Annapurna I | 2009 N Face (to 5600m)

A Russia expedition to Annapurna I in 2009 via N Face (to 5600m), led by Valeri Babanov. Summit reached on 6th April 2009. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6328
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN109104
Peak ID ANN1
Year 2009
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face (to 5600m)
Route 2 NW Face (to 4900m)
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Russia
Leaders Valeri Babanov
Sponsor Annapurna West Face Russian 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 -
Approach Kali Gandaki->Lete
Basecamp Date 2009-04-03
Summit Date 2009-04-06
Summit Time -
Summit Days 3
Total Days 16
Termination Date 2009-04-19
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Babanov lacked motivation for NW Face and N Face too dangerous from avalanching
High Point (m) 5600
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
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(03/04,3950m),xxx(06/04,5600m),xxx(12/04,4900m)
Route Notes High point at above C1 on North Face. Annapurna West Face Russian Expedition led by Valeri Babanov - 26 April 2009 The two-member team left Kathmandu on 22 March with no climbing Sherpas but with 30 porters to carry their loads to BC. They followed the Kali Gandaki River north to Lete, where they arrived on the 23rd and from where they turned east on the 24th to reach BC. But the route from Lete is difficult, and the porters were not prepared for this; on the 24th they quit. The party returned to Lete; here the Russians waited for the return of porters who had carried loads to the normal North Face BC site for a Korean expedition. On the 3rd of April they arrived at the Russians' BC site, which is only 50 minutes from the North Face BC site. On the 4th, the Russians, their cook and kitchen boy rested and had their puja. On the 5th they went over to the North Face route to acclimatize and followed the Koreans fixed rope to C1 at 5000m to bivouac there. The next day they moved up to a new bivouac at 5450m and climbed above it to 5600m. They now realized that the North Face is a dangerous place to be because of seracs everywhere threatening to fall. They returned to their own BC to rest on the 7th. A few days of bad weather followed. Then on 12 April they decided to do more acclimatizing on the Czechoslovakian autumn 1988 route on the NW Face (Babanov calls it the West Face), which is to the right of the Russians proposed route on this face. The climbed to 4900m and returned to BC on the same day. They spent the 13th resting. On the 14th, Babanov found that he had no motivation to attempt the NW Face. He cannot explain why. He had been doing a lot of climbing in recent months, and it would seem that perhaps he was simply burned out. Afanasyev was ready to try their face, but he understood how Babanov felt and agreed with Babanov to go back to the North Face for an attempt there. On the 16th they went over to the North Face and up to C1 at 5000m. But they could see no safe route on this side, so they went back to their BC, and their climb was over. They left BC on the April 19, were in Lete on the 21st, in Beni on the 23rd and in Kathmandu on the 24th.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Windhorse Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2459907
Year 2009
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face (to 5600m)

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Victor Afanasiev M 1979 Russia Climber Tiyliskii, Russia Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Valeri Babanov M 1964 Russia Leader Calgary, Alberta Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.