Tilicho | 1988 N Ridge (Japan 1979 rte)

A Czechoslovakia expedition to Tilicho in 1988 via N Ridge (Japan 1979 rte), led by Vlastimil Smida. Summit reached on 18th October 1988. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 843
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID TILI88301
Peak ID TILI
Year 1988
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Ridge (Japan 1979 rte)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Czechoslovakia
Leaders Vlastimil Smida
Sponsor Czechoslovak Canoe Expedition to Himalaya Kali Gandaki 1988
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 11th,12th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1988-10-03
Summit Date 1988-10-18
Summit Time -
Summit Days 15
Total Days 22
Termination Date 1988-10-25
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7134
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 8
Summit Members 3
Member Deaths 2
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(03/10,4600m),C1(04/10,5300m),C2(12/10,5600m),C3(17/10,6100m),Smt(18/10,21)
Route Notes BC southwest of Mesakantu Pass C1 at foot of rocky fore with buttress C2 at center of rock C3 at above rocky section on ice. 1st part of N Ridge is a steep rocky face. Above this was ice which was not so difficult as rock but same parts required exact ice technique. 1st summit attack on 18th Oct unexpectedly: team who had made C3 were expected to come down and be replaced by other team. Had had blizzard on 4th and 5th Oct leaving 1m snow but in mid-Oct weather cold but stable. 1st team of Gribec and Horka established C3 alone (C3=1 tent) on 17th and on 18th started to summit in morning and reached top 6 pm (seen there from BC) without biv equipment. So late on top meant they had to spend night at or near top because route there too difficult to descend at night even with headlamps. Was windy and very cold so biv must have been exhausting. 2nd team Palecek and Krachmar were in C1 that night and on 19th 6:30 am saw 1st team descending, this last sight of team alive. Went up quickly and arrived C2 while Smida and doctor with oxygen to C1. 20th Palecek, strongest member, to C3 while Krachmar waited in C2. Palecek on up wall from buttress, reached summit at 10:00 am and found there toys left there by 1st team. Stayed on top 15 mins and then descended while looking down during descent 600m below top and 300m side from route he saw 2 bodies of 1st team. Took a camera and other things from them, covered them with snow and marked place with upper part of their ice ax which was broken. Smida arrived C3 and Palecek confirmed their death by having fallen. Immediately abandoned climb except to clear camps. Left BC 25th Oct. Letter from Bobak Jiri On 18 Oct at 6 pm reached 7134m summit of Tilicho on 19 Oct at 6:30 am. Left the summit, slipped in the snow and found tangled in rope 600m below summit. Mr Ludwik left base camp on 20 Oct in search of these two members but he reached the summit on 21 Oct at 10 am without oxygen. He stayed 15 minutes at summit while descending he found these two members dead tangling in the rope. He took photographs of the dead persons, but left the dead bodies on the same condition, and he came back to base camp on 22nd Oct. No more attempts, expedition abandoned.
Accidents Fatal fall
Achievement -
Agency Himalayan Explorers
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451061
Year 1988
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n ridge (japan 1979 rte)

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Petr Gribek M 1943 Czechoslovakia Climber Ostrava, Czechoslovakia Technician Details Other expeditions
Leo Horka M 1943 Czechoslovakia Climber Ostrava-Martinov, Czechoslovakia Electrical technician Details Other expeditions
Zdenek Kracmar M 1946 Czechoslovakia Climber Ostrava, Czechoslovakia Technician Details Other expeditions
Raimund Miksl M 1957 Czechoslovakia Exp Doctor Ostrava, Czechoslovakia Physician, sports medicine Details Other expeditions
Ludvik Palecek M 1953 Czechoslovakia Climber Ostrava, Czechoslovakia Technician Details Other expeditions
Vlastimil Smida M 1933 Czechoslovakia Leader Olomouc, Czechoslovakia Designer Details Other expeditions
Dalibor Trpik M 1950 Czechoslovakia Climber Ostrava-Proskovice, Czechoslovakia Technician Details Other expeditions
Jiri Bobak M 1940 Czechoslovakia Leader Ostrava-Marianske Hory, Czechoslovakia Technician Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
TILI88301 AAJ Smida, Vlastimil - - 63:213-215 (1989) -
TILI88301 HJ Smida, Vlastimil Tragedy on Tilitso - 46:31-34 (1988-1989) -
TILI88301 MM - - - 125:12 (Jan 1989) -
TILI88301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198921303/Asia-Nepal-Tilitso-Ascent-and-Tragedy - - -
TILI88301 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/46/6/the-tragedy-on-tilitso/ - - -