Japanese Expedition Pulls Out
April 22, 1997
By Liesl Clark
The Japanese Noevir Everest Expedition has canceled their climb on Everest and
are packing up to leave Base Camp. Noevir is a cosmetic company from Japan
whose executives had set their sights on climbing Mt. Everest this year. Many
helicopter loads of employees wearing oxygen masks have been heli-lifted
briefly into Base Camp to have their pictures taken with a Noevir company
banner. The helicopter landing pad, which was built of stone from the Khumbu
Glacier by both the Japanese and Canadian Expeditions, will be used for any
future helicopter rescues from Base Camp.
According to unconfirmed reports, the climb was canceled because the expedition
leader became ill. In addition to the helicopter visits to Base Camp, the
Noevir Expedition had chartered daily turbo twin engine Beechcraft flights
capable of flying at high altitudes. The purpose of these flights was to gauge
weather conditions aloft from three different elevations around Everest. A
member of another expedition reported that the Beechcraft registered -47 degree
Fahrenheit temperatures at the same elevation as the summit of Everest and that
this was also a contributing factor to the cancellation of the Noevir
Expedition.
To date, members of all other expeditions on Everest's traditional South Col
route are proceeding up the mountain, sleeping at the various high camps as
part of the critical acclimatization process. David Breashears, Pete Athans
and Jangbu Sherpa of the NOVA team left Base Camp on Sunday. Over the next six
days they will be making their way toward Camp III, and will then return to
Base Camp to prepare for their bid for the summit.