Dhaulagiri I | 1977 SSW Face (btw S Pillar & S Ridge)

A Japan expedition to Dhaulagiri I in 1977 via SSW Face (btw S Pillar & S Ridge), led by Yoshito Tsukazaki, Minoru Takagi. Summit reached on 9th October 1977. 13 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2180
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID DHA177301
Peak ID DHA1
Year 1977
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SSW Face (btw S Pillar & S Ridge)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Yoshito Tsukazaki, Minoru Takagi
Sponsor Japanese Kansai Dhaulagiri I Expedition 1977
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 1977-08-19
Summit Date 1977-10-09
Summit Time -
Summit Days 51
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6550m due to route difficult and dangerous and exhaustion
High Point (m) 6550
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 13
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
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(19/08,3500m),C1(24/08,4400m),C2(27/08,4950m),C3(04/09,5300m),C4(17/09,5830m),C5(03/10,6250m),xxx(09/10,6550m)
Route Notes Correct route for 1977 autumn Japanese on Dhaulagiri I was: a spur on SSW Face between South Pillar and South Ridge (according to Yves Pollet-Villard and Jean Coudray, Nov 78). Jha - 4 Oct 77 Abandoned Sun 9 Oct after reaching 6550m well above C5. Leader and LO say reasons: 1) 1 member Ippommatsu injured in his face by falling rock about 1 week ago. 2) Most members very much exhausted. 3) West Face very steep and difficult and dangerous. Injured man helicoptered to KTM today. Sukazi Ippommatsu Miss Fukuhiro Ippommatsu received treatment in BC - could not walk, but not in hospital. Ranjan - 11 Oct 77 3 injured in hotel; broken bones in face and join leaves Sat with leader and girlfriend. Tsukazaki - 20 Sept 77 Tsukazaki, wife of Takagi and fiancee of Ippommatsu go to BC by helicopter in next one week. They have just arrived from Japan. Fiancee (Miss Noriko Fukuhiro) and Ippommatsu will be married in Buddhist ceremony at BC after climbing finished member. Mizuta, arrived from BC yesterday and is flying to Japan 25 Sept because wife just had baby. Mizuta reports expedition made C3 on 5 Sept at 5300m. Route is West Face. * oxygen taken but probably not used. 11 Oct 1977 Japanese Kansai Dhaulagiri Expedition on 9th Oct. Abandoned their attempt scale 8167m Himalaya giant by unclimbed west face following injuries to a member, Fumio Ippommatsu, and exhaustion of others on this extremely "steep" difficult and dangerous route. Ippommatsu, his fiancee Miss Noriko Hukuhiro and expedition leader and doctor Yoshito Tsukazi helicoptered from BC to KTM today. Reuters has learned Ippommatsu, who Ministry reports was struck by falling rock about 1 week ago, probably has broken bones in face and jaw, and he with fiancee and leader will leave here Saturday for Japan. Ippommatsu and Hukuhiro were to be married in Buddhist ceremony at base camp after climbing finished, but Reuters' source says wedding will now take place in Japan instead. Ministry said expedition reached maximum height of 6550m on West Face before giving up. Earlier Ministry report announced 5th high altitude camp had been pitched at 6250m 3 Oct more than 2 weeks after C4 placed at 5830m. Highest point of 6550m left 1600m vertical meters still to go on steep and difficult face with added danger from falling rock. Last spring noted North Tyrolian mountaineer Reinhold Messner, leading an expedition to Dhaulagiri I himself and defeated on South Face by dangerous avalanching, examined West Face as possible alternate route and made no attempt to climb after seeing its dangers. Dhaulagiri I expedition finally managed make 5th high altitude camp on extremely difficult West Face route they are pioneering. The basic information indicates they are moving very slowly but moving and require considerable more time and at least two more high camps before in position to make summit bid. But time is working is working against them: fiercely bitterly cold winds from Tibet can begin battering them andy day now, defeat the best of mountaineers.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449273
Year 1977
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) ssw face (btw s pillar & s ridge)

Members

13 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Toru Asami M 1944 Japan Exp Manager Himeji, Hyogo, Japan Staff member, Tsukazaki Hospital Details Other expeditions
Kyoji Hamamura M 1953 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Staff member, sports shop Kojitsu Sanso Co. Details Other expeditions
Fumio Ippommatsu M 1949 Japan Climber Kobe, Hyogo, Japan Salesman Details Other expeditions
Michihiro Matsui M 1949 Japan Climber Kakogawa, Osaka, Japan Staff member, Kojitsu Sanso sports shop Details Other expeditions
Masayuki Matsumoto M 1953 Japan Climber Osaka, Japan Staff member, 'an eating house', Takobune Details Other expeditions
Yoshinobu Mizuta M 1944 Japan Climber Kobe, Hyogo, Japan Staff member, sports shop Gaido No Koya Details Other expeditions
Yoshio Nabeshima M 1949 Japan Climber Himeji, Hyogo, Japan Member of chemical inspection staff of Seitetsu Labor Union Co. Details Other expeditions
Noboru Okamoto M 1947 Japan Climber Osaka, Japan Staff member, Japan Nankai Electric Railway Co., Osaka Details Other expeditions
Kenji Osaki M 1950 Japan Climber Setta, Osaka, Japan Staff member, Japan National Railways, Osaka Details Other expeditions
Mikio Otsu M 1948 Japan Climber Sakai, Osaka, Japan Staff member, sports shop Kenkousha Details Other expeditions
Minoru Takagi M 1946 Japan Climbing Leader Kobe, Hyogo, Japan Member of staff of Takagi and Co. Details Other expeditions
Michio Yashima M 1948 Japan Climber Himeji, Hyogo, Japan Electrical engineer (Mitsubishi Electric Co.) Details Other expeditions
Yoshito Tsukazaki M - Japan Leader - - Details Other expeditions

References

6 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
DHA177301 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. - - 52:596-598 (1978) -
DHA177301 MM - - - 59:12 (Jan 1978) -
DHA177301 MM Dyhrenfurth, G. O. & Dyhrenfurth, Norman Dhaulagiri - 63:30-36 (Sep 1978) -
DHA177301 IWA - - - 61:III (1978) -
DHA177301 IWA - - - 61:30-31 (1978) -
DHA177301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197859602/Asia-Nepal-Dhaulagiri-Southwest-Buttress-of-West-Face-Attempt - - -