Kangchenjunga | 2003 SW Face

A USA expedition to Kangchenjunga in 2003 via SW Face, led by Gary Pfisterer. Summit reached on 12th May 2003. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4326
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KANG03102
Peak ID KANG
Year 2003
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Gary Pfisterer
Sponsor International Kangchenjunga 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 Australia, Netherlands, UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2003-04-16
Summit Date 2003-05-12
Summit Time -
Summit Days 26
Total Days 31
Termination Date 2003-05-17
Termination Reason 8
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6900m due to lack of rope and manpower
High Point (m) 6900
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 1800
Total Members 6
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 True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(16/04,5400m),C1(21/04,6200m),C2(26/04,6800m),C3(12/05,6900m),xxx(12/05,6900m)
Route Notes BC at normal site C2 at base of 2nd icefall C3 at 3/4 of way to 2nd icefall. C2 only, 100m above C1 because route leads over a hump and across a plateau to base of second icefall so not much higher than C2. Gear carried to 6900m on 27 April and left in tent of Italian by 2 members and down to C1; had been fixing ropes at some time. Took 2000m of rope assuming others would have put in some also, but they were climbing alpine style and had not brought very little, so this expedition ran out of rope at C3's 6900m. Needed 500m more but probably team too small and no combined efforts of others climbing efforts. Others failures probably due this too and would have probably not have had such bad frostbite. C3 actually slept in 12 May only to bring down used gear because knew weren't going to succeed; would have reached another camp. Weather bad with week of wind and occasional snowfall, so not much opportunity to make progress. Quit because not enough manpower and gear. Vrijlandt had 4 bottles taken to C2, but not high enough to use.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Everest Parivar
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2455270
Year 2003
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw face

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Roland Stuart Hunter M 1974 UK Climber Calgary, Alberta Financial manager Details Other expeditions
Michael (Mick) Parker M 1973 Australia Climber Warrandyte, Victoria, Australia Photographer & sign writer Details Other expeditions
Gary Scott Pfisterer M 1952 USA Leader Monson, Massachusetts Expedition organizer Details Other expeditions
Anthony Eric (Tony) Tonsing M 1959 USA Climber Denver, Colorado Civil engineer Details Other expeditions
Frederick (Frits) Vrijlandt M 1967 Netherlands Climber Amsterdam, Netherlands Corporate management consultant Details Other expeditions
Paul Walters M 1965 Australia Climber New Westminster, British Columbia Teacher Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.