Pumori | 1991 SE Face

A UK expedition to Pumori in 1991 via SE Face, led by Glenn Rowley. Summit reached on 2nd December 1991. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1069
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID PUMO91401
Peak ID PUMO
Year 1991
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Glenn Rowley
Sponsor 1991/92 British Winter Pumori 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 -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1991-11-21
Summit Date 1991-12-02
Summit Time -
Summit Days 11
Total Days 14
Termination Date 1991-12-05
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6250m due to dangerous serac falls
High Point (m) 6250
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
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(21/11,5350m),xxx(02/12,6250m)
Route Notes BC near lake (normal site) High point at bivouac at normal C2. Looked at S Ridge above Kalapattar but no snow on mountain and had no permit for this route (which would be difficult but safe). Then looked at far right side of SE Face directly to E Face, the only safe route on face at this time and probably never climbed and technically very hard and exposed to winds. So then decided to try normal route: only 4 actually climbed: Callen, S Holmes, Ralphs and Wharton. 1 Dec Callen and Wharton biv at C1 at 5650m and down on 2nd, and on 2nd Holmes and Ralphs up to 6250m, where they biv. Big seracs overhung whole wall, very dangerous and on 3rd started down few minutes before big serac avalanche wiped out whole route and 3 more fell as they continued descent but all "went down gully to night of us 100 ft away" ("nothing had fallen off for a whole week" previously. "We had been watching it"). Back safely to BC. Others had thought to go up. Left BC 5 Dec. Fixed no rope because entire route had been fixed in autumn and could use these ropes (except where serac fall had taken out one section). Team was accompanied part way to trekking group of 5 who did not go to base camp.
Accidents None
Achievement -
Agency Himalaya Expeditions
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452024
Year 1991
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se face

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Stephen Callen M 1954 UK Climber Coventry, W Midlands, England Engineer Details Other expeditions
Stuart Alexander Holmes M 1966 UK Climber Keswick, Cumbria, England Geologist Details Other expeditions
Brain John Ottewell M 1948 UK Climber Derby, Derbyshire, England Retired from army Details Other expeditions
Terrence (Terry) Ralphs M 1963 UK Climber Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Glenn Rowley M 1959 UK Leader Keswick, Cumbria, England Director of trekking company Details Other expeditions
David John Wharton M 1962 UK Climber Loscoe Meanor, Derbyshire, England Unemployed Details Other expeditions
Patrick Holmes M 1964 UK Climber Keswick, Cumbria, England Geologist Details Other expeditions
Peter John Hudd M 1960 UK Climber Bristol, Avon, England Surveyor Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
PUMO91401 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 66:207 (1992) -
PUMO91401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199220703/Asia-Nepal-Pumori-Winter-Attempt - - -