Annapurna IV | 2017 NW Ridge

A USA expedition to Annapurna IV in 2017 via NW Ridge, led by Tom Boydston. Summit reached on 8th November 2017. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 9622
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN417301
Peak ID ANN4
Year 2017
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Tom Boydston
Sponsor American Annapurna IV Expedition 2017
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 Marshyangdi Valley
Basecamp Date 2017-10-27
Summit Date 2017-11-08
Summit Time -
Summit Days 12
Total Days 16
Termination Date 2017-11-12
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 5920m due to uncertainty about route to from C2 to C3 and extremely cold weather
High Point (m) 5920
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 1000
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
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 Summited Chulu West
Campsites BC(27/10,4700m),C1(04/11,5640m),C2(08/11,5920m),xxx
Route Notes Tom Boydston - 17 Jan 2018 Starting as a team of 6 from High Camp (17,850) Darryl Sargent, Lhakpa Sherpa and I (Tom Boydston) summited Chulu West (21,062 ft or 6420m) October 23, 2017 in total white-out conditions returning back to High Camp in near white-out conditions which persisted through the descent. Total time was approximately 14 hours - HC to HC. After our successful Chulu West summit, we moved from Chulu West base camp and set up our Annapurna IV base camp October 27-29, 2017 in a flat area commonly used for summit attempts of Annapurna IV and II. Our climbing plan and style was to establish 3 high camps up the NW buttress of Annapurna IV. Due to a severe respiratory cough on my part, I was only able to make it up to Camp 1, whereas Darryl Sargent, Lhakpa Sherpa and Ngima Tenzing Sherpa were able to carry and establish up to Camp 2 at approximately 19,400 ft. The team of 3 (Darryl, Lhakpa, and Ngima) were turned back by a combination of extreme cold temperatures, high wind, and snow as well as high uncertainty about the route above Camp 2 up to Camp 3. The route to Camp 3 has substantially changed, becoming more difficult, apparently due to the massive 2015 earthquake in Nepal, which exposed large (100m or more) glacial ice seracs guarding the possible routes to the dome of Camp 3. Arriving at BC we had 2-6 inches of snow. Over the next 2 weeks, we experienced generally clear weather moderate winds, but falling temperatures. The route to C1 was notably devoid of snow requiring 3rd to 5th class (YDS) rock climbing. The route to C2 was hard snow over glacial ice, to bare ice. Abandoned expedition due to extreme cold, snow and wind, and uncertainty about route to from C2 to C3 due to new large ice seracs above C2 due to 2015 earthquake. Fixed rope: approximately 1000m various sections up to C2. Oxygen: Not taken, not used.
Accidents Boydston evacuated by helicopter on 8 Nov due to severe respiratory cough
Achievement -
Agency Sherpa High Ambitions
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2463683
Year 2017
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) nw ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Thomas Earl Boydston M 1954 USA Leader Conway, New Hampshire Retired engineer Details Other expeditions
Darryl Garfield Sargent M 1953 USA Climber Weston, Massachusetts Retired engineer Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Tshering/Chhiring Sherpa M 1976 Nepal H-A Worker Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Ngima Tenji Sherpa M 1984 Nepal H-A Worker Chechewa, Waku-9, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN417301 - - https://www.oldguysalpinists.com - - -