Kande Hiunchuli North I | 1977 W Face

A UK expedition to Kande Hiunchuli North I in 1977 via W Face, led by Richard Anderson. Summit reached on 25th April 1977. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2172
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KAN177101
Peak ID KAN1
Year 1977
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Richard Anderson
Sponsor British Sisne Himal 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 -
Approach Jumla->Chaudhabise Khola (BC)
Basecamp Date -
Summit Date 1977-04-25
Summit Time -
Summit Days 0
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 5460m due to fatal avalanche
High Point (m) 5640
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
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 Had permission for Sisne Himal, but did not attempt
Campsites BC(3840m),Dep(25/04,5640m)
Route Notes Anderson - 12 May 77 Accident 1 May 17,500 feet. Used same route on face 3 times before (last time 30 April) dumping equipment. West Face of Kande Hiunchuli (21,500 ft). Were taking it in turns to make trail because snow very deep - guess avalanche about midday. Anderson in front when avalanche happened. Snow avalanche which we triggered off. Russell 4-5 point behind him and swept down 400-500 feet. Luckily I landed at bottom of other side large crevasse with my head exposed so could get myself out. Took about 15 minutes dig self out. Saw Russell landed head first and only boots sticking out of snow. Took 45 minutes dig him out. Got him clear of snow and tried artificial respiration but no sign of life. He must have suffocated. My main thought next was to try get 150 lb down but not possible alone drag him through snow, but too heavy. Had to leave him in as prominent position as possible and get myself down. Couldn't find his rucksack or camera to recover. Got self down to BC at 12,600 feet at midnight in good moonlight. Was exhausted and had lost gloves in avalanche so frostbitten fingers right hand not possible with resources at BC to bring Gady down and asked for helicopter help by landing at BC, picked up 2 men to landing site near Gady. No definite plans for body's recovery. Highest dump at 18,500 ft which was highest point reached on 25 or 26 April and then weather deteriorated there. 1 May snowing morning but evening clear. Very fun days on expedition when didn't snow. Japanese climbers had been on this mountain. Peak wanted to climb was behind Kande. "Risk you've got to take" having see fun resources. BC at 12,600 ft only fixed camp. MB Pandey, MFA - 4 May 77 Andrew CF Russell, 25, killed in avalanche 1 May. Anderson Ok in BC. Reached BC midnight that night of 1 May. Had left BC 21 April go up. Body recovery not possible with local means therefore send helicopter. Asked for helicopter to bring body to KTM, but helicopter not going. Anderson - 14 March 77 British Sisne Himal Expedition 2 members - Anderson and Andrews Russell (both single) leaving Tuesday. Fly to Jumla and work 1 week to BC. 20-25 porters. No High Altitude porters and no oxygen at all. 21,742 2000m west of Kanjiroba main peak. BC Chaudibise Khola about 13,000 feet southwest of Sisne. Will have to cross high ridge to get into main basin or go northwest into another glacier. At least 2 camps above BC with C2 perhaps 20,000 feet but really impossible to say since have no photos of mountain. "It's fairly unknown." May take some time casting about for best line - "hope no one's been there before." About 1 month climbing; come out mid-May on scheduled flight. The Assault We felt that time was also beginning to run out: it was now 17th April and I had to be back in KtM by 11 May. The weather had not been much good so far, it it continued we might not achieve anything at all. We decided to try to reach the col, then climb Kangde to make a second ascent: and only then if there were time, to descend to the Jagdula. It would be be unlikely that we would have time to climb Sisne, but to reach the northern Jagdula basin would be treading new ground. While Andrew rested, I moved loads up with the help of some yaks which had been grazing near BC. A yak can carry about 100 lbs, so they saved several journeys along the flat valley bottom to the foot of the "grassy" spur, but they are fractious creatures and took every opportunity to hurl off their loads, luckily nothing was damaged. From the bottom of the "grassy" spur I carried a load up to an old Japanese campsite beneath the edge of the glacier shelf which on its west side was a vertical rock and ice wall about 200 ft high at its lowest point - we would have to climb the wall to get on to the shelf. On 20th April Andrew's had recovered and we carried another load up to the Japanese campsite before tackling the wall. The bottom section of rock was quite easy but the upper ice section - in fact the side of the glacier shelf, was steep and hard. We fixed ropes to about half way and descended to BC. On the following day we started on our two week final push and camped at the Japanese site. We found included in their old rubbish a couple of wooden crates which we attempted to get a fire going with. If Angyla had been with us I think we would have succeeded, but being children of an advanced technological agae simple fire lighting was beyond us: we resorted to the Primus. We did not anticipate the ice