Asia, Nepal, Himalayas, Manaslu

Publication Year: 1955.

Manaslu. Fourteen Japanese climbers returned in high hopes to Manaslu but at Sama at the foot of the mountain in early April, 1954, they faced the hostile inhabitants of the valley and their lamas who refused them permission to continue. They declared that the Japanese had violated that holy mountain the year before and the local people were being punished by misfortunes, An avalanche had destroyed a lamasery, killing three lamas; typhus had struck; a smallpox epidemic had already killed 13 of the villagers; drought was destroying crops. The Japanese had no choice but to change their objective. Himal- chuli (25,801 feet) was ruled out as too difficult. They turned to Ganesh Himal (24,299 feet), where they failed to find a practicable route.