Pumori | 1989 SE Face/Ridge

A USA expedition to Pumori in 1989 via SE Face/Ridge, led by Carl Harrison. Summit reached on 25th December 1989. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 405
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID PUMO89401
Peak ID PUMO
Year 1989
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Face/Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Carl Harrison
Sponsor American Pumori Winter 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 Australia
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1989-12-24
Summit Date 1989-12-25
Summit Time -
Summit Days 1
Total Days 7
Termination Date 1989-12-31
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 5800m due to George Curry's death
High Point (m) 5800
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
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(24/12,5300m),xxx(28/12,5800m)
Route Notes BC at bottom end of lake High point at start of buttress. Stayed at BC few days then decided to go up one afternoon to look at the mountain see route and how snow condition: 5 members climbed for 2 hrs. On 28th when at 4:00 pm Curry fell, Nations and Harrison had reached the high point and turned around when Curry on 30 degrees ice, easy ground, started sliding; never tried self arrest in 500 ft slide and then went out of sight. Did not call out or respond to Harrison's shouts to him to stop but did not appear to try to stop (had crampons and ice axe). Team was unroped. Curry slid all the way down mountain. Found him only next day. Slid/fell about 2000 vertical meters; body in one piece but unrecognizable. Wife was part of search party on 29th. Certainly did not survive fall; was there watching crossing patch of ice on which Curry had slipped. Body taken to scree at bottom of SE face and then off falling stone and ice after sun hit face, covered it completely. 30th decided to continue climb and went out again to look at route. Did not climb up but looked up from around base. 31st got up to go up but no one wanted to climb. "Our hearts weren't in it." Could easily avoid the objective dangers.
Accidents None
Achievement -
Agency Unknown
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451315
Year 1989
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se face/ridge

Members

7 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
George Curry M 1954 Australia Climber Coolumn Beach, QLD, Australia Electrical engineer & climbing and trekking guide Details Other expeditions
Susan Curry F 1957 Australia Member Coolumn Beach, QLD, Australia Trekking guide & communications technician Details Other expeditions
Christopher Greene M 1955 USA Climber Waltham, Massachusetts Physician Details Other expeditions
Carl Harrison M 1952 USA Leader Lawrence, Massachusetts Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Debbie Harrison F 1953 USA Climber Lawrence, Massachusetts Nurse Details Other expeditions
James Nations M 1954 USA Climber Bakersfield, California Attorney & businessman Details Other expeditions
Alfred Torrisi M 1956 USA Climber Lawrence, Massachusetts Engineer Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
PUMO89401 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 64:236 (1990) -
PUMO89401 MM - - - 132:11 (Mar 1990) -
PUMO89401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199023603/Asia-Nepal-Pumori-Tragedy - - -