Yalung Kang | 1980 SE Face

A Mexico expedition to Yalung Kang in 1980 via SE Face, led by Jose Manuel Casanova. Summit reached on 4th May 1980. 13 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 1856
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID YALU80101
Peak ID YALU
Year 1980
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Mexico
Leaders Jose Manuel Casanova
Sponsor Expedition of the University of Mexico Himalayas 1980
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 5th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1980-04-01
Summit Date 1980-05-04
Summit Time 1700
Summit Days 33
Total Days 42
Termination Date 1980-05-13
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes Success claimed, but summiter died on descent
High Point (m) 8505
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 1
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 6
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(01/04,5300m),C1(12/04,6100m),C2(22/04,6800m),C3(30/04,7300m),C4(02/05,7800m),Smt(04/05)
Route Notes Cardenas, Cortez, Casanova & Delgado press conference - 27 May 80 Casanova: Univ of Mexico organized 1st Mexican expedition to Nepal Himalayas. We worked 2 years for preparations. Experience of this team started in Canadian Rockies, Peruvian Andes and McKinley. Arrived KTM 8 Feb; one month for arrangements in KTM. Left KTM 29 Feb with 1 sirdar and 5 Sherpas from SCT and 25 KTM porters. 3 March left Dharan. 18 days to Ramsher and just before Yalung Glacier at 4100m. 10 more days to carry loads to BC which established 1 April at same as 1955 expedition location at 5300m and Germany 1980 came there too. 8 April started climbing mountain with Medina and Saldana ahead with Chowang and Mingma Tsering. 11 April way to C1 finished with ladders and fixed ropes. 12 April C1 occupied at 6100m. Next section of route to C2. Saldana, Medina and Chowang made route to C2. 19 April C2 established 6230m first and then moved to 6800m on 22 April route C1 to C2 was long and then down in gully to foot of icefall, then followed icefall to 6800m. C2 established 30 April at 7300m at top of icefall. 2000m fixed rope and 30 ladders of 2.8m from BC to C3. Saldana and Medina were strongest men by 30 April and decided they would be summit team with Chowang with support team of Cardenas, Casanova and Mingma Tsering. 2 May these 6 men established C4 at 7800m. 3 May weather very bad, too much wind. Had to stay in C4 or in case of support team descend to C3 which support team did. 4 May very good weather and summit team made attempt and from C3 view of them very good. Cardenas followed them through telephoto lens on camera. Near 5:00 pm Cardenas saw them on rocks: Saldana, Medina and last Chowang near 8400m, 30 or 40m below summit roped together. All day weather good with some wind but summit cloudy and could not see them. Chowang came back. Saw Saldana on top and Medina below summit. Chowang also 40m below summit and asked Medina and Saldana permission to go down as fingers beginning to freeze and last we know of Saldana on summit and Medina 40m below. Know no more by telephoto; try to see 2 Mexicans summiters. Saw Chowang going down from 5:20 to arrive 6:30 at C4. Don't know why Medina stayed at 40m below top. Saldana had been pushing him that for Medina only one of those 3 using oxygen, which he started using about 8200m. It was his decision to go up from C4. Own first experience in Himalayas we think we have success on the mountain but we lost 2 friends. Singh of SCT: Medina tried to join his friend 40m below summit. Chowang saw Medina struggling to go on up. Casanova: 2 possibilities what happened: maybe they made bivouac and maybe then fell; they are only possibilities. Next day 5 May weather very bad but Cardenas and Mingma tried to go to C4. On the way they found Chowang 200m above C3 and brought him to C3 in very bad weather. 6 May Cardenas went to C4 and from there looked for other 2 above them with telephoto but saw nothing so brought C4 down to C3 same day. We think very difficult for Medina reach summit, but sure Saldana did reach it. Chowang: Saldana shouted: "I reached top, it is nice place." Thinks Medina did not reach top but thinks while descending roped together one slipped and pulled other down. Casanova: We want come again another mountain 3-4 years from now. Maybe mountain Yalung Kang. To summit Saldana carried metal box containing Nepal, Mexico and Univ flags same messages from all members. Yalung Kang not so difficult as some Andes mtns technically but height problem is great. Same route as Austria-Germany route. First Latin America success in Nepal. Satisfied with own results, our work. We feel we have capacity to return to Himalayas. Chose Yalung Kang as only 8000m available which came last Aug for a permit. Leave KTM 1st June probably. Shailendra Raj Sharma, Tourism - 19 May 80 Yalung Kang message from LO dated 8 May. 4 May [deaths] Hugo Saldana, 1954, student, Gelati, married Alfonso Medina, 1953, student, engineering, Mexico, single Chowang Renzi Sherpa, 22 Went to summit from C4 (7900m), Started at 7:00 am. Reached 40m below summit at 5 pm. Saldana went to top alone. Other 2 stayed 40m below (no reason given). Only Medina used oxygen. Saldana reached top, according to Sherpa; Medina did not go to top. Sherpa felt very cold and thought would be late to reach C4 and started down alone. Reached C4 at 7:00 pm. Waited at C4 for 2 days but 2 Mexicans did not turn up. On 7 May all climbers on mountain left for BC. From C3 (7150m) Lucio Cardenas, 1954, Mexico, took movies but summit cannot be seen from C3. By 13 May expedition will leave base camp. Mrs George Ritter - 24 April 80 Yalung Kang doctor very sick with pulmonary edema when Mrs Ritter left German Yalung Kang BC 12 April, she hopes he hasn't died (Mrs. Ritter's husband is on Herrligkoffer expedition). M Cheney - 24 April 80 Dr. Corona flew to KTM from Taplejung about 5 days ago. Stays in KTM until news of expedition's end received here. C2 had been made. Delgado & Casanova - 12 Feb 80 5 now in KTM, 5 more members arrive 18 Feb. 6 climbers, 1 Doctor 3 to BC only - principal of University sports University was 50 years old in 1979 First Mexican expedition to all Himalayas. Leave 22 Feb by bus to Dharan and then walking. Route = South Face, same as 1975 Austro-Germany. Leave Dharan 24 Feb and arrive BC about 17 days later. BC on Yalung Glacier 5400m. 4 or 5 camps above BC, highest camp at 7900m. 5 Sherpas and sirdar Nima Norbu = 6 Sherpas above BC. Use oxygen climbing above 7300m. Expedition of University of Mexico Himalayas 1980 to Kangchenjunga West.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Sherpa Cooperative Trekking (SCT)
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448054
Year 1980
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) se face

