Shartse II. Our joint Korean-Nepalese expedition was composed of Koreans Yoon Dae-Pyo, Kwak Hyo-Kyun, Park Byung-Won, Hu Jung-Sik, Hong Ok- Sun, Miss Kim Jung-Ja and me as leader and Nepalese Sherpas Nima Wanchu, Nuru Wangchu and Ang Pasang. We arrived in Kathmandu on March 22 but were held up by an Indian dock strike. Finally the team left on April 8 for Lukla with some bought replacement supplies. We got to Base Camp on April 17. Passing below Lhotse Shar and Shartse (Peak 38), we set up Camp I at 5600 meters on April 19. From Camp I it was steep. Traversing to the Cho Polu side, we set up Camp II at 6100 meters on April 26. Two days later we attacked a very steep sheer ice slope of the southwest face, where we fixed 300 meters of rope. We placed Camp III at 6450 meters on Shartse II’s main south ridge on April 29. The next day we climbed the knife-edged ridge to set up Camp IV at 6600 meters on a flat rock section. Camp V was placed at 6950 meters on May 3. Two of us were not in good condition and stayed in Camp IV. The other eight set out on May 4 for a summit attempt. Unfortunately our woman member, Kim Jung-Ja became exhausted after setting a record of 7350 meters for Korean women and we had to help her back to Camp V and below. On May 6 Yoon, Kwak and Nima Wangchu set out from Camp V. They set Camp VI at 7050 meters and bivouacked on May 7 at 7250 meters. At eleven A.M. of May 8 they reached the summit of Shartse II (7459 meters, 24,471 feet). They were back in Base Camp the next day. Having been delayed so much and having spent so much extra money, we could not attempt Nuptse West as planned.

Lee Yong-Ho, Korean Alpine Guides Association