Annapurna II | 1989 W Ridge from N

A S Korea expedition to Annapurna II in 1989 via W Ridge from N, led by Lee Dong-Myung. Summit reached on 21st September 1989. 11 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 340
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID ANN289301
Peak ID ANN2
Year 1989
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Ridge from N
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality S Korea
Leaders Lee Dong-Myung
Sponsor 1989 Yeungnam University Alpine Club Annapurna II & IV Exp
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 5th unverified
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed True
Countries -
Approach Manang->Pisang
Basecamp Date 1989-08-21
Summit Date 1989-09-21
Summit Time 1730
Summit Days 31
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes Ascent claimed, summiters died in descent
High Point (m) 7937
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 2
Total Hired 7
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Annapurna IV (ANN4-893-01)
Campsites BC(21/08,3800m),ABC(26/08,5200m),C1(02/09,6300m),C2(06/09,7300m),C3(10/09,7400m),Smt(21/09)
Route Notes BC south-southwest of Pisang village ABC on glacier SSW of Pisang C1 at top of vertical ice field C2 200m below East-West ridge of Annapurna II and IV (last camp for Annapurna IV) C3 on Annapurna II's West Ridge. After C3 made all down to ABC because bad weather (daily snowfall and strong wind). Started up 18th Sept and Annapurna IV reached from C2; Annapurna IV not so difficult; fixed 3000m rope from ABC to C3. On 21st Sept 3 members [Kim, Jeong, Lee] and 2 Sherpas [Lhakpa and Pasang] from C3 at 5:30 am and 2 Sherpas felt danger from avalanche on Pokhara side and from 7500m to top route vertical so all returned to C3 at 7:30 am. 2 Sherpas down to ABC and 1 member [Lee] with headache stayed in C3 while 2 others left C3 at 8:00 am for top and reached top 5:30 pm. At 3:30 pm last walkie-talkie contact (were not seen after 3:00 pm) and Jeong said had stomach problem from altitude but Kim Ok and they would biv 600m below summit. When no contact next day, Chang and 2 Sherpas up from ABC early AM 22nd worried some accident and reached C3 at 11:00 am (no one in C3 now because member with headache had gone down on 21st to C2). Chang saw no sign of summiters and thinks they fell down south (PKR) side of ridge 21st or 22nd Sept. Chang reached ridge before turning back in bad weather (wind and coming snowfall). Chong - 8 Feb 1990 Expedition's printed report says that at 2:00 pm on summit day, the summit party had their last walkie-talkie contact. They said "there is no big difficulty from here to summit. We are now at a rocky area just below summit and we will reach summit immediately. On the way back from the summit, we will make a bivouac for the night." They fell at 5:30 pm while coming down after having reached summit. Chong talked with leadership after they returned to KTM. Has no idea where the time of 5:30 pm for their fall came from. Climbing leader told Chong summit was just a few minutes from top and he had no doubt they reached summit. He thought they might have fallen on the Pokhara side of mountain since no trace was found of them or the path of their fall on north side. In their last radio contact they said they would contact next from their bivouac but never did come on radio again. Chong is Korean mountaineering journalist who runs a lodge in KTM. Anna IV summited by Jo Won-Bae, Jeong Joon-Mo and Dawa Sherpa.
Accidents 2 summiters disappeared (fall?)
Achievement 1st Korean ascents
Agency Asian Trekking
Commercial Route -
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2452840
Year 1989
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w ridge from n

Members

11 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Byung-Ho Chang M 1961 S Korea Climbing Leader Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Physical education student Details Other expeditions
Won-Bae Jo M 1964 S Korea Climber Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk, S Korea Student, landscaping Details Other expeditions
Jae-Ho Chung M 1954 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Newspaper reporter Details Other expeditions
Joon-Mo Jeong M 1964 S Korea Climber Kyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk, S Korea Commerce student Details Other expeditions
Kab-Young Jeong M 1963 S Korea Climber Jeonju (Cheonju), Jeollabuk, S Korea High school electronics teacher Details Other expeditions
Young-Kyu Kim M 1962 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea High school electronics teacher Details Other expeditions
Dong-Myung Lee M 1946 S Korea Leader Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Business (textile company director) Details Other expeditions
Su-Jin Lee M 1965 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Student, civil engineering Details Other expeditions
Duk-Woo Park M 1949 S Korea Climber Seoul, S Korea Businessman (import agent) Details Other expeditions
Lhakpa Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions
Pasang Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions

References

5 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
ANN289301 AAJ Lee Dong-Myung - - 64:251 (1990) -
ANN289301 HJ Lee Dong-Myung Annapurna Korean Expedition - 47:168-170 (1989-1990) -
ANN289301 MM - - - 131:5 (Jan 1990) -
ANN289301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199025101/Asia-Nepal-Annapurna-IV-Ascent-Possible-Ascent-and-Tragedy-on-Annapurna-II - - -
ANN289301 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/47/22/expeditions-and-notes-47/ - - -