Kirat Chuli | 2002 W Face

A Slovenia expedition to Kirat Chuli in 2002 via W Face, led by Gregor Kresal. Summit reached on 24th October 2002. 12 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4194
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KIRA02301
Peak ID KIRA
Year 2002
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Slovenia
Leaders Gregor Kresal
Sponsor Himalaya Janak 2002
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 France, UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2002-10-03
Summit Date 2002-10-24
Summit Time -
Summit Days 21
Total Days 24
Termination Date 2002-10-27
Termination Reason 9
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6700m due to lack of time on summit day
High Point (m) 6700
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 12
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Attempted Ramtang Chang (RAMC-023-01)
Campsites BC(03/10,5100m),ABC(22/10,5500m),Biv(23/10,5800m),xxx(24/10,6700m)
Route Notes BC at Pangpema ABC at Pyramid Glacier below West Face Biv at West face High point at West Face. Because of climbing delay due to doctor's false claim that she had typhus, team not acclimatized above BC's altitude and now had only 5 days left to make ABC and looked at West Face to decide on good line up it. All 7 Kirat Chuli members; Pasang Tenzing, Padam Tenzing and Uthar Tamang to carry loads to ABC. 23 Oct all 7 members started West Face and got to 5800m just below steepest part of wall and bived there. 24th Oct tried to push to top and all got to 6700m, after summiting all steep rock (25%), not very difficult, and above was snowfield, at 4:00-4:30 pm and then too late and climb abandoned; slept again at biv. 25th and 26th down to BC. Very strong wind through Kirat Chuli climb. Tuesday Oct 29, 7:33 pm - Reuters interview by Mr Gopal Sharma Nepal rebels held foreign climbers at gunpoint Kathmandu - Four suspected Maoist rebels held several foreign mountain climbers at gunpoint in Eastern Nepal demanding $7000 to let them go, team members said on Tuesday. The hold up happened in late Sept at Chiruwa, 500 km east of KTM, as the climbers hiked to a base camp in the Kangchenjunga area, said team leader Gregor Kresal. "The climbers were caught by the Maoists who locked them up in a lodge demanding money," Kresal, a Slovenia, told Reuters after flying to KTM by helicopter. The climbers told the gang all their money was with colleagues already up the mountain and they were freed unharmed after a few hours. But they were told to pay on their way down. Climbers say the rebels, fighting to topple the monarchy and establish communist rule, often steal cash, cameras and other items from tourist, although the rebel leadership denies this. There was no comment from the rebels on the latest incident. British climber and team member Stevie Haston, who also returned to KTM on Tuesday, said the Maoist held the climbers at gunpoint. "The Maoists kept them for a short time. They were demanding $7000," the 45 year old Haston, one of British's best known mountaineers, told Reuters. Kresal said his team was afraid that the Maoist might comfront them again on their way out after the climb. "So we decided to fly out of the area to avoid the rebels," he said. The rest of the 11-member team -- Haston's French wife, Laurence Gouault Haston, and eight Slovenians -- are still waiting at Ghunsa village for a helicopter pick-up. Kresal and Haston -- who were not among those held by the gang -- flew in small helicopter with a sick Danish climber being evacuated from the same area. Each year, thousand of tourists, including trekkers and mountain climbers, visit Nepal, home to dozens of major peaks including the world's highest, Mountain Everest. But Tourism has been hit by the Maoist rebellion and foreign travel warnings. More than 5100 people have been killed since the increasingly bloody revolt began in 1996. In the latest violence, 10 rebels and four policemen died in separate clashes over the past 24 hours, officials said.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Wilderness Experience
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route True
Primary Member False
Primary Reference True
Primary ID RAMC02301
Checksum 2455159
Year 2002
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w face

Members

12 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Sebastian Domenih M 1976 Slovenia Climber Bovec, Slovenia Worker on tall buildings Details Other expeditions
Matija Klanjscek M 1977 Slovenia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia Geography student Details Other expeditions
Ales Kozelj M 1974 Slovenia Climber Stahovica, Slovenia Electrician Details Other expeditions
Vasja Kosuta M 1974 Slovenia Climber Volcja Draga, Slovenia Manager in an aircraft spare parts import-export business Details Other expeditions
Breda Starc F 1955 Slovenia Exp Doctor Ljubljana, Slovenia Physician Details Other expeditions
Blaz Stres M 1974 Slovenia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia Biologist Details Other expeditions
Tomaz Tisler M 1977 Slovenia Climber Rovte, Slovenia Psychologist Details Other expeditions
Miha Valic M 1978 Slovenia Climber Ljubljana, Slovenia Biology student Details Other expeditions
Gregor Kresal M 1969 Slovenia Leader Medvode, Slovenia Architect Details Other expeditions
Miha Marence M 1974 Slovenia Deputy Leader Preddvor, Slovenia Forester Details Other expeditions
Laurence Gouault-Haston F 1963 France Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Professional alpinist Details Other expeditions
Steve (Stevie) Haston M 1957 UK Climber Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France Professional alpinist Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KIRA02301 - - http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web08f/newswire-flash-valic-dead - - -
KIRA02301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200340100/Janak-Himal-Maoist-EncountersFall-Season-Commentary - - -