2015 KAF report > Member's Report

Youth Committee of Korean Alpine Federation

1. 2014 Korean Youth Expedition

Korean Alpine Federation sends Korean youth to the world's remote mountains in order to raise an enterprising spirit through Culture exchange and volunteer works and also promote international cooperation. Korean Youth Expedition has been sent to five different regions since 2001 and each expedition team has explored its respective mountain region for about twenty days.

Korean Youth Expedition has been on-going since 2001 with each individual team has explored an appointed alpine region for about twenty days. Since its first announcement on 18th March, a large number of applicants underwent an intense selection process to qualify for the program.

This year, a total of 56 members have been scheduled to be sent to five different regions (Aksu, Kyrgyzstan), (Kashmir, India), (Karakoram, Pakistan), (Tianshan, Kazakhstan), (Altai, Mongolia) starting from 21 July, right after the launch ceremony. After all respective teams return, the program as a whole publishes a comprehensive report of all expeditions.

2. UIAA Global Youth Camp

From July 18~26th, 2014, for eight days and nine nights, the Korean Alpine Federation, chaperoned by Teen Youth Leader, Jong-kuk, MOON, sent six teens off to International Youth Mountaineering School Georgia 2014. The UIAA host country was conducted by the Mountaineering & Climbing Association of Georgia and at the Mt.Kazbek campgrounds for climbing, hiking, and other mountain related activities.

3. 2014 Winter Alpine Environmental Youth Camp

KAF's Youth Committee, lead by Chief Young-sik Kim, organized the 2014 Winter Alpine Environmental Camp at the Mt.Daisen(1,709m), Tottori, Japan from January 23rd to 26th. The program had a total of forty participants, comprised of middle and high school students with youth committee staff members. The participants learned and practiced some basic winter mountaineering, hiking skills and LNT(Leave No Trace).

Korean Alpine Federation's expedition Activity

1. Korean Kanchenjunga Search & Expedition Team

Kanchenjunga(8,586m)

Siege tactics via normal Route

Kim Mi-gon

Date : May 18th 08:15(Local Time)

Korean Kanchenjunga Expedition Team (KKET) left Korea on March 24th and left their basecamp on May14th. Leader, Kim Mi-gon, and two Sherpa climbers went on to reach the summit while and other expedition climbers searched Nam-soo Park’s missing body from last year. Mi-gon Kim summitted and ade his descent to the Camp3 on the same day. The summit marked the eleventh successful 8,000m peak. Previous summits areas
such: Cho Oyu(2000), Makalu(2001), GasherbrumII(2006), Everest, Lhotse(2007), Dhaulagiri(2009), Manaslu(2011), K2(2012), GasherbrumI(2013).

2. KyungIl University Alpine Club Dhaulagiri Expedition

Siege tactics via normal route

Dae-hee Park, Jin-chul Cha,

Young-rok Pae

Date: May 18th 14:45(Local Time)

KyungIl University Alpine Club (KIUAC)’s original plans were to summit Mt. Everest. The team’s progress, however, after reaching the Everest base camp(5,400m) on 17 April, was halted due to the avalanche tragedy and they retreated and returned to Kathmandu on 1 May. They altered their sights to Dhaulagiri (8,167m) by 7 May where another Korean expedition team was already based. Many teams had evacuated base camp by the time the KIUAC team arrived on 13 May due to poor weather conditions. The other Korean expedition team passed along their information and gear to KIUAC upon surrendering on their efforts. On May 15th, Cha, Pae and two Sherpa climbers left the basecamp at 3am. The Seven Summit Treks’ team left 2 hours ahead. The conditions of the route were poor due to the previous few days of snowing. The four climbers made their way, but could not continue onward as efficiently as planned due to weather conditions where they finally reached their first camp around 5,200m by 3:00 p.m. and onward to Camp 2(6,800m) next day.

Their plan was to summit 17 May, but they only reached as far as Camp 3 that afternoon. Cha and Pae did not use oxygen until the last pitch where Pae’s condition became a concern and used oxygen from a Sherpa. They summitted the peak 2:45pm on 18th and returned to the
basecamp on 19 May.

3. Vision Expedition Team Dragmarpo Ri (6,188m)

Siege tactics

Leader Tae-hoon Kim

Summiteers: Jang-kyum Jin & Kyung-ryul Kim

The Vision Expedition arrived to base camp(4,700m) on 10 April. The team fixed C1 by 14 April, established C2(5,100m) on 16 April with plans to summit on 17 April as originally planned, but were slowed by snowy weather conditions. Thirteen climbers were divided into three groups at 2:00 a.m. on 18 April and began climbing the main snow wall. After contacting basecamp by 8:00 a.m. at 5,700 meters, they were radioed to retreat back to C2 due to the foreseeable dangers of sending such a large number of inexperienced climbers through a reported crevasse field.

Sherpa support ferried provisions from basecamp up to C2 over the next few days while climbers were broken down into summit, descent and support teams. On 21 April, Jang-
kyum Jin and Kyung-ryul Kim reached the summit and safely made their retreat to the
basecamp by 22 April.

4. HanKuk University of Foreign Studies Lugula Expedition Team

siege tactics

first summit

Summiteers: Seung-ki Hong, Won-taek Bum

The HanKuk University of Foreign Studies Lugula Expedition set off for Kathmandu on 4 April. Lugula, located on the border of Tibet, is neighbored with Beurikuteesalli (6,361m) to its left and Lugula and Chako (6,704m) to its right. The departed Kathmandu 6 April, reached the village of Pu and arrived to base camp(5,050m), located at the Layju Khola, by 13 April.

On 16 April, ABC established no more than 2,500 meters from the B.C. However, they set up the first camp at the ridge because of the poor weather. Although they tried again
on the next day, they were able to move only 400 meters and had to come back to ABC.