It is now forty years since the 1982 British Everest Expedition set out to climb the North East Ridge of the mountain. It followed on from the successful ascent of Kongur the year before and the team included three climbers from that ascent: Chris Bonington, Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker. In addition the team included Dick Renshaw and two support climbers, Dr Charles Clarke and Adrian Gordon.
May 17th 1982, was the last time that Pete and Joe were seen heading for the summit of Everest.
Here Sir Chris Bonington and Steve Dean recall the 1982 Everest Expedition.
Everest from the North
Photo credit: Chris Bonington
Chris Bonington takes up the story:
“There is a sense of history about the northern side of the mountain. This was the scene of the many pre-war attempts from the north col and of Mallory and Irvine’s celebrated last climb when, after they were last seen moving up into the clouds at 28,000ft/8,500 metres, they might just have reached the top. The mountain was eventually climbed from this side in 1960 by the Chinese who initially tried the north-east ridge but eventually used the north col route.
This joins the north-east ridge at the 8,000 metre level and, in 1982, the complete ridge was one of the most obvious remaining challenges on the mountain. We felt that it could be climbed by a small team and without using oxygen. It was exposed to the wind, had great length, there was a series of difficult pinnacles barring the way to the traditional route, and then there was the upper section that had confounded all the pre-war teams ---- a combination of difficulties that made it a very serious challenge, the key factor being the debilitating length of time that a small team would need to spend at high altitude. Nevertheless, after Kongur we were very confident, and while I had private doubts about my own ability to press on to the top without oxygen, I wanted to be part of such a challenging enterprise, and was fully prepared to drop back in support if I weakened.
Tibet had been open to foreigners for two years when we arrived at Lhasa. Although many dreary modern buildings had been erected and the city was surrounded by army camps, it still had a special magic of its own. Over 2,000 monasteries had been destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, many of the monks had been imprisoned and all forms of religious expression had been prohibited. A few of the major monasteries had been spared and some monks had been allowed back but it was a tiny proportion of those that had been there before. Originally there had been 11,000 monks in the Drepung Monastery and now there were only a few hundred. The Chinese seemed to regard these places as useful tourist attractions and money earners, but the Tibetans hold them in awe as places of worship, queuing to visit them in their hundreds. There was an extraordinary feeling of devoutness, that Tibetan Buddhism was still very much alive.
We moved on to Xigaze, Tibet’s second city. Here the monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery were busy preparing for a religious festival. We then went to Xegur from where trucks took us to the Everest Base Camp. This slow approach to the mountain was essential to help us to acclimatise. We established Advanced Base Camp at 20,342 feet (6,200 metres) on the East Rongbuk Glacier on 4 April. In biting cold with a penetrating wind we pushed the route forward, establishing three snow hole camps, the highest at 25,755 feet (7,850 metres) just below the pinnacles that were clearly going to be the crux of the route. The climbing to that point was not difficult, but the length of the ridge, the altitude, the remorseless wind and the lack of fixed rope all combined to make it a gruelling experience.
The team in 1982. L-R: Chris Bonington, Charlie Clarke, Adrian Gordon, Joe Tasker, Pete Boardman and Dick Renshaw.
Photo credit: Adrian Gordon, Chris Bonington Picture Library
The plan was to get the route established to the top of the first pinnacle as a jumping off point for an alpine-style dash for the summit. While fixing rope up to this point Dick Renshaw suffered a mild stroke, brought on by the effects of altitude, and we were forced to withdraw to Base at a critical stage. Dick left for home and I too realised I didn’t have the strength to return for the final climb. Thus the depleted team of Pete Boardman and Joe Tasker set out on the 15th May to attempt to cross the pinnacles. They made their last radio call on the evening of 16th May. We watched their progress over the pinnacles throughout the following day and at 9pm saw them for the last time, passing out of sight behind the second pinnacle. The following day Adrian, Gordon and I climbed up to the north col in a prearranged plan to support Pete and Joe on their descent.
We waited on the north col, and with no more sightings of the climbers, it was clear that something had gone wrong. After four days we descended and later studied the Kangshung face for clues but saw nothing. What happened remains a mystery; they may have slipped and fallen, or succumbed to exhaustion during a bivouac.”
This account is taken from Chris Bonington Mountaineer published by Vertebrate Publishing 2016.
Everest E.N.E. ridge
Photo credit: Chris Bonington
Once Chris, Charlie and Adrian had sensed that there was something wrong, it must have been an agonising time for them as it became increasingly obvious that Pete and Joe were not returning. There was a huge search including a long drive to the Kharta Valley but nothing was found. Charlie chose a large slate near the 1924 Memorial and chiselled a simple epitaph. They placed the tablet and stood silently, tearful in the wind. Next day they left to take the tragic news home.
Charlie Clarke later wrote “I believe that with the mysteries of our personalities, our curious drives and our self-appointed goals, we could not have turned down this opportunity for fulfilment without denying ourselves a glimpse of the very meaning of existence. In time I expect we shall do the same again and be lured back perhaps by another Goddess Mother of the World.”
Writing about Pete and Joe, Charlie described his own sadness: “I was washed over by different waves of emotion. I fought with pain because I loved them. They were the personification of what I once wanted to be…..”.
Towards the end of that year Hilary Boardman, Pete’s wife, and Maria Coffey, Joe’s partner, travelled to Everest. They were two strong women and decided to try, in some way to feel that they were with Pete and Joe one last time. Maria wrote: “And as we began the drive to the northern side of Chomolungma I was calm, almost happy. Two eagles hovered high above us on the air currents. Joe and Pete, I thought, watching us leave. It was a fine place to spend eternity.”
For a full and detailed account of the 1982 Expedition I heartily recommend Chris and Charlie’s book “Everest the Unclimbed Ridge” published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1983.
Steve Dean, with thanks to Noel Dawson.