Annapurna I | 2008 S Face-E Ridge

A Spain expedition to Annapurna I in 2008 via S Face-E Ridge, led by Inaki Ochoa. Summit reached on 19th May 2008. 5 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 5946
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN108105
Peak ID ANN1
Year 2008
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face-E Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Spain
Leaders Inaki Ochoa
Sponsor Annapurna South Face Expedition
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Canada, Romania, USA
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2008-03-16
Summit Date 2008-05-19
Summit Time -
Summit Days 64
Total Days 71
Termination Date 2008-05-26
Termination Reason 7
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7850m due to frostbite
High Point (m) 7850
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 5
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(16,26/03,4130m),C1(c20/03,4800m),C2(20/04,5900m),C3(16/05,6850m),C4(17/05,7400m),C5(18/05,7800m),xxx(19/05,7850m)
Route Notes BC at Annapurna BC lodge High point at traverse on North Face just below the last ridge. Annapurna South Face Expedition - 25 May to 4 June 2008 led by Inaki Ochoa. Ochoa said on 7 March after his arrival in Nepal that his line up the South Face would be either the route climbed by Tomaz Humar (Slovenian) in the autumn of 2007, or the one pioneered by Jerzy Kukuczka and Arthur Hajzer (Polish) in the autumn of 1988, both at the far eastern end of the face to the East Ridge. When moving westward toward the main summit after having reached the ridge, he would not try for the east and middle summits but instead would traverse below them on the North Face. (He noted that he has been called an 8000m peak bagger, but he does not do standard routes; he has only Annapurna I and Kangchenjunga still to climb). Tragically, he died before he could finish his ascent of Annapurna. Following are accounts by others who were with him, either members of his team or a would-be rescuer. Report from Horia Colibasanu, Romanian climbing member of Ochoa's team, and Ms Nancy Morin, Ochoa's base camp manager and girl friend: On 16 March, team member Don Bowie arrived at BC at the Annapurna Base Camp lodge, called Snowland Lodge, (4130m) with the "Sherpa" Jagat Bahadur Limbu, who had been on Annapurna in autumn 2007 with Slovenian Tomaz Humar to the foot of the South Face and the start of his line up the face. Jagat was taken along to show Bowie the route on the glacier as far as C2 (but Ochoa and Colibasanu actually found the team's route). Bowie set up C1 at 4800m on the 20th or 21st of March. Ochoa and Colibasanu arrived at the BC lodge on 26 March and on 10 April took equipment to the C1 at 4800m. On the 12th they tried to find a route to C2, but the terrain was too complicated and had a huge crevasse; they would need to fix rope on the glacier. So they couldn't get to the camp's site that day. They turned back at 5500m and went to BC. On the 14th Bowie and on the 15th Ochoa and Colibasanu went up to C1 and moved it to 4900m, closer to the South Face. On the 16th they went up to 5750m on a big rock formation west of the South Annapurna Glacier and fixed some rope, then back to C1. On the 17th, up to 5900m and down to C1 and BC in this period of working on the route in this area. Finally on 20 April they made C2 at 5900m and Bowie descended to BC that day, while Ochoa and Colibasanu went to the Polish (Kukuczka/Hajzer) route on the face at its far eastern end, where the Russian team's Alexei Bolotov had already started fixing the route and had put in 400m of rope. The period from 21 April to 15 May was spent making the route in rotation with the Russians (led by Sergei Bogomolov), going down to rest, and waiting for the bad weather to improve. On the 7th of May the three members of Ochoa's team went up from BC to C2. The next day, Bowie decided to go down again because he thought the weather forecast was not favorable. Ochoa and Colibasanu had to go down with: he could not go down safely alone, so the three men went to BC on the 8th. On the 9th, they realized that they had to split the team. Ochoa and Colibasanu waited for a good weather forecast, and on the 15th the went up to C2, on the 16th to C3 at 6850m, and on the 17th they reached the East Ridge and moved along it westwards for four kilometers to make a bivouac at C4 at 7400m. On the 18th they moved the tent to 7800m as C5 and traversed on the North Face. On 19 May, Ochoa, Colibasanu and Bolotov (who was the only member of his expedition still on the mountain) started for the summit at 4:00 am. They reached the ridge coming down from the east summit on the north side, and here, at 7850m, Ochoa stopped because they needed to fix rope. While Bolotov continued up and reached the main summit, Ochoa and Colibasanu started to return to C5. Ochoa's fingers of his left hand had gotten frostbitten while jumaring here, so he moved faster and returned