Hirotaka Takeuchi – Dhaulagiri 2012
May 15th: In the community, Japanese climbers have always been known and are highly respected, for the routes they managed to open. Pushing the limits into unimaginable dimensions. Take and his Japanese team, have now entered a new ground breaking dimension at the Dhaulagiri BC, by test flying a counter rotated electrical helicopter at 4600m altitude.
A remarkable performance getting it airborne in this thin air, that even the NHK film crew had to get the event on video! At this point it seems evident, that Hirotaka Takeushi will tempt a first time ever: To become the first Japanese having completed the 14 8000, and to air lift a counter rotated electrical helicopter from the summit of his final 14 8000.
We at Valandre hope to become witness to such an event in a summit video: Mr Hirotaka Takeuchi launches a counter rotated electrical helicopter from the summit of his final 14 8000 from 8167m/26.795ft. PLEASE – PLEASE HIRO…….do it!
May 11th: Take and Kenro, has set up their C2 camp at 6600m. Weather conditions are un-usably “hot”, so the long climb from C1 to C2 was very tiring for both. According to their report, the camp was set up in a record time of 30min, but as everybody knows, Japanese climbers select good and reliant equipment…
May 4th: Ok… Take’s moving in to get it over, and become the first Japanese on the 14 8000.
May 2th: Hirotaka sends us a Japanese post card from Kathmandu! But – You are a Pro Hiro….time to go to work dude!
April 28th: Once having summited ImjaTse peak, Hiro and Kenro went back into the valley. Obviously they are having fun together, so they mixed up a new video of their climb, adding rhythm and music…….. After posting it, they went into town and “Disco danced” all night!
April 24th: Hirotaka is currently training on ImjaTse in the Himalayas, better known as Island Peak (6,189 m (20,305 ft)), as part of the acclimatization process before attacking his last 8000m peak: Dhaulagiri (8167m). Hiro had a tuff way to the 14 8000, with some serious situations. On Everest 2005, Hiro had a cerebral edema, but Ralf and Gerlinde got him down alive. And on Gasherbrum in 2007, Hiro was hit by an avalanche with broken backbone and was rescued by helicopter. We are now many in the world, who are waiting for Hiro to complete his 14 8000 this spring.
Where to go training on a sunny day?: Just shoot straight
up the Imja Tse (6,189 m (20,305 ft)).
Hirotaka Takeuchi is an experienced Japanese high altitude climber, with currently 13 8000 peaks successfully behind him. Now facing this ultimate challenge, Hiro has joined with Kenro Nakasima (Climber + cameraman), both are attacking Dhaulagiri, in alpine style without supplemental oxygen.
Shortly, Hiro will summit his last 8000 and will become the first Japanese having accomplished this. We wish you good luck Hiro… time to step into the crampons… and GO!
Takeuchi’s “listing”:
1 ) 22.05.1995 Makalu 8485m (Oxygen)
2 ) 17.05.1996 Everest 8848m (Oxygen)
3 ) 14.08.1996 K2 8611m 8611m (Oxygen)
4 ) 30.06.2001 Nanga Parbat 8125m (with Ralf Dujmovits)
5 ) 28.05.2004 Annapurna 8091m (with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner & RalfDujmovits)
6 ) 25.07.2004 Gasherbrum I 8080m (with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner & Ralf Dujmovits)
7 ) 07.05.2005 Shisha Pangma 8027m (with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner & Ralf Dujmovits)
8 ) 14.05.2006 Kanchenjunga 8586m (with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner & Ralf Dujmovits)
9) 19.05.2007 Manaslu 8163m (with Ralf Dujomovits)
10 ) 08.07.2008 Gasherbrum II 8034m
11 ) 31.07.2008 Broad Peak 8051m
12 ) 20.05.2009 Lhotse 8516m (with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner & Ralf Dujmovits)
13 ) 30.09.2011 Cho Oyu 8188m
