Labuche Kang. Labuche Kang lies between Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. The joint expedition of the Tibetan Mountaineering Association and the Himalayan Association of Japan was led by Cheng Tian Liang with deputy leader Ken’ichi Yamamori. There were nine members from each association. On September 16, we established Base Camp at 4500 meters near Langgoloz village. On the 20th we placed Advance Base 21 kilometers up the valley at 5300 meters. On September 28 we pitched Camp I on a snow plateau at 5600 meters. Camp II was established on October 6 at 6150 meters on the hanging glacier on the northwest face. We fixed 20 ropes to gain the west ridge. The blizzard from October 17 to 19 left heavy snow. Camp I was buried by a snow slide but no members were hurt. Camp III was placed on the west ridge on October 25. On October 26, Japanese Hidekatsu Furukawa, Keiichi Sudo, Osamu Tanabe and I and Tibetans Wanjia, Diaqiog, Gyala and Lhaji climbed to the summit (7367 meters, 24,170 feet), having fixed 14 more ropes. On October 27, Japanese Sadao Ogawa, Yasuhiro Hashimoto and Toshiya Takahashi and Tibetans Lhaba, Pupu, Akapu and Tonglu also got to the summit. Tonglu and Lhaji are ladies. Lhaji is only 17 years old.

Ataru Deuchi, Himalayan Association of Japan