to C5 at 5:30 am. He was very tired and went to sleep; when he woke up at 11:00 am, he showed Colibasanu that his fingers were blue. He decided he had to go on down and Colibasanu agreed to descend with him. They reached C4 at about 4:30 pm. Both were extremely tired, and Ochoa now lost consciousness. Colibasanu telephoned to doctors for a diagnosis and to the Swiss climber on Annapurna, Ueli Steck, to come and help them. Ochoa could no nothing for himself and talking gibberish. The diagnosis was cerebral edema. Colibasanu met Steck on 22 May on the N Face traverse to show him the route, but Colibasanu was too tired to return to C4 with Steck. Besides there was no food there. So Colibasanu went down aloen to C3, where he found Steck's teammate Simon Anthamatten. They descended to C2 on the 23rd and from there a helicopter took them to BC. They left BC on the 26th. Report of Ueli Steck, Swiss leader of his own two-man team: When Steck and Anthamatten had returned to their Annapurna BC on the 19 May, Steck received a telephone call from Horia Colibasanu, the Romanian member of Ochoa's team on the far eastern end of the South Face, saying that both of them were in trouble on the East Ridge and asking for help. Colibasanu was extremely tired and his voice was not very clear on the satellite phone, but steck could make out that Ochoa had frostbitten fingers and -- this was not very clear -- maybe cerebral edema. The two Swiss had no high-altitude equipment at BC, but at 9:00 pm on 19 May they packed up some medicine (Ochoa and Colibasanu had none with them) and started up the mountain via Ochoa's route. Two Sherpas from Ochoa's BC showed them the way up the face from C1. At 4:00 am on the 20th on their way to C2, they had to stop because they could not see in the dark and the Sherpas had gone back to BC. At 6:00 am in daylight they started up again and reached Ochoa's C2 at 5800m at 1:00 pm. But now they were in clouds and snow was falling. Part of the route from C1 to C2 was fixed, and all of the way between C2 and C3 had been fixed, but there was avalanching in the afternoons, and they slept in C2 that night. On the 21st they got to C3 at 6800m at about noon, and then stopped again because of new snowfall and the heat was causing avalanches. They would be unable to reach Ochoa in C4 that day. Furthermore, they did not have the proper shoes and heavy down jackets for higher altitudes. But Alexei Bolotov, the Russian member of the expedition led by Sergei Bogomolov who had summited and descended to his C3 at 6800m on the 21st, gave his boots to Steck in exchange for Steck's lighter shoes. So on the 22nd Steck climbed alone to C4 at 7400m on the East Ridge. It took him eight hours to reach C4 because a lot of new snow had fallen, and Colibasanu earlier had to break trail for Steck on the ridge to C4. They met on the ridge, and Steck now learned that Colibasanu had cerebral edema; Steck gave him some medication, Colibasanu got better and continued down to C3, where he met Anthamatten, while Steck went along the ridge to C4 and got there at about 4:00 pm on the 22nd. He found Ochoa seriously ill with both cerebral and pulmonary edema. Ochoa immediately recognized Steck and spoke to him, but his speech was not clear. His mind "came and went," and he was not moving at all. Steck spent the night of the 22nd/23rd with him, gave him injections and sips of water. On the 23rd he was a little better and asked for coffee; coffee was not available but Steck gave him an energy bar and water. Ochoa's condition deteriorated: he became unable to speak or move at all. When he stopped breathing, Steck pressed his chest and got him breathing again, but at 12:10 pm his head snapped back: Ochoa was dead. Any further attempt by the two Swiss to reach the summit by their own route was now out of the question. Report of Don Bowie, Canadian member of Ochoa's team: Bowie arrived at BC ahead of Ochoa and Colibasanu: he got there on 18 March and established it at Snowland Lodge at 4130m. On the 21st he made C1 at about 5000m near the moraine, northeast of BC and southwest of the route. He went down to BC on the 22nd to wait for Ochoa and Colibasanu to arrive. They came on about the 26th of March. Now they went up to C1 but did not sleep there during the last days of March. In early April they carried loads to stock C1; at this time Bowie fever and there was some bad weather. In the second week of April they started stocking C2 and established the camp at 5850m at the bottom of the face after Bogomolov's Russian team arrived and started up on Kukuczka's route, whereas Ochoa's route was between the Kukuczka and Humar routes. In mid-April Bowie split from Ochoa. He had started climbing with the Russians while Ochoa and Colibasanu were in BC. He worked with the Russians to make their route and slept with them at 6400m in "camp two and half." He also slept one night in the others C3 at 6900m and went down to BC with them. Bowie wanted this acclimatization, but