Asia, Nepal, Annapurna II

Publication Year: 1974.

Annapurna II. The members of the Sangaku Doshikai expedition were Yukio Takafu, Nobuyuki Ogawa, Katsuyuki Kondo, Nase Sakashita, Dr. Tashitaka Sakano and I as leader. We repeated the route done from the north in 1971 by Shinshu University. We ascended a tributary of the Marsyandi from Pisan. Base Camp was at 11,500 feet, Camps I to V at 14,500, 17,400, 20,675, 22,650 and 23,950 feet. The latter was between Annapurna II and IV. On May 6 a summit team of three set out. At midday, still nearly 2000 feet below the top, two stopped to prepare a bivouac while Kondo kept on. At five P.M. I ordered them to return but Kondo did not get the radio message. He reached the summit (26,041 feet) at 8:30 P.M. in bright moonlight, came back to the bivouac and returned the next day.

Yukio Shimamura, Japanese Alpine Club