Tawoche | 1988 E Face up; E Ridge down

A USA expedition to Tawoche in 1988 via E Face up; E Ridge down, led by Jeff Lowe, John Roskelley. Summit reached on 15th February 1989. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 102
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID TAWO88401
Peak ID TAWO
Year 1988
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 E Face up; E Ridge down
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality USA
Leaders Jeff Lowe, John Roskelley
Sponsor American Tawoche Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 6th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1989-01-25
Summit Date 1989-02-15
Summit Time -
Summit Days 21
Total Days 23
Termination Date 1989-02-17
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6495
Traverse True
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 1
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 -
Campsites BC(25/01,4300m),ABC(31/01,5500m),Biv1(07/02),Smt(15/02)
Route Notes Route was harder than they had expected; difficult technical rock, very steep, down-sloping rock-had to chip rock to make platform for sleeping-safe route. No rock fall, their climbing together very smooth, as though they had been climbing together all their lives. Took them 8-1/2 days from start of climb to summit, 1-1/2 days down. Lowe and Roskelley arrived KTM from Lukla on 23 Feb and caught their flight to Bangkok few hours later. Houtan spoke with them very briefly while they finished packing at his house. Up from BC on 6th and from ABC on 7th. Tried to get 2, sometimes 3 and 1 day 4 pitches in each day. Photo shows snow but this taken in earlier season: there was no snow and would take couple of hours to chip out rock for bivs." Fairly safe but has to be done in winter to be reasonable. We did have rock fall; on face one of our ropes was chopped in half." Fixed first 2 pitons up and just started climbing; climbing rope was cut in half; rock went through Jeff's biv. sack and sleeping bag, hit where Jeff's shoulder had been. Real steep, one of steepest climbs continuously either of us has ever been on." Very thin pitons called knife blades "only thing got up." Some good weather. Ice climbing but one difficult pure water ice tongue which Jeff climbed under and up around. Only at 7th biv site were able to find small cave and thus only place not exposed to all loose rock on this face (with more climbers would have sent rock down others below). Hardest climb Roskelley ever done. Roskelley couldn't remember altitudes of bivouacs. Report filed with Tourism Ministry: Tawoche Winter 1988-89 Route of ascent: East Face Arrived BC 25 Jan, climbed up 7 to 15 Feb. Descended 15 and 16 in alpine-style from base of face to top. Route of descent: "used 2-year-old Japanese route down SE Ridge to southeast gullies." Report filed with Tourism Ministry: Tawoche Winter 1988-89 Route of ascent: East Face arrived BC 25 Jan Climbed up 7 to 15 Feb, descended in alpine style from base of face to top. Route of descent: "used 2 years old Japanese route down SE Ridge to southeast gullies." Left BC 17th Feb.
Accidents Lowe altitude sickness last couple of days
Achievement 1st ascent of E Face
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451136
Year 1988
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) e face up; e ridge down

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Jeff Lowe M 1950 USA Co-Leader Lyons, Colorado Design consultant for outdoor gear Details Other expeditions
John Fenton Charles Roskelley M 1948 USA Co-Leader Spokane, Washington Photojournalist Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
TAWO88401 AAJ - - - 63:206-207 (1989) -
TAWO88401 - Roskelley, John Last Days Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, PA - R351
TAWO88401 MM - - - 127:12 (May 1989) -
TAWO88401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198920602/Asia-Nepal-Tawoche-East-Face-in-Winter-1989 - - -
TAWO88401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198920602/Asia-Nepal-Tawoche-East-Face-in-Winter-1989 - - -