Annapurna I | 1991 W Face up (to 7900m); N Face down

A Yugoslavia expedition to Annapurna I in 1991 via W Face up (to 7900m); N Face down, led by Slavko Sveticic. Summit reached on 1st November 1991. 1 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 553
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN191310
Peak ID ANN1
Year 1991
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Face up (to 7900m); N Face down
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Yugoslavia
Leaders Slavko Sveticic
Sponsor Zagreb Mountaineering Expedition Annapurna
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 -
Basecamp Date 1991-10-19
Summit Date 1991-11-01
Summit Time -
Summit Days 13
Total Days 17
Termination Date 1991-11-05
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7900m due to route difficulty for solo climber
High Point (m) 7900
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 1
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 1
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
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(19/10,4400m),Biv1(27/10,5100m),Biv2(28/10,6200m),Biv3(29/10,6900m),Biv4(30/10,7300m),Biv5(31/10,7800m),xxx(01/11,7900m)
Route Notes BC at normal North Face site - same as USSR. After base camp established, next day to 5600m on Tilicho on glacier to see Annapurna I West Face ("but could not see area which became 3rd biv site - could see it only from 2nd biv and it was big surprise for me - good surprise - very easy snow field there"). Returned to BC 21st. 22nd to C2 of USSR on N Face; went with Sherpa and tent and make camp that night. 23rd he up to C3 and then down to C1; up to see how he is performing at altitude ("to test"). 24th to BC. 27th from BC he and sirdar towards bottom of W Face with load: sirdar said glacier too difficult and did not go all the way, but Sveticic goes on and next day reaches bottom of face. Taking mountain tent with him from BC, Sveticic camps alone from evening of 27th; first biv on 27th at 5100m, 2nd and 28th at bottom of W Face at 5450m at 8:00 am and immediately goes onto face in clear weather and pitches tent at 6200m; this section 55 degrees so not easy but snow in good condition; arrived at 6200m at 3:00 pm and slept there that night. Route to this point was not far of big rock fall area. 29th start up at 7:00 pm; this day very difficult climb because snow now replaced by very hard ice; arrived a B2 biv at 5:00 pm at 6400m, where only small area for biv. and slept here for one night. 30th started 9:00 am after night of strong wind and as he climbed wind continued with very strong gusts: this day easy climb but strong wind all day; made biv after climbing snow in good condition at 7300m at 1:00 pm stopped early to have an easy day). 31st "very difficult day for me." Because could not see logical way to go up; went up 100m, search for the way, traverse along snow, and up near and up more; reached 7800m and biv; started this day at 6:30 am and arrived biv. 4 at 6:30 pm: slept here. 1st Nov started again at 9:30 am in strong wind from top; now very tired; fingers and toes to go up again next morning. 2nd Nov too tired and toes still very cold: weather good with no wind: good weather for top but also good weather to go down: "no cloud so possible to see the way"; started down at 6:00 am and reached site C1 on N Face; from biv traversed 300m to normal N Face route and then down, more directly than normal route, to Dutch Rib, down the rib to C1 site, where arrived 10:00 pm (5200m). 3rd Nov down to BC but no camp left. Sirdar, cook and LO had left few hours earlier taking all gears and good food supplies away with them. Sveticic had 3 matches left, made some tea, put petrol he had in bottle he found, put string as wick and kept burning all night and next day so to have cooking possibility. 4th Nov stayed at BC resting (fingers and toes thick now OK) & 5th Nov from BC to Lete where kitchen boy stayed while LO and sirdar gone to Jomsom to send message he is missing. Now on 5th he realizes toes not OK: blistering. "Is not finished - I have to go back to do entire climb, made 2 mistakes - should have returned to BC after going to face for next and good food and should have gone up from bottom of W Face with very light load; load he took was too heavy - getting to bottom of West Face was difficult over difficult glacier. Had no problem with altitude - problem just was difficulty." Another mistake: should have radio so others can know where he is. "If I can get money, maybe I go to Makalu W Face - first need more training." Solo effort on West Face to left of Messner's route lasted from 28 Oct, when Sveticic began ascent of the face, to 1 Nov, when he became too tired to succeed; had taken too heavy a load of supplies with him, he later decided. To 6100m found good snow conditions, but difficult hard ice for next 700m, then easy terrain and good snow but terrible winds to 7200m. From this point "very difficult day for me because I could not see a logical way to go up," had to search for a good line and gained 500m. On final day strong winds continued, his fingers and toes very cold, he was very tired and was now moving very slowly; stopped his ascent at 7900m and returned to bivouac. Next day 2 Nov, he moved down very rapidly in excellent weather and traversed over to normal site of C1 on North Face.
Accidents Slightly frostbitten big toes
Achievement -
Agency Everest Trekking
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453568
Year 1991
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w face up (to 7900m); n face down

Members

1 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Miroslav (Slavko) Sveticic M 1958 Yugoslavia Climber Cerkno, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Alpine guide Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN191310 AAJ Sveticic, Slavc - - 66:219 (1992) -
ANN191310 MM - - - 143:5-6 (Jan 1992) -
ANN191310 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199221901/Asia-Nepal-Annapurna-West-Face-Solo-Attempt - - -