Annapurna III | 1981 SE Pillar

A UK expedition to Annapurna III in 1981 via SE Pillar, led by Timothy Leach. Summit reached on 18th October 1981. 3 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1778
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN381301
Peak ID ANN3
Year 1981
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Pillar
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Timothy Leach
Sponsor British Annapurna III Expedition 1981
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 Pokhara->Annapurna Sanctuary->East Annapurna Glacier
Basecamp Date 1981-09-26
Summit Date 1981-10-18
Summit Time -
Summit Days 22
Total Days 25
Termination Date 1981-10-21
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6700m due to route difficulty and lack of time
High Point (m) 6700
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
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(26/09,3250m),ABC(02/10,4570m),xxx(18/10,6700m)
Route Notes We arrived back 20 Oct, leave 21 Oct. Left Pokhara 17 Sept and arrived BC 10 days later. Very difficult to get to BC over East rib of Machhapuchhare's 15,000 feet. BC 11,000 feet on 26 Sept, just before storm spent a week moving gear to ABC near bottom of ridge at 15,000 feet; occupied only when going for push move to ABC 2 Oct for 2 days and then going up to 19,000 feet on East Ridge to acclimatize and down to BC. 6 Oct again up, at ABC that night. Then 3 days going to just below 22,000 feet and then dragged down to lower bivouac and 19 Oct down to 19,000 feet and BC on 20th and end of climb. Rock climbing which hard technically and at altitude and heavy sack of food, but then ahead was snow and ice which was very difficult with only one ice ax; then time expired. Sirdar went for porters and snowfall in future would have brought difficulties getting out of BC area. No fixed camps above ABC; sirdar did not go above BC. Route is possible but alpine-style difficult above 20,000 feet. Leach - 10 Sept 81 Leave KTM 14 Sept; 6-7 days to BC; Pokhara by road and up Seti to East Annapurna Glacier southeast of Annapurna III. BC about 16000 feet. ABC safest place at bottom of pillar 17-18000 feet. Alpine style, only 300 feet fixed rope with expedition. Horizontal section at about 21,000 feet, hope to reach this in 1st push. Spend couple weeks moving to ABC and col on SE Ridge to acclimatize. About 10 Oct will try first push up pillar. No Sherpas above BC, no oxygen at all.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449937
Year 1981
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se pillar

Members

3 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Stephen J. (Steve) Bell M 1959 UK Climber Exmouth, Devon, England Technology student Details Other expeditions
Nicholas Francis (Nick) Colton M 1954 UK Climber Stockport, Cheshire, England Clerk in unemployment office Details Other expeditions
Timothy Leach M 1958 UK Leader Leeds, W Yorkshire, England Student of architecture Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN381301 AAJ Colton, Nicholas - - 56:232-233 (1982) -
ANN381301 ALP Douglas, Ed The Magician's Glass - 39:74-85 (Summer 2012) -
ANN381301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198223200/Asia-Nepal-Annapurna-III - - -