One Japanese climber dies, another injures ascending peak in Ghanche

ISLAMABAD: Japanese climber and accomplished mountain guide Shinji Tamura lost his life while his partner Takayasu Semba was injured during an attempt to ascend an unnamed 6,800-meter peak in the Ghanche district of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The duo was undertaking the challenging first ascent in alpine-style in the Kande Valley of the Ghanche. The incident occurred on August 11 during their climb and Tamura disappeared as a result, while Semba sustained injuries.

Ghanche Deputy Commissioner Umer Vaqar told Dawn that the accident occurred when the Japanese climbers slipped from their rope, resulting in a fall from an altitude of 5,300 meters. Both climbers were injured, with Tamura sustaining severe injuries.

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Semba, though injured but in relatively better condition, managed to assist Tamura by moving him to a tent before descending to the base camp in search of help.

A ground rescue team was promptly dispatched from Hushe Valley to provide assistance to the stranded climber.

Despite rigorous efforts over the course of three days, the rescue team was unable to locate Tamura. There is a possibility that he fell into a crevasse while attempting to descend solo during the night. The search operation was concluded yesterday upon authorities’ assessment.

Semba, whose condition is reported to be stable, was airlifted by a Pakistan army helicopter from the base camp to Skardu.

Shinji Tamura was renowned for his pursuit of alpine-style first ascents alongside Takayasu Semba.

Their previous ventures included an attempt on the first ascent of Bondit Peak in 2021, which was subsequently achieved by a Hungarian team in the following summer.

Born on August 14, 1966, Tamura was not only an adept mountain guide but also a skilled photographer. Tragically, his 57th birthday was marred by the sorrowful end of the search operation. Tamura had relocated to Zermatt, Switzerland, in 1989, and later established Active Mountain, a travel agency in Zermatt, in 1997.

Since 2003, Tamura had been serving as a high-altitude mountain guide with Himalayan Experience. His climbing career was marked by remarkable achievements, including four successful summits of Everest, four ascents of Manaslu, and three of Cho Oyu. He accumulated a list of expeditions in various regions of the Himalayas and Karakoram, scaling peaks such as Broad Peak, Ama Dablam, Tawoche, Lobuche, Bondit Peak, Laila Peak, and Thamserku. Additionally, he achieved significant climbs on Aconcagua, Denali, Mount Logan, and Vinson in Antarctica.