Mountain: Kangchenjunga
Route: Northwest Face to North Ridge (variant)
Country: Nepal
Height: 8586 meters
Dates of Expedition: March-May, 1988
Overview of climb: I began thinking about this climb in 1984 after our near miss on Makalu's West Pillar. I knew then that leading this expedition would require numerous seasons of personal growth and problem solving skills that I did not possess at that time. Ultimately, we set our sights on Kangchenjunga's impressive North Ridge. We were an international team from four countries. In my mind was the fact that after years of attempts, no American had yet reached the summit of this huge and complex mountain. For a variety of reasons, this expedition was a major personal challenge.
Team Members: Howard Donner (American) Team Physician; Carlos Buhler (American) leader; Peter Habeler (Austrian); Martin Zabaleta (Spanish Basque); Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa, Sirdar; Dawa Nuru Sherpa; Ang Nima Sherpa; Sonam Tshering, cook; Nawang Karsang, mail runner; Badri Bahadur Thapa, Liason Officer.
Lasting Impression:
We managed to weave together a very diverse group of individuals into a team that worked exceptionally well together. This ascent was one of my best achievements, as a climber, and as a team leader. Though we barely made it off the mountain in one piece, our accomplishment speaks volumes about what a small group can do if the people are willing to put their individual differences aside. We accomplished the climb making the first ascent of the variant NW Face to N Ridge, according to E. Jurgalski's www.8000ers.com
