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mauta
Feb 7, 2003, 7:14 PM
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Hi,
right now, there is a polish expedition going on attempting to summit K2 in winter. The leader is Kristof Wielicki (SP), a legend of himalayism.
In case they make it to the top, how will you rank this achievement in himalayan history, or in climbing history in general?
My personal opinion is that it will be one of the best of all time (Messner true solo on Everest in 1980 without oxigen still being my favourite). Do you agree?
At everestnews.com you can find news about this expedition.
JUAN
[ Este Mensaje fue editado por: mauta el 2003-02-07 11:16 ]
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veilneb
Feb 7, 2003, 7:49 PM
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Hello,
I have been following their progress daily. A few days ago they had a good break in the weather and managed to establish camp III at 7200 m.
For those interested, there is a websited with daily updates (hosted by one of the sponsors of the expedition). The site is:
http://www.netia.pl/k2
The site is in Polish, but I think you can get summaries in English. I could also do abridged translations and PM them to those interested, or simply post them on RC.com.
Let me know if there would be any interest in this.
Veilneb
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bandycoot
Feb 7, 2003, 7:58 PM
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I'd love to read about updates, that is pretty cool. Post the abridged version. i looked at the site real quick and couldn't make sense of it or how to get english updates or anything...
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rollingstone
Feb 7, 2003, 8:30 PM
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Wielikci (sp?) is a giant in Himalayan history, to be sure, and a very nice, modest guy. He has done several first winter ascents on the 8000m peaks. Few are tougher than the Poles...they can climb!!
Updates in English would be cool!
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kman
Feb 7, 2003, 8:37 PM
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Yup...an update would be aces!
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veilneb
Feb 9, 2003, 3:31 AM
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AN UPDATE. I tried my best to translate the entry from Feb. 7th. I will try to translate future updates as time permits.
From http://www.netia.pl/k2
Summarized translation: 7 February, 2003
The night was terrible. The winds were the most ferocious since our arrival at Base camp. However, everything quieted down in the morning, but picked up again as the day progressed (but with diminished force). It is snowing. Jacek Teler, after spending the night on the wall, [my note: not sure if this is a reference to camp 2 at 6700 meters] and after fixing more lines above camp II returned to Base camp. Despite difficult atmospheric conditions, the expedition continues. Today the team consists of the following: Denis Urubko, Piotr Morawski, Marcin Kaczkan. They leave for camp III. The plan is to establish camp IV at an elevation of 7900 meters during the next few days.
[ This Message was edited by: veilneb on 2003-02-08 19:50 ]
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braaaaaaaadley
Feb 9, 2003, 4:00 AM
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Thanks for the transalation!!!
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passthepitonspete
Feb 9, 2003, 4:53 AM
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Those bastards are sick.
Damn, I'm getting cold just thinking about it.
Brrrrrrr......
Cheers,
Peter Zabrok [originally]
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apollodorus
Feb 9, 2003, 7:36 PM
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Send up Scott Glen. He's the expert on K2. I saw it in the motion pictures.
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veilneb
Feb 10, 2003, 1:35 AM
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eldo: Camp II did indeed blow away several days ago (maybe even a week ago). However, it was re-established complete with a massive rock wall to shelter the tent from the wind. I believe the word they used was "fortress" for the new camp II.
Veilneb
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jtcronk
Feb 12, 2003, 4:14 PM
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Yes, these guys are definitely burly! Or should I say brrrrrly!?!?! (Thanks for posting the links to the updates, etc!)
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veilneb
Feb 12, 2003, 4:28 PM
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Quick update, will do a better translation later.
So the last few days saw the team pretty demoralized. The weather turned to crap (which is probably pretty darn bad considering the locale). Many of the lines were frozen into ice and had to be excavated with axes, making for very slow progress. One of the climbers fell waist deep into a crevase, but didn't fall through all the way. The backpack he was wearing saved his life. This left the team visibly shaken. However, Feb. 12 saw a sunny and fairly calm day. Much progress was made. It has been established (via GPS) that camp III is at an elevation of 7150 m. During the day, Piotr Morawski, Marcin Kaczkan and Denis Urubko set another 400 meters of lines above camp III. There are hopes that camp IV may soon be established.
