원정 개요

Carried loads to C4 site 6800m in mid-May and then all down to BC. 20th May attack party of Harada, Akao, Dorje and Mingma Tshering started up from BC to C1. Summit attack scheduled for 24 May, but attack party 22 May reached C3 and found 2 tents broken by heavy snow and gave up plan to make C4 because C3 tent was to be taken to C4. So now decided to make summit attack directly from C3 towards top, reached 7000m and turned back because route long with deep snow returned to C3 and slept there 23 May night.

24 May these 4 plus Iwanaga and 2 Sherpas (also in C3 23rd night) down from C3. At C2 7 men found no tent and one man was there; Ikari also not there. They dug in snow, found one tent where Ikari slept but he was not in it. Weather bad and 7 men down to C1 and to BC on 24th. 25th May Hirao, Miyashiro and 3 Sherpas to C2 and dug in snow. 2 again down to return to Kathmandu while others found 2nd tent and Ikari inside tent but nothing else. Think small avalanches hit Ikari in big tent at midnight and he escaped to small tent only to be crushed there. 4 down also to C1 and 26 May all up again and brought body to BC where Kanai determined death by suffocation. Body to be cremated 29 May.

Route not very difficult although same problems with icefall; ridge is very wide and had many avalanches with this spring's heavy snowfall.