Annapurna South | 1985 E Face

A W Germany expedition to Annapurna South in 1985 via E Face, led by Walter Fichter. Summit reached on 22nd October 1985. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 202
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANNS85302
Peak ID ANNS
Year 1985
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 E Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality W Germany
Leaders Walter Fichter
Sponsor German Annapurna S Expedition 1985
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 Ghandruk->Modi Khola
Basecamp Date 1985-09-25
Summit Date 1985-10-22
Summit Time -
Summit Days 27
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6500m due to fatal avalanche
High Point (m) 6500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
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 5500m peak on SW Ridge
Campsites BC(25/09,3800m),BC2(16/10,4200m),Biv1(20/10,4850m),Biv2(21/10,5400m),xxx(22/10,6500m)
Route Notes BC at 3800m at Khyumnu Khola at base of glacier south of Annapurna South 2nd BC at 4200m at Greek's BC in Annapurna Sanctuary 1st biv at Greek's C1 2nd biv at Greek's C2. Want to climb as high as possible, preferably no fixed camps & little fixed rope. Technical problems: difficult to get to ridge if very sharp. Ridge will be difficult and steep ice section is at about 6900m. 3 members at BC did no climbing. Team scouted Central Spur of S Face, but too avalanche prone. Then attempted Greek route. Fatal avalanche terminated effort. Had three weeks of bad weather after arrival at 1st BC except 2-1/2 days of days of sun. Went to peak of about 5500m to see S Face to look for route on 4 Oct (the 1st peak of SW Ridge) and decided to try central spur of S Face but weather closed in for 1-2 weeks and then had 2 weeks time left. S Face seemed too dangerous from avalanching and decided to go into Annapurna Sanctuary and climb from there, taking very little gear with them. On 20 Oct in alpine-style climb Fichter, Kuerschner, Storz and Wohlschlager went to Greeks C1, 21 Oct to Greeks C2 and 22 Oct to Greeks C3 (climbed mostly at night) and planned to go top 23 Oct. Only Wohlschlager went above C3 on 22nd and was killed by avalanche which all 4 Germans were caught in. Slept night of 22/23 Oct at BC because all gear lost in avalanche. Uwe Bauer stomach trouble: Wagenhals carried by slab avalanche started by him or by Bountolas of Greek team and buried by the avalanche; body found but probably swept away by more avalanching.
Accidents Bauer got stomach trouble; Wagenhals got bronchitis; Wohlschlager killed by slab avalanche (body found, but swept away by more avalanching)
Achievement 1 German attempt
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451451
Year 1985
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) e face

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Uwe Bauer M 1959 W Germany Climber Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Physical education student Details Other expeditions
Walter Fichter M 1961 W Germany Leader Leonberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Student, mechanical engineering Details Other expeditions
Thomas Kuerschner M 1965 W Germany Climber Gerestried, Bavaria, W Germany Engineering student Details Other expeditions
Martin Storz M 1955 W Germany Deputy Leader Kernen-Stetten, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Computer engineer Details Other expeditions
Stefan Wagenhals M 1965 W Germany Climber Magstadt, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Carpenter Details Other expeditions
Rupert Wohlschlager M 1959 W Germany Climber Sindelfingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Beekeeper Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANNS85302 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 60:245 (1986) -
ANNS85302 MM - - - 108:11-13 (Mar 1986) -
ANNS85302 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198624504/Asia-Nepal-Annapurna-Dakshin-Tragedy - - -