*Kékes 1014 m Hungary
*Gerlachovský štít 2655 m Slovakia
*Rysy 2499 m Poland Also climbed two other peaks on the Slovakian side.
2007 Mount Lamlam 406 m USA (Guam) Highest in Guam.
*Mafadi 3450 m South Africa
Hodgson’s Peak (North) 3251 m South Africa
*Thabana Ntlenyana 3482 m Lesotho
Nanhu Mountain (North Peak) 3592 m Taiwan In addition to three other 3000-m peaks in Taiwan.
*Mount Aragats 4090 m Armenia Also climbed the West Peak and South Peak.
Mount Ortsuveri 4365 m Georgia
*Aukštojas Hill 294 m Lithuania
*Gaizinkalns Hill 312 m Latvia
*Suur Munamägi 318 m Estonia
2008 *Pico Bolivar 4978 m Venezuela
Malchin Peak 4050 m Mongolia
*Khüiten Peak 4374 m Mongolia
Stok Kangri 6153 m India
2009 Mount Pulag 2922 m Philippines Highest in Luzon.
Taal Volcano 311 m Philippines Smallest volcano on Earth.
Monte Cinto 2710 m France Highest in Corsica.
Punta La Marmora 1834 m Italy Highest in Sardegna.
Jagattsk 5332 m India
*Pico da Neblina 2994 m Brazil
*Phnom Aural 1813 m Cambodia
2010 *Mount Tahat 2908 m Algeria
2011 Established the Cheer Up Tohoku project (HAT-J operation) following the Tohoku Earthquake
*Hvannadalshnjúkur 2110 m Iceland
Aiguille du Tour 3540 m France
2012 Started the program Mount Fuji for the High School Tohoku Earthquake (run by the Himalayan Adventure has continued annually. Students of Trust of Japan);
*Keokradong 986 m Bangladeshi
2013 Ben Nevis 1344 m United Kingdom Highest peak in Scotland.
*Zugspitze 2962 m Germany
*Sněžka 1602 m Czech Republic
*Cerro El Pital 2730 m El Salvador Climbed to 2500 m; highest point of El Salvador.
*Pico Mogotón 2106 m Nicaragua
2014 *Bukit Timah Hill 164 m Singapore
*Jabal Umm ad Dami 1854 m Jordan
*Dinara 1831 m Croatia
*Coma Pedrosa 2943 m Andorra
*Mount Ramelau 2986 m East Timor
2015 *Mont Idoukal-n-Taghès 2022 m Niger Also called Mont Bagzane.
Piz Languard 3262 m Switzerland
*Kneiff 560 m Luxembourg
*Signal de Botrange 694 m Belgium
*Jebel Shams
(South Peak) 2997 m Oman The North Peak was unavailable to climb due to military restrictions.
2016 Saddle Peak 732 m India Highest of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Mount Kerinci 3805 m Indonesia Highest of Sumatra; the last mountain Tabei climbed overseas.
Mount Fuji 3776 m Japan Climbed to 3010 m; the last mountain of Tabei’s life.
Passed away on October 20, at the age of 77
* Listed are the highest peaks of continents, countries and regions, and other mountains of interest; elevations according to most updated records.
GLOSSARY
Japanese and Nepali Terms
banzai
Direct translation means “10,000 years!” Nowadays, a simple cheer in daily life.
-chan
Commonly used as an honorific addition to a person’s name (e.g., Junchan). Among several similar designations (-san or -sama), chan is the friendliest style and more commonly used for children or a person younger than the speaker.
-cho, -machi
Affixed to a name to indicate a town or an area within a town (e.g., Shinano-machi or Miharu-Cho).
chawan-mushi
A Japanese egg-custard dish; unlike other custards, it is usually eaten along with the main course.
daijyobu
“All right” or “OK.”
daikon
A white root vegetable that resembles a carrot, often seen in Japanese and Chinese cuisine; spicy and tart, similar to a radish.
