원정 개요

SW Face:
C3B - 18 Sept 7000m
C4B - 26 Sept 7500m
C5B - 07 Oct 8000m
Highest point - 26 Oct 8380m

SE Ridge:
C3A - 18 Oct 7450m
C4A - 25 Oct 8000m
Highest point - 26 Oct Smt

SE Ridge: Biv at 8600m just below South Summit, reached 8 pm (on descent); 4:30 pm at summit.

Both were behind by no oxygen, finished at arrival on summit; no liquid, no food.

Kato all toes frostbitten but will recover, but will lose little of right finger; Ishigawa no frostbite.

Highest C4 on South Col


Ranjan Bhattacharya - 21 Oct 71

Japanese paper says Rock Climbing Club received permission to climb Everest, but Japanese Mountain Council cancelled recommendation because in their party, leader Okuyama and another member Furukawa were professional climbers of Japanese Mt Association; so because professional climbers recommendation withdrawn. Will give their recommendation to Takahashi
meeting held Sept 27th.

Aattori to be member of RCC team; returns ex-Lukla 29 Oct. He brought half of royalty; he says team doesn't care whether do or don't have JMC backing.


Yuasa - 3 Nov 73

8300m on SW Face; 2 climbers: Morita and Shigehiro.

26 Oct no camp made; then to point back to support South Col on 26 Oct; they could have gone higher, no more progress on face because of support. If had 5-7 days from 1st Oct could have reached top by face, but 24 days bad weather with avalanches, snow, strong wind.

2 summiters: Ishiguro at BC and Kato at Syangboche; toes frostbitten but Ok.


Bonington, Everest SW Face

"Right cocktail of planning, timing, determination, weather conditions and a dash of luck" = success on SW Face of Everest.

"This does not mean that the face is impossible in the autumn. Given the night trick of circumstances, a few days of freakish, wind less weather at the night time, a party could climb the SW Face of Everest at this time of year."


ND Shrestha, MFA - 23 Oct 73

C4 and C5 slightly damaged due to bad weather. Oct 16 same members set up to repair damage camps C4 and C5; also on 16 Oct some members sent to scale by normal SE Ridge route as well to put C3 on Lhotse face and C4 on Col.

Mr Yuasa, exec leader

Made all arrangements to scale Everest by end of Oct.
Since Oct 16 weather had been good.


Pandey, MFA - 16 Oct 73

Sherpa killed 12 Oct.

2 members and 4 Sherpas had gone to C3 (7000m) from C2 (6700m) carrying loads; on the way, fresh avalanche; 1 Sherpa, Zangbu of Namche lost life.


Hashimoto - 14 Oct

3 days at base camp and left yesterday.
Tomorrow return to Tokyo

Some members reached above 8000m but not yet completed top part so camp not yet established. Site for C6 has been reached. Lost couple of days bad weather snow and so ordered members down and reassesing tactics.

Wind not jet stream but spotty; this am from helicopter saw lot of snow danger to Pheriche.

Decision to be made today about route and on this decision depends whether will originally through route to left would be easier; snowfall changed this; have lot of snow on SW Face.

Going down to adv base camp with recent bad weather; supposed all in higher camps by now at ABC.

No names, team effort.
All members well, no accidents.

Summit in 10 days but depends on weather visiting base camp and because very appreciative of British who selected its site but so many expeditions have visited base that there is a lot of trash now.

Via mountain route difficulty in suppport but its possibility of descent via SE Ridge.


Michio Yuasa - 9 Aug 73

(Yuasa flying to Lukla) "Right side of route of snow face could be easier to climb Everest."

2 camps above 8000m. Summit assault 3rd week Oct. Total camps 7 or 8.

Haston, MacInnes and Scott asked if they could join Japanese, but not accepted because of communications difficulties.