Langtang Lirung | 1980 (A rib on) S Face

A UK expedition to Langtang Lirung in 1980 via (A rib on) S Face, led by Michael Searle. Summit reached on 2nd May 1980. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1873
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID LANG80101
Peak ID LANG
Year 1980
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 (A rib on) S Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Michael Searle
Sponsor British Langtang Expedition 1980
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 -
Basecamp Date 1980-04-07
Summit Date 1980-05-02
Summit Time -
Summit Days 25
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 4
Termination Notes Abandoned at 5600m due to bad weaether and lack of suitable tents
High Point (m) 5600
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 1
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 -
Campsites BC(07/04,3600m),C1(13/04,4100m),C2(19/04,5000m),xxx(02/05,5600m)
Route Notes Michael Stead - 15 May 80 4 arrived in KTM 10 May; others arrive end of May. C1 about 13,500 ft on 13 April on shoulder beside glacier west of point 17,456 ft on Harka Gurung map. C2 about 16,500 ft on 19 April on a shoulder east of the glacier. C3 never established; went up to recce its sites at about 18,500 ft but ridge face very steep with extremely hard ice. Reached this point which was highest point expedition reached on 2 May. Groves and Marjot decided then to call attempt off. Quite technical ice climbing and physically hard ice and had no suitable tent for this. Also weather deteriorated with snow by late morning. This route will be climbed but not easy; needs more equipment and better tents than we had. No accidents, etc. No other peaks. Got roughly to some point as 1964 Japanese; same route which only feasible route on that face. Searle - 28 March 80 Leave KTM 2 or 3 April by bus to Trisuli Bazaar on foot from KTM. 7 days expedition Trisuli to BC. Route = South Face (new route); maybe same features as Japanese 1964 but will have look from Ganga La at avalanche patterns for safest route. BC at about 13,000-14,000 feet just above Langtang village. Most difficult: 1st 2000-3000 ft of rock Will put 2 camps on rock with higher one at 3,000 feet and then alpine-style climb with snowholes. Sirdar Serki Tsering will go above BC Arrive BC about 10 April. One week acclimatizing, 4 weeks climbing, summit mid-May No oxygen
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447017
Year 1980
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) (a rib on) s face

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Nicholas Gordon (Nick) Groves M 1953 UK Climber Oxted, Surrey, England Photographer Details Other expeditions
Neil Harding-Roberts M 1954 UK Climber Nottingham, E Midlands, England Physician Details Other expeditions
Rod MacKenzie M 1953 UK Climber Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England Computer programmer Details Other expeditions
John Marjot M 1954 UK Climber London, England Secondary school teacher Details Other expeditions
Shaun Peter Parent M 1956 Canada Climber Thunder Bay, Ontario Alpine instructor Details Other expeditions
Michael Searle M 1952 UK Leader Wimborne, Dorset, England Geologist Details Other expeditions
Michael Stead M 1954 UK Climber Manchester, England Chemical engineer Details Other expeditions
Sarki Tshering Sherpa M 1952 Nepal Sirdar Chiwang Khop, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
LANG80101 AAJ Searle, Michael - - 55:257 (1981) -
LANG80101 HJ Searle, Mike British Langtang Expedition - 38:40-48 (1980-1981) -
LANG80101 AJ Searle, Mike Langtang Lirung South Face 1980 - 88:106-110 (1983) -
LANG80101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198125701/Asia-Nepal-Langtang-Lirung-Attempt - - -
LANG80101 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/38/7/british-langtang-expedition/ - - -
LANG80101 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1983_files/AJ%201983%20106-110%20Searle%20Langtang.pdf - - -