Kangchenjunga | 1988 SW Face
A India expedition to Kangchenjunga in 1988 via SW Face, led by Vasant Limaye. Summit reached on 15th April 1988. 25 members recorded.
Expedition Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | 67 |
| Imported | 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634 |
| Expedition ID | KANG88103 |
| Peak ID | KANG |
| Year | 1988 |
| Season | 1 |
| Host Country | 1 |
| Route 1 | SW Face |
| Route 2 | - |
| Route 3 | - |
| Route 4 | - |
| Nationality | India |
| Leaders | Vasant Limaye |
| Sponsor | Indian Kangchenjunga Spring 1988 |
| 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 | - |
| Approach | - |
| Basecamp Date | 1988-03-24 |
| Summit Date | 1988-04-15 |
| Summit Time | - |
| Summit Days | 22 |
| Total Days | 52 |
| Termination Date | 1988-05-15 |
| Termination Reason | 10 |
| Termination Notes | Abandoned at 8450m due to lack of enough strong climbers |
| High Point (m) | 8450 |
| Traverse | False |
| Ski | False |
| Paraglide | False |
| Camps | 6 |
| Fixed Rope (m) | 0 |
| Total Members | 23 |
| Summit Members | 0 |
| Member Deaths | 1 |
| Total Hired | 9 |
| Summit Hired | 0 |
| Hired Deaths | 0 |
| No Hired | False |
| O2 Used | True |
| O2 None | False |
| O2 Climb | True |
| O2 Descent | True |
| O2 Sleep | True |
| O2 Medical | False |
| O2 Taken | False |
| O2 Unknown | False |
| Other Summits | - |
| Campsites | BC(24/03,5550m),C1(08/04,5975m),C2(11/04,6240m),C3(25/04,6400m),C4(27/04,7225m),C5(09/05,7715m),C6(11/05,8050m),xxx(15/05,8450m) |
| Route Notes | BC at Yalung Glacier normal site C1 above Icefall via Korean route C2 above rocky section before SW Face C3 on SW Face after crossing big snow basin C4 on face C5 on face C6 on face High point at Col. Made a lot of camps because India's only 8000er Kangchenjunga is forbidden to civilians for security reasons and no members had been so high before. Made 2 summit bids on 13 and 15 May from C6. 1st summit party got to about 8100m and turned back because [Joshi] becoming frostbitten [and due to bad weather]. 2nd summit party reached Col between Yalung Kang and main summit (to col after realized could not get all the way to top). 2nd party turned back from Col after reaching their new goal at 8450m, which had been set when frostbite would preclude ascent to summit. Kolwankar's feet especially bad. 1st party - Charuhas Joshi, Ang Kami and Nima Dorje (only Joshi got frostbite both hands but one hand much better) 2nd party - Kolwankar, Dawa Sherpa (sirdar) and Nima Tamang (Kolwankar only serious frostbite, had to be carried from BC) Borole died 17 May from exhaustion and hypothermia. He was in C4 when condition became serious and died a bit above C2 while being helped to descend because of exhaustion; in descent hypothermia complicated his condition. Oxygen used: Kolwankar at C6 on descent; others used little in C5, C6 and climbing but not found useful and discontinued. * 9 Nepalese above BC |
| Accidents | Death of Sanjay Borole due to hypothermia and exhaustion |
| Achievement | 1st Indian civilians above 8000m |
| Agency | Lamjung |
| Commercial Route | False |
| Standard Route | True |
| Primary Route | False |
| Primary Member | False |
| Primary Reference | False |
| Primary ID | - |
| Checksum | 2449795 |
| Year | 1988 |
| Summit Success | False |
| O2 Summary | Used |
| Route (lowercase) | sw face |
Members
25 recorded members.
| Name | Sex | Year of Birth | Citizenship | Status | Residence | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bheemesha | M | 1956 | India | Climber | Bangalore, India | Geologist | Details Other expeditions |
| Milind Bhide | M | 1965 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Businessman | Details Other expeditions |
| Sanjay Borole | M | 1960 | India | Deputy Leader | Dombivali, India | Electrical engineer | Details Other expeditions |
| Milind Chitley | M | 1961 | India | Exp Doctor/Medical Res. | Bombay, India | Physician | Details Other expeditions |
| Suniti Jain | F | 1946 | India | Climber | New Delhi, India | Information officer | Details Other expeditions |
| Charuhas Joshi | M | 1956 | India | Climber | Thane, India | Purchasing officer | Details Other expeditions |
| Vidyadhar Joshi | M | 1964 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Student | Details Other expeditions |
| Amod Khopkar | M | 1960 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Officer (ION Exchange Ltd) | Details Other expeditions |
| Uday Kolwankar | M | 1958 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Engineer | Details Other expeditions |
| Anil Kumar | M | 1956 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Accounts clerical | Details Other expeditions |
| Dilip M. Lagu | M | 1961 | India | Deputy Leader | Bombay, India | Business (pearl merchant) | Details Other expeditions |
| Vasant Limaye | M | 1955 | India | Leader | Thane, India | Mechanical engineer | Details Other expeditions |
| Franco Linhares | M | 1950 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Executive (Hoechst India) | Details Other expeditions |
| Ramakant Mahadik | M | 1954 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Service | Details Other expeditions |
| Shrikant Oka | M | 1958 | India | Climber | Thane, India | Advocate | Details Other expeditions |
| Sanjay Rangnekar | M | 1958 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Police subinspector | Details Other expeditions |
| Zuzer Rangwala | M | 1964 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Businessman | Details Other expeditions |
| Ravindra Rupwate | M | 1960 | India | Medical Research | Bombay, India | Lecturer (Dept of Respiratory Medicine, KEM Hospital) | Details Other expeditions |
| Chandrashekhar Tambat | M | 1954 | India | Climber | Bombay, India | Engineer | Details Other expeditions |
| Da Nuru (Dawa Nuru/Norbu) Sherpa | M | 1959 | Nepal | H-A Worker | Phortse, Khumbu | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Nima Tamang | M | - | Nepal | H-A Worker | - | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Jayant Kulkarni | M | - | India | Climber | - | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Ang Kami Sherpa | M | - | Nepal | H-A Worker | - | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Nima Dorje Sherpa | M | - | Nepal | H-A Worker | - | - | Details Other expeditions |
| Hrishikesh Yadav | M | 1956 | India | Climber | Bandra, Maharashtra, India | Computer operator | Details Other expeditions |
References
7 recorded references.
| Expedition ID | Journal | Author | Title | Publisher | Citation | Yak 94 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KANG88103 | AAJ | Limaye, Vasant | - | - | 63:187 (1989) | - |
| KANG88103 | HJ | Pandit, Shantanu | Kangchenjunga, 1988 | - | 45:154-157 (1987-1988) | - |
| KANG88103 | HJ | Rupwate, Dr Ravi & Chitaley, Dr Milind | Medical Report of the Expedition to Kangchenjunga, 1988 | - | 47:159-162 (1989-1990) | - |
| KANG88103 | MM | - | - | - | 122:11 (Jul 1988) | - |
| KANG88103 | - | - | http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198918701/Asia-Nepal-Kanchenjunga-Attempt-and-Tragedy | - | - | - |
| KANG88103 | - | - | https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/47/22/expeditions-and-notes-47/ | - | - | - |
| KANG88103 | - | - | https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/45/22/expeditions-and-notes-45/ | - | - | - |