wall would take so long the following day, but Andrew climbed it atlast with an excellent lead. Because of overhanging and projecting bits of ice, sack hauling was not possible, so I jumared up a couple of times with load which I found extremely tiring. Nevertheless we overcame the wall with all our kit, and with a certain feeling of finality hauled up the rope behind us and pressed on to camp in some seracs about 200 ft higher up. The next day we regained the Depot, after a long day snaking through the crevasses, and our equipment and made camp in falling snow. The snow continued heavily throughout the night and the following morning was the first of many spent digging ourselves out. The descent to the tunnel tent we had left in the seracs was short, but the tent was an unhappy sight; drifting snow had broken one of the fibre glass poles, luckily we had some spares. Then followed an exhausting series of carries back to the Depot, but we were not well placed and rewarded ourselves with a rather unplanned rest day. It was good to be moving up to the col on 26th April. The morning was bright and the views out to the West towards Api, Nampa and Saipal were superb, but the snow was thigh deep in places. We made 1000 ft fairly rapidly before being brought up by an unpleasant 30 ft serac, we had hoped to avoid such seracs with a good choice of route, but it seemed we had no option but to climb this one. Andrew and I were both defeated by the angle and consistency of the snow which was ridiculously soft and refused to take any form of anchorage. We then turned our efforts to a curious hole in the lip of the serac which Andrew managed to get himself into. Then, with an an extraordinary manouver with an ice stake, he managed to to climb out of the hole, over the lip, and onto the top. I himself securely, which was fortutious, as I slipped about 20 ft higher up, sailed gracefully past him and landed in a jangle of iron mongery at the bottom of the serac wall where I had been some four hour previously - this was decidedly annoying! But by now it was later than we thought, and descending, we called it a day. The following day also started off clear, and we carried loads up to the serac wall easily in the previous day's steps, then made good progress for another 600 ft to the last of the seracs below the col. The snow lay very deep there, but with a combination of tunnelling, squirming and swimming - armed with the invaluable ice stake - we reached a point which led out on to an open snow slope. At that point the weather worsened: it became very cold with a high wind, cloud and flurries of snow. We tried to find an alternative to the exposed open slope which we did not care to embark upon on in worsening conditions and wasted a long time and got very cold trying to find one. There was no alternative other than to descend, and after leaving our loads we raced down, fixing ropes over the difficult bits, to the Depot where the weather was dull but calm; a strange contrast to the maelstrom some 1500 ft above. For the next three days we had bad weather with heavy snow. Activity was confined to a downward foray to bring up the last of our loads to the Depot, and an upward one where we remainder of the time we spent in the tent, listening to the wind, the rumbling avalanches and the violent thunderstorm which crashed around. Sitting out bad weather in a small tent is not the most pleasant of occupations, we lay head to toe and long periods were spent in total inactivity, punctuated by eating, which apart from conversation and playing "Battleships", was about the only respite we had. Would the weather get better?" and what seemed more likely: "Would the tent blow away?" were questions which repeatedly assailed us. We had one bottle of whiskey with us but were determined not to open it until we had reached the col. 1 May dawned much the same as the previous days, solid cloud; but it cleared sufficiently for us to attempt some upward progress. Getting dressed at altitude always takes so long; it pays to do as much as possible in the tent because it is too cold to do much outside, but you get in each other way and you can never stand up, also the tent had sunk during one tenure by about a foot. I made a final cache of equipment, including a 200 ft rope that we did not think we would need higher up, while Andrew packed up the tent, we started up about 10:30. It had got warmer, and as result the snow was softer than ever before; there was not sign of any previous steps which meant that the trail had to be labouriously broken once again with frequent changes of lead. When we had made about 3-400 ft, and while I was in front, my steps suddenly gave way without warning. I had started an avalanche, was knocked down on to Andrew and we were both carried down together. I tried to remember to swim but this activity became rather superfluous when I realized I was in free fall over the lip of the massive bergschrund at the foot of the slope: the light turned green under tons of falling snow. I landed with a tremendous thump and may have lost consciousness momentarily. I then realised I was still alive - tremendous! But I had to get myself out of the snow which was threatening to bury me. I freed my upper body but my left leg was twisted and trapped by the snow. While was digging my leg out I shouted to