Gaurishankar | 1985 S Face

A Japan expedition to Gaurishankar in 1985 via S Face, led by Kensaku Sakai. Summit reached on 2nd May 1985. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 180
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID GAUR85101
Peak ID GAUR
Year 1985
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Kensaku Sakai
Sponsor Team La Neige Gaurishankar Expedition 1985
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 -
Approach Rolwaling from Simigaon
Basecamp Date 1985-04-09
Summit Date 1985-05-02
Summit Time -
Summit Days 23
Total Days 35
Termination Date 1985-05-14
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6500m due to Sakai's fatal accident
High Point (m) 6500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
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(09/04,4200m),ABC(14/04,5100m),xxx(02/05,6500m)
Route Notes BC at Tanmarang valley ABC on rock in glacier on Schneider map north of "A" & northwest of "L" C3 above ABC only bivouacs High point at just under SW Ridge. Sakai slipped at 6100m during summit push on May 9 and was injured (head, chest and shoulder). Both bivouacked at 6100m. May 10 during descent he again slipped at 5900m, Oizumi could not find body. Ascent route was S Face direct via central couloir and higher in summit attack to above couloir at 6100m on 9 May after several trips up for acclimatization and to fix ropes on descent route (Yugoslav routes) to right of Japanese ascent route. Reached 6500m on 2 May but above 6500m very difficult face and very strong wind and snow shower on 3 May. 4 May to BC. Began summit push 7 May and went to ABC. 8 May to 5800m and on 9 May to 6100m where were searching biv site when Sakai fell and climb finished. Oizumi bived at 5600m 10 May and at ABC 11 May. If no accident, could have reached South Summit on 11 or 12 May and would have tried for Main summit if weather good and their condition good. Sakai slipped at 6100m during summit push. At 16:40 hours on 9 May he slipped and about 35m was injured and both bivouacked at 6100m. 10 May during descent again he slipped perhaps 500m. Could not find body. Oizumi was injured in head, shoulder and chest on 9 May. Oizumi would like to try Gaurishankar again on 3 or 4-man team. Banskota Tourism - 20 May 85 During come of last attempt on summit, leader Kansaku Sakai, born 1957, co-employee from Kanagawa City, slipped from 5900m at 1:20 pm on May 10. As per Tsuyoshi Ooizumi, born 1959 co-employee Sapporo City, body was not found and he believes Sakai is dea. Abandoning expedition left BC with Lo on 14 May and arrived KTM to day. Highest point 6500m 3 May on South Face. 4 May to BC. 7 May to go to ABC on another push in 7-10 days. Lindsay Griffin (email) - 12 Jan 2014 Poles made the first significant attempt on the South Face in 1983, coming in from the left to gain the steep, shallow couloir left of the Central Pillar. Wieslaw Grzybowski, Lech Kiedrowski, Andrzej Mirga and Tadeusz Preyzner reached ca 6000m before making a difficult retreat in heavy snowfall. In 1985 the same line was attempted by Tsuyoshi Ohizumi and Kensaku Sakai. Three years previously the latter had made a notable first ascent of 7163m Hachindar Chhish in the Karakoram. The Japanese pair climbed in three days to 6100m when Sakai fell and hit his head. They bivouacked and descended the next day, but at 5900m Sakai fell again, this time to the bottom of the face. Ohizumi was unable to locate his body and the face was left alone until 2011 when Stefan Glowacz, David Goettler and Klaus Fengler arrived to attempt the Central Pillar. The weather was so bad they were only able to climb a rope-length above the base before giving up.
Accidents Sakai fatal fall at 5900m
Achievement 1st death on Gaurishanker
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448533
Year 1985
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Tsuyoshi Oizumi M 1959 Japan Climber Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan Civil engineer Details Other expeditions
Kensaku Sakai M 1957 Japan Leader Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan Geographical analyst Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
GAUR85101 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 60:236 (1986) -
GAUR85101 MM - - - 105:11 (Sep 1985) -
GAUR85101 IWA - - - :53 (1986) -
GAUR85101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198623602/Asia-Nepal-Gaurishankar-Attempt-and-Tragedy - - -