Annapurna I | 2004 N Face (French route)

A Japan expedition to Annapurna I in 2004 via N Face (French route), led by Michio Sato. Summit reached on 10th October 2004. 6 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 4740
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN104301
Peak ID ANN1
Year 2004
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face (French route)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Michio Sato
Sponsor Aichi Mountaineering Association Annapurna I Expedition 2004
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2004-09-16
Summit Date 2004-10-10
Summit Time -
Summit Days 24
Total Days 29
Termination Date 2004-10-15
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 7300m due to Japanese deaths
High Point (m) 7300
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 3300
Total Members 4
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 6
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(16/09,4300m),ABC(23/09,4900m),C1(28/09,5300m),C2(06/10,6600m),xxx(10/10,7300m)
Route Notes BC at normal site ABC on North Face C1 on North Face C2 on North Face (below "sickle") High point at C3 site on North face left of "sickle". One weak from arrival at BC and ABC because snowfall 2-3 days and afraid of avalanche. Again snowfalling after occupying C1 and again waited for snow to stabilize. From C1 to C2 fixed 28 ropes (50m each) and few days snowfall and avalanche broke ropes and had to refix. 10 Oct from C1 led by Nazuka, Yamamoto, Sato and Nishimura last seen at 11:00. Now big ice block and broke loose from glacier on opt of "Sickle" at above 7000m and fell onto sloping snowfield and set off big avalanches with block sliding too. Avalanche killed Nizuka and Sato by taking them 500 vertical meters down mountain. Yamamoto and Nishimura reached their prone bodies at 12:30 pm and Yamamoto confirmed they were dead and both to ABC, but Yamamoto moved bodies out of avalanche area first. Yamamoto returned to ABC by helicopter on 18 Oct with 9 Sherpas to recover bodies reached them on 20th under 3 meters of snow and helicopter again to ABC 22 Oct to remove bodies and Sherpas and Yamamoto. Bodies cremated in KTM. The site for C3 at 7300m was reached by Dawa Sherpa and Ang Phuri Lama on 10 Oct. [Ed. Avalanche accident estimated about 6000m (between C1 and C2)]
Accidents Two avalanche deaths
Achievement -
Agency Cosmo Treks
Commercial Route False
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2458218
Year 2004
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face (french route)

Members

6 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Hideji Nazuka M 1954 Japan Climbing Leader Maebashi, Gunma, Japan Engineer Details Other expeditions
Hideki Nishimura M 1971 Japan Climber Nagoya, Japan Salesman Details Other expeditions
Michio Sato M 1961 Japan Leader Nagoya, Japan Car salesman Details Other expeditions
Toshio Yamamoto M 1974 Japan Climber Okazaki, Aichi, Japan Engineer Details Other expeditions
Dawa Chhiri (Dawa Tsiri) Sherpa M 1967 Nepal H-A Worker Kurima, Lokhim-9, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Ang Phuri Lama M 1948 Nepal H-A Worker Beni-3, Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN104301 CLIM - - - 12:68 (Feb 2006) -