Kangchenjunga | 2003 SW Face

A Italy expedition to Kangchenjunga in 2003 via SW Face, led by Christian Kuntner. Summit reached on 20th May 2003. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4330
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KANG03106
Peak ID KANG
Year 2003
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Italy
Leaders Christian Kuntner
Sponsor Italian Kangchenjunga Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 63rd
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Spain
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2003-04-07
Summit Date 2003-05-20
Summit Time 1620
Summit Days 43
Total Days 50
Termination Date 2003-05-27
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8586
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 4
Summit Members 4
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(07/04,5500m),C1(16/04,6250m),C2(24/04,6775m),C3(09/05,7550m),Smt(20/05)
Route Notes BC at Pangpema CI at beginning of small plateau C2 at 2nd plateau C3 on North Ridge High point at C3. 23 Apr slept at 6400m but no camp there; 24th to C2 to sleep and 25 Apr to BC. Waited for winds to die. 8th May to C2 from BC; 9th May to C3; 10th from C3 to BC because of wind. 17th to C2; 18th May to C2; in C3 one day and 20th 3:00 am all 4 members left C3 for top and at 4:20 pm on top. 20 minutes on top by 3 members and Carlos 1 hour taking pictures (on top now down standing in snow and 2 yellow oxygen bottles (upright and lying in snow). 3 members slept in C3 while Carlos slept in couloir at 7100m without any biv preparation. Carlos had lost route and on 20th fell 150m little above C3 but not hurt and reached empty C3 9:00 am 21st; down again weather bad, slept at about 7400m. 22nd arrived BC with only 1 ice axe (lost other axe during fall). Others already in BC. Pauner descended by new route.
Accidents Mondinelli frostbite; Pauner 5 fingers frostbite (very serious) and 1 toe and nose
Achievement -
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2455278
Year 2003
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw face

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Christian Kuntner M 1962 Italy Leader Prad am Stilfserjoch, Bolzano, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Gian Mario Merelli M 1962 Italy Climber Lizzola, Bergamo, Italy Hotel owner-manager Details Other expeditions
Silvio Mondinelli M 1958 Italy Climber Alagna Valsesia, Vercelli, Italy Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Juan Carlos Pauner Gotor M 1964 Spain Climber Zaragoza City, Zaragoza, Spain Alpinist Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KANG03106 HIGH - - - 256:75-76 (Mar 2004) -
KANG03106 AAJ Griffin, Lindsay - - 78:412-413 (2004) -
KANG03106 - Pauner, Carlos Kangchenjunga, Historia de un Superviviente Pramas, Zaragoza, Spain - -
KANG03106 - - http://www.carlospauner.com/pages/expedic/kangchen.html - - -
KANG03106 - Kuntner, Christian 13-1/2 Achttausender Provinz Verlag, Brixen, Bolzano, Italy - -
KANG03106 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200441200/Asia-Nepal-Kangchenjunga-Himal-Kangchenjunga-Southwest-Face-Partial-New-RouteDirect-Finish-La-Luce-del-Nirvana - - -