Pokharkang | 2002 S Face-E Ridge (new route)

A UK expedition to Pokharkang in 2002 via S Face-E Ridge (new route), led by Stephen Town. Summit reached on 17th November 2002. 11 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4203
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID POKR02301
Peak ID POKR
Year 2002
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face-E Ridge (new route)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Stephen Town
Sponsor British Damodar Himal Expedition 2002 to Pokharkang
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 1st
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Denmark
Approach Beshisahar->Marshyangdi Riv->Koto->Naur Khola->Phugaon
Basecamp Date 2002-11-11
Summit Date 2002-11-17
Summit Time 1400
Summit Days 6
Total Days 8
Termination Date 2002-11-19
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6372
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 150
Total Members 10
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 3
Summit Hired 1
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(11/11,4600m),C1(12/11,5300m),C2(15/11,5810m),Smt(17/11)
Route Notes BC west of Phu Khola below East Face of Pokharkang C1 on moraine below southeast flank C2 at South Face on snow. Night of 12/13 Nov 6 inches of snowfall so down to BC. Meanwhile Town and Baldock left BC 12 Nov, Town not physically able to climb others' style and Baldock about same reason. C2 slept in 15 Nov. Above this serious climbing: steep snow and ice requiring 2 ice axes to surmount - fixed about 150m rope here. Climbed South Face to East Summit (6250m) where was at top of ankle-deep soft snow. East Summit on summit plateau where snow was waist deep. East Summit reached by Wynne-Jones, Scott, Thurston, Gronlund, Fairley, Kaji Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Dawa Jangbu Sherpa. Wynne-Jones, Scott and Kaji went on to main summit. All down to C2 that night, BC 18th. Route much more difficult than N Face. Isherwood: from East Summit, down 100m and up to top via East Ridge.
Accidents Isherwood bad chest infection
Achievement 1st ascent of main summit
Agency Himalaya Expeditions
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2455993
Year 2002
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face-e ridge (new route)

Members

11 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
David N. Baldock M 1936 UK Climber Rickmansworth, Hertford, England Retired computer engineer Details Other expeditions
John Maxwell Fairley M 1943 UK Climber Gerrards Cross, Buckingham, England Engineer Details Other expeditions
Toto Gronlund F 1957 Denmark Climber Poole, Dorset, England National Health Service Details Other expeditions
Richard John (Dick) Isherwood M 1943 UK Climber Port Townsend, Washington Retired biochemist Details Other expeditions
Richard Martin Scott M 1941 UK Climber London, England Engineer Details Other expeditions
Peter Spillet M 1961 UK Climber Skipton, N Yorkshire, England Engineer Details Other expeditions
Sara Spillet F 1961 UK Climber Skipton, N Yorkshire, England Environmental protection government official Details Other expeditions
William George Thurston M 1946 UK Climber Surbiton, Surrey, England Human resources consultant Details Other expeditions
Stephen (Steve) Town M 1946 UK Leader London, England Retired civil servant Details Other expeditions
David O. (Dave) Wynne-Jones M 1952 UK Climber Glossop, Derbyshire, England Retired teacher Details Other expeditions
Kaji (Pasang Kaji, Pasang Kami) Sherpa M 1963 Nepal H-A Worker Loding Tamakhani, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
POKR02301 AAJ Wynne-Jones, Dave - - 77:386-387 (2003) -
POKR02301 HIGH - - - 252:61-62 (Nov 2003) -
POKR02301 HIGH Wynne-Jones, David Climbing One of Nepal's New Peaks - 261:32-35 (Aug 2004) -
POKR02301 AJ Wynne-Jones, Dave Pokharkan South Face, Nepal - 109:24-28 (2004) -
POKR02301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200338602/Asia-Nepal-Damodar-Himal-Pokharkan-First-Ascent-of-the-South-Face - - -
POKR02301 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_2004_files/AJ%202004%2024-28%20Wynne-Jones%20Pokharkan.pdf - - -