원정 개요

C1 at top of Icefall
C2 in Cwm
C3 at start of Lhotse Face
C4 on Lhotse Face
C5 on Lhotse Face
High poin at SW Face.

Started on icefall 16th: icefall very bad condition, seracs falling daily and had to make route everyday (had 4 icefall Sherpas). 3 Sherpas to C5 - no snow in Icefall or Cwm; only 1-2 cm snowfall - only hard ice. C2 made quickly after C1 because Koreans made route C1->C3 - snow cover. 21st Dec 2 members reached C4 site but very strong wind and tent poles broken when tried to pitch tent. After C5 attempt all down to BC for rest, then up again 1 Jan after strong winds abated. Every tent broken, sound of jet plane, tents lifted up, very difficult to stand when winds very strong, even sometimes at BC - and C2 10 tents, C3 2 tents, C4 1 tent, C1 4 tents, BC many tents; at BC 2 tents broken, C2 broken and 8 poles bent, C3 2 broken, C4 1 tent broken. 8th Jan C5 pitched by 2 members but 9th strong wind and down to C2. 15th Jan again 1 to C5 2 members but again down to C1 next day because of winds. By now 10 members and 10 Sherpas had reached C5 (3 Sherpas to C5 made 10 carries). 16 and 17th Jan all members to BC and rest and waiting for better weather. 25th Jan up again and 29th Jan 5 members tried to reach C5, 2 members got there but they also back to C4 on 6th Feb, but 7th Feb back to C2 because wind and because snow fall. After 2 days waiting at C2, decided to give up: no more oxygen in C5 and Sherpas not willing to carry loads of oxygen up to C5. If they would support members, we would have tried to make route above C5 to attack summit. Sherpas no longer keen to climb.

Took 82 oxygen cylinders - 14 tons cargo to Lukla.

Rope fixed - in icefall Japanese and Koreans fixed half and half.
C2-C3 bottom face above - 500m
C3-C4 - 1200m
C4-C5 - 1100m
_______
2800m

Before expedition Yagihara had 3 fears: cold, wind, falling stones but only wind was problem - not so much cold, not so much stone.