Ochoa and Colibasanu thought this was selfish and unnecessary, and they took his going with the Russians personally. Bowie felt that for him to have gone up to only 5800m and then make a bid for the summit was not enough acclimatization for him. Bowie climbed once more with Ochoa and Colibasanu, on 5 May to C2 one day and stayed in C2, but it snowed that day, and the forecast was for more snowfall the next day. They all descended to BC on 6 May. Bowie now felt their movements were not safe, and they disagreed with him, told him that they didn't want to climb with him. They did not climb together again. On the 9th, Ochoa and Colibasanu went to C2 and were caught in an avalanching area of the face. They had to return to BC, which Bowie considered vindicated his views. Bowie and Daniel Baas went up the Russian's route, reached C1 at 5000m on 14 May and on the 15th their C2 at 5850m. Here Baas stayed while on the 16th Bowie went to the base of the face at 6000m and then found that the daily fresh snowfall had made the mountain unsafe to climb higher alone. He was especially worried about being alone in the fresh snow on the East Ridge, he thought all the Russian climbers had gone by then, not knowing that Bolotov had stayed on. On the 17th they returned to BC, and Bowie's and Baas's climb was finished. They left BC on the 18th to go to Pokhara. Bowie stayed in Pokhara awhile. When he heard that Ochoa was in trouble, he volunteered to go back to BC in a helicopter that was going that way with two experienced climbers to help rescue Ochoa. On 21 May he joined the Kazakhstani climber Denis Urubko and Bolotov's team leader Bogomolov, who were in the helicopter rushing from Kathmandu to Annapurna. (Urubko had returned to Kathmandu from Makalu on the 20th and was scheduled to fly out of Nepal on the 21st; Bogomolov had gotten minor frostbite in some fingers on Annapurna I and had returned to Kathmandu on 13 May but was still there.) Unfortunately, they arrived too late to help: they got to 7200m the day Ochoa died. Report of Daniel Baas, American film-maker: Baas was brought to Annapurna I by Bowie to do some filming. He and Bowie stopped at Snowland Lodge for Baas's camera gear on 19 March. Ochoa and Colibasanu joined them on about 25 March, and everyone waited for good weather. Ochoa, Colibasanu and Bowie climbed together, and Baas found himself "darting around trying to keep up with them" to film them. But he stayed with Bowie as much as he could and left the mountain when Bowie did. Letter from Pablo Ochoa de Olza to Elizabeth Hawley - 29 May 2008 Dear Ms. Hawley: I am Inaki's brother, Pablo Ochoa de Olza. I want to tell you how I feel about some men that you surely know well. My brother Inaki died dramatically on mount Annapurna last Friday. It would have been one more on that mountain if it was not for a special detail: 15 people from different nations performed a rescue expedition that will be long remembered. A story that will stay as an example of braveness and courage, cooperation, solidarity, manhood and goodwill. A story of real men. I write to you to explain what these brave men did. You know what you've been told, but humble mountaineers do not explain things like they really are. The real fact is that they are heroes. As simple as that. My brother didn't die like a dog, alone, because Ueli was there. Inaki was not left alone by his good friend Horia until he could do no more and Ueli was almost there, Inaki had someone to give him medicines, water and food because Horia and Ueli were there. Dennis Urubko was speeding up the mountain to rescue his friend down, carrying oxygen to him. On Monday May the 19th Inaki Ochoa de Olza, sharing expedition with Alexei Bolotov and Horia Colibasanu, got cerebral edema at Camp 4 and an impressive high altitude rescue operations started immediately. Russians, Kazakhs, Swiss, Romanians, Polish, Nepali, Canadian and Spanish started a chrono race to bring Inaki down alive. These and other courageous men started their way up the mountain as soon as they were told there was someone in danger. They didn't think of summit, of their personal projects or of the risks they were taking: they just went. Ueli, after sending his sick friend down when Simon got ill, continued alone, "running" up in deep snow and with a high avalanche risk, knowing each minute counted, knowing that he wouldn't be able to bring Inaki down alone by himself and not knowing weather enough help would come behind to support rescue. Knowing that the real chances of saving Inaki were close to zero. And still they went. He had to take one of the most difficult decisions ("who do I help?") when he found Horia Colibasanu also sick, creeping his way down to meet him to show him the way to the tent, Horia badly sick as he was, with advanced pulmonary edema and exhausted after 4 nights over 7400m. Ueli took at all times the right decisions: gave Horia medicines and helped him down the ridge until he was sure