Kangchenjunga | 1982 N Face-N Ridge

A Italy expedition to Kangchenjunga in 1982 via N Face-N Ridge, led by Reinhold Messner. Summit reached on 6th May 1982. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1678
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KANG82102
Peak ID KANG
Year 1982
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face-N Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Italy
Leaders Reinhold Messner
Sponsor Messner Kangchenjunga Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 12th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Canada
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1982-04-06
Summit Date 1982-05-06
Summit Time 1530
Summit Days 30
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 3
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 4
Summit Hired 1
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 -
Campsites BC(06/04,5000m),C1(10/04,5800m),C2(18/04,6700m),C3.Biv(03/05,7400m),C4.Biv(05/05,8000m),Smt(06/05)
Route Notes Messner - 22 May 82 Mutschlechner some frostbite right-hand fingers and both feet and toes. "I survived again" (reported dead on 1978 solo of Nanga Parbat). "One of my hardest climbs, only 2 men to lead." All green ice from begin to end of face. Icefall = Japanese route 8 ladders and we had no ladders above, to ridge and joined Brit route for 300-400m on ridge. Then to big plateau and again to left to N Ridge to last biv on ridge at 8000m. Followed ridge, following Indians 1977 to 8400m. Then crossed last part of N Face on steep snow and then Japanese route to top. Started from BC 1 May for summit push; had 400m rope and Japanese had used 2700m. So Sherpa went down brought 200m more from Ghunsa. Had waited in C3 at 7400m all night; weather not good and needed rest. 3 Sherpas carried to C4 at 8000m and on 6th May one Ang Dorje went to top with Messner and Mutschlechner in good weather in beginning but windy and stormy. Last part quite steep and slow using rope. Reached top 3:30 pm after climbing since 7:00 am. Found oxygen bottles on way down, had terrible snowstorm and with last strength and last light reached highest biv at 7:00 pm. Mutschlechner got frostbite. Couldn't sleep as wind so strong sometimes couldn't move. Had to descend and got to C2 when wind not so strong. No oxygen with expedition at all. C1 and C2 = fixed camps, C3 and C4 = bivs. Mutschlechner frostbitten toes, 2 weeks to heal, will go home. Messner will go to Kashmir and Ladakh. Mutschlechner may came to Cho Oyu, but not to Karakorams and join 2 Pakistanis, Sher Khan and Sabir Nazir. Letter from Nena and Layla - May 4, 1982 Here things are going on the way they should - a little bit of up and down the mountain. Over a week ago they all had to retreat because of lack of enough fixed rope. Reinhold says that actually this mountain is really way too large, steep and demanding for a two-man team. Lhakpa and Phurba (Ang Dorje's brother) went down to Ghunsa and after 3 days returned with 225 meters of fixed rope left by the Japanese. That was bought at 7 Rs per meter. So now they are back in business and 5 days ago they went back up to try and fix the last pitches up to 7400m where they would like to set up 2 biv tents as C3. Reinhold told me this would be the plan: 1st day C1 - Sherpas Ang Dorje and Nawang Tenzing 2nd day C1 - Reinhold, Friedl, Lhakpa, Phurba and C2 - Ang Dorje and Nawang Tenzing 3rd day C2 - Reinhold, Friedl, Lhakpa, Phurba while Ang Dorje and Nawang Tenzing would carry up all gear and food following 2 hours behind (That should have been yesterday but yesterday was too windy) - no movement. Today I watched them from C2 to about 7200m then at 1:00 pm. The clouds closed in. I never saw the Sherpas following only 2 figures which I believe were Reinhold and Friedl were ascending. I don't know if they made it. The weather has gone bad again. The finish of the plan from Reinhold was: if they felt good at C3 and weather was good, they would try for the bivouack below the summit pyramid - then summit. They would probably only take Ang Dorje above camp. Reinhold would like to take him to the summit with them. If the weather was bad or they were tired after reaching C3 they would retreat - perhaps as far as C1 depending the weather. So I guess if it's clear tomorrow morning I can find them again. Through one Minolta 1600 Telelens and see if they are going up or down; but the weather is really not too favourable at present. It's as if the monsoon is already trying to reach here. It's warm in the daytime and still freezing at night. Right now its snowing very lightly. It's about 7:30 pm. I guess so that all makes more sense for you. I better inform you that they aren't on the Japanese route. They have made a new route up to the ridge slightly further to the right then using the approach to the North Col as the British did. Then they are following more or less on the British route up the ridge. Then up a steep rock step to the flat scree slope that leads across to the Japanese 3rd snow field then on up as the Japanese did to summit. They hope to bivouack at about 8000m.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447618
Year 1982
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face-n ridge

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Reinhold Messner M 1944 Italy Leader Villnoss, Bolzano, Italy Alpinist & author of climbing books Details Other expeditions
Gottfried (Friedl) Mutschlechner M 1949 Italy Climber Brunico, Bolzano, Italy Alpinist Details Other expeditions
Nena Holguin F 1950 Canada Member - - Details Other expeditions
Ang Dorje Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Thamo, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KANG82102 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 57:217 (1983) -
KANG82102 - Mutschlechner, Friedl Einer Geht Immer Voraus Rudolf Rother, Munich - M585
KANG82102 - Messner, Reinhold 3x8000 Herbig, Munich - M343
KANG82102 MM - - - 86:12 (Jul 1982) -
KANG82102 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198321701/Asia-Nepal-Kanchenjunga - - -