원정 개요

South Side Camp Details:
BC at closest possible site to Icefall
C1 at top of Icefall
C2 at bottom of Lhotse Face in Cwm (normal site)
C3 on Lhotse Face right of Geneva Spur
C4 at South Col
C5 on SE Ridge (halfway South Col-South Summit).

BC(28/03,5350m),C1(04/04,6000m),ABC(11/04,6500m),C3(19/04,7300m),
C4(28/04,7986m),C5(04/05,8300m),Smt(05,10/05)

North Side Camp Details:

BC(06/03,5154m),C1(11/03,5500m),C2(12/03,6000m),ABC C3(17/03,6500m),
C4(01/04,7028m),C5(08/04,7790m),C6(02/05,8200m),C7(04/05,8680m),Smt(05/05)

South team had to hurry up to catch up with N side climbers because were 10 days late at BC due to transport problems to BC (after 29 March in almost daily walkie-talkie radio contact with north side). No mountaineering problems but communications problems among 3 nationalities who had "quite different" ideas especially "Chinese who had quite a bureaucratic inflexible attitude." Chinese were CMA staffers or TMA staff members, not army who had to obey orders from North BC or later when contact established by radio with Beijing, orders from Beijing of what they must do - where as most Japanese members paid some fees to join. Nepalese on salary from NMA but were quite familiar to Japanese. Tibetans could not speak frankly to others because "observers" were in BC who were Han Chinese and Han Chinese at BC could not differ with Beijing.

South side climbing not much snow, so had packed ice. Icefall very dry and stable - on summit climb 5 May, deep snow on ridge. 5 May summit group planned to be 2 traversing parties: Top Bahadur Khatri in 2nd group but miscalculated oxygen supply with not enough on South Col: 24 bottles were there Ok but 17 or 18 empty on 4 May when these 6 and 6 support members on Col or above, hoping all to go to top. 2 Chinese were to go so went, Ang Phurba followed them to C5 to 8300m on 4 May - not enough oxygen at 8300m for Kitamura to go with them, so he stayed at C4 and tried to go to top on 5th from C4 early morning in very strong wind. Khatri and Isona and supporting members including Sungdare did not try to go up because oxygen at Col only enough for one summiter from there. Kitamura reached South Summit at 3:00 pm; was told it too late for him to continue, leadership felt, and told Yamada to bring him down.

7 May Beijing said climb finished but young Japanese and some Nepalese climbers did not agree. 6 Nepalese went to South Col: Sungdare, Padam Bahadur Tamang, Ang Karma, Ang Rita (Thami), Narayan Shrestha and Hira Bahadur Rana - why all 6 did not reach summit Isono doesn't know. Nepalese defied end of climb decision and it was their country, but Japanese were not permitted to continue, much to their unhappiness.

South Chinese climbing leader stayed in North Col camp with Shigehiro at end of climbing period.

North side 3 stages of climb:

1) make camps and carry loads to N Col,
2) do same to C6 with loads but not occupy higher camps - then all down
to BC for rest,
3) complete climb

In 1st stages down to BC when bad weather came after C3 established. In 2nd stage C6 reached but not slept in for 1st time on 9th April. In 3rd stage C6 occupied and rest of climb completed. Did not at any time have to wait for south side climbers to make progress because south side route easier to climb and number of camps less and fact summit date fixed for 5 May. team led by Yamada who knew south route. 6 Yamada selected before leaving Japan so could descend without south side climbers to guide them down. Oxygen used in C5 sleeping, same members climbing above C5, all members sleeping in C6 and C8 and climbing above C7. From summit Yamada left about 10:30 am with Ang Lhakpa and Cerin Douji. Linert Yamada party at top and left 11:00 am. Lhakpa Sona and Yamoumoto left 12:30 pm. Camera crew reached top just few minutes before south side trio arrived and left at 1:00 pm. 2nd traverse team in C5 ready to go to top (had ferried oxygen and food and fuel to C6 on 6 May) when decision taken late night 6 May by Chinese leader (final decision taken 3:00 am 7 May Chinese time) so 2nd team to N Col 7 May. In 2nd team was Mitani who would have been his 4th ascent.

Japanese climbers very greatly disappointed by decision to call off climb. Assume decision taken to quit before anyone hurt. In each camp to and including C6 3-nations members lived in separate tents and ate own national foods at BC but above had basic Japanese food with Chinese and Nepalese Tsampa or yak meet to their own taste. All load carrying forced to be equal.

