Kangchenjunga | 1995 SW Face

A France expedition to Kangchenjunga in 1995 via SW Face, led by Benoit Chamoux. Summit reached on 5th October 1995. 3 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1632
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KANG95305
Peak ID KANG
Year 1995
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Benoit Chamoux
Sponsor Chamoux Expedition to Kangchenjunga
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 1995-09-09
Summit Date 1995-10-05
Summit Time -
Summit Days 26
Total Days 27
Termination Date 1995-10-06
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 8545m due to death of both members
High Point (m) 8545
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 5
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 1
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(09/09,5400m),C2(14/09,6100m),C3(27/09,7300m),C4(04/10,7800m),xxx(06/10,8545m)
Route Notes 3rd Oct to C3 direct from BC, 4th made last camp, 5th tried for summit. On 5th Sherpa (Riku, 33 from Sankhuwasabha, according to Ministry of Tourism) fell to his death and Royer not seen after 5th evening; Chamoux disappeared on 6th. 5th 10:00 am 1 Italian, 2 French, 2 Swiss and 3 Sherpas (who had left C4 together at 2 am) seen at the intersection of couloirs to ridge and normal route at 8250m. Sergio Martini went up a little of normal route and one Sherpa fell while sitting down on his rucksack and lost balance. At this point Swiss "took off" and moved rapidly to ridge and arrived at Col at 11:00 am, disappeared behind biv boulders and reappeared at 12:30 and rejoined normal route and on top at 2:30 pm. Sergio had waited for Swiss and feet got cold and turned back at 12:30 pm. 2 French followed Swiss to Col, reached it at 2 pm and disappeared on other side of ridge and reappeared at 4:30 pm. Swiss reappeared at 3:45 pm at Col having passed Chamoux. At 4:30 pm Chamoux reappeared on big rocks at c8400m, where he stopped at 6 pm - saw him sit down as sun set. 6:30 pm covered by clouds and when cleared after 1 hr and never saw headlight. Chamoux seen descending and falling over (legs frozen?), disappeared on north side and never seen again. Martini found north side of top of col walkie-talkie, 2 ice tools and 1 rucksack. Sherpa's body passed every day by climbers at 7600m - no convenient place to put it in. French not well acclimatized - were vomitting at C3 at 17th Sept and down in middle of night. Never returned to that altitude till summit push. They tried to "keep up with the Swiss and killed themselves." Troillet said Chamonix climbers are very competitive. Kanchenjunga - Italy, led by Sergio Martini: 6th morning Pelle radioed Chamoux in trouble but did not ask Martini to help (Pelle Sherpas refused to help Chamoux since he did nothing about his fallen Sherpa); after 6th seeing that Chamoux a problem, Martini's friends at BC ask him to come down and he could not recover from 5th summit bid at C2 so he went down to BC (many telephone calls with Italy). Martini had been climbing alone mostly. Now 12th Oct Blanc and Martini go together to his C2 at 7200m; 13th to C3 and 14th summit via Loretan's route (partly in order to see bodies of Chamoux and Royer). Saw many footprints near col, biv place in snow and torch and the items of Royer/Chamoux. Kangchenjunga France, led by Michel Pelle: Pelle, Bros and 2 Sherpas saw no sign of Chamoux and Royer; Chamoux last seen on 6th going onto north side just above col, Royer not seen from 5th evening. Martini and Blanc told Chamoux's BC personnel they (Italian summiters) had found backpack and harness at col. Chamoux was in race with Loretan for all 8000ers: "It was a fatal challenge for Chamoux" said Bros. He is very strong Bros and Pelle agreed - agreed with Loretan's account of Chamoux and Royer. Kangchenjunga Switzerland, led by Erhard Loretan: In descent of ridge met Chamoux and Royer (no Sherpas) at bottom of ridge at 4:00 pm; Chamoux and Royer still going up, but at 4:30 said on radio Royer giving up because tired (carrying camera himself because all Sherpas went down with one Sherpa's fatal fall). Chamoux gave up at 5:30 pm, he radioed, too exhausted and couldn't find the way on the ridge. Was at point 40m below summit, he said he had lost visual contact with Royer, stayed all night on ridge at few meters above col from next morning Royer not seen again. Chamoux 8 am on radio to Troillet, who told him how to come down; down to col and seen to disappear down north. Both probably fell down N Face. On 6th Michel Pelle climbed to C4 with a client, saw nothing. On 7th 2 Pelle Sherpas fixed rope to 8200m, saw nothing. Sergio Martini, Italian Kangchenjunga - 28 Oct 95 On 14 Oct, (Martini's successful summit day) Martini found very near west Col, which is at 8350m, a small ruckback, which was Royer's (Chamoux had none that day), containing 2 cameras and other items of no importance, 2 harnesses, 2 ice axes (one long, one short); a little above these items was a walkie-talkie radio. Martini brought rucksack and its contents to BC and his members from Aosta take them to Europe (Aosta is near Chamonix). Chamonix did not say he was 40m below summit - he asked by walkie-talkie where he was. Chamoux and Royer either fell down N Face or died amongst the many big rocks near and above West Col and their bodies are hidden by these rocks. There are no crevasses for them to have fallen into. Martini saw many footprints near col in snow hardened by wind and saw place of bivouac or resting in snow and torch there. Renato Maro - 9 Oct 95 Pelle Sherpa to 8200m and saw nothing. On 6th Oct 2 persons seen moving very slowly, very tired bad weather and wind then. 5th Loretan on top, Chamoux and Royer turned back - 50-150m below top. 9th to Twins BC by Moro. Twins team watching for summiters from before 5th and saw no one, no lights. Have telescope and were 200-300m below Twins top with excellent view of North Face of Kangchenjunga (Moro landed in helicopter and stayed 15 mins).
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Cho Oyu Trekking
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452531
Year 1995
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw face

Members

3 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Benoit Chamoux M 1961 France Leader La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Pierre Alain Royer M 1953 France Climber Les Houches, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide & cameraman Details Other expeditions
Riku Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KANG95305 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 70:260-263 (1996) -
KANG95305 HIGH - - - 157:16-17 (Dec 1995) -
KANG95305 HIGH - - - 161:26-27 (Apr 1996) -
KANG95305 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199626000/Asia-Nepal-Kangchenjunga-Ascents-and-Tragedy - - -