In Wake of Himalayan Climbing Tragedy, Calls Grow for Better Warning Systems

After a year of preparation, the elite South Korean climber who had already summitted 14 of the world’s highest peaks above 8000 meters, was attempting to scale a little known mountain through a new route.

South-Korean mountaineer Kim Chang-ho (C), who died during a snowstorm in the Himalayas on Oct. 11, poses for pictures with other mountaineers ahead of an awarding ceremony in Grenoble, France, on Nov. 8, 2017. Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP/Getty Images

KATHMANDU, Nepal—After a year of preparation, the elite South Korean climber who had already summitted 14 of the world’s highest peaks was attempting to scale a little-known mountain through a new route.

Kim Chang-ho, a bespectacled mountaineer, and his supporting team of four South Koreans and four Nepali guides had trekked through rugged mountains in mid-Western Nepal and arrived at the rarely climbed 7,193-meter-high (23,600-foot) Mount Gurja.