Manaslu | 1982 NE Face

A Japan expedition to Manaslu in 1982 via NE Face, led by Noboru Yamada. Summit reached on 18th December 1982. 10 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2069
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID MANA82401
Peak ID MANA
Year 1982
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 NE Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Noboru Yamada
Sponsor Himalayan Assoc of Japan Manaslu Expedition Winter 1982-1983
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 Trisuli Bazar->Buri Gandaki
Basecamp Date 1982-11-30
Summit Date 1982-12-18
Summit Time -
Summit Days 18
Total Days 22
Termination Date 1982-12-22
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 7700
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 1
Total Hired 4
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(30/11,4850m),C1(05/12,5900m),C2(11/12,6500m),C3(17/12,7150m),xxx(18/12,7700m)
Route Notes Kikuchi - 1 Jan 83 All Ministry of Tourism camp altitudes and dates correct. 12 Dec Tsunoda, Sakuma, Ishibashi, Akutsu and Aota reached 7400m making route 17 Dec - C3 made at 7150m only because no place above this for a higher camp - had planned to make C3 on 16th but 3 Sherpas unable to get there because high wind; on 17th no wind. C3 made by Tsunoda, Sakuma, Aota, Akutsu, Ishibashi and Shingo; Tsunoda, Sakuma and Aota stayed in the camp. 18 Dec - 4:00 am 3 left C3 for top; face was very good: from C3 to summit plateau in 4 hours to cover this 500m against very strong wind. Reached 7700m and the wind so strong could not stand up and were down on hands and knees. Arrived 7650m at 8:30 am and 7700m at 9:30 am and gave up and turned back 10:25 am. Sakuma slipped at 7550m, perhaps blown off feet. Not so steep section from 7300m to plateau and above 7400m no fixed ropes. Men descending not roped to each other. Sakuma fell 200m vertically down rock band. When friends reached him, he was dead. 19 Dec 2nd attack abandoned and this attack party reached body and he was buried in crevasse by these men. Oxygen used at final camp for sleeping but not carried in summit attempt. Yamada on 1st day of climbing above BC fell 20m in crevasse and not able to go above BC again, but walked out. No other accidents, no frostbite. 4 Sherpas above BC but not above 7000m "Everybody believed we have success," maybe 2nd attack party would have succeeded. All camps were tents - special tent ok but normal areas, all torn by wind. Lot of falling seracs on Manaslu; no camps hit but many such avalanches. Sharma, Tourism - 26 Dec 82 LO report: 17 Dec C3 - 7150m final camp 3 climbers 18 Dec: Takashi Sakuma, 1950, Yamato-shi, Kanagawa (Kangch 1981 summit) Fuji Tsunoda, 1952, Urawa-shi (Yalung Kang 1981 summit) Hiroshi Aota, 1958, Tokyo (Annapurna I 1981 summit) Started towards summit at 4:00 am from C3; 8:25 am reached 7650m, but because of high wind started descending to C3 at 7500m. Sakuma slipped 200m and injured head and died at 7300m. Kikuchi report of 20 Dec: Weather very fine every day, but -30 degrees C at C3 or colder and windy. Sakuma died at 7300m 18 Dec because slipping down ice face. After set up C2, made route up. 5 members reached 7400m making route and fixing rope to there on 13 Dec then rested. C3 made 17 Dec just below snow apron at 7150m and 3 members, Sakuma, Tsunoda and Aota stayed there for 1st summit attack next morning 18 Dec. They started to climb at 4:00 am to top. Weather was good but strong wind blowing. They went up snow apron and up to plateau near the pinnacle at 8:45 am they reached 7650m but could not walk even one step from there because of the strongest wind so they abandoned the climbing. 3 began descent to C3. Accident occurred suddenly when they reached 7500m on snow apron. There was the real ice face. Sakuma slipped down 200m on slope at 10:25 am 18 Dec. At once Tsunoda and Aota went down to meet Sakuma's body but could not recognize his face. His head hit the rock as he fell; body was buried near C3 on 19 Dec at 7200m by his friends, Nobuhiro Shingo, Makoto Ishibashi and Kazunari Murakami. We stopped climbing activity after this accident. Caravan starts 22 Dec for KTM. Kikuchi & Yamada - 10 Nov 82 Others arrive 11th Nov; leave 15 Nov by bus to Trisuli Bazaar Route = NE Face (normal route) Arrive BC end Nov 28 or 29th; hope make BC higher than previous ones, maybe 4800m. 3 camps above BC, tents but maybe inside crevasses C3 7200m, from there maybe semi-alpine-style All 10 members have experience over 8000m including Kikuchi who stays at BC all time and including cameraman. 2 Sherpas above BC for cameraman. 5 oxygen bottles only, for medical use and if jet stream requires for climb summit before Xmas. Kikuchi - 18 Oct 82 Total 9 members; others arrive end Oct/early Nov and leave KTM 10-12 Nov. route = NE Face (normal route) No Sherpas on climb No oxygen Leader: Noboru Yamada, 33, who has climbed Dhaulagiri I, 21/10/78 and Kangchenjunga, 9/5/81
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2448519
Year 1982
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) ne face

Members

10 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Etsuo Akutsu M 1938 Japan Climber Asaka, Saitama, Japan Cameraman Details Other expeditions
Hiroshi Aota M 1958 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Student of social sciences, Hosei University Details Other expeditions
Makoto Ishibashi M 1952 Japan Climber Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan Factory worker Details Other expeditions
Kaoru Kikuchi M 1946 Japan BC Manager Sanuma, Miyagi, Japan Mountaineering expedition specialist Details Other expeditions
Masahiro Morita M 1957 Japan Climber Kasakake, Gunma, Japan Worker in motorcar factory Details Other expeditions
Kazunari Murakami M 1955 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Installs plumbing and air-conditioning systems Details Other expeditions
Takashi Sakuma M 1950 Japan Climber Yamato, Kanagawa, Japan Worker in motorcar factory Details Other expeditions
Nobuhiro Shingo M 1943 Japan Climber Saga-shi, Saga, Japan Wine shop manager Details Other expeditions
Fuji Tsunoda M 1952 Japan Climber Urawa, Saitama, Japan Staff member, book-publishing company Details Other expeditions
Noboru Yamada M 1950 Japan Leader Numata, Gunma, Japan Farmer & alpinist Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
MANA82401 AAJ - - - 57:237 (1983) -
MANA82401 IWA - - - 105:201 (1984) -
MANA82401 IWA - - - 105:41 (1984) -
MANA82401 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198323702/Asia-Nepal-Manaslu-Tragedy - - -