Dhaulagiri I | 1989 E Face-NE Ridge

A USA expedition to Dhaulagiri I in 1989 via E Face-NE Ridge, led by Timothy Brill, James Yoder. Summit reached on 19th December 1989. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 396
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID DHA189402
Peak ID DHA1
Year 1989
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 E Face-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Timothy Brill, James Yoder
Sponsor Americans on Dhaulagiri I
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 Canada
Approach Via Manang with support trek
Basecamp Date 1989-11-28
Summit Date 1989-12-19
Summit Time -
Summit Days 21
Total Days 42
Termination Date 1990-01-09
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7315m
High Point (m) 7315
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 1
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 1
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 Chulu West
Campsites BC(28/11,3840m),C1(05/12,5090m),C2(15/12,5975m),C3(18/12,6400m),xxx(19/12,7315m)
Route Notes BC at snout of glacier south of up Gote Khola ridge/rock spur south of Pt 6014m High point on NE Ridge. Had always planned to attempt E Face to NE Ridge. Yoder left expedition from BC 21 Dec after all 6 had made stash; left to get another stove to replace stove had blown up; returned to BC same day and decided to go to KTM to try to extract funds from Brill, who had not produced promised money and [Yoder] left BC 22nd Dec for KTM. Back up on Mtn on 21st Dec by Bulcock and Nuru Wangchuk; other Americans were already up; kept moving gear up into higher camps. Then Bulcock, Cain and Millar decided 23 Dec to go down and stop climbing because they were very tired and had had enough. Bulcock and Millar left BC 24th Dec. Then 9-day snowstorm; Barber, McGrath and Nuru were in C3 on 23rd; had decided to keep pushing on up. Cain stayed at BC C2 until 3 Jan (stayed to take photos and meet others in their descent, but left to fly out of Nepal on 8 Jan to return to work). Now at BC were only cook and kitchen boy. After snowstorm stopped 1 Jan, Cain could see nothing of C3 (or high stash), rocks on ridge or any other signs of expedition except C1, which was still in place (C2 normally not visible came came was "around the corner"). Yoder and Bulcock went from KTM 6th Jan and reached BC site 8th; cook and kitchen boy had dismantled camp and left site with gear on 6th; could see no C3 or sign of life. Group were more a collection of people wanting to climb Dhaulagiri than a team. Brill went on approach march but did not go to BC and left Nepal 31 Nov. Yoder would take walkie-talkies if doing climb over again, but otherwise would not change tactics. Yoder only member with any experience in Himalayan climbing. US Dhaulagiri I, Winter 1989 Bodies found 1000 ft above BC - had been killed by avalanche - seen by police who went up after same of their clothing seen in Jomsom was really running expedition. Brill and Nuru were developing business together. Brill "not motivated" to climb and had decided several months in advance not to go to Dhaulagiri - took trekking group around Annapurna. Climbed the approach to East Face, then traversed at about 6000m to standard NE Ridge route and placed highest known camp at 6400m on ridge. All members (except Brill, who never actually went to base camp) carried loads to cache in a snowhole at 7315m on ridge on 19 Dec. On 23 Dec Barber, McGrath and Nuru Sherpa were in camp at 6400m. for summit bid while other members were either in base or had left for Kathmandu. Severe 9-day snowstorm struck a day or so later and men on mountain never seen alive again. Nor could their camp and cache above be seen when weather finally cleared. By 2 Jan only Nepalese cook and kitchen helper at base, and they dismantled camp four days later. Bodies of avalanche victims found later by police at 4000m.
Accidents None except disappearance of Barber, McGrath and Nuru Sherpa
Achievement -
Agency Sherpa Cooperative Trekking (SCT)
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453784
Year 1989
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) e face-ne ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Gregory Barber M 1968 USA Climber Kent, Washington Logger Details Other expeditions
Timothy Brill M 1959 USA Leader Spanaway, Washington Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Jonathan Bulcock M 1963 Canada Climber Burnaby, British Columbia Land surveyor Details Other expeditions
Joseph Cain M 1946 USA Climber North Canton, Ohio Dentist Details Other expeditions
Scott William McGrath M 1956 USA Climber Milton, Washington Carpenter Details Other expeditions
Christopher Millar M 1960 Canada Climber W Vancouver, British Columbia Greenskeeper for golf course Details Other expeditions
James Yoder M 1958 USA Leader Spanaway, Washington Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Nuru Wangchuk Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
DHA189402 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 64:255 (1990) -
DHA189402 MM - - - 132:10 (Mar 1990) -
DHA189402 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199025501/Asia-Nepal-Dhaulagiri-Tragedy - - -