Japanese Everest Attempt. A Japanese expedition failed to climb Everest. The leader, Haruyuki Endo, who had successfully scaled Everest in October 1983, came again to the mountain with the hope of getting Miss Takeo Nagao to the summit as the first woman atop Everest without the use of artificial oxygen. But no one got to the top this time. They climbed on the normal South Col route. When it was time for the final push, Takeo Nagao was ill and had to return to Camp III on the Lhotse Face. Endo, Tadanori Matsunaga and Pemba Tshering Sherpa managed to reach 8600 meters on May 10 before extremely cold winds finally drove them back. The four-person expedition had no strength left to mount another summit attempt.

Michael J. Cheney, Himalayan Club, and Elizabeth Hawley