Tawoche | 1985 SE Face-SE Ridge-N Face

A Japan expedition to Tawoche in 1985 via SE Face-SE Ridge-N Face, led by Naoe Sakashita. Summit reached on 24th April 1985. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 177
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID TAWO85101
Peak ID TAWO
Year 1985
Season 1
Host Country 1
Route 1 SE Face-SE Ridge-N Face
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Japan
Leaders Naoe Sakashita
Sponsor Sangaku Doshikai Khumbu Himal Expedition 1985
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 4th
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Lukla->Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1985-04-17
Summit Date 1985-04-24
Summit Time 1220
Summit Days 7
Total Days 23
Termination Date 1985-05-10
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6495
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 4
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Cholatse (CHOL-851-01) and Ama Dablam (AMAD-851-02)
Campsites BC(17/04),Biv1(18/04,5800m),Biv2(23/04,6000m),Smt(24/04),Biv3(24/04,5800m)
Route Notes Deposit biv near lake just north of point 5305m west of BC at Pheriche Biv 1 on SE Face (loose rock face) Biv 2 on SE Ridge (left horizon ridge on Seigneur) Biv 3 on N Face in descent. The seven-man Sangaku Doshikai party of Tokyo, led by Naoe Sakashita, climbed three 6000ers in the Khumbu Himal in alpine-style pushes. They were: the South Ridge of Cholatse, the SE Face of Tawoche, the West Face and the SW Ridge of Ama Dablam. 1st summit push on 19 April reached 6000m on SE Ridge but (at 2:00 pm) white-out enveloped them and turned back to 5800m bivouac. They descended mountain because teammate Shibuya ill on Cholatse and went to Cholatse [to assist]. Returned to depot 22 April and on 23rd same 4 members started up again and reached 6000m point on ridge. 24th started up at 7:30 am and at 12:20 pm on top via SE Ridge. Face of snow and ice of 60 degrees including a small very steep ridge on North Face which went out to avoid cornices on south side. Used rope on this ridge traverse at 5800m and on 25th back at Pheriche. All leave KTM 3 April by air to Lukla and arrive Pheriche BC in 4 days on afternoon 6 April. Arrive Mingbo BC 22 or 23 April. (only 2 hours ex-Pheriche) 5 leave Mingbo BC 29 April, arrive Cho Oyu BC near Gyazumpa on May 2 and spend 2 weeks on Cho Oyu 5 climbers return KTM 1 May 2 climbers return KTM 20-23 May 2 stay at Tankaku's house. Sakashita - 2 April 85 Ishibashi leads 1 team to Cholatse while Sakashita others to Tawoche; after there finished, exchange mountains take about 3 weeks for this. Then all 7 move to Mingbo to Ama Dablam West Face. If we pass through in just 1-2 days will be Ok. During recce last year I never saw avalanches; looks risky but somehow stable I think. Hillary party stayed on that route 10 days, but Japanese will have acclimatized on other 2 mountains and Ama Dablam will be so difficult for us. Will not use fix rope; hope for very fast alpine style climb with no ropes (only climbing rope) no tents (3 biv sacks) An entire climb of 4 mountains; no Sherpas, no oxygen at all, also on all 4 mountains. Cho Oyu: only Ishibashi and Sakashita (others go home after Ama Dablam). SE Face Australian route or Polish South Pillar. "I pray to the god to find easy safe route. We are Buddhists like Nepali and Tibetans so maybe the god will find us route." Cholatse: first try North Face but with little time, if route very hard, will change to US or Swiss route; depends on condition of route (whether enough snow or ice on face in spring as autumn best season to climb North Face). BC at Pheriche with LO and kitchen boy there (no sirdar on expedition). Tawoche: first look at North Face;if not possible, maybe go for route on SE Face or last year's US-Sakashita route on this face.
Accidents None
Achievement 1st Japanese ascent
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2449740
Year 1985
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) se face-se ridge-n face

Members

7 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Kazuhiro Onomura M 1958 Japan Climber Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan Electronics engineer Details Other expeditions
Naoe Sakashita M 1947 Japan Leader Tokyo, Japan Distributor of climbing equipment Details Other expeditions
Haruo Toyoda M 1958 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Unemployed Details Other expeditions
Kazuo Yagi M 1963 Japan Climber Yotsukaido, Chiba, Japan Student in university, geography Details Other expeditions
Masayuki Ariake M 1957 Japan Climber (Cholatse) Tokyo, Japan Window washer of tall buildings Details Other expeditions
Makoto Ishibashi M 1952 Japan Climber (Cholatse) Yokohama, Japan Engineer, construction Details Other expeditions
Hideaki Shibuya M 1963 Japan Climber (Cholatse) Tokyo, Japan Worker, plastics factory Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
TAWO85101 AAJ Cheney, Michael J. & Hawley, Elizabeth - - 60:220-221 (1986) -
TAWO85101 HIGH - - - 138:8-9 (May 1994) -
TAWO85101 IWA - - - :45 (1986) -
TAWO85101 MM - - - 105:11 (Sep 1985) -
TAWO85101 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198622003/Iowa-Mountaineers - - -