Three members of a South Korean team has summited Sato Peak for the first time. Leader Ahn Chi-young, Lee Sang-guk, and Lee Ui-jun topped out on the previously unclimbed 6,220m mountain in the Kangchenjunga region on Saturday after climbing the southeast face in alpine style.
Sato Peak, far right. Photo: Dil Kumar Limbu
Five days, three camps
The climb took five days, according to the Joong-Ang Daily.
“They left their base camp on Tuesday, set up Camp 1 below the east face, and advanced to Camp 2 the following day,” the paper read. “Then they had to stay there for one day, waiting out bad weather. On Friday, the fourth day, they established Camp 3 and finally reached the summit on Saturday afternoon.”
The climbers were expected back in Base Camp today. Details are still scarce, but Korean media speak of technical sections along the route, including varied pitches on ice and mixed terrain.
There is some interest around the summit coordinates and geographical features, since Sato Peak is often mistaken for other nearby peaks, especially the six peaks of the Sharphu group. This has led some teams to reach the wrong summit over the years. The peak’s altitude is also uncertain, ranging from 6,150m to 6,220m, depending on the source.
Ahn Chi-young is one of Korea’s best-known exploratory alpinists. Two years ago, he attempted Kangri Shar and Kangri Shar West in the Khumbu, together with Woo Seok-ju.
A confusing peak
Stefano Ragazzo and Silvia Loreggian attempted Sato Peak in 2022. They reached a foresummit, the so-called Sato Pyramide (6,100m). In 2023, a Japanese team led by Piolet d’Or winner Yasuhiro Hanatani gave the peak another try. However, The Himalayan Database has tagged it as “unclimbed?” They suspect that a previous Japanese team reached its summit in the 1960s, believing they were on Nupchu Peak.
The seven-member team, supported by South Korea’s Alpine Federation, plans to return home on May 10.
Sato Peak. Photo: Korean Alpine Federation