Andrew but got no reply. After 10 minutes or so I freed myself and staggered to the top of the avalanche mound in which I had landed; I saw Andrew at once a few yards down the slope; he had fallen in head first and only his legs were above the surface. I tried to pull him out but the snow held him like a vice. I returned to retrieve my ice axe which had been tied to me and also recovered a metal plate from my rucksack which had also luckily landed near me. With these I returned to Andrew and succeeded in digging him out after a further 30 minutes. I gave him artificial respiration, but there was no pulse or other sign of life. I think he must have suffocated in the snow; I hope quickly. My main thought then was to try to get his body down. I returned the 200 foot rope which I cached earlier, because mercifully we had reckoned it was not necessary higher up, and as much other gear as I could carry. I searced for Andrew's rucksack which contained his camera but could not find it. I tried dragging Andrew behind me on the rope but it was not possible to move him through the deep snow. Reluctantly I had to leave him, but dragged him into a prominent position which I thought I should be able to find later, and tied one of my dayglow overboots to him for recognition. My own descent was an experience I would not care to repeat. I started down through the crevasses and the seracs of the glacier shelf but all was now covered in heavy snow, so that landmarks were obscured and route finding was difficult. However I arrived successfully at the right place above the rock and ice wall. I rigged an abseil, threw down the 200 foot of rope and tried to anchor it to an ice screw. But none of those would hold properly, so I put all my faith in a deadman which I place with extreme care and roped down on it, the rope just reaching the bottom. I left the rope in place and carried on the down the "grassy" spur, now by the light of the moon, and along the bottom valley, going more and more slowly until I reached BC at midnight. When I reached BC the others were appalled to hear the news, but the fire was lit, I was fed, undressed and put in a couple of sleeping bags. My mitts had been carried away in the avalanche and my fingers were numb, particularly those of my right hand in which I had been carrying my axe. I had got frostbite but was not at that stage sure how serious it was (it turned out to be mild). Next morning I thought about things: with my twisted leg ( now quite painful) and my hands I doubted if I could climb back to Andrew's body, and the others were neither equipped or had the experience to accompany me. Morever I did not feel it was justified to expose them to the sort of risk that had killed Andrew. The only hope appeared to be a helicopter. Therefore I sent Manprasad down to Jumla - the liaison officer had returned to BC, while we had been climbing and gave him a message to pass to col Terry Bowring in the British Embassy in KTM: we would wait for a helicopter, but if nothing was forthcoming we would have to leave Andrew and return to Jumla. Manprasad set off for Jumla early on 2 May and he returned on 7 May with a reply: no helicopter. (Later I discovered the Nepalese have formed the very sensible policy of not risking helicopters to recover dead bodies). He also brought the naike and six porters, so we set off down to Jumla on 8th May reaching it on 9th May and camped in our old place by the airstrip. In the six weeks we had been away every thing had become much greener. Early next morning it started to rain heavily and about 11:00 as I was making a final refuge against the ever rising water in my tent I heard an English voice outside. Man Prasad told me of a mysterious "Save the Children Fund" person who had given him a great deal of help when he had come down to Jumla with the message. The mysterious person turned out to Richard Thwaites whom I had known while he was in the Army. He had retired and had taken up a job with "Save the children Fund." His presence raised my spirits considerably. I decided we would move into the "Karnali" Hotel in Jumla where he was based, and which would at least be drier than the Jumla airstrip. Richard also helped to fix our return, grossly overladen, on a scheduled Twin Otter to KTM, which we reached on 12 May.
Accidents Russel killed in avalanche
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2445731
Year 1977
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w face

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Richard A. L. Anderson M 1946 UK Leader Dharan, Nepal Captain in Royal Signals posted in Nepal with Gurkhas Details Other expeditions
Andrew C. F. Russell M 1952 UK Climber London, England Director of two theater-lighting companies Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KAN177101 AAJ Guha, Kamal K. - - 52:598 (1978) -
KAN177101 HJ Anderson, R. A. L. Avalanche on Sisne, 1977 - 35:166-174 (1976-78) -
KAN177101 AJ Anderson, R. A. L. Avalanche on Sisne - 1977 - 83:73-79 (1978) -
KAN177101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197859802/Asia-Nepal-Sisne-Himal-Kanjiroba - - -
KAN177101 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/35/16/avalanche-on-sisne-1977/ - - -
KAN177101 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1978_files/AJ%201978%2073-79%20Anderson%20Sisne.pdf - - -