Dhaulagiri I | 1999 S Face-SE Ridge-E Face-NE Ridge

A Slovenia expedition to Dhaulagiri I in 1999 via S Face-SE Ridge-E Face-NE Ridge, led by Tomaz Humar. Summit reached on 2nd November 1999. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3437
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID DHA199301
Peak ID DHA1
Year 1999
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face-SE Ridge-E Face-NE Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Slovenia
Leaders Tomaz Humar
Sponsor Slovenian Dhaulagiri Expedition
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 Croatia
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1999-09-26
Summit Date 1999-11-02
Summit Time -
Summit Days 37
Total Days 39
Termination Date 1999-11-04
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7900m due to route difficulties
High Point (m) 7900
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
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 -
Campsites BC(26/09,4550m),C1(29/09,5600m),C2(11/10,6500m),SFaceBC(15/10,3880m),xxx(02/11,7900m)
Route Notes BC below normal BC (arrived at glacier by helicopter) C1 near NE Col C2 on NE Ridge High point South Face at bottom of South Face of middle of face. Down to BC on 30 Sept because of snowfall. Up 10 Oct to C1, 11 Oct made C2, Humar above to C3 site on 12th and same day "ran down" to C1 and 10:00 pm on BC snowing foggy, avalanching (hit Humar but not hurt). 15 Oct from north to south BC's by helicopter. 25th Oct started up alone afternoon (BC to foot of wall took 4 hours to wall itself). Started on wall at 4:00 pm - was warm so all icefalls had melted and water instead, so had to shift route to rock. Even so many falling rocks hit him but still no serious injuries, only much bruising. On 26th at 2:00 am reached ledge 5500m and stopped here because now no moonlight - had climbed up for recce and return to ledge. Waited for dark, hoping icefall will freeze, but not frozen, so started up to try icefall but water freezing on him and back to ledge. Did not go all the way to summit because "I know I will die." Ate once a day before start of that day's climb. Problem included rock barriers, soft ice-snow-water mixture very difficult to climb, extreme winds (especially on 2 Nov). Climb watched by Bozic using long lenses every day. Frostbitten toes from moving too slowly in very difficult parts like snow ice - water mixtures, frostbitten fingers when had to take off gloves at difficult rock pitch; all not serious. Chronology of Tomaz's Humar's climb of South Face of Dhaulagiri I 25 October - Set foot on South Face about 5:00 pm and arrived at first bivouac (4600m) at 2:00 am on 26 Oct. 26 October - From first bivouac, spent the day climbing to the top of a rock wall to see the the wall; returned to same bivouac to sleep there again. 27 October - Ascended all day on rock to snow slope where made second bivouac (5700m) at 4:00 am on 28 Oct. Was hit in one leg by large rock in bivouac. 28 October - Rested in morning and started up at 2:00 pm. Reached lower end of serac at 2:00 am of 29 Oct and made third bivouac (6300m). In one section of this part of climb, it took two and a half to three hours to gain 20 vertical meters on sort mixture of snow, ice and water. 29 October - Resumed climbing at 10:00 am and reached top of serac at 6:00 pm. Made fourth bivouac here (6800m). 30 October - Started up at 11:00 am and made fifth bivouac at 7:00 pm (7100m) at start of his traverse towards the SE Ridge (Japanese Ridge). In the afternoon, looked up towards major rock band across the face at about 7300m and realized it would take him two or three days to continue up a direct line to make the very difficult climb up and over the band; decided he must instead make a traverse around the band, and chose to traverse to the right or east to be able to reach eventually his descent route on the NE Ridge. 31 October - Completed his traverse of this part of the face and climbed a smaller rock barrier to reach the SE Ridge at 5:00 pm; made sixth bivouac (7300m) here at the ridge. 1 Nov - Left at sixth bivouac his tent, rope, almost all pitons, slings, 2 ice screws, etc. to be able to move fast. He had decided he must abandon attempt to reach summit: "I know I will die" if he did not. At 8:00 am started up SE Ridge, then moved left onto South Face and up it; at 5:00 pm made seventh bivouac (7700m). 2 Nov - At 11:00 am resumed climb straight up the Face and at 1:00 pm met the SE Ridge again at 7900m. At 2:30 pm resumed climb, crossed the East Face for a short distance in very strong wind to the NE Ridge. Down the NE Ridge (the standard route) to the tent left for him by American Gary Pfisterer's expedition at C3 (7300m), which he reached at 5:00 pm, and spent the night there. 3 Nov - Down to C1 (5600m) on NE Ridge route to wait for helicopter to evacuated him. Helicopter did not come, so two members moved up to Humar and spent night with him at C1. 4 Nov - Helicopter arrived at C1 and flew Humar and other members from C1 and Base Camp to Pokhara.
Accidents -
Achievement 1st ascent of S Face from center of face to SE Ridge
Agency Wilderness Experience
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2457444
Year 1999
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face-se ridge-e face-ne ridge

Members

7 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Vinko Bercic-Cenko M 1959 Slovenia Climber Kamnik, Slovenia Technician Details Other expeditions
Stipe Bozic M 1951 Croatia Climber Split, Croatia Television editor Details Other expeditions
Tomo Drolec M 1968 Slovenia Climber Kamnik, Slovenia Technician Details Other expeditions
Tomaz Humar M 1969 Slovenia Leader Kamnik, Slovenia Electrician Details Other expeditions
Andrej Kmet M 1966 Slovenia Deputy Leader Trbovlje, Slovenia Computer technician Details Other expeditions
Ladislav Ogrin M 1964 Slovenia Climber Vrhnika, Slovenia Driver Details Other expeditions
Anda Perdan F 1952 Slovenia Exp Doctor Kranj, Slovenia Physician Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
DHA199301 AAJ Cicogna, Antonella The South Face of Dhaulagiri: An Interview with Tomaz Humar - 74:12-21 (2000) -
DHA199301 HIGH - - - 212:58-60 (Jul 2000) -
DHA199301 - McDonald, Bernadette Tomaz Humar Hutchinson, London - -
DHA199301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200001300/The-South-Face-of-Dhaulagiri - - -