A body was found in a tent at 7500m on NE Ridge, north side climbers reported - was Westerner from clothing label, perhaps Spanish - definitely not Mallory.

Summiters arrived smt left smt

Yamada, Ang Lhakpa & Cerin Douji, traverse team 9:30 am NST 10:30 NST

* Li Zhixin } support team for traverse team 10:30 am NST 11:00
Lhakpa Sona 10:45 12:30
Yamamoto 11:00 12:30

Shoji Nakamura, Susumu 11:15 1:00 pm
Nakemura & Saegusa } television team

(Did not have special helmet with camera fixed to it - forgot it)

* support team were meant to carry 2 oxygen bottles each, one bottle
for own use and one for traverse team - but Li carried only one bottle
for himself - Chinese had to have a Han Chinese on summit.

Members on north side:
1. 14 Japanese, 14 climbers + 14 Nepalese high climbers - 42
2. Support climber - all Nepalese 12
3 Television men who climbed - all Japanese 15
4. Television men to Lha La camp - all Japanese 12
5. Television Sherpas - Nepalese 10
6. newspapers writers and photogs to N Col-Japanese 5
(woman to ABC only) ---
96
7. BC staff - leaders, 4 doctors (1 Chinese, 3 Japanese) 56
---
interpreters, cooks, drivers, radio operators 152

above BC - 46 Japanese
36 Nepal
14 Climbers
---
96

Members on South side:
1. 14 Japanese, 14 climbers + 14 Nepalese high climbers - 42
2. Icefall Sherpas - all Nepalese 20
3 Television men who climbed - all Japanese to S Col 4
4. Television Sherpas - Nepalese 0
6. newspapers writers and photogs to N Col-Japanese 4
(to ABC only) ---
96
7. BC staff - 3 leaders, 3 doctors, 3 Chinese jouralists
3 interpreters, 2 cooks, 5 kitchen boys,
2 radio operators & miscellaneous Nepalese 20-25
---
100-125



Isono - 27 Feb 88

Chinese 1960 and 1975: 500 members including 200 soldiers for party from BC - ABC (5000-6500m) and including BC staff doctors and communicators and journalists - climbing 150 total but above North Col 70 climbers only, 35 above 7600m - both years were military exercises: sports committees for military fitness.

1988 first time Chinese have chance to join another type of expedition, one organized purely for mountaineering. Most Japanese members are amateur and all paid to be on this expedition half or finances from or collected by members.

Chinese govt pays its members salaries and BC food and equipment and getting all to BC.

3 team leaders at each BC and climbing leader; 3 general leaders in Birjunj - these leaders must respect decison of climbing leaders.

Political problems can arise: climbing leaders feel weather conditions to bad for safe climbing and want to withdraw from mountain but general leaders in Beijing want climb to keep going. Isano hopes general leaders will listen to climbing leaders.


North side

3 stages of climb: 1st stage all baggage to ABC; 2nd made route to C3, C4 and C6 and then all members down to BC for rest 7-10 days (had originally planned to go down further then BC, to Xixabangma and Xegar but not enough time). From mid-March to mid-April, much strong wind and had to crawl above N col. After mid-April wind lessened. First summit team left ABC 30 Apr to C4, 4 May from C6 to C7 and slept there, 5 May to summit and down to S Col; stayed 2 hours on summit (9:25-11:30 am NST). Li Zhixin, support member carried oxygen only for himself but should have brought supply for summit-traverse party. Cerni Doji oxygen finished on summit and Yamada's at bottom of Hillary Step. Li was only other climber from North be on top while traverse team from N were there. Yanada and 2 met Da Cering, Ang Phurba and then Rinzen Pungcog at bottom of Hillary Step; Ang Lhakpa gave his new bottle of oxygen to Ang Phurba here because Ang Phurba's supply finished. So Yamada and 2 continued down to S Col without no oxygen and arrived S Col 3:30 pm; met Kitamura near South Summit (100m below) and he descended with Yamada to Col because leader said too late for him to continue. Yamada, Ang Lhakpa and Cerin Dorje to BC 6 May. Lang route from N side. Yamada and party 3 days above 8000m "but we used oxygen - not so hard." Used oxygen sleeping in C5 and C6 climbing above C6. Not difficult climb, just long route. Wants to do new route on SW Face in winter.