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/ | - | - | - |