Ascent Passport

1. Ascent category — high-altitude technical.
2. Central Himalayas.
3. Shishapangma, 8012 m, via North face, classic route.
4. 5th category of difficulty.
5. Pitons used: rock — none; закладок — none; ice — none; шлямбурных — none.
6. Climbing hours: 20 and days — 4.
7. Night bivouacs: 1st at 6500 m; 2nd — 7000 m; 3rd — 7400 m.
8. Leader: Svergun Igor Nikolaevich, Master of Sports of International Class, Kharkov, 26-a, 23 Avgusta st., apt. 73. Team members:
   • Bershov Sergey Igorevich, Honored Master of Sports, Kharkov 202, 50-A, Pobedy ave., apt. 28.
   • Bokov Alexey Sergeevich, Candidate for Master of Sports, Kharkov, 41, L. Svobody ave., apt. 77.
9. Coach: Bershov S.I., Honored Coach of Ukraine. Kharkov 202, 50-A, Pobedy ave., apt. 28.
10. Departure for the route: April 28, 1998. Ascent: May 1, 1998. Return to base camp: May 2, 1998. Ascent made in alpine style.
11. Kharkov Regional Alpine Club:
    • Kharkov, 310057
    • 14, Sumskaya st.

Brief Description

The summit of Shishapangma, 8012 m, is located in the Central Himalayas, Tibet — 28°02′ N latitude and 85°47′ E longitude — the lowest of the 14 eight-thousanders of our planet. Previously known by the Indian name Gosaitthan. The first ascent was made on May 2, 1964, via the North face. The summit was reached by 10 Chinese and Tibetan climbers.

The Ukrainian expedition to Shishapangma was organized by the Kharkov Regional Alpine Club as part of the program "Flag of Ukraine on the world's summits" and was dedicated to the memory of Ukrainian climbers Viktor Pastukh and Gennady Vasilenko, who did not return from this mountain in 1996.

The climbing team:

• Bershov Sergey, Honored Master of Sports, Honored Coach of Ukraine. 10 ascents to peaks above 8000 m.
• Svergun Igor, Master of Sports of International Class. 5 ascents to eight-thousanders.
• Bokov Alexey — expedition doctor. First eight-thousander — Shishapangma.

At the base camp at an altitude of 5600 m, the team installed a memorial plaque in memory of Pastukh V. and Vasilenko G.

The team made the ascent in "alpine style" (without the use of oxygen, without prior processing of the route and acclimatization exits).

• April 28 — departure from base camp at an altitude of 5600 m.
• Night bivouacs at altitudes: 6500 m, 7000 m, 7450 m.

The team reached the summit at 16:00 Tibetan time on May 1, 1998. The descent to base camp took 1 day.

The expedition was sponsored by: Kharkov weekly "Sobytiye", "Megabank", "Maddi International", "Alpservice" and Kiev company "Inagro".

Information sponsors: "Nezavisimost", UT-1, ATH — Kharkov, Kharkov regional television, radio, TV channel and weekly "Simon".

The expedition was organized in Nepal by the company "Windhorse" with the mediation of the company "Asian Trekking".

The team arrived at the base camp at an altitude of 5600 m on April 20, 1998. Return to Kathmandu after the ascent — May 8, 1998.

To reduce expedition costs, no hired personnel were used.

Shishapangma, 8012 m. 43 b/p 5600 m.

Memorial plaque in memory of V. Pastukh and G. Vasilenko at the base camp at an altitude of 5600 m.

Alata, 7000 m, April 29, 1998.

Bareef at 7400 m, April 30, 1998.

Night bivouac at 7450 m, April 30, 1998.

Shishapangma summit, 8012 m. From the summit: promotional shots, 16:30, May 1, 1998.

Return to base camp, 5600 m, May 2, 1998.