Nilgiri Central. On March 30 Shim Sang-Don, Lim Byung-Gil and I as leader set out for Base Camp at 13,625 feet, where we arrived on April 11, having crossed the Thulobugin Pass. On April 14 we set up Camp I at 16,075 feet two miles up the Nilgiri Glacier. On April 17 we placed Camp II at 17,725 feet up the steep southeast face in the icefall zone. We pitched Camp III at 20,000 feet on April 21 above the icefall. We then fixed 800 feet of rope on the southeast ridge. After that, we three Koreans and Sherpas Ang Tshering and Doije spent two days at Camp III to adapt ourselves to the altitude. At 4:40 A.M. on April 25 all five left for the top along the knife-edged snow ridge and reached the summit (6940 meters, 22,770 feet) at three P.M. Our route was the same as the Japanese in 1979. We had difficulties on the summit climb. We broke crampons. We were short of fixed rope. Lacking enough snow pickets, we substituted ice axes and had to descend with only ice hammers. The descent was difficult and we did not get back to Camp III until 11:15 P.M. with the aid of head lamps.

Kim Ki-Heyg, Korean Alpine Club