Asia, Nepal, Pumori Attempt

Publication Year: 1985.

Pumori Attempt. Six climbers of Korean ancestry, although two are American citizens and one a Canadian, were led by Kim Ki-Hwan. They attempted the first-ascent route on the northeast ridge. After a three-week struggle on the east face, they gave up on September 22 when Kim and Young Chu pitched their fifth high-altitude camp at 6260 meters at the top of the face on the ridge. They found that their plan to climb hard ice was useless when the ice was actually soft and broke easily. They had to climb very difficult rock and used up all their own and some Dutch rock pitons to gain the ridge, only to find another rock obstacle for which they had no pitons or rope.

Michael J. Cheney, Himalyan Club, and Elizabeth Hawley