Kangtega | 2000 East Face-S Ridge

A Australia expedition to Kangtega in 2000 via East Face-S Ridge, led by Michael Groom. Summit reached on 19th November 2000. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 3728
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KTEG00301
Peak ID KTEG
Year 2000
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 East Face-S Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Australia
Leaders Michael Groom
Sponsor Australian Kangtega 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 -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2000-11-10
Summit Date 2000-11-19
Summit Time -
Summit Days 9
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6200m due to severe cold
High Point (m) 6200
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
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 False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Mera Peak (by 5); attempted Kusum Kanguru
Campsites BC(10/11,4700m),ABC(17/11,4900m),Biv(18/11,5550m),xxx(19/11)
Route Notes BC southeast of mountain on Hinku Glacier on moraine at "a" of "glacier" ABC on steep glacier moraine below face Biv on SE Face High point at East Face 70m below South Ridge. 10th-14th Nov climbed Mera Peak "under extreme conditions." If it had not been so easy, never would have made it because very windy as well as cold. Returned to BC 15th and 5 members moved up to ABC, last tented camp on steep glacial moraine below snow line. 18th up to 5550m on face and made biv at 2:00 pm because in shadow and cold. 19th at about 9:00 am 5 members tried to reach plateau at 6300m on SE Ridge, but very deep snow, very windy and very cold (-14 to -18), so turned around at 6200m and back to biv. Clark, Coulton and Groom slept at biv while Drennan and Turner to ABC to sleep because so cold. Should have had tents but at biv, only sleeping bags. Were not expecting weather to be so cold. 20th Clark, Groom and Coulton tried to gain ridge by slightly different route on face. Found the way to ridge and reached 6200m but strong winds and team would have been exposed to such severe conditions. "I felt it wasn't worth it," so down to ABC that evening. Coulton had turned back at 5700m because of bad diarrhea so down to ABC that afternoon. 21st all returned to BC and climb finished. "Could have done it (gotten to top) if had the tents. Then 5 members to Kusum Kanguru but "that was even worse" with fierce winds and didn't even get into this mountain, after spending 4 nights there. 5 had been on Mera in January 2000 and not anywhere near as cold as this. (5-10 km plume of snow being blown off Everest and Makalu had its plume blowing east). Asked whether he is still a plumber, as he wrote on his bio form, Groom said "I haven't touched my tools in 12 years." Lectures about episodes in his "life story," such as learning to walk again after amputation of 1/3 of both feet because of frostbite on Kangchenjunga in '87. When Groom turned around to look down, he found they had gone down to C1 taking important gear with them, leading Col and Groom with only 1 short rope and 3 ice screws, not adequate for remainder of climb and Groom not comfortable with this situation "since Clark was the least experienced technically of all of them." Also windy that day; if had more experienced climbing partner, Groom probably would have continued climb, so abandoned climb.
Accidents Rutherford not acclimatizing and stayed at BC few days, then left
Achievement -
Agency Su-Swagatam Treks
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2454498
Year 2000
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) east face-s ridge

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jarrod Clark M 1973 Australia Climber North Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia Police officer Details Other expeditions
John William Coulton M 1956 Australia Climber Upper Beacosfield, Victoria, Australia Police officer Details Other expeditions
Martin William Drennan M 1963 Australia Climber Brisbane, QLD, Australia Manager of printing supply firm Details Other expeditions
Michael Graeme Groom M 1959 Australia Leader Brisbane, QLD, Australia Lecturer Details Other expeditions
Graham Rutherford M 1948 Australia Climber Brisbane, QLD, Australia Film technician Details Other expeditions
Steven Turner M 1968 Australia Climber Brisbane, QLD, Australia Store manager Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KTEG00301 HIGH - - - 226:67 (Sep 2001) -