-dake, -take, -san, -zan, -yama
Mountain or peak; sometimes used as a part of a place name even without mountains.
furoshiki
A square piece of fabric used to wrap things, like gift wrap, but also used as a bag for groceries, etc.
ganbare
Means basically the same thing as ganbatte (see below), but more of a command.
ganbaro
“Let’s do our best!” or “Let’s all hang tough!”
ganbatte
A saying used to encourage people to try hard, or used before a performance to say, “Good luck!” or “Do your best.”
hatsu-gatsuo
Means “first bonito of the season” (a type of fish that usually shows up in the market in early summer).
hiya-yakko
A Japanese dish made with chilled tofu and toppings.
hontoni omedeto
Omedeto means “congratulations.” Adding “hontoni” (truly) makes the offer sincerer.
-kai / kai
An organization or club.
kanji
A system of Japanese writing that uses Chinese characters.
kasuri
Refers to blurry, feather-edge patterns that look as if they were splashed onto fabric; used to decorate textiles and clothing (like on a kimono).
kibi-dango
A bygone Japanese food, famous for being the ration of the folktale hero Momotarō; a specialty sweet of Okayama Prefecture.
kimono
Japanese traditional clothing.
koinobori
Carp windsocks, streamers or banners that decorate Japan’s landscape from April to early May, in honour of Children’s Day (May 5).
kotatsu
A low wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, with a tabletop. Underneath is a heat source, formerly a charcoal brazier but now electric, often built into the table itself.
koto
Japanese instrument similar to a harp; lies on the floor, not upright; musician uses pick attached to fingers.
kura
Warehouse, storehouse, shed.
kurotome
Most formal style of kimono for married or older women; black with brilliant patterns on the bottom half only, and with small family crest on the back; usually worn at weddings by the female family members of the couple.
memsahib
Used as a form of address for a European woman in South Asia or colonial India.
Also used for a female mountaineer employing Sherpas or porters in the Himalayas.
nori
An edible seaweed, eaten either fresh or dried in sheets.
oblaat
Thin, edible paper made of starch that melts easily in water; used to wrap powdered medicine that is difficult to swallow; also used to wrap candies.
oishi mono
Tasty things; food, delicacy.
omedeto
Congratulations.
Om mani padme hum
Buddhist mantra that Tibetans believe invokes the blessing of Chenrezig, who embodies compassion.
onegai-shimasu
Difficult to translate to English; roughly, “Please take care of me,” or “I am in your care.”
orizuru(s)
Paper crane(s); Japanese tradition denotes that people make numerous (most commonly, 1,000) paper cranes to pray for recovery from illness.
otsukaresama deshita
An expression used in the work place that shows appreciation for the hard work of a colleague.
ramen
Quick-cooking noodles (in oriental cuisine), typically served in a broth with meat and vegetables.
-san
Most commonly used honorific added to a person’s name. Not altered by gender.
sanma
Japanese name of Pacific saury.
sashimi
A Japanese dish of bite-sized pieces of raw fish eaten with soy sauce and wasabi paste.
-shima
Island; when included as a part of a pl
ace name, such as Hiroshima or Fukushima, it does not necessarily denote an actual island.
Soran-bushi
Accompanies the bon dance in many parts of Japan, with its own dancing styles that date back many generations; depicts ocean waves, fishermen dragging nets, pulling ropes and lifting luggage over the shoulders.
tanden
A popular Japanese word in martial arts, Zen practice and far-Eastern medical tradition. It is an energy centre or area, about the size of a grapefruit, located deep inside the hara, roughly midway between the top of the pubic bone and the navel.
tarcho
Means “prayer flag” in Tibetan
tatami
Japanese straw mat used for flooring. Japanese measure the size of rooms by counting the number of tatami mats on the floor. Tatami mat size varies by style or area; the most common size is 182 centimetres by 91 centimetres.
yen
The official currency of Japan.
Mountaineering Terms
altitude sickness
Illness that results from lack of oxygen in the air (thin air) at higher elevations. Symptoms include headache, loss of appetite and sleep disruption. It can progress to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), which are potentially fatal conditions.
belay
A rope safety system that runs a rope through a climbing device to provide a secure line to a climber.
bivouac
A temporary camp without tents or cover used especially by soldiers or mountaineers.
bivouac sack
An extremely small, lightweight, waterproof shelter used by climbers, mountaineers, soldiers and minimalist hikers; also known as a bivy, bivvy, or bivi.
buttress
A prominent feature that juts out from a mountainside.
carabiner
An oval metal loop with a spring-loaded gate used as a connecting device by climbers and mountaineers.
col
The low point of a ridge or saddle between two peaks.
cornice
An overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a mountaintop or ridge.
crevasse
A deep, open crack in the snow and ice of a glacier.
fixed rope
A rope that is anchored to a point of protection.
high porter
A high-altitude porter.
ice axe
A metal tool with an adze and pick at one end of a shaft and a spike at the other; used by mountaineers to ascend and descend snow- and/or ice-covered routes.
