Manaslu Women’s Expedition. The Japanese Women’s Manaslu Expedition was made up of Kyoko Sato, commander, Tsune Kuroishi, leader, Masko Uchida, Michiko Sekida, Mieko Mori, Masako Itakura, Mutsumi Natashima, Teiko Suzuki, Tomako Itoh, Shizu Harata, Naoko Kuribayashi and me, acting leader. The caravan started from Trisuri on February 14 and arrived on the 24th at Sama. We established Base Camp at 14,500 feet on March 3, Camp I at 17,000 feet on March 10 and Camp II at 19,700 feet on the east ridge on March 26. We decided to change the route to the east face on March 31. This was up the Manaslu Glacier, the route of the Japanese in 1956. We established the new Base Camp at 14,275 feet on April 5, Camp I at 17,400 feet on April 8, Camp II at 19,350 feet on April 11, Camp III at 21,325 feet on April 18 and Camp IV at 23,450 feet on April 28. On May 3 Uchida, Mori, the Sherpa Jangbu and I established Camp V at 25,100 feet; they had been supported by five Sherpas. On the 5th they attacked the summit and succeeded at 5:30 P.M. The next day the four came back down to Camp III. That same day Suzuki, who had been climbing up to Camp V, was lost at about six P.M. A search was made for her on May 6 and her ice-axe, rucksack and wind jacket were found between Camps IV and V but there was no sign of her. We guess she must have slipped from near Camp IV. All returned to Base Camp on May 8 and left there on the 13th.

Naoko Nakaseko, Japanese Alpine Club