Cho Oyu | 1989 W Face-W Ridge from S

A S Korea expedition to Cho Oyu in 1989 via W Face-W Ridge from S, led by Park Sang-Yul. Summit reached on 2nd September 1989. 12 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 367
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID CHOY89301
Peak ID CHOY
Year 1989
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 W Face-W Ridge from S
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality S Korea
Leaders Park Sang-Yul
Sponsor 1989 Korean Cho Oyu Expedition
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 62nd
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed True
Countries -
Approach Jiri->Nangpa La
Basecamp Date 1989-08-17
Summit Date 1989-09-02
Summit Time 1630
Summit Days 16
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 8188
Traverse True
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 5
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 11
Summit Members 2
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 10
Summit Hired 1
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 -
Campsites BC(17/08,5200m),C1(5950m),C2(22/08,6300m),C3(29/08,6700m),C4(30/08,7500m),Biv(01/09,8100m),Smt(02/09)
Route Notes Eberhard Jurgalski - October 2005 Mr. Yang of the Korean Alpine Federation reported to Jurgalski that Hong and Lee told him [Yang] that they did not summit. Initial Report (later changed, see below): Went up mountain via Messner route, i.e., did not cross Nangpa La (Mingma Norbu of Karikhola was on this expedition and also Messner's in 1983) and like Messner descended normal route which meant crossing Nangpa La from north side. All members and Sherpas followed same route; some Sherpas met people from this expedition on normal route from Tibet: this Korean expedition's C3 was next to USA and Italian C2; it was at C3 that Koreans joined normal route. All the way to C3 route was on glacier without snow; at C4 was deep snow. Wangel knows Messner route from Mingma Norbu, who was on this climb and also with Messner. 5 Sept 2 members and 1 Sherpa high porter from C4 and biv at 8050m at foot of couloir in only biv sack, 1 piece of chocolate, no food or fuel. Some stonefall and ice particles coming down couloir, broke Hong's goggles and slightly pains, very faint but leader ordered them to summit and on they went to summit. Left biv 6:00 am 6th and on top after 8:40 minutes climb. Oxygen supplies arrived late at BC while climbers already high and weather very good. 8 Sept weather turned bad with wind and sometimes snow. 6 Sept summiters sleep C3 with other members and Sherpas (no people or provisions in C4) - and "almost dire" with weakness and hunger: next day C1. No more attempts for summit. Difficulties between C1 and C2 where crevasses need fixed rope (740m); C2 and C3 same stone and icefall. Used snow route all the way; no fixed rope in couloir. At 1:45 summiter Hong, thought he was at summit but when cloud disappeared realized not highest point and went onto to true summit in clear weather. First campsite list: BC1(4900m),BC2(5000m),C1(01/09,5600m),C2(02/09,6500m),C3(03/09,7000m), C4(04/09,7700m),Biv(05/09,7900m),Smt(06/09) Another campsite list: BC(19/08,5300m),ABC(31/08,6000m),C1(01/09,6600m),C2(02/09,7200m), C3(03/09,7500m),C4(04/09,7860m),Biv(05/09,8050m),Smt(06/09) Cho Oyu Expedition, Korean Autumn 1989 - by Kwak Gyu-Youl The expedition member was ten persons led by Park Sang-Yul. They started for Kathmandu on July 22. Starting up caravan at Jiri on August 2. BC was established at 5200m on August 17. C1 was established at 5950m under the Nangpa La. They ascended the so-called traditional SW Ridge from Nepal, which is in actual the NW Ridge. C2, C3 and C4 were established at 6300m, 6700m and 7500m on Aug 22, 29 and 30. On Aug 31, Dong-Yon Lee, Gyong-Pyo Hong, Sirdar Wangel started for the summit at 3 am, but descended on the first rock band at 1:50 pm. They arrived at C4 at 6:20 pm. On September 1, they started at 7:15 am and established a tent at 8100m which is the highest point arrived the day before. They started at 6:50 am on Sept 2. After 6 hours they arrived at the second rock band with abundant snows. They have mistaken the summit for heavy fog at 3:23 pm. But when the fog lifted, they found the true higher summit. Since that time about one hour they reached the summit. Chong - 5 Oct 89 Villa Everest prop. Korean Cho Oyu team "confessed" to Chong just before they left KTM (and his lodge) that they had climbed the normal route, not SW Ridge as claimed at first. Had intended all along to climb Tichy route. They began climbing on 20 Aug and reached summit 2 Sept. Magda King Nos Loppe & Ang Phuri - 1 Oct 1989 Met Koreans at Spanish ABC 30 Aug. They made summit 2 days later 1 Sept. Spanish had already been in on above Nepal BC 15 days. Koreans C3 = Spanish C1, just below icefall. Next camp was where Italian woman landed after riding an avalanche 800m. Went up straight up instead of making a left traverse above C2, as Tichy route would have taken them. Sherpa is sure Koreans did not ascend via Messner, did not meet Koreans after their summit day so did not talk with them after it, but are sure Koreans were not at all on the route they claim to have been on. "They cannot substantiate their claim with picture because their pictures will show the wrong place" - King Zeglen & Bianchi - 25 Sept 1989 Koreans were on normal route and crossed Nangpa La in both directions. Could not have followed route they claimed because very difficult and very dangerous avalanching there. Italians saw no track via Messner approach. They left Cho Oyu across Nangpa La. No Chinese beyond Northern BC = Chinese BC, well away from mountain. Saw their track very nice track up mountain via Tichy route Koreans on summit 3 Sept - 1st met some at Bianchi's. Sigi Hupfauer - 20 Sept 1989 Does not believe Koreans could climb new route they claims so quickly especially on such steep face, and altitudes given for camps don't correspond with sketch over Schneider's contours. Agrees not at all likely Koreans using their tactics of fixed camps and rope made climb of route they claim. Oswald Oelz - 21 Sept 1989 He agrees not at all likely Koreans, using their tactics of fixed camps and ropes, they climbed the route of their claim.
Accidents Slight frostbite to summiters; one Sherpa unhurt in fall onto crevasse
Achievement -
Agency Asian Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route True
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2453451
Year 1989
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) w face-w ridge from s

Members

12 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Kyung-Pyo Hong M 1962 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Office worker Details Other expeditions
Byung-Hyun Kim M 1965 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Office worker Details Other expeditions
Jong-Gil Kim M 1961 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Chemistry student Details Other expeditions
Kyou-Yul Kwak M 1961 S Korea Deputy Leader Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Staff member, Korean Alpine Federation Details Other expeditions
Dong-Ro Lee M 1954 S Korea Climbing Leader Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Travel guide Details Other expeditions
Dong-Yeon Lee M 1958 S Korea Climber Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk, S Korea Office worker Details Other expeditions
Jung-Gil Lee M 1954 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Steel company president Details Other expeditions
Sang-Yul Park M 1944 S Korea Leader Daegu (Taegu), S Korea University administration official Details Other expeditions
Hoon-Dong Yeu M 1966 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Economics student Details Other expeditions
Sun-Sik Yoo M 1968 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Truck driver Details Other expeditions
Sang-Wook Yup M 1963 S Korea Climber Daegu (Taegu), S Korea Car salesman Details Other expeditions
Wangel (Ongel) Sherpa M - Nepal Sirdar Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
CHOY89301 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 64:238 (1990) -
CHOY89301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199023802/Asia-Nepal-Cho-Oyu - - -