Jumar
A mechanical device used for ascending on a rope (also called an ascender).
Kissling
A type of classic rucksack, made from canvas; one of the top brands in earlier mountaineering.
onsen
Hot springs.
piton
A peg or spike driven into a rock or crack to support a climber or a rope.
rappel
To descend a rock face by way of an anchored rope system.
self-belay
A self-directed system of rope safety for a single climber, rather than a two-person belay.
sirdar
A Sherpa mountain guide who manages the other Sherpas in a climbing expedition or trekking group.
snow picket
An anchor designed for snow and used for climbing, securing tents, etc.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to Junko Tabei for sharing her stories about mountains climbed, lessons learned and a life well lived, and to the Tabei family for their support in the completion of this book. Additional gratitude to all the friends, teammates and climbing partners of Tabei-san.
Thanks to the entire team at Rocky Mountain Books, with special recognition of Don Gorman who supported the idea of Honouring High Places without hesitation and Meaghan Craven for her diligent editing work and positive approach in the final stages of the project. Added thanks to Barry Blanchard, Lydia Bradey, Jennifer Carlson, Patricia Cullimore, Tetsushige Doyama, Derek Holtved, Taichi Ishizuka, Rieko Ito, Setsuko Kitamura, Tomo Kosaki, Marc Lavoie-Moisan, Lynn Martel, Shin Matsumoto, Naoki Matsushita, Makoto Miyazaki (The Yomiuri Shimbun), Hiroshi Namba, Mariko Namba, Dr. Monica O’Gorman, Chic Scott, Eiko Tabe, Kohei Takashina, Brian Webster, Vita Yamamoto and Minako Yoshida. Extended thanks to the many people included in these memoirs.
REFERENCES
Ladies Climbing Club. Annapurna: Women’s Battle. Tokyo: Tokyo Shimbun Publishing Bureau, 1973.
Kitamura, Setsuko. Lipstick and Ice Axe. Tokyo: Tokyo Shimbun Publishing Bureau, 1997.
Tabei, Junko. Leave the Apron, Off to the Dream Mountains. Tokyo: Tokyo Shimbun Publishing Bureau, 1996.
______. Loving High Places. Tokyo: Shogakukan Inc., 2007.
______. Tabei-san, It’s the Summit. (Second- and third-edition title of original Mom on Everest, 2000) Tokyo: Yama-kei Publishers Co., Ltd., 2012.
______. Climbing Mountains, Nevertheless. Tokyo: Bungeishunjyu Ltd., 2013.
______. The Mountains for Me. Tokyo: PHP Institute, Inc., 2015.
______. Relapse! Tokyo: Bungeishunjyu Ltd., 2016.
Tabei, Junko, ed. Women on Everest. Tokyo: Yama-kei Publishers Co., Ltd., 1998.
The Yomiuri Shimbun. Everest: The Women’s Glory. Tokyo Shimbun Publishing: 1975.
