KOREAN K-2& BROAD PEAK EXPEDITION LEADER PARK YOUNG-SEOK
Park Young-Seok sets sights on K-2 and Broad Peak
JUNE24-2000
By
Asem Mustafa Awan
ISLAMABAD
— Korean ace Park Young-Seok (37) is in hot pursuit for the Himalayan
Crown and that is for scaling the 14 8000ers before the end of the
century.
His
current assignment includes Broad Peak and K-2 and if successful he will
have only Shishapangma left to climb in Nepal.
He
climbed Makalu in May to take his tally to 11 8000ers.
Park
has made the summits of all the 8000ers without using oxygen and they are
Everest, Cho Oyu, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, Cho
Oyu, Lhotse, Nanga Parbat, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga and Makalu in May 2000.
Park
Young Seok is the leader of the out fit comprising seven members.
The
expedition will take both the peaks from the Normal Routes and will first
climb Broad Peak to acclimatize.
Kim
Hyoung Woo expedition manager said," The expedition is in very good
spirits and we are very hopeful that we will make the summit."
"We
will attempt both the peaks in Semi Alpine Style and will be fixing ropes
on the route for the safe ascent and descent and few members depending on
the conditions will also use oxygen above 8000 metres on K-2."
Four
members of the team are visiting Pakistan for the first time while Park
Young Seok and Kang Seong Gyu (34) have been on Nanga Parbat summit
together in 1998.
Park
Young Seok also attempted Broad Peak last year but called off the
expedition as one of the climbers met a tragic death during the climb.
Other
members of the team are: Lee Hyun Jo (29), Oh Hee Joon (31), Shin Un Hoon
(45) and Chung Young Mok (46).
The
team leaves for Skardu (today).