원정 개요

Letter from Mahato Takahashi

Since my letter of May 10th was sent, the weather has been unstable, possibly due to some effect of premonsoon season.

East Camp 5 was established at 6600m on May 13th, but heavy snowfall prevented attack to East peak of Churen Himal until May 28th. On May 28th, K. Ideta and M. Kishi left Camp 5 to attack East peak summit, and they reached at the altitude of 7250m (summit 7351m) but the final snow ridge to summit is too narrow to climb in one day, and they returned back to Camp 5. On May 29th the weather was bad and they abandoned the attempt of second attack finally, considering the shortage of time and food and members physical conditions.

In West ridge party the route making is more difficult. West Camp 4 was established at 6350m (West Ridge) on May 16th; and C5 was established at 6600m on May 23rd by Y. Yoshioka, Ishizuka, M. Aruji and Gyaltsen.

The ridge is very narrow and steep and it consists of mix of rock and snow. Since then the attempt to extend the route to west peak summit had been continued until May 28th, but the highest altitude reached was 6900m.

On May 29th our final decision to abandon our climbing activities was made considering limit of food storage, members and Sherpa's physical conditions and arrival of monsoon. Although it is pity that we cannot reach at summits, we feel happy as we did our best and all members and Sherpas returned back to BC without any accident. We will leave BC on June 5th, and will go back to KTM before 20th of June.


Letter from Makato Takahasi - May 10

Since we have established Base Camp on April 8, Camp 1 or 3 were established on both east and west routes.

East Camp 3 was established on April 30 by Mr. K. Ideta and Ang Tendie, and its altitude is about 5700m. East Camp 3 is situated on the same as that of Shizuoka University party's camp 3.

Our east party consists of three members (K. Ideta, T. Watanabe and M. Kishii, one Sherpa (Ang Tendie) and two local porters (Pemba Norbu and Dawa Norbu).

Now they are going to establish Camp 4. The East party is originally supporting party to west party, but considering some delay in route making and carrying up foods and equipments in west party, the east party will probably attack East peak of Churen Himal first.

While the progress of the east party is as scheduled, the schedule of west party is several days delayed due to difficult route making, but Camp 3 was established on west ridge on May 5, and its altitude is 6150m. K. Kano, Y. Yoshioka, Y. Ishizuka, M. Aruji and Gyaltsen worked to make route to C3 and now they started route making C4. We are going to establish C4 and C5, and we will attack the summit late in May.


Letter from Makahota Takahashi - May 24, 1971

I would like to inform you some new progress in our expedition. East Camp 4 is established on May 10 and its altitude is 6300m. East party will start route making to Camp 5. I expect there is essentially no difficulty in this route. In west party, Camp 3 was established on May 5, as reported and now route making ot Camp 4 on west ridge was started about 2 days ago and some members arrived at the place of 6500m, but the position of Camp 4 is not yet decided.


Yashioka - Feb 20, 1971

Same route as Italian and down on east side.