Dhaulagiri I | 1992 NE Ridge

A Romania expedition to Dhaulagiri I in 1992 via NE Ridge, led by Taina Coliban. Summit reached on 11th May 1992. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1073
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID DHA192102
Peak ID DHA1
Year 1992
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Romania
Leaders Taina Coliban
Sponsor Romanian Women's Expedition to Dhaulagiri
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 Chile
Approach Kali Gandaki
Basecamp Date 1992-04-28
Summit Date 1992-05-11
Summit Time -
Summit Days 13
Total Days 31
Termination Date 1992-05-29
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6500m+ due to disappearance of climbers
High Point (m) 6500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 1
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 -
Campsites BC(28/04,4500m),Dep(29/04,4900m),C1(01/05,5700m),C2(10/05,6300m),xxx(11/05,6500m)
Route Notes BC at normal site C1 at North Col (same as ice cave as this season's Russians had used) C2 on NE Ridge C3 on NE Ridge. 29 April deposited gear at 4900m but returned to BC same day and deposit camp never slept in. 30 April tried to go to C1 but way very long way so biv at 5100m by women and Kazi (Chilean reached only 4700m, then turned back not feeling well, went to BC, Jomsom and KTM without saying he was leaving expedition). Kazi and women spent next 4 days at C1 because of heavy snowfall; then up to C2 site without carrying loads; found place near Russians, back to C1. 6th May to deposit, got supplies and back up, trying for C1 but women very slow and deep snow so again biv at 5100m. 7th May to C1: Kazi arrived C1, dumped load and then down with Russians (to meet Chilean to BC to ask him for his share of funds for expedition expenditures. Russians were clearing their camps and said Chilean leaving soon). Kazi desending from C1 met women at 5500m, he reached BC at 1:00 pm while Chilean had left that morning. Kazi stayed at BC. Taina wanted to finish quickly and had only one small Korean tent for C2 - no walkie-talkie, no binoculars, no communications. Kazi alone at BC (no cook, LO went to Jomsom and then PKR, never at BC). Taina told Kazi to stay at BC; he suggested he would go to C2 when they planned summit bid, so he would be in support at C2, but she said he should not go up from BC alone. Kazi on 11th May saw them at 6500m then going from C2 to intended C3 site on at snow ridge; weather clear till 22 May 1 afternoon little cloudy, little snow but no storms. On 6th May Taina said they would spend only 2 weeks on mountain. Letter from Taina dated 9th May from above C1 (brought by Russians) said they went to C2 and left supplies there: on 10th would go to sleep in C2, and we are feeling well and want to come down as soon as possible, but now "will be going up, up, up". Kazi had written her that Chilean had taken stove at BC and she sent him one stove [...with her had not cleared their C4 at 7400m and had left rope Tania had given them and they had fixed above C4...]. Maybe they were blown away in tent, which was not good and not strong, at C3 which exposed to wind 23 May heavy snowfall. Tried to go to Jomsom to send message but storm drove him back. 24 May nice weather - went down to get porters. 26 May clear weather. 27 May returned to BC with porter. Strong wind only 17 or 18 May. 29 May Kazi and porter left BC when he left food and fuel in basket but took only tent and stove there; left note saying he left on 29 May very worried. C3 site visible from BC but tent not seen. Ministry of Tourism - 7 June Romanian Dhaulagiri I 11 May two left C2 for C3 (no altitude); seen by sirdar at BC; sent message with saying to wait till return, but didn't turn up till 29 May so sirdar assumed they dead and left BC May 29 they had limit food and had spent so long time on mountain. Interview with Kazi Sherpa on 10 June 1992, after his return to KTM from Romanian Dhaulagiri I expedition Base camp was established at the normal site for attempt on the NE Ridge at 4500m on 28th April, and C1 was placed in an ice cave on the North Col at 5700m on 1 May. Four days were spent by the two women members and Kazi in C1 because of heavy snowfall, then they climbed up to the site for C2 at 6300m on the NE Ridge without carrying supplies to it immediately, and descended to a supply depot 4900m. On 7th May Kazi carried supplies to C1, left them there and descended; during his descent he met the two women at about 5500m while there were on their way up from a biv they had slept in at 5100m (they had been ascending slowly and there was deep snow). Kazi went to base camp and the women on up to C1. The team's supplies were meager, and there was only one small red Korean tent for C2, not enough space for three people. They had no binoculars, no system of communications between base camp and higher camps. Taina wanted to finish the climb quickly and told Kazi to stay at base camp while they went for the summit so that he could be in a position to help them if necessary, but Taina said he should not go up from base camp alone, and by now there were no other climbers on the mountain. The women occupied C2 on 10 May, and on the following day at about 11:00 am or 12:00 noon, he saw them moving up from C2 towards C2, which was expected to be at about 700m on the ridge. There were at about 6500m when he saw them. He never saw them again. The site for C3 was visible from base camp, but he never saw a tent. The weather until 22 May was clear in the mornings, afternoons cloudy with light snowfall. Then on 23 May there was a big storm with heavy snowfall; he tried to go to Jomsom that day to send a message to KTM that the women had disappeared, but the storm drove him back to base camp. On 24 May he left base camp briefly to fetch a porter to help him carry loads from base camp; when he left base for the final time on 29 May, he left at base camp some food and fuel in a basket with a note, but he took with him the only tent and stove still there because he had to have them for his own trek out. Kazi believes they probably were blown away in their tent, which was not strong, and its pegs also were not strong. There were strong wind on 17 and 18 May. C1 on snow and ice face and many crevasses; BC to ABC also many crevasses and many icefall and strong wind and frequent snowfall.
Accidents None
Achievement 1st Romanian attempt
Agency Kunga
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2454661
Year 1992
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) ne ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Taina Coliban F 1943 Romania Leader Bucharest, Romania Linguistics professor Details Other expeditions
Sandita Isaila F 1949 Romania Climber Bucharest, Romania Technician Details Other expeditions
Christian Aguirre M 1955 Chile Climber Santiago, Chile Architect & designer Details Other expeditions
Kazi Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar Naya Bazar, Salleri, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
DHA192102 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 67:235 (1993) -
DHA192102 HIGH - - - 117:8 (Aug 1992) -
DHA192102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199323501/Asia-Nepal-Dhaulagiri-Tragedy - - -