This morning, rescuers found the bodies of Japanese climbers Hidesuke Taneishi, 40, and Tetsu Hashimoto, 25, on Gangapurna West (7,140m).
“Both bodies were found at around 6,300m on the south side of Gangapurna West,” the rescue team told The Tourism Times.
Hidesuke Taneishi (left) and Tetsu Hashimoto (right) with a support team member in Kathmandu earlier this week. Photo: Cosmo Adventure
The climbers were attempting the first ascent of the mountain and lost contact on October 15 at approximately 7,050m on their summit push.
Heli/drone search
A search and rescue team has been looking for the pair since October 19. Unfortunately, no one knew where they were on the mountain, or even if they were on the mountain at all. Therefore, the search started at Manang village, with no success.
The team included helicopter pilot Sobit Gauchan, high-altitude photographer and climber Manish Maharjan, and IFMGA mountain guide Pasang Rinzi Sherpa. The helicopter dropped Maharjan and Rinzi at 5,750m, and from there they used a drone to search the upper slopes. They scouted the northeast and southwest sides of the mountain, and finally found the remains of the Japanese climbers’ higher camp. Today, they found the bodies on the south side.
Background
Several teams have attempted Gangapurna West, located next to the Annapurna massif in Manang district, since it opened to foreign teams in 2014. However, none have summited. The mountain is also known as Asapurna or Lachenal Peak.
Team leader Hidesuke Taneishi was nominated for a Piolet d’Or last year after his first ascent of 6,652m Pholesobi Peak, also in Nepal, via a direct route up its vertiginous north face with Hiroki Yamamoto.
Hidesuke Taneishi on the summit of Pholesobi Peak. Photo: Hiroki Yamamoto
