Peak 29 | 1978 SW Face

A Japan expedition to Peak 29 in 1978 via SW Face, led by Fumio Tanaka. Summit reached on 11th September 1978. 12 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2145
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID PK2978301
Peak ID PK29
Year 1978
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Fumio Tanaka
Sponsor Tsuragi Mountaineer Associate Peak 29 South West Wall Exped 1978
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 Dumre->BC
Basecamp Date 1978-08-19
Summit Date 1978-09-11
Summit Time -
Summit Days 23
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 6
Termination Notes Abandoned at 5940m due to fatal avalanche
High Point (m) 5940
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 10
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 3
Total Hired 7
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(19/08,3950m),C1(27/08,4620m),C2(03/09,5240m),C3(10/09,5640m),xxx(11/09,5940m)
Route Notes Tsuyama & Kamimuro - 22 Sept 78 Tsuyama and 1 Sherpa arive KTM today. Avalanche from West Wall and C2 on SW Wall struck by blast of air pressure. Hisaji Banmi and Takahashi were on West Wall setting up to lift loads from 200m above C2 on West wall to C3 at 5640m. Were at about same altitude as C2. They were hit by blast and Banmi fell 20m into crevasse and Takahashi not found (maybe deeper in crevasse). Tanaka in C2, Ushigawa 1 meter from him. Ushizawa fell below C2 100m. Tanaka also fell about 20m but luckily stopped just in front of another crevasse. Penuri and Kayamori were inside C2 tent out of tent. Penuri also blown out of tent fell 20m through tent. 2 hours before very steep rock. Kayamori in far end of tent and not moved. Tent into 2 pieces. 1 member and 1 Sherpa were in C3. Tanako called men down from C3 and up from C1. Those up from C1 found one body on way up. Highest point by Misano, Pemba and Banmi on 11 Sept 300m above C3 and said route above very easy. No other accidents and success seemed sure. 4 yrs ago took 2 months BC->C3. Others arrive maybe 10 Oct. Wing in BC for instruction regarding bodies. Parents were not in Japan. Tsuyama left BC 17 Sept and still looking for Takahashi body, then very tired. Tanaka & Miss Kamimure - 31 July 78 Peak 29 - South Peak 7514m Tanaka was member of 1974 expedition to SW Wall. Present expedition same route (not West Face - that was not correct). Sherpas and baggage leave 1 August, 150 loads Members leave 2 Aug by bus to Dumre 3 Aug advance party leave Dumre 5 Aug main party leave Dumre BC established 16-17 Aug at 4150m (1974 expedition's C1) on Tulagi Glacier. 6 high camps. C6 7300 on shoulder of South Peak. Climbing South Peak 7514m only. 2000m from South Peak to Main Peak. Want to climb South Wall, that is the important thing. This route is between West Face and South Face and is broken route following ice (staying off rock). In spring 1974 reached only C3's 5800m because of falling stone; in autumn (now) is colder and expect much less stonefall). No other expedition except 1974 has been on route expedition will follow 1700 = height of wall (from C3's 5800m = ABC to South Peak) Last time 1974 C4 at 5400m, will this time be C2 Summit 10-16 Oct Oxygen only medical (only 4 bottles) 7 Sherpas including sirdar Penuri Sherpa Hawley Reuter's Report They had climbed from BC 3950m to C3 5640m in less than a month in contrast to a Japanese attempt four years ago which spent two months to cover this distance. And on 11 Sept, two members, Hisaji Banmi, of Showa plus a Sherpa, climbed 300 meters above C3 and reported that the rest of the route to their goal, the South Summit of Peak 29, appeared to be very easy. So by 14 Sept, the most difficult part of the climbing seemed over, and a team of men were engaged in setting up a winch to hoist loads of supplies into C3. Then at 11:00 am that day, an avalanche went hurling down the west wall of their mountain. Avalanches wreck havoc not only with the force and volume of their mass of snow, but also with tremendous air pressures that they create, and it was the blast from this avalanche, not the mass of the avalanche itself, that killed Banmi and two other Japanese, Yoshibumi Takahashi, 24 of Yokosuka city, Kanagawa prefecture, and Mamoru Ushizawa, 31, of Tokyo.
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2447091
Year 1978
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw face

Members

12 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Hisaji Banmi M 1948 Japan Climber Showa, Fukushima, Japan Employee of Tokyoheiban Co., photo printers Details Other expeditions
Keiko Endo F 1947 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Nurse in National Second Hospital Details Other expeditions
Kazuo Mayamori M 1952 Japan Climber Minami-Akita, Akita, Japan Mechanical engineer Details Other expeditions
Tomiko Kuribayashi F 1948 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Office worker in printing-machinery sales company, Kikusui Details Other expeditions
Hisayoshi Misono M 1949 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Technical expert in Tepposu Clinic Details Other expeditions
Minosuke Shiraishi M 1941 Japan Deputy Leader Omiya, Saitama, Japan Machine engineer (Dainipponinsatsu Co.) Details Other expeditions
Yoshibumi Takahashi M 1953 Japan Climber Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan Engineer in engine-development department of Nissan Motorcar Co. Details Other expeditions
Fumio Tanaka M 1946 Japan Leader Yokohama, Japan Electrical cartographic engineer (Fuji Kenchikusetsubi Co.) Details Other expeditions
Takayoshi Tsuyama M 1953 Japan Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Mamoru Ushizawa M 1947 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Worker in laundry, Bunka High Cleaner Details Other expeditions
Penuri Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar - - Details Other expeditions
Pemba Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
PK2978301 AAJ - - - 53:272 (1979) -
PK2978301 IWA - - - 67:145 (1979) -
PK2978301 IWA - - - 67:43-44 (1979) -
PK2978301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197927202/Asia-Nepal-Peak-29 - - -