Although this might be seen as a direct variation to the quite remarkable and possibly little known 1981 Canadian ascent of the south face of Gangapurna (7,455m) in the Annapurna
Himal, the Korean Way (1,500m ED+) warrants a special mention. Particularly notable was the speed of ascent given the highly complex approach, the difficult technical climbing above 7,000m, and the fact that it is the first new route at that altitude climbed by Koreans in alpine style.
The accomplished trio of Cho Seok-mun, Kim Chang-ho, and Park Joung-yong acclimatized by almost making the first known ascent of Gangapurna West (7,140m), a recently permitted summit with no reported attempt. After three bivouacs on the south face, and not far from the summit ridge, Park, not properly acclimatized, decided to wait. The remaining two climbed to the ridge but turned back 100m from the top, because they felt a successful summit was meaningless without a colleague's safe return.
Later, all three bivouacked at 6,000m below the start of the main difficulties on the south face of Gangapurna. After a subsequent night at 6,800m and a second at 7,100m, between which lay the crux - nine pitches of steep mixed and ice, all three reached the summit. Descent
was made over two days, rappelling the route.
CHOI SEOK-MUN
- KOREA
Year of birth : 1969
- Instructor of Mountaineering Training Institute of K.A.F.(Korean Alpine Federation)
- Summited all 14 giants without supplementary oxygen, 2013
- First ascent, a variant new route on the Rupal Face of Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) in 2005, on Himjung in the Peri Himal (Nepal) in 2012, and on Batura 2 in the western Karakoram (Pakistan) in 2008
- Solo first ascent on four peaks of 6,000m in the Hinduraj and Karakoram (Pakistan) in 2003
KIM CHANG-HO
- KOREA
Year of birth : 1974
- UIAA International Route-Setter
- First ascent, a variant new route on the north face of Mt. Hunter (Alaska) in 2012
- Ascent on the Moonflower Buttress of Mt. Hunter (Alaska) in 2011 and on ‘The Nose’ route in a day, Yosemite valley in 2010
- First ascent, Batura 2 in the western Karakoram (Pakistan, 2008)
- Ascent on Torres Centrale del Paine in Patagonia, 2007
PARK JOUNG-YONG
- KOREA
Year of birth : 1976
- Rescue Team of the K.A.F.(Korean Alpine Federation)
- Solo first ascent, a variant new route on the North face of Kwangde (Nepal) in 2009
- Ascent on Makalu with O2 in Nepal (2008) and on the route ‘Ship of Fools’ of Shipton Spire (Pakistan) in 2005
- Attempt on a new route on South face, Lhotse in Nepal in 2005
- Member of the Korean sport climbing national team in 2001
