Kusum Kanguru | 1979 W Face (recon)

A New Zealand expedition to Kusum Kanguru in 1979 via W Face (recon), led by Peter Hillary. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2074
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KUSU79101
Peak ID KUSU
Year 1979
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Face (recon)
Route 2 N Ridge (to 5600m)
Route 3 SE Face (recon)
Route 4 -
Nationality New Zealand
Leaders Peter Hillary
Sponsor 1979 New Zealand Party
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 Canada
Approach Lamosangu->Ghat/Monzo->BC
Basecamp Date -
Summit Date -
Summit Time -
Summit Days 0
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 5600
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
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 Recon of Ama Dablam
Campsites xxx(5600m)
Route Notes Peter Hillary - 18 Aug 79 Kusum Kanguru Spring 1979 Peter Hillary and Murray Jones started from Jubing through real bamboo jungles up Kusum Drang Valley to approach not from west but area full of very steep ravines which would have taken very great deal of time to get porters and gear there, so abandoned W approach. Very impressive face, this W Face. Then went up Dudh Koshi to Monjo and then east for approach from north to Kyashar Glacier. Murray Jones and Peter climbed N Rib to about 17,500 ft at what appeared to be site of Japanese C1. Jones and Hillary had very hard shoes on so turned back, then Jones dropped out. Nena Ritchie then joined Peter and got to 18,000 ft just below Col to NE of Kusum Kanguru. They reached 18,500 ft. Next day when steepness and difficulty increased sharply and they were not strong enough team. Then did recce with Nena, Nigel Horrocks and Jim Ferrey from Lukla, SW to Zatr Og pass and up Hinku Valley to Lungsamba (Yak header's hut). Climbed up to Lungsamba Glacier at about 18,000 ft looking up glacier (from just below the G on the Schneider map) up SE Face.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2609
Year 1979
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w face (recon)

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Peter Edmund Hillary M 1954 New Zealand Leader Auckland, New Zealand Ski instructor Details Other expeditions
Murray Jones M 1945 New Zealand Climber Cromwell, New Zealand Surveyor Details Other expeditions
Nena Ritchie F 1950 Canada Climber Grand Forks, British Colombia - Details Other expeditions
Ang Tshering Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar - - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KUSU79101 - Hillary, Peter A Sunny Day in the Himalayas Hodder & Stoughton, Auckland, NZ - H327