So much for now.
Veilneb
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wildtrail
Feb 12, 2003, 4:47 PM
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K2 at any time is nearly impossible. The most dangerous 8,000m peak in existence, totally unforgiving in difficulty, weather, and life.
A winter ascent? Kudos. Climbing history for sure.
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mauta
Feb 12, 2003, 4:53 PM
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Great job VEILNEB !!!!
Thanks,
JUAN
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veilneb
Feb 13, 2003, 2:45 PM
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Another Update: February 13, 2003
Denis Urubko and Piotr Morawski established camp IV at an elevation of 7630 meters. It is the first time in the history of winter expeditions on K2 that this elevation has been reached.
"We have pitched our tent on a rocky outcrop. Our tent stands on an old tent that was pitched in 1996 during a summer Polish and Italian expedition. We are shivering with the cold." Krzysztof Wielicki directed Denis and Piotr from a lower position, to help them find the sheltered spot.
From this point at camp IV to the peak at 8611 meters remains another vertical kilometer. One must conquer this elevation and return to camp IV before nightfall. Acording to Denis Urubko, one must have fantastic aclimatization and physical and psychologica endurance to accomplish this. There will be no more lines from camp IV to help the mountaineers. The path is mainly along a glacier, and then a rock face. The last 300 meters are hiden from the base on the north side.
Camp IV stands on a shelterd spot. It is protected from the strong western winds by a an elevated rock wall [this is my interpretation, I'm not sure of the word they used]. Urubko and Morawski have spent 3 nights and 4 days above 7000 meters and are exhausted. They will be descending to get rest.
The previous elevation record in winter on K2 was 7100 meters in 1987/88 from the southern aspect by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.
So much for now.
Veilneb
[ This Message was edited by: veilneb on 2003-02-13 06:45 ]
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veilneb
Feb 14, 2003, 6:20 PM
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Here is the temp/wind forecast for today, February 15th, 2003.
Elevation / Temp (Deg. C) / Wind (km/h)
8611 m / -42 / 122
7800 m / -34 / 100
7500 m / -26 / 57
6900 m / -18 / 18
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chrisp
Feb 15, 2003, 5:05 AM
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I can't help but cheer on this bold group.
Please keep the updates and translations coming, veilneb.
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mauta
Feb 18, 2003, 2:48 PM
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Thanks VEILNEB for the last update !!!
Do you know when the summit attempt will take place and who is expected to participate?
I really hope they succeed on this one..they really deserve it !!!!
If the poles cannot, who can???
However, speaking of course from my total lack of experience about this type of climbing (being just an avid reader of himalayism), i feel that 1000m in altitude is a lot for the summit attempt, taken into account that there must surely exist technical difficulties...
Also, they have to come back to campIV before the light disappears...not reaching campIV in the descent and have to bivoauc at that altitude in winter will be deadly for sure.
My best wishes to them !!!!!
:wink:
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veilneb
Feb 21, 2003, 8:18 PM
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Quick update.
No time to do translation at the moment. I will translate in a couple of days.
So the K2 team has been getting their behinds spanked by the weather. Everyone has retreated to base camp at 5100 meters. The last 3 days have seen hurricane strength winds. The future of the expedition was in question. However, today, the winds have calmed down a bit. During this brief window, 2 memebers are moving to find out if there is anything left of the higher camps.
V
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rainer_henfling
Feb 23, 2003, 3:52 PM
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Note this:
Im Spring 2003, a Swiss expedition with the four pretty well-known mountaineers Erhard Loretan, Stephan Siegrist, Ueli Steck and Frederic Roux will try to do the first ascent of Jannu Nothface, an extremely hard wall. Great goal...
