Annapurna IV. The post-monsoon Japanese expedition in 1953, under the leadership of T. Imanishi, came close to reaching the top of its 24,688-foot objective. The route up the south face they felt impracticable for porters; so on October 10th they turned their efforts to the north face. They reached base camp at 14,750 feet on October 16th and placed camps at 16,400, 19,000, 20,350, 22,300, and 23,600 feet. On November 3rd, Imanishi, Fujihiri, and Sherpa Da Namgyal were stormbound at Camp 5 but ready for a bid for the summit. When their tent gave way on the morning of the 4th, they had to retreat.