he could go on alone to meet Dennis, Simon and others who were on the mountain. Ueli then turned back up and continued to Inaki who recognised him, gave him dexa, diuretics and all he had. Food, drinks, warmth and company to try to keep him alive until the necessary oxygen got there, carried up by strong Kazakh Dennis Urubko. A huge rescue was by then going on, coordinated by all support teams in the homelands of huge climbers like your Swiss men themselves and by our own team back here in Pamplona. I asked Simon on the phone to tell Ueli to cheer up Inaki even if he was not conscious. Simon told me "don't worry, Pablo, Ueli does that right." Great men they are. Ueli had probably the worst hours in his life supporting Inaki and even made CPR when he stopped breathing, alone like he was, refusing to accept destiny without giving it a last try. He was holding his life and our hope until the very last moment. He had the horrible job of telling Base Camp through the radio the sad news and had to try to get out of there alive in a strong storm and again with high life risk. All efforts and all the love, the huge titanic fight against destiny and all the works of these men were simply not enough. And still they have given a lesson to the world. Simon Anthamatten and Ueli Steck: both of them are Heroes, like the rest of the climbers involved in this rescue, and others who could not go, but wanted and tried to. They are going to stay in our hearts and thoughts forever. Also Russian climbers Sergey Bogomolov and Alexei Bolotov, Romanians Horia Colibasanu, Minhea Radulescu and Alex Gavan, Canadian Nancy Morin and Don Bowie, Polish doctor Robert Symszack and the Nepali Pema Ongchu Sherpa, Pemba Ongchu Sherpa, Ongchu Sherpa, Wangchu Sherpa and Chhiring Finjo Sherpa started their ways up coordinated by a local support team in Pamplona, Spain, formed by Koldo Aldaz, Jorge Nagore, Cristina Orofino, Koldo Martinez and myself. Nima Naru Sherpa from Cho Oyu Trekking Pvt Ltd provided means and efforts from Kathmandu and Javier Corripio helped from Austria with his weather forecasts. Many others offered to help on the mountain, like Maxut Zumahyev and others without any money involved...only because they knew Inaki and liked him. Only because they are good men. Valeri, the helicopter pilot took terrible risks to drop some climbers in extremely poor weather conditions, far beyond expectations. For all that effort and help, for the risk, for the abnegate try of bringing aid to the Spanish climber in an almost impossible quest, the Government of Navarra has awarded them all the Gold Medal to Sports Merits. Only 12 had ever been awarded until last Monday, when they gave two more: one to Inaki, one to Inaki's Rescue team, including your climbers. This letter is to pay further tribute to the sons of Switzerland, Ueli and Simon, brave men who did not hesitate to risk their lives, their projects and their good health to try to reach the impossible. Very specially, Ueli was our guardian angel. He went beyond the point where the brave turn back. He more than others, gave us hope at all moments under difficulties that many men wouldn't dare to face ever. Also, it is important that your people, your very normal citizens as well as extraordinary climbers back at home or around the world know for certain what strong climbers you have, what men grow in Switzerland. My true congratulations to their families, to their friends and to the country able to grow such men. You shall be proud of them.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Cho Oyu Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2459584
Year 2008
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face-e ridge

Members

5 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Daniel Baas M 1972 USA Climber Seattle, Washington Film-maker and camera operator Details Other expeditions
Donald Allen (Don) Bowie M 1969 USA/Canada Climber Bishop, California Search and rescue team member Details Other expeditions
Horia Dan Colibasanu M 1977 Romania Climber Timisoara, Romania Dentist Details Other expeditions
Nancy Morin F 1980 Canada BC Manager Calgary, Alberta Hotel manager Details Other expeditions
Ignacio (Inaki) Ochoa de Olza Seguin M 1967 Spain Leader Pamplona, Navarra, Spain Alpine guide, instructor, lecturer, photographer & writer Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN108105 - - http://www.russianclimb.com/urubko_annarescue.html - - -
ANN108105 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 83:322-323 (2009) -
ANN108105 ALP Venables, Stephen Night & Day - 28:87-88 (Autumn 2009) -
ANN108105 - Nagore, Jorge Los Catorce de Inaki Saga Editorial, Barcelona - -
ANN108105 - Ochoa, Inaki Bajo los Cielos de Asia Saga Editorial, Barcelona - -
ANN108105 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200932200/Asia-Nepal-Annapurna-I-East-Ridge-Tragedy - - -
ANN108105 - - http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08s/newswire-ochoa-annapurna - - -