|
|
Um Hong-Gil summits Lhotse Shar via its south face
02:22 am CDT Jun 04, 2007
(MountEverest/Madrid) Korean 14x8000er summiteer Um Hong-Gil summited Lhotse Shar via its south face last Thursday, together with team mates Byung Sung-ho and Mo Sang-hyun, and one climbing Sherpa. This is a long-time cherished goal for Um, who had been forced back on three previous attempts.
Summit on the fourth attempt
On a first attempt in 2001, Um’s team turned around at 7,600m due to bad weather, KBS World radio reports. In 2003, the expedition was aborted after two team members died in an avalanche at 8,250 meters – last year, similar conditions on the higher sections (high risk of avalanches) decided Um to call the attempt off one more time.
Last Wednesday’s night, Hong-Gil and his team launched a summit push from a higher camp at 8,200 meters and reached the top 15 hours later, on May 31.
Um Hong-Gil was born in Seoul, South Korea, 47 years ago. In 2000, Hong-Gil claimed to be the first Asian 14 8000ers summiteer before Young Seok-Park, but many voices were raised doubting the value of his climbs on Lhotse and Shisha Pangma. Um climbed them both again (Lhotse in spring 2001, Shisha in fall 2001). In the mean time though, Seok-Park finished his own quest, grabbing the 'First Asian' title. Officially, Um Hong-Hil became the 9th person to summit the 14,8000ers as he stepped on the summit of Shisha Pangma Main on September 21, 2001.
In addition to the Big 14, Um summited 8505-meter-tall Yalung Khan (Kangchenjunga’s West summit) in 2004, and has now bagged 8,400m’s Lhotse Shar (May 31, 2007).
Um has summited Everest three times, all of them with supplementary O2 support.
Lhotse, rising at the side of Everest, is the fourth highest peak on earth: Its main summit is 8,516 meters. Secondary summits are Lhotse Middle (East) at 8,414m and Lhotse Shar at 8,383 metres. Lhotse Shar was first summited by Zepp Maierl and Rolf Walter via the SSE ridge. Lhotse Middle’s first ascent was made by Russian Eugeny Vinogradsky, Sergei Timofeev, Alexei Bolotov and Petr Kuznetsov.
|
|
Top Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
|
StatCrunch, take 2: 8000er national ranking
Full Story
|
|
Halloween special: haunted Everest and spooky footprints
Full Story
|
|
StatCrunch: 8000er mountaineers with 6 summits or more, updated
Full Story
|
|
Tom Holzel's latest on Mallory & Irvine: The final time line
Full Story
|
|
Renaissance explorers: ExWeb interview with Simone Moro about Cho Oyu SW face new route attempt
Full Story
|
|
ExWeb interview with Oh Eun-sun: "Annapurna will decide"
Full Story
|
|
Book Review: David Falt on Steve House's "Beyond the Mountain"
Full Story
|
|
ExWeb Interview with Nives Meroi: “Romano comes first, whatever happens”
Full Story
|
|
|
|
ExWeb interview with Ryan Waters and Cecilie Skog, “The mental part was the most difficult part” Jan 22, 2010
|
|
Slam-dunk: Cecilie and Ryan bag polar history Jan 21, 2010
|
|
Antarctic wrap-up: Cecilie Skog and Ryan Waters did it! The first unassisted and unsupported expedition across Antarctica! Jan 21, 2010
|
|
Game over on Kwangde; climbing push on Tawoche Jan 21, 2010
|
|
Antarctic wrap-up: Cecilie and Ryan through the big drop, ice falls and crevasses; seeing the finish at the Ross Sea Jan 20, 2010
|
|
1960-2010: Dhaulagiri 50 years anniversary special Jan 20, 2010
|
|
9 out of 10 climbers use Thuraya in Himalaya: check out the price cut at HumanEdgeTech! Jan 20, 2010
|
|
Himalaya shakedown, continued: what’s the worth of a summit certificate? Jan 19, 2010
|
|
Himalaya shakedown, continued: what’s the worth of a summit certificate? Jan 19, 2010
|
|
Antarctic wrap-up: Meagan McGrath at the South Pole Jan 18, 2010
|
|
Winter Kwangde Lho update: The Russian B-plan Jan 18, 2010
|
|
ExplorersWeb Week in Review Jan 15, 2010 Jan 15, 2010
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