Link: www.stephan-siegrist.ch (it´s only in German, I´m afraid...)
Rainer.
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rainer_henfling
Feb 23, 2003, 3:53 PM
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Note this:
Im Spring 2003, a Swiss expedition with the four pretty well-known mountaineers Erhard Loretan, Stephan Siegrist, Ueli Steck and Frederic Roux will try to do the first ascent of Jannu Nothface, an extremely hard wall. Great goal...
Link: www.stephan-siegrist.ch (it´s only in German, I´m afraid...)
Rainer.
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rainer_henfling
Feb 23, 2003, 3:54 PM
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Note this:
Im Spring 2003, a Swiss expedition with the four pretty well-known mountaineers Erhard Loretan, Stephan Siegrist, Ueli Steck and Frederic Roux will try to do the first ascent of Jannu Nothface, an extremely hard wall. Great goal...
Rainer.
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veilneb
Feb 25, 2003, 2:47 PM
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An Update: Feb. 25th, 2003
The team has reached camp 2 and will proceed on to camp 3. Apparently, the last party leaving camp 2 in their hasty retreat to base camp from the hurricane-force winds left the tent doors open. Much energy was spent digging the snow out of the tent. The tent was completely full of snow.
Krzysztof Wielicki will be joining the party in a day (should be today). There is a short break in the weather. The team is planning a bid for the summit this WEDNESDAY, if the weather permits.
Wojtek
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xkyczar
Mar 5, 2003, 2:44 PM
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From: http://www.russianclimb.com/K2.html
28 February 2003 "The expedition is over",- Wielicki has announced his decision in the evening Feb 27.
(from the message of Monika Rogozinska, "Rzeczpospolita", Feb.27)
Denis Urubko wrote:
Hello, Lena!
This happened yesterday in the last camp at 7750 m. Marcin could not feel anything. He saw nothing around him, was unable to speak and to understand. Only few primary instincts. We spent the night in small tent, which we brought with us, since our previous tent was swept by wind. We slept in one slleping bag, without mats. Before this we had three hard days of climbing in harsh weather with heavy load.
We woke up and I was sure that we'll continue the climb, but in a half an hour I understood that Marcin is really sick. I decided to go down immediately, since he was unable to do anything and could understand my words only after 2-3 times. You can imagine how much I was frightened! I almost started to panik. This guy have a wife and a newborn baby in Poland... If he will be unable to descend himself right now, I will have to die here. No drugs, nobody, who is able to really help us. Only unacclimatised Krzysztof with leg injury in Camp 3.
It is better not to recall my attempts to force him to move. But in 2 hours we were ready to descend. There was an amazing event: this night wind blew away one of my crampons! I've put them at the tent entrance and in the morning I found that one of them is absent. Thanks God, it was only 15 meters below on the rocks and I managed to get it.
When Marcin was getting out of the tent he felt several times. I thought that it is the end... But at this moment he showed himself as a real man. He managed to raise and, with my help, he reached fixed ropes five meters away. This was a great deal. While I was packing the tent he waited for some 10 minutes. Apparently, this made him more consious. I made a belay, but he moved along the fixed ropes by himself. The first 100 meters of descend took 40 minutes. These moments were terrible for me. Wind, snow, I'm terribly hungry and thirsty. But next 100 meters we covered in just 25 minutes. Big progress! Marcin began to look normally and I removed the belay. We were moving very slowly, but everybody by himself. Only sometimes I helped him to do something and was talking to him, talking, talking....
We met Krzysztof above the Camp 3. He brought only some tea for Marcin. Even I got 30 grams. And we continued to descend from this huge mountain. We met other people only close to the Camp 1 and at 1930, in complete darkness, we reached it. Marcin got oxygen and water and stayed there. Me and Kshishtof came to ABC at 22-30.
Now Marcin is OK. He descended to ABS and feels good. Me too :))
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