Everest | 1980 N Col-N Ridge-N Face

A Italy expedition to Everest in 1980 via N Col-N Ridge-N Face, led by Reinhold Messner. Summit reached on 20th August 1980. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1900
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER80201
Peak ID EVER
Year 1980
Season 2
Host Country 2
Route 1 N Col-N Ridge-N Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Italy
Leaders Reinhold Messner
Sponsor -
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 41st
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Canada
Approach Lhasa->Rongbuk
Basecamp Date 1980-07-04
Summit Date 1980-08-20
Summit Time 1300
Summit Days 47
Total Days 56
Termination Date 1980-08-29
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8849
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 1
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(04/07,5100m),ABC(14/07,6500m),Biv1(18/08,7800m),Biv2(19/08,8200m),Smt(20/08),Biv3(20/08,8200m)
Route Notes Messner - 17 Sept 80 Everest solo: All times = Peking times (CST) = 2:15 hours later than Nepal time (NST) 18th Aug 80: 2 hours to North Col from 6500m. Had been to Col before and then to 7800m, arrived 3:00 pm. Had left 5:00 am from 6500m. Fell into crevasse to Col 8m to bridge. 19th: 7800m up 100m and then traversed to right. Biv at 8200m with very small 16 kg tent (too small), special titanium ice axe and crampons, sleeping bag 1 kg mattress (insulite), food, cooker, gas, camera and film, extra 1 pair socks; carried from 7800m about 13 kg. Started 9:00 am - traversed until 150m before Great Couloir at 8200m about 3:00 pm. 20th: left everything except camera ice axe and crampons at 8200m at 8:00 am (was no sun but was light). Went into Great Couloir and up at about 8000m (1 hour). Quite steep but all snow. After that to ridge of another couloir. Up left of this ridge, not steep, covered with quite good dry snow mostly. Was quite warm and snow was melting but not sticking. On summit 3:15 or 3:20 pm (1:00 pm NST). Could see tripod when was only 30m from it, which not on summit. Very tired. Stayed there in cloudy weather with some blue sky briefly till 4:00 pm. Was even more exhausted than in 1978. On summit did not have sense of someone else there as did have slightly lower. To 8200m biv in 2 hours. 21st: left everything at 8200m about 7:30 am except spare glasses, ice axes and camera, crampons. Went little down Great Couloir and then diagonally to right to North Col, so tired it was risky to sit down because might not get up. Also concerned about crevasse below North Col. So went down from Col by different route. Arrived at 6500m at 11:00 am. Had been disoriented and came down on side of parts little last bit. Messner - 23 Aug 80 Letter to Bobby Chettri: Have just received Chinese permit for monsoon and Sept-Nov from Chinese side; will keep trying until succeed or time runs out. Will not come to Everest from Nepal side. If finished on Everest in time, will come to Lhotse.
Accidents -
Achievement 1st solo ascent
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2446542
Year 1980
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n col-n ridge-n face

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Reinhold Messner M 1944 Italy Leader Villnoss, Bolzano, Italy - Details Other expeditions
Nena Ritchie F 1950 Canada Member Grand Forks, British Colombia - Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER80201 AAJ - - - 55:306-307 (1981) -
EVER80201 - Messner, Reinhold Der Glaserne Horizont BLV, Munich - M341
EVER80201 - Messner, Reinhold The Crystal Horizon Mountaineers, Seattle - M341
EVER80201 MM - - - 76:13 (Nov 1980) -
EVER80201 NGS Messner, Reinhold I Climbed Everest Alone National Geographic Magazine 160-4:552-566 (Oct 1981) -
EVER80201 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198130600/Asia-China-Mount-Everest-Solo-by-the-Great-Couloir - - -