Annapurna II | 1969 NW Ridge-W Ridge

A Yugoslavia expedition to Annapurna II in 1969 via NW Ridge-W Ridge, led by Ales Kunaver. Summit reached on 22nd October 1969. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN269301
Peak ID ANN2
Year 1969
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 NW Ridge-W Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Yugoslavia
Leaders Ales Kunaver
Sponsor Mountaineering Club of Slovenia
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 2nd
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Marshyangdi->Hongde->Sabje Khola
Basecamp Date 1969-09-25
Summit Date 1969-10-22
Summit Time 1800
Summit Days 27
Total Days 31
Termination Date 1969-10-26
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7937
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 6
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
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 Climbed Annapurna IV (ANN4-693-02)
Campsites LowBC(25/09,3950m),BC(27/09,4650m),C1(27/09,5300m),C2(6000m),C3(6400m),C4,C5(7350m),C6(7250m),Smt(22/10)
Route Notes Summited after sunset, returned to C6 at 2:30 am. Jerin - 7 Nov 1969 Arrive KTM Thursday Draslar, Mlekuz and Jerin; rest tomorrow afternoom by charter. Draslar fingers OK, but one toe uncertain still. Started for summit 9 am. 3 pm in afternoon still very low. At 6 pm last part and descended by moonlight very bright, but very cold. Days shorter than in spring (at 5 pm getting dark). Were exhausted by time returned to camp, could not have come down alone. Expedition reached Pokhara yesterday and Jerin and liaison officer to KTM Wednesday. JOM Roberts - 3 Nov 1969 West Ridge of Annapurna II: waxy ridge, series of snow towers. Up to summit of C4 for observation and radio contact. Annapurna IV just a feature south of West Ridge of Annapurna II. Security team = support team. C6 probably where West Ridge steepens to summit of Annapurna II. C5 = 24,000 ft C6 = 23,800 ft ? or above Support team at Annapurna IV summited and returned down to C5 for night. Bonington, Richard Grant and Sherpa Ang Nima except C5 to summit and down C3 (created while they were climbing) all in daylight. Kunaver - 11 Sept 1969 Approach march will be wide sweep northeast from Pokhara and north of Annapurna massif to Marshyangdi River to east of Braga and the south to ridge leading to Annapurna IV and below summit of C4 along ridge to C2. 5 camps above base; summit attempt up to 20 Oct. Establish base 25 Sept. Need at least 3-1/2 weeks before final assault for acclimatization. Liaison officer D. B. Rain (2 Indian Everest and 1 Japanese expeditions); from Home Ministry. Botanical research as well as climbing, especially moss and other very primitive plants at high altitudes; Kazmir Draslar bird's parasite collect. Base very near Czechs. Members Kunaver, Sazonov, Stupnik and Malezic KTM to Pokhara 12 Sept; others 10th Sept except Jerin (9) who goes on 13 Sept.
Accidents Draslar frostbitten hands and feet
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2445501
Year 1969
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) nw ridge-w ridge

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Ales Kunaver M 1935 Yugoslavia Leader - Engineer Details Other expeditions
Kazmir Draslar M - Yugoslavia Climber - Biological assistant teacher Details Other expeditions
Matija Malezic M 1947 Yugoslavia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Student Details Other expeditions
Lojze Golob M - Yugoslavia Climber - Electronics engineer Details Other expeditions
Joze Andlovic M 1923 Yugoslavia Exp Doctor Nova Gorica, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Physician, St. Peters Hospital Details Other expeditions
Tone Sazonov M 1937 Yugoslavia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Mechanic Details Other expeditions
Frank Stupnik M 1945 Yugoslavia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia - Details Other expeditions
Klavdit Mlekuz M - Yugoslavia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Mechanic Details Other expeditions
Zoran Jerin M 1925 Yugoslavia Climber - Journalist, editor at Delo-Ljubljana Details Other expeditions
Jone Vraber M - Yugoslavia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Scientist assistant teacher of Ljubljana University Details Other expeditions

References

7 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN269301 AAJ Roberts, J. O. M. - - 44:180 (1970) -
ANN269301 AJ - - - 75:198 (1970) -
ANN269301 MM Dyhrenfurth, G. O. & Dyhrenfurth, Norman Annapurna 2 - 51:36-37 (Sep 1976) -
ANN269301 MM - - - 7:2 (Jan 1970) -
ANN269301 - Andlovic, Joze Na Vrh Svijeta Globus, Zagreb - K367
ANN269301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197018001/Asia-Nepal-Annapuran-II-and-IV - - -
ANN269301 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1970_files/AJ%201970%20196-202%20Nepal.pdf - - -