Saipal | 1987 SW Face (to 6200m)

A Austria expedition to Saipal in 1987 via SW Face (to 6200m), led by Franz Kroell. Summit reached on 20th October 1987. 4 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 305
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID SAIP87301
Peak ID SAIP
Year 1987
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face (to 6200m)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Austria
Leaders Franz Kroell
Sponsor Saipal 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 W Germany
Approach Dhandeldhura->Chainpur->Kanda on Seti Khola
Basecamp Date 1987-10-17
Summit Date 1987-10-20
Summit Time -
Summit Days 3
Total Days 10
Termination Date 1987-10-27
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6200m due to steep, rotten rock
High Point (m) 6200
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 100
Total Members 3
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 2
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 Climbed Firnkopf West (FIRW-873-01); attempted Firnkopf (FIRN-873-01)
Campsites BC(17/10,4100m),C1(18/10,4700m),xxx(20/10,6200m)
Route Notes BC at left (east) moraine of Saipal Glacier C1 below West Ridge on glacier (Firnkopf Glacier) C2 below West Ridge on glacier C3 on West Ridge after having ascended Firnkopf Glacier's face. Tried for 1 week to climb W Ridge. Snowstorm 18-20th Oct made team descended to BC and waited there for it. Had to make new route in deep snow. 25th Oct from C3 to Firnkopf (named by Austrians in 1954, means snow hat) at 6630m and turned back to C3. 26th to BC. Porters ordered for 27th and left BC 27th. Had lost some time on approach march: expected it to take 8 days but took 14 days. This route easiest to climb Saipal from south but would take 2 more weeks via W Col. In to Saipal's immediate route: no avalanche danger even after snowfall via this route to Firnkopf. Returned from BC via Kandha and Dhuli to Chainpur from where flew to KTM on scheduled flight. Fixed 50m rope between C1 and C2 on glacier and 50m more from C2 to C3 on glacier. Remaking route was difficult because of many crevasses covered by powder snow. Following is from a letter to E. Hawley from Franz Kroell: In 1987 we went to Nepal with the permit for climbing Saipal from the south: 2nd of October we start in Kathmandu (by plane to Pokhara, with lorry to Phurbe). From Phurbe (5th October) by foot (end of the road) to Chainpur (possible by plane) and to the BC 17th of October). 18th - 20th of October we climbed on the SW Face of Saipal up to 6200m (steep; rotten rock). Then we focused our interest to the opposite side, to the West Ridge from Westlicher Firnkopf (Western Firnkopf) to Ostlicher Firnkopf (Eastern Firnkopf). The height of these two mountains is correct in your map (Austrian Saipal Expedition about 1950; Rudolph Jonas, Vienna). On 25th of October we climbed Westlicher Firnkopf (Fritz Mross, Germany; Ang Chopal, Nepal; Franz Kroell, Austria). We climbed from BC up an easy icefall, crossed this icefall and climbed up to the main ridge and followed exact the ridge to the very top of Westlicher Firnkopf. We stopped climbing on the summit and did not follow the ridge to Ostlicher Firnkopf and to Saipal. The climb up to Westlicher Firnkopf is an easy climb (Grade I and II/UIAA ice and snow up to 65 degrees, short fixed sections with few meters of rope crossing the glacier. Far more difficult is the walk in to BC, especially the last three days. Its extremely difficult to find a trail for the porters; bears and mountain sheep are living near BC. There are some existing routes to climb Mt. Saipal: West Face of Saipal (Spanish) West Ridge (over Westlicher and Ostlicher Firnkopf) NE Ridge (Maybe SE Ridge, East Face??) We climbed Saipal in the autumn of 1990 by the NE Ridge, flying to Simikot and walking in by Chala and the Kherang Khola to BC.
Accidents Sopka stomach trouble only
Achievement Reached point known as Westlicher Firnkopf on W Ridge (unknown if Jonas' Austrian team reached this point in 1954)
Agency International Trekkers (Intrek Asia)
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2450606
Year 1987
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw face (to 6200m)

Members

4 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Franz Kroell M 1953 Austria Leader Kufstein, Tirol, Austria Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Friedrich (Fritz) Mross M 1940 W Germany Exp Doctor Loerrach, Baden-Wuerttemberg, W Germany Physician Details Other expeditions
Ang Chopal Sherpa M 1946 Nepal H-A Worker Kharikhola, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Werner Sopka M 1939 W Germany Climber Bad Krozingen, Baden-Wuerttemburg, W Germany Installs heating and plumbing systems Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
SAIP87301 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 62:225 (1988) -
SAIP87301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198822503/Asia-Nepal-Saipal-Attempt - - -