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Andalusians speak up on K2 fixed ropes controversy
Jul 15, 2004 19: 45 EST
The Andalusian (Spanish) team is getting ready for their summit bid on K2. The weather forecasts show a possible weather window from July19th, so they’ve chosen (as many others have) that date to launch their summit climb. There have been meetings between expedition leaders to coordinate each team’s summit bid, as a ‘massive attack’ is foreseen.
In the middle of all this the Adalusians can’t help expressing their opinion on one of the most controversial subjects of the current climbing season on K2: fixed ropes. And their timing is impeccable – coinciding with today’s ExWeb series on K2.
This is what Manuel González, Andalusia’s expedition leader, has to say:
“I believe the time has come, to speak clearly about the fixed ropes. And then everyone can make their own conclusions.
Fixed ropes are precisely that; ropes installed on the ascent routes, so that high altitude porters and climbers can move safely when they are heavily loaded, when they are acclimatizing or, most of all, when weather suddenly worsens.
There are two kinds of fixed ropes to be found on 8000+ mountains: The good ones and the Korean ones.
The Korean ropes: I’ll try to be accurate in my description: These are just like the plastic ropes we use to hang our clothes, but 8 or 9mm thick. You get really scared when you find them on a vertical section.
The good ropes: 7 or 8 mm diameter semistatic ropes. These are a real source of joy to clip in to.
Now, fixed ropes have always been used on high mountains. There are very few climbers capable of performing great climbs without using them. On the contrary, there are a large amount of people who use them, however:
A. They use them and ‘forget’ to mention that fact in their reports.
B. They wait for the harshly criticized commercial expeditions to fix the ropes, and then climb on them, without offering anything in return. Later they will bash commercial teams and preach about ‘clean-climbing’ without fixed ropes and no O2. They don’t seem to care that they’ve been using a rope fixed by someone on supplementary O2.
It’s time to speak out - loud and clear
It’s time to speak out - loud and clear - about what’s going on on K2. Especially after learning of the ‘official version’ provided by the Italian team, led by Agostino da Polenza with an extraordinary budget of 2,300,000€.
The Italians told us, “We don’t like your style. We want to climb without fixed ropes, without high altitude porters and without supplementary oxygen.” I couldn’t help but ask how he could come to K2 with such an attitude, in such a remarkable year. Significantly as everyone has seen his climbers clipped on to the fixed ropes ever since the beginning of the climb.
The distribution of the task of fixing ropes on K2 this year:
Fixed ropes from ABC to C1
First line fixed by Kari Kobler’s Balti porters.
Second line of ropes fixed by Kari Kobler’s Balti and Sherpa porters, with our help on June 29.
Fixed ropes from C1 to C2:
First line of ropes fixed by the Japanese team.
Second line of ropes fixed by ‘Al Filo’ Spanish team (about 500m). We improved the belays and will fix another 200 meters in the next few days.
Fixed ropes from c2 to c3:
Only one line of ropes fixed by Kari Kobler’s Balti porters, the Japanese and our Sherpa.
Fixed ropes from C3 to C4
Not yet decided, but seemingly the same teams will be in charge. There will be fixed ropes on the Bottleneck and the traverse – standard almost all years when K2 was summited.
Those ropes fixed as a second line or above C2 are all of good quality, so we all have won as far as safety is concerned. Last year Kari Kobler’s team fixed scary unsafe ropes on the Black Pyramid.
To summarize:
-Don’t be fooled; the real hard job when fixing ropes is to fix the first line. The second line might be necessary, but does not compare.
-The ones who are actually working hard here are the high altitude porters and Sherpas. If we succeed, it will be in great part thanks to them. Whatever happens, thank you!
-About climbing the Abruzzi without porters, fixed ropes or O2... Well, just reach your own conclusions.
-We hope all these facts can be of help in order to serve as an objective evaluation of the current events.
-We hope no one will belittle afterwards the great effort we all are making to reach the summit.
-From the very first expeditions, most of the 8000+ summits have been accomplished with fixed ropes, even if there was no mention of them.
-There is still a hell of a long way for the Andalucía k2 team to reach the top; meanwhile we will keep telling you exactly what’s going on - without mincing our words.
-Some are already looking for others to blame, when there is not yet anything to be blamed for.
-Until now there has been big fuss about small stuff in BC, whilst we are still waiting for the elite climbers to instead prove themselves in action
Manuel González,
Andalucía K2.”
Andalucía K2 team, from southern Spain, is attempting K2 for the second time. Swiss climber Kari Kobler leads a commercial expedition to K2.
Image of fixed ropes on Hause's Chimney, courtesy of Andalucía K2.
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