Dhaulagiri V. The success of the Okayama University Expedition was not just a lucky hit but the result of careful planning. In the 1974 pre-monsoon period three members of our expedition reconnoitered the mountain. We were able to get valuable information from two preceding Japanese expeditions. The expedition members were Eiichi Umeki, leader, Shiro Sadakane, Ken Ishihara, Genzaburo Yamasaki, Hideo Ogura, Shigeo Aoki, Hiroshi Hiratsuka, Masaru Kono, Masaaki Morioka, Norikazu Ichikawa, Haruhisa Kuroda, Hiromichi Mizohata, Dr. Yasuhiro Yumoto and I. We left Pokhara on February 16 with 230 porters and reached Temporary Base Camp on March 1 on the right side of the Myagdi Khola at 11,800 feet. After making an intermediate camp at 14,450 feet, we established Base Camp on March 14 on the Tsorabon Glacier at 16,000 feet. We made Camp I on March 22 at 17,700 feet and Camp II on April 3 at 17,350 feet on the southeast face. We fixed rope on the 50° snow and ice from Camp II to the White Peak on the end of the south ridge and up much of the narrow, icy south ridge. We placed Camp III at 21,000 feet on the south ridge on April 20 and Camp IV at 22,950 feet on April 26. On May 1 Morioka and Sherpa Pemba Tsering reached the summit.

Kenji Kawaguchi, Japanese Alpine Club