisaz (Iran)
One of the most experienced climber from Iran reached Everest summit on May 19th. It was his second ascent of mountain; first without bottled oxygen. Azim Gheychisaz has climbed twelve eight-thousanders without bottled oxygen (considering the fact that historians regard his 2012 Manaslu ascent as unrecognized/disputed). He abandoned his plan to climb Lhotse after Everest, due to multiple issues like no-ropes fixed on mountain, bad weather and situation of Icefall for further crossings.
Tibet Side:-
2. David Roeske (USA)
David Roeske was one of the four first climbers to reach Cho Oyu summit, this year (May 7th). He climbed the mountain without supplemental oxygen. A pilot, runner, cyclist and mountain-lover from New York, David has previously climbed Everest in 2013 (with O2). This year he reached the top without bottled oxygen on May 23rd at around 10:00 am local time; shortly before Carla Perez.
3. Carla Perez (Ecuador)
“When other girls dreamed of ‘fiesta rosada (pink party)’, Carla Perez wanted to climb Cotopaxi.” Years later, at the age of 33, the Ecuadorian lady summits Everest without bottled oxygen. Carla Perez climbed Aconcagua South Face in 2009 and has been part of multiple new route expeditions. In 2013, her first attempt on Everest without supplemental oxygen ended a few hundred meters below summit, when she lost sensation in her toes. Carla has also climbed Manaslu (2012) and Cho Oyu (2014).
4. Melissa Arnot (USA)
Melissa Arnot topped out about an hour after Carla Perez on May 23rd, also without using supplemental Oxygen. Previously, she had climbed the mountain five times with O2 from Nepal side. “[A] caring guide and passionate adventurer” sums up Melissa’s profile.
Behind, Lydia Bradey (1988), Alison Hargreaves (1995), Francys Arsentiev (1998), La Ji (2004), Nives Meroi (2007) and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (2009), Carla and Melissa are apparently 7th and 8th women to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen.
5. Cory Richards (USA)
In public and mainstream media, Courtney Woodward (Cory) Richards is more famous because of his camerawork than mountaineering feats. In climbing community, he is best known for first winter ascent of GII, with Simone Moro and Denis Urubko. Cory summited Everest without oxygen on May 24th, while his partner Adrian Ballinger stopped a couple of hundred meters below. He climbed Lhotse in 2010.
Partial
6. Thomas Lammle (Germany)
“Heike will you marry me?” The German climber asked his love interest, right after reaching Everest summit without bottled oxygen. Thomas, however, used oxygen while back in C3 due to 'safety reasons'. Thomas Lammle is an established mountain guide, who has previously climbed Cho Oyu, GII, Manaslu and Shisha Pangma. He made two unsuccessful summit attempts on Cho Oyu before Everest single push ascent, this season.
Unsuccessful
Nepal Side:
>> Vladimír Štrba and Zoltán Pál: Had to be rescued from 7200m, after an avalanche hit the duo on SW Face. Injured Zoltán Pál suffered visibility issues.
>> Richard Hidalgo: Turned back from 8400m due to bad weather.
>> Isaiah Janzen: Decided to use bottled oxygen for climb.
>> Richard Parks: Ended expedition during acclimatization phase, after discovering a rare blood thickness related illness.
>> Jelle Veyt: Switched to oxygen due to bad conditions.
>> David Liano: Climbed with oxygen.
>> Mingma Sherpa: Seemingly, he also climbed with oxygen.
Tibet Side:
>> Mick Allen: Used oxygen above 8400m after feeling cold in his feet; suffered minor frost bite on toes and fingers.
>> Alex Barber: Started developing signs of altitude sickness in C3 (8300m); decided to turn back.
>> Jorge Antonio Salazar Gavia and Jorge Hermosillo: The two Mexicans decided to abandon their summit push above C3, after a fellow climber Luis Alvarez suffered snow-blindness; followed by a tiring rescue mission.
>> Adrian Ballinger: Cancelled his summit push near Second Step due to cold.
>> Esteban Mena: The Ecuadorian climbed Everest without oxygen in 2013. However, it appears that he used oxygen on current summit-push.
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