By Oh Young-jin
Assistant managing editor
Last September I had the pleasure to meet Oh Eun-sun, now the first female climber in the world to conquer all 14 summits that are higher than 8,000 meters above sea level, when she visited my office for an interview.
I was actually late by about 10 minutes and my reporter was talking to her in the conference room.
Running into the room I was a mix of emotions, half in anticipation of seeing a woman who was about to make her way into history and half in anxiety for being late. I thrust my hand for a handshake at the same time almost shouting greetings.
Oh, clad in red climbing attire, rose from her seat and clasped my hand.
In those introductory 10-odd seconds, I was surprised twice.
First, she proved to be a Napoleonic woman. Official references indicate she is 155 centimeters and weighs about 50 kilograms (she may weigh less now considering she has just finished her successful climb up Annapurna, the last of her 14-peak conquest).
Not that I "look down" on small persons. But the contrast between such a small figure and those treacherous big mountains she is famous for climbing caught me off guard.
Then, further grabbing my attention was her alto voice that sounded like a clear echo deep in the mountains and her disarming smile that I thought only those who live away from the hustle and bustle of mundane life could smile.
Her small hand that was enfolded by my palm during the brief handshake signified her feminine side that has been hidden underneath her much-touted attempt to do what no woman had done before. Only 19 men have conquered all 14 peaks with three of them being Korean.
Oddly enough, all these impressions immediately balled into that of awe and shock that went beyond the ordinary divide of gender, when one brings to mind the ordeals and triumphs she had gone through ― death of her rival Ko Mi-young, her first failed attempt at Annapurna and the dispute about her achievement. For the following eight months, I kept myself posted whenever there was an update about how her preparations were coming along before her departure for the mountain, which is the 10th tallest among the top 14 Himalayan peaks and full of meaning in Sanskrit.
Thanks to modern satellite and television technologies, last week I could be back with her on her ascent, not as an interviewer but as an avid supporter, together with the rest of the nation.
It was the sound, not the sight that first conveyed Oh's painstaking endeavor. She repeatedly took shallow breaths in thin air. The density of oxygen above 7,000 meters is less than one third of that on the ground, according to climbing experts. One can only drink water in that high place, they say, meaning that she had to exert herself without nutritional help for nearly 20 hours on her attempt to reach her final peak.
She walked slowly on a stiff ridge with her heavy clothing and climbing gear making her appear twice as large as she is. It was her second attempt on this expedition after bad weather forced her to give up the first time.
When I turned back to the television after being distracted for a while, I was alarmed by the desperate voice of a male companion climber shouting, "Landslide!" Then, a broadcaster who was with Oh's climbing team said that it was scenes from recorded footage that had been a close call for her earlier in the day. I heaved a silent sigh of relief, knowing that she was still alive.
A couple of hours later I received news of her successful ascent. It was a cathartic moment not just for me but I came to know the full scale of the importance of her success ― a solace to Korea that was mired in a month-long mourning period for 46 sailors killed in an apparent torpedo attack.
The sinking of ROK Navy frigate Cheonan shackled the nation as a hostage, reminding it of the dormant state of war lasting over five decades and the same sense of helplessness one may feel after being unjustly treated with no chance of getting even.
"I pressed on, feeling sick of coming back for another try," Oh was quoted as saying during an interview with a mountaineering writer after her descent. I think I can understand why she said it but I am sure that she will come back and climb again. It is in her genes. In the meantime, I offer her my thanks for enduring the ordeal because her triumph has helped the nation regain a sense of confidence, irrespective of whether she had intended it or not. We are indebted.
Is it a case of sour grapes? I know that one can dispute what he thinks is not true but it is an act of human decency to admit and retract, when presented with an indisputable body of evidence.
It goes without saying that the two were rivals on their path to the world record of becoming the first woman to conquer all 14 "eight thousanders." But it is hard to swallow a bitter taste when the Spanish team came up with a disclaimer that disputes Oh's achievement after she beat her and won the race. Her dispute is about Oh's ascent to Kanchenjunga last year. Why didn't she dispute it when Oh climbed it? Why can't she present the names of the Sherpa who she claimed said Oh cheated, as Oh demands?
I feel sorry about western media that portrayed Oh as glory-oriented woman who ignored calls for help for Spanish climbers on Annapurna. Before being judgmental, let's think of her physical condition she must have been in after 20 hours of climbing above 7,000 meters.