Kanjeralwa | 1991 NW Face up; S Ridge down

A France expedition to Kanjeralwa in 1991 via NW Face up; S Ridge down, led by Olivier Besson. Summit reached on 5th May 1991. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1669
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KJER91101
Peak ID KJER
Year 1991
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 NW Face up; S Ridge down
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality France
Leaders Olivier Besson
Sponsor French Kanjeralwa Expedition
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 Spain
Approach Pungmo (near small valley where yaks are taken)
Basecamp Date 1991-04-29
Summit Date 1991-05-05
Summit Time 1400
Summit Days 6
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 2
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6400
Traverse True
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 4
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical True
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(29/04,4050m),Biv1(05/05,4900m),Sub-Smt(05/05,6400m)
Route Notes Biv1 on descent on glacier of valley at foot of South Ridge. Pungmo people showed way into and up a valley which is just under west side of Kanjeralwa and north of Pungmo Village. 1 May to 5300m on NW Face and deposit gear. 2 May others deposit at 5600m and also down to BC. 5th May 11:00 am left BC and after 1 hour reached foot of face 4450m, all 4 members climbing. Above 5300m deposit, very difficult and roped together but fixed no ropes (too much time) all ice - 60 degrees average steepness, no place to biv. At 2:00 pm reached end of difficulty at 6200m, 250m below top (which is not 6600m high). Cousteix now had pulmonary edema and soon as reached north and highest summit, went down quickly via Japanese 1973 South Ridge, biv at 4900m at 11:00 pm (Cousteix tired but much better) - returned to BC 6th May. South Ridge at first many seracs, then easy, then in valley again difficult. Left biv 5:00 am and reached a river, Pungmo Khola, at 11:00 am and BC reached at 1:00 pm. Even if Cousteix not sick, would not have descended NE Face without fixed ropes. Route up face was "very good route": 1700m-face before attacking NW Face, went to Ringmo Lake and looked at eastern side but not possible to find logical route from east. Scaled highest of Kanjeralwa's many summits. French 1989 on northern most summit were not on the highest one. [Jordi Pons states that they did not climb the highest summit, AAJ (1992)]
Accidents 1 member altitude sickness
Achievement 1st traverse
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450958
Year 1991
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) nw face up; s ridge down

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Olivier Besson M 1962 France Leader Megeve, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Guy Cousteix M 1950 France Climber Vernet-les-Bains, Pyrenees Orientales, France Lecturer & mountaineering film presenter Details Other expeditions
Laurent Lukie M 1960 France Climber Megeve, Haute-Savoie, France Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Jordi Pons Sangines M 1933 Spain Climber Barcelona, Spain Co-owner of small mountaineering equipment factory Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KJER91101 AAJ Pons, Jordi - - 66:228 (1992) -
KJER91101 MM - - - 140:7-8 (Jul 1991) -
KJER91101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199222801/Asia-Nepal-Kanjeralwa-Attempt - - -