Kusum Kanguru | 1985 N Face

A USA expedition to Kusum Kanguru in 1985 via N Face, led by Tom Dickey, Trevor Pilling. Summit reached on 8th November 1985. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 189
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID KUSU85301
Peak ID KUSU
Year 1985
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face
Route 2 NE Ridge
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Tom Dickey, Trevor Pilling
Sponsor Anglo-American Kusum Kanguru Expedition 1985
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 5th?
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries UK
Approach -
Basecamp Date -
Summit Date 1985-11-08
Summit Time -
Summit Days 0
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6370
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 4
Summit Members 2
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 -
Campsites Smt(08/11)
Route Notes Not much information on the file. It has been noted that there were 4 deaths of Sherpas [Dickey and Curtis refute this - see below] Alpine-style ascent of N Face expedition sat out bad weather at base camp most of the month of October. Tom Dickey had to leave the expedition because of guiding commitments to other trekking peaks. The team returned in Nov and T. Pilling and Japanese teamed up to attempt a route on the N Face of the lower peak without success. John Ball and Tom Curtis climbed the face in 4 days and 2 days down the dangerous serac barrier between the peaks. Tom Dickey (via email to Salisbury) - 19 Jan 2004 We only had the 4 of us. We had a few porters bring some stuff to base, but they all left. No one was hurt. I don't recall when we got to base - probably early Sept. The weather was bad for a long time, and we were storm bound for a couple of weeks, so we left for a while. I had guiding commitments and had to meet my clients. The three of them went up to the Gokyo region to do some "trekking." I don't know what they did. They then returned and John Ball and Tom Curtis did an alpine ascent of the North Face (the first) over several days. I seem to recall it was 3 days, up 2 down - going down the NE Ridge with much difficulty. Trevor tried a different route with a Japanese guy left of the NE Ridge but didn't get very high. Trevor disappeared in the Annapurna Sanctuary with his girlfriend a few years later. I tried the face the spring (May) before that alpine style with Steve Ruoss, after his attempt on the NE Ridge with Jim Traverso, Geoff Tabin and Dave Dossiter. We got a little way up the face (1/3?) before getting stormed off; we were almost swept off and down the runnel we were in, but managed to get down. The storm continued for another 4 days and we ran out of supplies.
Accidents -
Achievement Slight frostbite by Curtis and Ball
Agency None
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448993
Year 1985
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
John Ball M - UK Climber Wales - Details Other expeditions
Thomas P. (Tommy) Curtis M - UK Climber Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England - Details Other expeditions
Thomas Lee (Tom) Dickey M 1957 USA Co-Leader Boulder, Colorado - Details Other expeditions
Trevor James Pilling M 1956 UK Co-Leader Worcester, England - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
KUSU85301 MM - - - 108:13 (Mar 1986) -