North America, Canada, Yukon Territory, Mount Vancouver, North Buttress, 1975

Publication Year: 1977.

Mount Vancouver, North Buttress, 1975. (We now have details which were lacking last year.—Editor) The Hachi Expedition was composed of Norishige Seki, Miss Shizuko Inazawa, Yasuo Tagen, Kohichi Sano, Kenji Okada, Hiroshi Nunobiki and me as leader. We were flown on May 30, 1975 by helicopter to 5400 feet on the Hubbard Glacier, north of Mount Vancouver, to attempt the unclimbed north buttress. The more easterly fork was reconnoitered but the western fork on the right was better. We placed Camp I at 7150 feet at the foot of the ridge. After considerable route-finding, we climbed past crevasses and ice walls, which required artificial climbing. On June 5 we placed Camp II at 9350 feet. On the 6th we climbed around crevasses and up ice walls artificially and along the corniced ridge to place Camp III at 10,900 feet. On June 7 four members climbed to the summit, first passing small crevasses in the snowfield and finally climbing a 150-foot ice wall and a 650-foot snow wall. On June 8 the other four members climbed to the top.

Tateki Nakamoto, Japanese Alpine Club