Annapurna I Attempt. An expedition of the Japanese Alpine Club’s Shinano section was led by Shaigeki Tsukamoto and Yukahisa Asawa. The 11-man group was attempting a new northeast-buttress route and then switched to the British Army route of 1970. The first summit bid by a Japanese and a Sherpa failed some 150 feet below the top because of high winds and exhaustion. A second attempt likewise failed. On May 18 while descending after the expedition had been given up, Masonori Hama, Suwa Weikasha, Kazumi Katagiri, another Japanese and Sherpa Rinzi were swept to their deaths by an avalanche below Camp III (21,325 feet).

Michael Cheney, Himalayan Club