Firnkopf West | 1987 WSW Ridge

A Austria expedition to Firnkopf West in 1987 via WSW Ridge, led by Franz Kroell. Summit reached on 25th October 1987. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3861
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID FIRW87301
Peak ID FIRW
Year 1987
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 WSW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Austria
Leaders Franz Kroell
Sponsor Saipal Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 1st?
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries W Germany
Approach Dhandeldhura->Chainpur->Kanda on Seti Khola
Basecamp Date 1987-10-17
Summit Date 1987-10-25
Summit Time -
Summit Days 8
Total Days 10
Termination Date 1987-10-27
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6745
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
Summit Hired 1
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 Attempted Firnkopf (FIRN-873-01) and Saipal (SAIP-873-01)
Campsites BC(17/10,4100m),C1(18/10,4700m),C2(22/10,5100m),C3(24/10,5800m),Smt(25/10)
Route Notes Following is from a letter to E. Hawley from Franz Kroell: In 1987 we went to Nepal with the permit for climbing Saipal from the south: 2nd of October we start in Kathmandu (by plane to Pokhara, with lorry to Phurbe). From Phurbe (5th October) by foot (end of the road) to Chainpur (possible by plane) and to the BC 17th of October). 18th-20th of October we climbed on the SW Face of Saipal up to 6200m (steep, rotten rock). Then we focused our interest to the opposite side, to the West Ridge from Westlicher Firnkopf (Western Firnkopf) to Ostlicher Firnkopf (Eastern Firnkopf). The height of these two mountains is correct in your map (Austrian Saipal Expedition about 1950; Rudolph Jonas, Vienna). On 25th of October we climbed Westlicher Firnkopf (Fritz Mross, Germany; Ang Chopal, Nepal; Franz Kroell, Austria). We climbed from BC up an easy icefall, crossed this icefall and climbed up to the main ridge and followed exact the ridge to the very top of Westlicher Firnkopf. We stopped climbing on the summit and did not follow the ridge to Ostlicher Firnkopf and to Saipal. The climb up to Westlicher Firnkopf is an easy climb (Grade I and II/UIAA ice and snow up to 65 degrees, short fixed sections with few meters of rope crossing the glacier.
Accidents -
Achievement Reached point known as Westlicher Firnkopf on W Ridge (unknown if Jonas' Austrian team reached this point in 1954)
Agency International Trekkers (Intrek Asia)
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference True
Primary ID SAIP87301
Checksum 2449351
Year 1987
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) wsw ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Franz Kroell M 1953 Austria Leader Kufstein, Tirol, Austria Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Friedrich (Fritz) Mross M 1940 W Germany Exp Doctor Loerrach, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Physician Details Other expeditions
Werner Sopka M 1939 W Germany Climber Bad Krozingen, Baden-Wuerttemburg, W Germany Installs heating and plumbing systems Details Other expeditions
Ang Chopal Sherpa M 1946 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.