Mount Logan, Japanese Ascent of Independence Ridge. The Mount Logan Expedition of the Japanese Defense Academy Alpine Club was led by Takashi Kawakami and consisted of Yoshihiro Wakaura, Den Shiga, Iwao Takami, Hajime Tanaka, Kazutoshi Hironaka, Hiroshi Osuga, Masayuki Nagata, Yoshio Tashiro and Dr. Hiroshi Kobyashi. The north side of Mount Logan was explored and successfully climbed by Independence Ridge for the first time by the Colorado party in July, 1964. (A.A.J., 1965, 14:2, pages 309-314.) There are three possible ridges. We first intended to try the comparatively big ridge which descends on the extreme right (west) from the north peak. Because of big ice blocks, lack of campsites and unstable snow, we did not try it, but decided to take Independence Ridge. On June 24 we moved Base Camp to the foot of it and by the 29th all members were assembled here. After climbing a 500-foot, 55° snow face, we went up the west side of Peak 1 and Peak 2 to the south side of the latter, traversing under cornices, until we reached the main ridge. There was avalanche danger up to here. Camp I was established right beneath Peak 3. The view over the Logan Glacier was splendid but the spear-like west peak of McArthur became a milder figure. From Camp I to Peak 3 was difficult because of an overhanging 65-foot ice wall. From there to Camp II, we trudged faithfully over the up-and-down waves of cornices. Peak 4 is a big wen-like peak with a mushroom cornice on the northwest. We climbed on the west slope and established Camp II on its top at 10,000 feet. Camp III was at 12,000 feet. The route between Camps II and IV was the most difficult part of the whole ridge. In the sun the iced surface turned to grain-like ice and ice pitons melted out. Without rest for 13 days from our new Base Camp, we established Camp IV at 13,750 feet on the top of the north ridge on July 19. The attack party, Wakaura, Osuga and Nagata, established Camp V by themselves on July 22 at 15,400 feet on the summit glacier. It stormed from July 19 to 27 but the first halves of the 22nd and 25th were unexpectedly stable. On July 25 the attack party left Camp V at one a.m. The route to the central peak goes up the gentle summit glacier, crossing crevasses and snow-bridges. They reached the west ridge of the central peak feeling a little altitude—headache, heavy feet and nausea—but they pushed forward and upward and at last stood on the very top at 5:30 P.M. The mist had begun to cover thickly from about 10:40 and there were clouds between 16,500 and 18,000 feet. On their descent they met terrible snowfall, but guided by their marker flags, they reached Camp V at eleven o’clock. On July 27, in fine weather, the evacuation began. The work was difficult and dangerous because of the snowfall and the change of route structures, fallen cornices, widened crevasses and icy snow. We all reached Base Camp at last without incident and felt relieved, realizing that glaciers are living things. From Base Camp we were flown by chartered plane to Kluane.

Takashi Kawakami, Japanese Defense Academy Alpine Club