Photos and videos of the summit climb of the 'Korea-Nepal Friendship Expedition 2024', which went on an expedition to Mt. Peak in the Himalayas to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal, were released for the first time.
Mountaineer Um Hong-gil (64) withdrew from Jugal Himalayan Base Camp (4700m), an unexplored peak in the Himalayas, to Kathmandu on the 6th and sent photos and videos of the expedition team's summit climb.
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| Korea's representative mountaineer Um Hong-gil (left), who finally reached the summit of the first peak in the Jugal Himalayas, and Nepal's representative mountaineer Lakpa Dendi are posing at the summit holding the Korean national flag and the Nepali flag, respectively. /Jugal Himalayan Expedition |
Captain Eom, who had reached the summit of the Jugal Himalayas, said in a harsh voice amid strong winds, “We have finally reached the summit of the Jugal Himalayas. “She succeeded in making her maiden ascent,” she said, unable to hide her excitement. In a phone call with this newspaper, he said, “I ascended with an indomitable spirit and a determination to survive without fail. Everyone around me was concerned when they saw that I was in my mid-60s, but age is never a problem when it comes to taking on challenges.” He proudly said, “The first peak in the Jugal Himalayas, climbed for the first time by an expedition team from both countries, will be named ‘Korea-Nepal Cape of Good Hope’, ‘Korea-Nepal Friendship Peak’, or ‘Korea Peak’ and will forever be remembered by the people of both countries.”
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal, this expedition team was formed by the Um Hong-gil Human Foundation (UHF) and the Korean Mountain Rescue Association (KARA, Chairman Noh Ik-sang) on the Korean side and the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) on the Nepalese side.
The expedition team led by Captain Um Hong-gil attempted to climb the summit once on the 27th of last month, but encountered a very strong snow storm with only 200 meters left from the summit and had to stop at the summit threshold. However, he finally reached the summit at 6:55 PM (Korean time, 3:40 PM local time) on the 3rd, six days after failing to reach the summit. It has been 14 hours and 40 minutes since I started the summit attempt at 1 am.
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| Captain Um Hong-gil (center), Lakpa Dendi (left) and Ramba Babu Sherpa, who climbed to the top of the Jugal Himalayas, pose with a placard commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal. /Jugal Himalayan Expedition |
This climb is a peak (Jugal Himalaya Peak 1, 6590m) surrounded by the rugged mountains of the Jugal Himalayas, 145km northeast of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is the first ascent and unexplored peak opened by the Nepalese government in over 60 years. The expedition team succeeded in climbing the mountain based on perseverance and challenging spirit despite various trials such as unusual weather, daily snow storms, avalanches, and falling ice, leaving a special milestone between the two countries to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal.
The expedition left Seoul on the 5th of last month, arrived in Kathmandu, and set up a base camp (4,700m) at an altitude of 4,700m in the Jugal Himalayas on the 13th. After completing preparations for the summit attack at the base camp, we built a high camp (5300m), which is like an advance base, 500m above the base camp on the 15th, and worked on setting a route for the summit challenge. However, it was an unexplored peak that no one had climbed, and the initially planned climbing route ended up being cut off from the summit as expected, so it was a difficult process from the start.
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| Captain Um Hong-gil unfurls the Taegeukgi after reaching the summit of the Jugal Himalayas. Captain Eom climbed Mt. Eom for the first time in 17 years since climbing Lhotse in 2007, showing that ‘there are no limits to challenge.’ Jumal Himalayan Expedition |
To make matters worse, there were snow storms every day, so the task of building a road through waist-deep snow (Russell) was not an ordinary task. If you worked hard to build a road for one day, it would often be a disaster because it would snow the next day and leave no trace.
After struggling for several days, we tried to set up camp 1 at an altitude of 5800m, but as soon as we left the high camp, it was a steep snowy mountain with a slope of 70 to 80 degrees, and the terrain was so rugged that it was impossible to secure even space to pitch a tent, so even this was not feasible.
Fortunately, clear weather unfolded for the first time on May 3, almost a month after the expedition arrived, so we took advantage of the opportunity given by the sky. Captain Eom, who set out to attack the summit at 1 a.m., and three others, including Lakpa Dendi (36) and Lamba Babu (35), the Guinness World Record holder for the shortest ascent of the 9 Himalayas and a 14-time climber of Everest (8848m), headed for the summit without hesitation. Observing the rugged terrain, we took one step at a time and eventually succeeded in climbing to the summit.
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| Captain Um Hong-gil, who embarked on an expedition to the untouched peaks of the Himalayas, succeeded in climbing the summit of the Jugal Himalayas. /Jugal Himalayan Expedition |
And a day later, four Korean members of the KARA rescue team, including Koo Eun-soo (54), Vice President of KARA, Baek Jong-min (Gangwon Rescue Team, 51), Kim Dong-jin (Jeju Rescue Team, 51), and Eom Tae-cheol (Daegu Rescue Team, 48), also reached the summit. A great achievement was achieved.
Captain Eom said, “The first peak of the Jugal Himalayas is 6,500 meters high, but it is composed of rugged terrain comparable to that of almost 8,000 meters, and we went through tremendous hardships due to the continued abnormal weather during this expedition.” He added, “The team members’ passion took into account the ever-changing weather conditions in the Himalayas. “It is a special result that makes something that was truly impossible possible.”
In addition, “On the 17th of last month, member Byun Jun-gi, who was at High Camp to build Camp 1, fell and twisted his wrist while pioneering a route, and on the 21st, Nepalese member Dame Sherpa, who was going to build Camp 1, fell 600 meters due to an avalanche. “The crew members were shocked by the incident, but fortunately, both crew members were rescued safely, which served as an opportunity to strengthen solidarity for the success of the climb,” he said.
Captain Eom stopped climbing high mountains (over 6,000m) after successfully climbing all 16 peaks of 8,000m, with his last climb being Lhotse (8,400m) in 2007. It is no different from active retirement as a mountaineer. However, this year, marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal, he raised funds himself, formed an expedition team, and succeeded in the expedition. He is evaluated as having gone beyond being a world-class mountaineer and showing his true colors as a true civilian diplomat.
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal praised the expedition, saying, “The successful climb of the expedition team commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Nepal has left a monumental milestone that embodies the eternal friendship between Korea and Nepal.”
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