Kangchenjunga | 1980 SW Face

A W Germany expedition to Kangchenjunga in 1980 via SW Face, led by Karl Herrligkoffer. Summit reached on 15th May 1980. 23 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1862
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KANG80102
Peak ID KANG
Year 1980
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality W Germany
Leaders Karl Herrligkoffer
Sponsor Herrligkoffer Expedition to Kangchenjunga
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 6th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Austria, Poland, Switzerland
Approach Yalung Valley
Basecamp Date 1980-04-06
Summit Date 1980-05-15
Summit Time 1345
Summit Days 39
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8586
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 20
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 10
Summit Hired 2
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent True
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(06-07/04,5200m),C1(13/04,6100m),C2(23/04,6400m),C3(01/05,7100m),C4(14/05,7700m),Smt(15/05)
Route Notes Georg Ritter - 31 May 80 BC by 1st group about 6 or 7 April - Polish BC C1 about 13 April at 6100m C2 about 23 April at 6400m C3 about 01 May at 7100m C4 14 May at 7700m Summit 15 May by Ritter and 2 Sherpas and back to C4. All 3 used oxygen. One other Sherpa Ang Zambu was with them didn't use oxygen up to 8500m, turned back and used oxygen all way down (turned back because mind confused, tired, it was late). Lot of new snow on 15 May. Ritter reached summit 1:45 pm and Sherpas, found Indian flag ond snowbar: bar sticking out of snow, left it there. Two summit parties tried to reach C4 with idea to go to summit next day. Tried on 11 or 12 May and other 9 May; failed for many reasons including deep snow making it had going. Polish women at one or 2 times in C3 but don't think they made summit attempt (Ritter ill in BC at this time). No accidents - some here little frostbite. Route was same at British in 1955. So much snow against us, better to use sure route rather than mere direct route which looked very difficult (very steep rock, probably needed stronger summiter, not so late in season, not last possible summit attempt, no time for experiments). In descent powder snow was avalanching with us. Germany Kangchenjunga and Mexican Yalung Kang expedition alternately made route and fixed ropes to C2 and C3. Their C3's about 150m apart (Mexican higher than German) and C4's about 100m apart. Shailendra Raj Sharma, Tourism - 23 May 80 Summit 15 May at 2:00 pm by 1) Georg Ritter, born 1947, engineer, Kleinheppach, West Germany 2) Nima Dorjee, 28, Pangboche 3) Lhakpa Gyalbu, 27, Phortse These 3+1 Sherpa established C4 14 May at 7800m at 12 noon. Early am 15 May they started towards top and returned to C4 7:00 pm. 1 Sherpa Ang Zambu went without oxygen to 8520m with other 3. They went with oxygen. Ang Zambu has slightly frostbitten toes, so returned to C4 alone while others on up. No information on attempting again. Mrs Georg Ritter - 24 April 80 10 April: 1st members reached BC, Herriligkoffer much later. Left BC 12 April. Herrligkoffer - 16 March 80 Begin climbing early April; 6 weeks climbing 4 camps above BC - C4 7800m BC 5500m C1 6100m C2 6600m C2 7300m Oxygen for some members from last camp. 60 bottles from C4 route is more direct than British 1955. 10 Sherpas above BC including Gyalgen.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2446895
Year 1980
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) sw face

Members

23 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Michel Anderl M 1915 W Germany Deputy Leader Bad Toelz, Bavaria, W Germany Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Raimund Bitterling M 1951 W Germany Climber Salzburg, Austria Music student Details Other expeditions
Anna Barbara Czerwinska F 1949 Poland Climber Warsaw, Poland Pharmacist Details Other expeditions
Roland Descloux M 1953 Switzerland Climber Sigriswil, Bern, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Gerold Goebl M 1947 W Germany Climber Erlstaett, Bavaria, W Germany Auto mechanic Details Other expeditions
Verena Grueneis F 1956 W Germany Climber Ebenhausen, Bavaria, W Germany Student of education Details Other expeditions
Karl Maria Herrligkoffer M 1916 W Germany Leader Munich, Bavaria, W Germany Physician Details Other expeditions
Vera (Edith) Kustermann F 1931 W Germany Climber Munich, Bavaria, W Germany Business-woman (has a cafe and bakery) Details Other expeditions
Jolanta (Yola) Maciuch F 1952 Poland Exp Doctor Warsaw, Poland Surgeon Details Other expeditions
Hans-Ulrich Marti M 1952 Switzerland Climber Gstaad, Bern, Switzerland Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Franz Oppurg M 1948 Austria Climber Wattens, Tirol, Austria Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Krystyna Palmowska F 1948 Poland Climber Warsaw, Poland Electronics engineer Details Other expeditions
Georg Ritter M 1947 W Germany Climber Freising, Bavaria, W Germany Agricultural engineer Details Other expeditions
Ingeborg Ritter-Dietz F 1948 W Germany Climber Freising, Bavaria, W Germany Medical technical assistant in a hospital Details Other expeditions
Ernst Sandvoss M 1929 W Germany Climber Saarbruecken, Saarland, W Germany Professor of philosophy at Saarbruecken University Details Other expeditions
Josef Stiller M 1954 W Germany Climber Dorfen, Bavaria, W Germany Cook in restaurant Details Other expeditions
Josef Walter M 1932 W Germany Climber Freising, Bavaria, W Germany Bavarian government official (economics department) Details Other expeditions
Marianne Walter F 1938 W Germany Climber Freising, Bavaria, W Germany Computer programmer Details Other expeditions
Heinz Zembsch M 1943 W Germany Climber Strub, Berchtesgarten, Bavaria, W Germany Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Renate Lau M 1947 W Germany Climber Munich, Bavaria, W Germany Secretary Details Other expeditions
Nima Dorje Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Gyalu Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Phortse, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Ang Jangbu (Ang Jambu) Sherpa M 1958 Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

8 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KANG80102 HJ Herrligkoffer, Karl M. Kanghenjunga Expedition, 1980 - 37:155-157 (1979-80) -
KANG80102 AAJ Herrligkoffer, Karl Maria - - 55:243-244 (1981) -
KANG80102 - Herrligkoffer, Karl M. Sieg am Kangchenjunga Knaur, Munich - H276
KANG80102 MM - - - 74:13 (Jul 1980) -
KANG80102 - Herrligkoffer, Karl M. Mein Weg in den Himalaya Pietsch, Stuttgart - H277
KANG80102 DAV - - - 106:158-159 (1981) -
KANG80102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198124300/Asia-Nepal-Kanchenjunga-via-First-Ascent-Route - - -
KANG80102 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/37/30/expeditions-and-notes-37/ - - -