Alaska, Mt. McKinley. A Japanese party of nine climbers, Yukio Mir- mura (30), Mamoru Oyoshi (28), Ryomei Asao (28), Masahiko Fukuhan (27), Hideaki Yoshinari (25), Kazuo Yoneda (25), Yasuo Okino (24), Muneshige Noda (24), and Shinichi Hara (24), was climbing the West Extension of the South Face of Mt. McKinley. They started their ascent on May 22. Footgear for most of them was single boots with overhoots. They had several pair of wool gloves and nylon shells with them. The ascent was slow but steady and by June 13 all had reached the 13,000-foot level on the West Extension. On the 15th, four members of the party reached the 17,000-foot level, where frostbite became a problem. From there until the party’s return to the plane pick-up site a constant warming and refreezing occurred. By the time the party had reached the 13,000 foot level, the boots of those who wore single boots had become wet and stayed wet.

On the 15th of June, Mirmura and Yoshinari climbed to 20,000 feet and were caught in a violent storm that kept them pinned down overnight. They developed third-degree frostbite of feet and hands. On the 16th they tried to go on but gave up and started down. On the 17th Asao and Noda came up to below 20,000 feet, met Mirmura and Yoshinari and assisted them down. On the 18th of June, Oyoshi and Hara came up from the 13,000 foot level to help the injured men down. The 19th, 20th, and 21st of June seven men took turns to carry the two down, sometimes on their backs. Don Sheldon evacuated the two late the afternoon of June 21st to Anchorage, where they received care from Dr. William Mills, orthopedist and frostbite expert.

Source: Grace Hoeman.

Analysis: The two injured climbers said that it was awful and that conditions were much worse than they had anticipated. Obviously insufficient footgear was the main culprit. In the past, equipment checkups took place and those who tried to climb the mountain without double boots or Korean boots were turned down.