first ascent. Considered one of the highest unclimbed independent ...
Karakoram
Ba t u r a M
uztagh
Batura II (7,762m), first ascent. Considered one o f the highest unclim bed in d ependent sum m its in the w orld, B atura II in th e w estern K arakoram h ad repelled m any exp ed itio n s because o f objective dangers and difficult clim bing above 6,500m . In the su m m er o f 2 0 0 8 Kim C hang-ho, w ho had reached seven sum m its over 8 ,000m in the previous three years ( including a traverse o f N anga Parbat in 2 0 0 5 ), led a University o f Seoul Alpine Club expedition to the to p o f Batura II in com m em o ratio n o f the university’s 9 0 th anniversary. The team o f nine young clim bers approached by th e M u chu har (a.k.a. M uchichul) G la cier an d placed base cam p beside the Batokshi Glacier at 4 ,1 15m . Cam p 1 was on the u p p er end o f the Batokshi G lacier ( 5 ,150m ); C am p 2 was on th e large plateau n o rth o f B atokshi Peak at
5,950m . Above C am p 3, at 6,650m , the clim bers traversed left across ram p s below a 7 0 0 m rock wall on th e u p p e r so u th face, placing a final cam p at 7 ,2 00 m . T he expedition fixed a b o u t 2 ,4 0 0 m o f rope betw een C am p 1 an d C am p 4. O n th eir first su m m it bid, Kim C hang-ho and C hoi Suk-m un reached C am p 4 and intended to go for the top the next day. However, having w orked th e ro u te up to C am p 4 over th e past n ine days, an d in p o o r w eather, th e tw o clim bers’ su p p o rtin g cast stru g gled w ith exhaustion, and the decision was m ade for everyone to retreat to base cam p. T he team recu p erated for th ree days on the green terraces at 4 ,1 1 5 m an d th e n left for th e ir second a ttem p t on A ugust 7. T hey arrived at C am p 4 o n A ugust 9, an d at 4 a.m . o n A ugust 11, Kim C h an g -h o an d C hoi S u k -m u n left again for th e su m m it w ith serious avalanche risk on the u p p er slopes. After only four an d a h alf h o u rs they arrived at the sum m it. The clim bers stayed a b o u t 50 m inutes on the su m m it, an d th e n starte d th e descent to C am p 3, w here th ree team m em bers aw aited th eir arrival. T hey briefly rested w ith a snack an d tea, an d th en th e team o f
five evacuated all o f th e gear an d co n tin u e d dow n to C am p 2. All o f th e team was safely off th e m o u n ta in by A ugust 12, w ith all o f the equipm ent; som e fixed rope was left on the rock wall. C h r is t in e Pa e ,
Korean Alpine Federation
Ba t u r a M
uztagh
Batura II (7,762m), first ascent. Considered one o f the highest unclim bed in d ependent sum m its in the w orld, B atura II in th e w estern K arakoram h ad repelled m any exp ed itio n s because o f objective dangers and difficult clim bing above 6,500m . In the su m m er o f 2 0 0 8 Kim C hang-ho, w ho had reached seven sum m its over 8 ,000m in the previous three years ( including a traverse o f N anga Parbat in 2 0 0 5 ), led a University o f Seoul Alpine Club expedition to the to p o f Batura II in com m em o ratio n o f the university’s 9 0 th anniversary. The team o f nine young clim bers approached by th e M u chu har (a.k.a. M uchichul) G la cier an d placed base cam p beside the Batokshi Glacier at 4 ,1 15m . Cam p 1 was on the u p p er end o f the Batokshi G lacier ( 5 ,150m ); C am p 2 was on th e large plateau n o rth o f B atokshi Peak at
5,950m . Above C am p 3, at 6,650m , the clim bers traversed left across ram p s below a 7 0 0 m rock wall on th e u p p e r so u th face, placing a final cam p at 7 ,2 00 m . T he expedition fixed a b o u t 2 ,4 0 0 m o f rope betw een C am p 1 an d C am p 4. O n th eir first su m m it bid, Kim C hang-ho and C hoi Suk-m un reached C am p 4 and intended to go for the top the next day. However, having w orked th e ro u te up to C am p 4 over th e past n ine days, an d in p o o r w eather, th e tw o clim bers’ su p p o rtin g cast stru g gled w ith exhaustion, and the decision was m ade for everyone to retreat to base cam p. T he team recu p erated for th ree days on the green terraces at 4 ,1 1 5 m an d th e n left for th e ir second a ttem p t on A ugust 7. T hey arrived at C am p 4 o n A ugust 9, an d at 4 a.m . o n A ugust 11, Kim C h an g -h o an d C hoi S u k -m u n left again for th e su m m it w ith serious avalanche risk on the u p p er slopes. After only four an d a h alf h o u rs they arrived at the sum m it. The clim bers stayed a b o u t 50 m inutes on the su m m it, an d th e n starte d th e descent to C am p 3, w here th ree team m em bers aw aited th eir arrival. T hey briefly rested w ith a snack an d tea, an d th en th e team o f
five evacuated all o f th e gear an d co n tin u e d dow n to C am p 2. All o f th e team was safely off th e m o u n ta in by A ugust 12, w ith all o f the equipm ent; som e fixed rope was left on the rock wall. C h r is t in e Pa e ,
Korean Alpine Federation
