KOREAN K-2 EXPEDITION LEADER YOO HAN KYU

Um leaves for K-2 the last one in Himalayan Crown quest

JUNE26-2000

By Asem Mustafa Awan

ISLAMABAD — Ace alpinist from Korea Um Hong Gil is on his way from Nepal to Pakistan to scale K-2 to end his quest for the Himalayan Crown.

He has climbed the 13the 8000er Kanchenjunga in May and is now setting his sights for the K-2 at 8611 metres. It will be his first attempt on the world second highest peak.

Thirty-nine year old Um Hong Gil hand picked team has eight Koreans and four Nepalese Sherpas.

The team will be attempting K-2 from the South East Abruzzi Ridge (Normal Route) in Semi Alpine Style taking 2000 metres of ropes.

The leader of the expedition is 44 year old Yoo Han Kyu who is one of the pioneers of introducing the Korean climbers in Pakistan.

Um's quest for the Himalayan Crown started in 1988 with the summit of Everest. He followed Everest with Cho Oyu and Shishapangma in 1993 and then it was three peaks all 8000ers in 1995, Makalu, Broad Peak and Lhotse. He climbed two peak in 1996 Dhaulagiri and Manaslu and in 1997 he settled with the summits of Gasherbrum  I and II.

Um broke his leg in 1998 on Annapurna but came back with a renewed vigour and strength on the same peak in 1999 and then doubling it up with Nanga Parbat in Pakistan the same year on July 12 (The Nation has all the Um's mountaineering glories in Pakistan since 1995 which started with the summit of Broad Peak).

"The team is one of the strongest in Korea and we are very hopeful in  making the summit of K-2," said Yoo Han Kyu who is general manager of Kolon International Corporation which is sponsoring the expedition.

Um's initial plan according to 1999 was Kanchenjunga and then K-2 in 2000 but he climbed Kanchenjunga in May and is now setting his sights on K-2. In 1999 he successfully scaled Nanga Parbat in Pakistan (The Nation has the exclusive) but returned with frost bitten toes and sun burn from the peak on July 12 from Kinschoffer Route, Diamir Face.

Mr Park one of the member of the expedition said," We are taking oxygen as a safety as some members may use it after 8000 metres."

The team will make standard camp sites on the route with the Base Camp at 5000 metres.

In the world only six climbers have don the Himalayan Crown and out of the six one of the climber perished high on the mountain.

Basque climber Juanito Oiarzabal is the sixth man to don the Himalayan Crown making the summits of all the 14 — 8000ers of the world. Juanito made the last peak (Annapurna 1) in May 1999 (The Nation has the exclusives on Juanito and Um when they were climbing in Pakistan).

The other five climbers who have climbed the 14 — 8000ers are Reinhold Messner from Italy, Jerzy Kuczka (late) from Poland, Earhard Loretan from Switzerland, Carlos Carsolio from Mexico and Krysztof Welicki from Poland.

The Korean members of the expedition are: Yong Wang Hang (34), Jun Kwan Ra (33), Choong Ha Yong (34), Park Taek Mu (31), Cho Kyung Gi (50), Mo Sang Hyun (26).

The Nepalese members are: Tamang Mingar (36), Namgel Pasang Sherpa (28), Ang Babu Sherpa (26) and Jangbu Semp Sherpa (30).

CAPTION: Korean ace Um Hong Gil  (Right)  with the leader Yoo Han Kyu. —Photo by the writer