Dhaulagiri I | 1990 NE Ridge

A USA expedition to Dhaulagiri I in 1990 via NE Ridge, led by Carlos Buhler. Summit reached on 19th October 1990. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 657
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID DHA190307
Peak ID DHA1
Year 1990
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Carlos Buhler
Sponsor 1990 International Dhaulagiri Expadition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 46th,47th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries USSR
Approach French Pass->Dhampus Pass
Basecamp Date 1990-09-27
Summit Date 1990-10-19
Summit Time 1430
Summit Days 22
Total Days 38
Termination Date 1990-11-04
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8167
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 3
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 1
Summit Hired 1
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(27/09,4580m),C1(05/10,5600m),C2(17/10,6400m),C3(18/10,7280m),Smt(19,31/10)
Route Notes BC at normal site C1 at NE Col C2 on NE Ridge C3 slightly below most expeditions C4 on NE Ridge. Buhler and Dainius got to BC (3 days ahead of Lowe) and both went out onto glacier 29th and Buhler immediately got acute bronchitis with high fever and Dainis fell in to crevasse and wrenched knee (tore ligaments) and both out of action. Dainius decided to stay on at BC without climbing at all. Lowe and Nuru went to look at E Face from NE Col and put tent at 6400m; decided E Face not on autumn route because of avalanche danger in autumn. Buhler now really sick and left BC to Marpha on 9th Oct escorted by Lowe and Nuru almost to Marpha; Buhler on to Jomsom and Muktinath with expedition cook while others returned to BC on 10th and rested at BC 11th and 12th. 13th Lowe and Nuru up to C1 and were stuck there by 3-day snowstorm with wind; up to C2 on 17th Lowe made C3 on 18th while Nuru down to BC; Lowe left C3 at 7:00 am on 19th entirely alone, cut across N Face and back to ridge to top 2:30 pm. Afternoon snowstorm blew up and had difficulty finding way down and reached C3 at 9:00 pm (had forgotton to take his head lamp and was no moonlight; was "very concerned" about his situation). 20th down with his small high-altitude tent and in another afternoon snowstorm pitched tent at 6000m, in morning of 21st reached BC, with slight frostbite. left BC 22nd or 23rd. Buhler returned to BC 18th Oct to find Dainius had been hiking around and eager to climb. 19th Buhler rested at BC and 20th Buhler and Dainius with Nuru started climbing and reached C1; 21st rested, 22nd up to C2 and back to C1 to sleep; 23rd rested at C1; 24th moved to C2; 25th up ridge 1000 ft to 6750m and down to BC (a test of Dainius' knee and Buhler's health). 26th and 27th rested at BC. Dainius was slower in climbing than Buhler and went his own pace but knee OK. Now "weather extremely cold" and obvious now it impossible to keep toes from freezing (water froze at BC) but nontheless up again. 28th all 3 to C1; 29th to C2; 30th to C3 and on 31st to summit. Buhler left C3 at 4:30 am (in 1st 4 hrs frostbitten toes); other 2 at 4:15 am and all climbed together, reached other's C4 on 1st hour and on via Lowe's route to summit; on top at 3:15 pm together; perfect weather with only slight freezing and clear skies; only few minutes on top after Buhler photographed Dainius with Lithunian flag; "it was a hard day" and down with tricky climbing high on mountain down long serated summit ridge an 7 little gendarmes to be gotten around; "took all my concentration" to manage this section "putting my feet right" so as not to fall, which is easy to do. Buhler led descent, very tired and hungry and concentrating hard, feet frozen and Nuru hypothermic and feared he would die; Buhler feared if they stopped, Nuru would loose his balance so in good moonlight and slight wind kept moving, leaving Dainius behind at his own pace; Dainius last seen at 8000m at 5 pm. Buhler and Nuru reached C3 at 8:30 pm with frostbitten feet ("I'm sure Dainius was terribly frostbitten"). Dainius never turned up; Buhler and Nuru totally exhausted and feet frozen but waited till 11:00 am for Dainius and then decided if feet thawed more would be unable to get down and set off at 1 pm and down to C2. 2nd Nov to BC. No sign of Dainius but left tents and food, etc for him. Buhler and Nuru left BC 4th by helicopter; no idea what happened to him. * Nuru to summit of Cho Oyu with Komarkova.
Accidents Serious frostbite by Buhler and Nuru (should heal); Dainius Makauska disappeared
Achievement -
Agency Nepal Himal
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2454089
Year 1990
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) ne ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Carlos Paltenghe Rockhold Buhler M 1954 USA Leader Bellingham, Washington Lecturer Details Other expeditions
George Henry Lowe M 1944 USA Climber Golden, Colorado Physicist, senior systems engineer Details Other expeditions
Dainius Makauskas M 1939 USSR Climber Kaunas, Lithuania, USSR Alpine guide & ranger Details Other expeditions
Nuru Sherpa M 1955 Nepal H-A Worker Yarsa, Jiri - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
DHA190307 AAJ Buhler, Carlos P. - - 65:242-244 (1991) -
DHA190307 HJ Buhler, Carlos 1990 International Dhaulagiri Expedition - 48:41-43 (1990-1991) -
DHA190307 MM - - - 137:9 (Jan 1991) -
DHA190307 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199124200/Asia-Nepal-Dhaulagiri-Ascent-and-Tragedy - - -
DHA190307 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/48/5/1990-international-dhaulagiri-expedition/ - - -