원정 개요

Naomi Uemura - 20 Jan 80

Uemura has never made an attempt to climb Dhaulagiri I. Did a recce around Dhaulagiri for Meiji Univ in 1974, but his last high-altitude climbing on any peak in Himalayas was 1971 Everest.


Letter April 12, 1977
From Ad Carter to E. Hawley

I have not heard directly from you but I have from both Mike Cheney and Al Read. The mystery expedition seems not to have been led by Naomi Uemura as the enclosed Xerox of a letter from Ichiro Yoshizawa would indicate.

I cannot believe that the expedition actually took place. Andy Harvard, Elliott Fisher and I had David Pendergast to dinner a couple of weeks ago and questioned him on it. He said that he had been on a trek in the region, but definitely not on the mountain and not on a joint-Japanese-American venture. He gave all of us the impression that he is shooting straight and not hiding anything. He stated quite flatly that he did not take part in any such expedition. He is the son of a good friend of ours and I cannot imagine that he is lying. As for reported death, there were three Americans and Mexicans killed on Dunagari in Garhwal. I wonder if that is not what it amounts to.

PS: Andy Harvard was here for supper last night. He does not see how this expedition could have taken place.


Makalu expedition member, Peter Quesada - 16 March 77

Pendergast met Uemura on McKinley couple years ago. Uemura in charge: 6 Japanese and 2 Americans including Pendergast. Japanese founded it.

Left KTM 10 Oct and Pendergast left afterwards with 2 air drops, 1 on French Pass. Went from air drop to air drop to top via NE Ridge. Result was 2 people killed in icefall and 4 reached top including Pendergast. Not only 3 weeks this Pendergast told Quesada in USA in Dec-Jan. Didn't discuss authorization (didn't know unauthorized, but wouldn't concern him).

Uemura had lot of equipment in KTM from previous visits. Members stayed in different hotels in KTM.


25 Jan 77

Climber Pritchard and Naomi Uemura climbed Dhaulagiri I Oct 1976, Adams Carter wrote Mike Cheney, but route not mentioned. Cheney gathers expedition was mainly Japanese.

Pritchard was member of Japanese expedition to Putha Hiunchuli Autumn 1972.