INDEX
Abe, Dr., 332
Aconcagua, 1987, 237, 305, 309
the dog Acon, 239, 240, 305, 308, 309
acreage, 68
Aizu Bandai, 82
Ama Dablam, 149, 150
Ang Mingma, 104, 111, 114, 117, 118, 185
Ang Phurba, 185
Ang Tsering, 23, 25, 29, 30, 33, 143, 150, 157, 170, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 189, 190, 191, 193, 194, 195, 196, 199, 200, 202, 207, 208
Anima, 185
Annapurna III, 1970, 69–123
Annapurna Range, 69, 89, 91
Arayama, Fumiko, 23, 25, 29, 130, 155, 166, 167, 201, 203
arranged marriage, 57
Asahi-dake, 39
Bass, Richard, 323
Battleship Rock
Mount Tomur, 1986, 221
Blanchard, Barry, 305
Bolt, Usain, 340
Bonington, Chris, 89, 97
Bradey, Lydia, 214, 215, 216, 217
Butcher, Susan, 308
cancer, 338
diagnosis, 331
treatment, 335, 341, 345
Cancer Institute at Ariake Hospital, 331, 332, 336, 338, 339
Carstensz Pyramid, First Attempt, 1992, 318
Carstensz Pyramid, Second Attempt, 1992, 321, 323
Chandrakot Pass, 91
childhood, 40
Children’s Day, 106, 381
Chinese Everest Expedition, 1975, 209, 211
Chinese Mountaineering Association, 213, 220
Chomrong, 93, 95, 106, 107
climbing with Hakurei-kai, 48
completing the Seven Summits, 323
Craig, Todd, 305
Dake hot springs, 43
Eiger, 64, 65, 210, 216, 371
Emoto, Yoshinobu, 137
Endo, Kyoko, 74
Everest, 1975, 34, 157
approach to the summit, 177, 179
avalanche, 21–34
descent from the summit, 195
division amongst the team members, 203
establishing the route, 167
preparation, 140
return to Japan, 207
South Col to Camp 6, 180–187
summit, 194
summit team chosen, 170
supplies, 145
Tabei injury, 24, 25, 28, 29, 33
travel to Base Camp, 152
Fudo-yama, 36
Fujiwara, Sumiko, 26, 130, 146, 155, 163
Fujiyoshida, 341
Fukada, Kyuya, 325
Fukushima School for the Blind, 342
&n
bsp; Gaki-dake, 135
Gangapurna, 88, 91, 97, 104
Gopal, Mr., 88, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 98, 99, 106, 107, 122, 123
Goryu-dake, 47
Grandes Jorasses, 64, 65, 367
Gyaltsen, 184
Hakurei Climbing Club, 46, 47, 48, 49
Hargreaves, Alison, 18, 212
Harrison, Dr. Ginette, 214
Haruna-yama, 44
Harutake-sawa, 46
Hashimoto, Dr. Kaori, 226
Hawley, Elizabeth, 212
health of mountain environments, 197
Herzog, Maurice, 69, 210, 360
Hillary, Sir Edmund, 16, 149, 191, 195, 197, 370
Hillary Step, 191, 192
Himalayan Society, 87, 89
Hirabayashi, Katsutoshi, 193
Hirakawa, Hiroko, 74, 80, 81, 91, 92, 100, 103, 105, 108, 109, 112, 113, 114, 116, 117, 119
Hirano, Eiko, 74, 76, 81, 91, 96, 99, 104, 105, 108–113
Hirashima, Teruyo, 26, 130, 146, 155, 171, 182, 202, 205
Hisano (nee Miyazaki), Eiko, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 78, 79, 81, 83, 85, 88, 93, 94, 98, 99, 104, 105, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 118, 119, 122, 125, 127, 130, 132, 134, 135, 136, 150, 151, 152, 157, 165, 170, 171, 174, 175, 176, 181, 191, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 207
Hokkaido, 86, 207
Honda, 64, 67, 352
Honda Climbing Club, 54
Hotel Laligurans, 87
Hyun-ok, Ji, 213
Ichinokura-sawa, 49, 53, 54, 55, 56, 60, 61, 66, 350
Back Wall, 50
Ilaga, Indonesia, 311, 312, 313, 315, 317
Imai, Kimiko, 12, 75
Inago-dake, 53
International Women’s Year, 1975, 206, 209
Inylchek Glacier, 231
Ishibashi, Chikako (Chika, sister), 41
Ishibashi, Fuchi (sister), 45, 53, 58, 140
Ishibashi, Hisayoshi (brother), 330, 331
Ishibashi, Kiyo (mother), 36, 41, 45, 52, 53, 57, 58, 59, 60, 82, 133, 207
Ishibashi, Morinobu (father), 36, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 48
Ishiguro, Hisashi, 193
Ishihara, Shintaro, 86
Ishii, Tatsuo, 54, 55, 56
Iwase, Dr., 332
Japanese Alpine Club, 13, 71, 127
Japanese Men’s Mount Tomur Expedition, 1990, 228, 232
Japanese Mount Everest Expedition 1970, 138
Japanese Women’s Annapurna Expedition (JWAE), 74
Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition, 11, 122, 127, 130, 138, 145
Japan Mountaineering Association, 329
Jaya Peak, 314, 321
Kali Gandaki River, 149
Kamikochi, 86, 171
Kansai Climbing Club, 85, 89