Makalu | 1991 Makalu La-NW Ridge

A Japan expedition to Makalu in 1991 via Makalu La-NW Ridge, led by Hirotaka Imamura. Summit reached on 5th October 1991. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 614
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MAKA91305
Peak ID MAKA
Year 1991
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 Makalu La-NW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Hirotaka Imamura
Sponsor Bernina Alpine Club Makalu I Expedition 1991
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 38th,39th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1991-09-10
Summit Date 1991-10-05
Summit Time 1055
Summit Days 25
Total Days 35
Termination Date 1991-10-15
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8485
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
Summit Members 5
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 2
Summit Hired 1
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent True
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(10/09,5300m),C1(17/09,6000m),C2(23/09,6700m),C3(26/09,7400m),C4(04/10,7800m),Smt(05,07/10)
Route Notes BC at high BC (same as Swiss and Spaniards (Valles)) C3 at Makalu La. 1st summit attack 5th Oct by members and sirdar from C4 and reached top. Left C4 4:00 am and on summit 10:55 to 12:08. All down to C4 and 6th Oct. All 4 to BC. 2nd summit attack by other 3 Japanese and 1 Sherpa, Furu Gyalgen; Nozawai turned back at 8100m (tired) and Furu Gyalgen with him to help him down and reached C4 while Nagao and Ishizaka continued to top. Had left C4 3:30 am and on top over 12 hrs later because Nagao's crampon broken and waited for Nozawari to reach then at 8100m (which he did 11:00 am) and strong cold wind. In descent Nozawari and Ishizaka biv at 8200m after dark (6:30 to 7:00 pm perhaps): no biv gear with them but they dug snow cave. Next day they got to 8000m and here also biv because Ishizaka "very tired and not walking" (i.e., on easy route was slipping and sliding). 8th evening tried to get to C4 and Ishizaka in dark and now headlamps lost or dead batteries. Miss Nagao made cave here and called to Ishizaka to return to 8000m, he said OK but did not came up to her and at midnight when she called no one there. 9th 9:00 am she went down fixed rope and at 7900m found Ishizaka attached to rope dead. She reached C4 on 9th where there was no one. Imamura and Futamata reached C4 that afternoon from C1, contact on radio and meet at 7600m at 5:00 pm and all 3 down to C3 at 7:00 pm in dark. 10th Oct down to BC. Ishizaka body left stuck at 7900m. Miss Nagao very bad frostbitten fingers on both hands and toes on both feet; all fingers will have to be amputated at least at first joint and perhaps toes also; nose also frostbitten but will heal. Ang Dorje frostbitten at 1st biv; frostbite on 3 toes of right foot; frozen on attack day; did not use overboats: was given money to buy equipment and at C1 found his boots and overboots did not fit. 14th Oct helicopter brought Imanura, Nagao and Ang Dorje to KTM; 19th Oct other members will arrive Tumlingtar.
Accidents Death of Ishizaka; 2 serious frostbite
Achievement 2nd woman on top
Agency Cosmo Treks
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451516
Year 1991
Summit Success True
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) makalu la-nw ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Yuji Futamata M 1955 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Office worker, land-survey Details Other expeditions
Hirotaka Imamura M 1959 Japan Leader Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan Telephone linesman Details Other expeditions
Takumi Ishizaka M 1965 Japan Climber Sayama, Saitama, Japan Manager of fruit & vegetable shop Details Other expeditions
Taeko Nagao F 1956 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Does odd jobs (last job was factory worker) Details Other expeditions
Ayumi Nozawai M 1964 Japan Climber Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan Worker, noodle shop Details Other expeditions
Yuko Okada M 1957 Japan Climber Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan Construction company owner Details Other expeditions
Ang Dorje Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar Chheplung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Phurba Gyalgen (Furu Gyalgen) Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MAKA91305 AAJ Imamura, Hirotaka - - 66:193-195 (1992) -
MAKA91305 IWA - - - :215 (1992) -
MAKA91305 IWA - - - :50 (1992) -
MAKA91305 - Bernina Mountaineering Club Makalu 8463m The Club, Yokohama - jH169
MAKA91305 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199219302/Asia-Nepal-Makalu-Ascent-and-Tragedy - - -