Annapurna I | 1984 N Face (Dutch Rib)

A S Korea expedition to Annapurna I in 1984 via N Face (Dutch Rib), led by Ahn Chang-Yeul. Summit reached on 7th December 1984. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 981
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN184403
Peak ID ANN1
Year 1984
Season 4
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face (Dutch Rib)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality S Korea
Leaders Ahn Chang-Yeul
Sponsor 1984-85 Korean Annapurna I Winter Expedition
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 13th disputed
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed True
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach -
Basecamp Date 1984-11-22
Summit Date 1984-12-07
Summit Time -
Summit Days 15
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 3
Termination Notes Success disputed by French leader and climbing Sherpa
High Point (m) 8091
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 4
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 5
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 8
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used True
O2 None False
O2 Climb True
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep True
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Middle Summit of Annapurna I (ANNM-844-01) instead
Campsites BC(22/11,4300m),BC2(27/11,4800m),C1(28/11,5600m),C2(02/12,6500m),C3(04/12,7100m),C4(06/12,7600m),Middle-Smt(07/12)
Route Notes Koreans claim one Korean woman and four Sherpas summitted Annapurna I Main Summit, which is disputed by French team. Apparently they climbed the Middle Summit instead (see ANNM-844-01). The leader of the French team, Bernard Muller, said that they saw the Korean summit team of one Korean woman and four Sherpas too far from the summit to have reached it at the time claimed. The Sherpas with the French were told by the Koreans' Sherpas that no one got to the top. Dutch Rib and sickle were most difficult section of route: blue ice and much of route above C2 difficult with no snow, all ice, says Miss Kim. Ahn says they moved up quickly because same route as in 1983 autumn and same Sherpas on this route several times. Also weather good and autumn 1983 crevasse now not so big. C1 to C2 very easy. Only Miss Kim slept in C3, 3 other members carried loads here and slept in C2. From C3 to C4 again 3 other (excluding Ahn) only carried loads and return to C2. Planned 2nd summit bid by Park and 2 Sherpas but when Pasang Norbu and Keepa died, cancelled 2nd bid. Both fell from altitude 7800m at about 4:30 pm when Keepa not well balanced on hard ice was blown off balance by very strong wind, pulling Pasang Norbu with him and fell 700m. Could see bodies but not reach because very tired and bad wind which continued next days. Miss Kim's face wounded by strong wind blowing ice after she took oxygen mask off when oxygen finished at summit. 2 Sherpas slightly hurt by avalanche. 2 members and 7 Sherpas baggage by helicopter to Jomsom late 17 Nov and other plans to go to Jomsom 24 Nov. Helicopter carried loads to BC 2 after arrival but no one slept BC I before 27 Nov and no loads carried to C1 before 27 Nov. Kim Young-Hwan - 21 Oct 85 HMG gave permission to Miss Kim to climb 6000m peak in Khumbu in 1985-6 winter but Korean Alpine Federation did not give their permission because of her apparent false claim to success on Annapurna I in 1984-5 winter. Ang Temba - 12 March 85 Ang Temba (now going on Japanese expedition to Gurja-Dhaulagiri VI-Churen) was summiter on last winter's Korean Annapurna I expedition. They climbed to Middle Summit, which leader Ahn said was the highest summit. They could see another very close to them to the west and a third one to the east not so close. Ang Temba carried Miss Kim's oxygen bottles, she carried nothing. Sherpas used no oxygen; Miss Kim "not so strong." Ang Temba again agreed with a sketch profile had summit middle peak. Bernard Muller, French Annapurna I leader - 27 Dec 84 Koreans: Saw them below summit at nearly time they said they on top. French Sherpas said Koreans not at top. Made summit photo at BC that was seen by French members there at BC. After success Muller and De la Ferriere saw them take 8 hours from C4 to highest point seen and 2 were hours at last from this point about 8000m to main summit. C4 was below middle summit. Muller wonders whether actually possible climb final route they said. Koreans arrived BC about 18 or 19 Nov when French arrived C1 they had C3 established and before 1 Dec had climbed icefall below C4 and made C4 28 or 29 Nov. This is not a winter ascent. South Korean Annapurna I expedition - Winter 1984: Members Ahn and Miss Kim Young-Ja said on 17 Dec 84, after their team had returned to Kathmandu, that Miss Kim and four Sherpas had reached the summit on 7 Dec. (Two of these Sherpas fell to their deaths during descent.) A surviving Sherpa, Ang Temba agreed on 12 March 85 and again on 30 May 00 that they had gone to the middle summit. (He agreed both times with a sketch profile of the summit ridge that it was the middle one way they had climbed). He said in 1985 that from their summit they could see a summit very near them to the west and another not so close to the east. The leader had told that the middle summit was the highest, so they went to it and then descended. The leader of a French expedition also on the north side, Bernard Muller, said in December 1984 that they were not convinced that the Koreans team had actually reached the summit. The French saw the Korean summit party through binoculars on 7 Dec at a spot below and well to the east of the main summit quite near the time the Koreans later reported their summit party had been to the top. The Koreans had taken eight hours from their camp four to this point, and the French estimated that it would have taken the summit party at least two more hours to get to the main summit in the very strong winds that were blowing. Some French men who were at base camp after 7 Dec watched the Korean summiter and four Sherpas pose very near base for a "summit photo."
Accidents Miss Kim's Face wounded by strong wind; 2 Sherpas slightly hurt by avalanche
Achievement 1st Korean and Nepal ascent; 1st winter ascent; Miss Kim 1st woman to 8000m summit
Agency -
Commercial Route -
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451041
Year 1984
Summit Success False
O2 Summary Used
Route (lowercase) n face (dutch rib)

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Chang-Yeul Ahn M 1950 S Korea Leader Incheon, S Korea Clerk, construction company Details Other expeditions
Young-Ja Kim F 1953 S Korea Climber Incheon, S Korea Employee in public relations department of livestock Co. Details Other expeditions
Keepa Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions
Dorje Sherpa M 1958 Nepal H-A Worker Mamerku, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Ang Temba Sherpa M 1959 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Pasang Norbu Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions
Cheong Hwan Kim M 1956 S Korea Climber Buchon, Gyeonggi, S Korea Salesman in mountaineering-equipment shop Details Other expeditions
Ho-Young Kim M 1958 S Korea Climber Seoul, S Korea Civil engineer Details Other expeditions
Man-Jin Park M 1957 S Korea Climber Kwang Myung, Seoul, S Korea Employee in accounts department of machinery-leasing company. Details Other expeditions

References

3 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN184403 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 59:289 (1985) -
ANN184403 MM - - - 102:16 (Mar 1985) -
ANN184403 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198528901/Asia-Nepal-Annapurna-Two-Winter-Attempts - - -