Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. The Gakuyukai expedition was led by Masatoshi Yokota and composed of Satoshi Aoki, Nobuhiro Matsumiya, Masaaki Kitagawa and Katsuhiko Hojo. After establishing Base Camp on Lago Torre, they hoped in three months, January to March, 1969, to climb both Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy but bad weather defeated them on both peaks. The lower half of the first-ascent route of Cerro Torre of ten years ago is very unstable at present and offers no possible way. Bonatti’s Continental Icecap route seems possible only if the weather allows access to the start of the route. The Japanese tried the same route as Dougal Haston’s party of the year before, which was turned back 650 feet from the top. The Japanese had only four fine days in 90 and the result was the same as with the British. The last 650 feet are very difficult and will take many days. They attacked Fitz Roy by rush technique only four days before they had to leave. In one day they reached the col (Camp III of the French) via the great couloir behind the French route on the Torre side. But here they retreated too, because of the bad weather.

Ichiro Yoshizawa, Japanese Alpine Club and A.A.C.