KATHMANDU, APRIL 12Renowned South Korean climber Sung-Taek Hong, 55, is all set to make his seventh attempt to climb the Lhotse South Face, one of the toughest climbs in the world, this season."Being part of the Lhotse South Face Expedition 2022, managed by Seven Summit Treks, my team will be attempting to climb one of the most difficult vertical walls in the world and stand on top of the world's 4th highest mountain, Mt Lhotse," Hong announced amidst a press meet in Kathmandu today. Hong, is a mountaineer, adventurer, explorer, and author from South Korea who has reached all three Poles and crossed the Bering Strait and Greenland.

"I am going to make my seventh attempt on the Lhotse south face," he said.

Hong has already attempted the most difficult face of the mountain six times in the previous years. Renowned South Korean climber Sung-Taek Hong, 55, is all set to make his seventh attempt to climb the Lhotse South Face, one of the toughest climbs in the world, this season.

Other members of the Lhotse South Face Expedition include Myung Suk Koh, Byoung Tae, Jupil Park, Nakjong Seong, Jae Chul Kim, Jorge Egoxheraga Rodriguez and Vadim Pirmin Druelle.

A famous mountaineer, turning around after experiencing few failures, also said that climbing this route may be more valuable than climbing all the world's 14 highest peaks."Being a leader of the eight-member international expedition team along with 14 Sherpa guides, I will try my best to make it happen this time accepting the challenge of overcoming one of the most difficult ascents in climbing history," he added.In October 1990, two Russian climbers - Serguey Bershov and Vladimir Karataev – first successfully climbed the mountain from the south face wall which no one has ever repeated.

Till date, over 25 attempts have already been made on the Jerezy Kukutz route to cross the 3,300m vertical wall with an average inclination of 75 degrees.

"My team has advanced climbing techniques and numerous experiences and intends to climb the Lhotse South Face," he reiterated.The National Geographic Explorer had climbed Mt Everest in 1995 from the Tibetan side while he skied to the South Pole in 1994 and walked to the North Pole in 2005.

Hong also crossed the Bering Strait and Greenland for the first time, according to reports.Director at Seven summit Treks Tashi Lakpa Sherpa said that it would be an exciting expedition in the history of mountain climbing.

SST Manager Thaneswar Guragai said that the team would leave for Lukla to begin its climbing activities tomorrow. .

This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com