Nuptse | 1978 N Face

A UK expedition to Nuptse in 1978 via N Face, led by Doug Scott. Summit reached on 10th October 1978. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2155
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID NUPT78301
Peak ID NUPT
Year 1978
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Doug Scott
Sponsor British Nuptse North Face 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 USA
Approach Lamosangu->Rowaling->Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1978-09-23
Summit Date 1978-10-10
Summit Time -
Summit Days 17
Total Days 19
Termination Date 1978-10-12
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6800m due to deep snow
High Point (m) 6800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 3
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 -
Campsites BC(23/09,5400m),C1(25/09,6000m),C2(28/09,6500m),xxx(10/10,6800m)
Route Notes Doug Scott - 14 Oct 78 Mike Covington stopped in Namche to marry a Sherpani aged 20 from Namche whom he has known for 1 year, then he will lead trek in Khumbu and Rolwaling. Joe Tasker and Scott arrived in KTM yesterday and all well now. Mike had lot of trouble on approach: hypothermia (cold) and pneumonia; at BC liver area pain; against all odds joined in at end to C2. Joe and Doug did 3 carries through icefall and got everything ready and then snowfall; receiving less and less sun, and snow not shifting and couldn't make any headway in this deep snow. Last 300 feet below 22,500 feet took 6 hours so realized at this rate would take 10-5 days without more snow and didn't have enough food. In autumn so much snow only safe way is by fixed rope and Sherpa support. Spring is the season for alpine-style climb. One sure could have done job with ropes and Sherpas. Mike watched only from C2 because not strong enough to go up; gave up all climbing on 19th Oct. Mike arrived C2 on 9th with Doug and Joe. High snowfall dumped 6 feet on C2, tent buried but was dug out Ok; members then at C1 for supplies. Highest point reached: 22,500 feet by Scott and Tasker on 10 Oct. Doug leaves KTM Mon evening. Shailendra Raj Sharma, Tourism - 12 Oct 78 Abandoned 11 Oct. Reached 6800m but due to bad weather and wind decided to abandon. Left BC this afternoon for Lukla (arrived BC this am). Shailendra Raj Sharma - 10 Oct 78 3 in C2; not able to make further progress because bad weather and high wind since 5 Oct. Route had been made above C2 has to be replaced [Scott said tent buried in 6 feet snow but not destroyed]. Will abandon on 14 Oct if no improvement. Scott - 30 Aug 78 Rib that leads straight up North Face to summit. No Sherpas, no oxygen, no fixed rope camps on face. Leave Sat 2 Aug walking via Rolwaling. 18 days to BC with 20 porters. BC at foot of Icefall. Ang Phurba (on Everest in 1975 autumn) at BC. When get loads through, pull up C1 at top of icefall and make C2 at 21,700 feet at bottom of face; no fixed camps above C2. Face: steep at bottom rock, snow and ice; above 24,000 ft danger would be big avalanches. This why were going late: hope wind will blow it all off. "Not arriving until we finished last time" [1975 autumn Everest]. Scott and Haston studied North Face Nuptse in 1975. Haston was to come with Scott. But could be mere up to one knees in powder snow. If all goes well from BC to summit in 3 weeks; might to do it in a week. British Nuptse North Face Himalayan Expedition 1978 -Patron Sir Jack Longland. On 28th Sept Tasker and Scott established C2 in the Western Cwm about half a mile from the German/French C1 and just opposite the North Buttress of Nuptse. The team had so far followed the Icefall route pioneered and maintained by the Everest Expedition which enormously assisted their progress (some materials and labor was however put into remaining bridges as and when the moving ice destroyed them). The North Face of Nuptse was plastered in fresh snow the result of a big storm that had deposited 3 meters of snow in the Western Cwm prior to the Nuptse team's arrival. It was hoped that over the next two weeks this snow would either consolidate or be off the mountain leaving ice or hard packed snow suitable for climbing. Unfortunately more snow fell on 1st Oct and then again on 4th Oct for 3 days during which 8 feet of snow fell at C1 where Tasker, Scott and also Covington were camped (various medicaments given by the German and French Doctors appeared to have enhanced Covington's recovery). The snow conditions on the North Face of Nuptse were now not at all encouraging and neither the prospects. Being a north face there was little, if any melting and nor were there any strong winds. On 9th Oct, Tasker, Scott and Covington arrived at C2 with enough food and equipment to spend up to 7 days on Nuptse North Face. Tasker and Scott had humped most of the provisions up to C2 just before the the storm of 4th Oct. On 10th Oct Tasker and Scott set out to the low part of the face. At first there were grounds for optimism as hard as snow and ice patches were encountered which allowed for rapid progress but soon the snow deteriorated into soft, waist-deep snow covering the steep rocks. It took 5-1/2 horus to gain 200 ft and so with the prospect of deeper snow and and 5000 ft of climbing to go the attempt was abandoned at 22,500 ft under the certain knowledge that two climbers could not sustain such a climb to the top in the conditions prevailing. It was impossible to carry the provisions needed and to maintain light enough rucksacks to move in alpine style. The mountain was abandoned and all the equipment (except for 4 pitons) was recovered and taken in huge loads down to BC and back to KTM.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447075
Year 1978
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Michael M. (Mike) Covington M 1947 USA Climber Allenspark, Colorado Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Douglas Keith (Doug) Scott M 1941 UK Leader Radford, Nottingham, England Alpinist & author Details Other expeditions
Joseph Thomas (Joe) Tasker M 1948 UK Climber Hope, Sheffield, England Owner of a climbing equipment shop in Hope Details Other expeditions
Ang Phurba Sherpa M - Nepal Sirder Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
NUPT78301 AAJ Scott, Douglas - - 53:267-268 (1979) -
NUPT78301 HJ Scott, Doug British Nuptse North Face Himalayan Expedition, 1978 - 36:177-178 (1978-79) -
NUPT78301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197926702/Asia-Nepal-Nuptse-North-Face-Attempt - - -
NUPT78301 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/36/33/expeditions-and-notes-36/ - - -