Members

13 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Manuel Andrade Rodriguez M 1944 Mexico Climber Tocumbo, Michoacon, Mexico University teacher (history) Details Other expeditions
Jaime Guillermo Arciniega Ceballos M 1955 Mexico Climber Mexico City, Mexico Physician Details Other expeditions
Alejandro Jose Cadaval Torres M 1942 Mexico Climber Chihuahua, Mexico Principal of university school of sports and physical ed Details Other expeditions
Lucio Cardenas Gonzalez M 1954 Mexico Climber Mexico City, Mexico University student (electronics engineering) Details Other expeditions
Jose Manuel Casanova Becena M 1947 Mexico Leader Mexico City, Mexico High school teacher of history and university instructor Details Other expeditions
Jose Felipe Corona Bautista M 1948 Mexico Exp Doctor Acambaro Guanajuato, Mexico Physician Details Other expeditions
Antonio Cortez Avila M 1946 Mexico Deputy Leader Mexico City, Mexico High school teacher of chemical engineering & mtn instructor Details Other expeditions
Hugo Delgado Granados M 1957 Mexico Climber Mexico City, Mexico University student (geological engineering) Details Other expeditions
Alfonso Medina Rubio M 1953 Mexico Climber Vera Cruz, Mexico University student (geological engineering) Details Other expeditions
Sergio Hugo Saldana Meneses M 1954 Mexico Climber Mexico City, Mexico University student (geological engineering) Details Other expeditions
Chowang Rinzi Sherpa M 1949 Nepal H-A Worker Namche Bazar, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Nima Norbu Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar - - Details Other expeditions
Mingma Tshering Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Pangboche, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
YALU80101 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. - - 55:244 (1981) -
YALU80101 MM - - - 74:14 (Jul 1980) -
YALU80101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198124401/Asia-Nepal-Yalungkang-Tragedy - - -