|
|
ExWeb Interview: Manuel Gonzalez - Turning to the Gasherbrums to heal K2's Wounds
Mar 21, 2005 15: 09 EST
An Andalusian (Southern Spain) team led by Manuel ‘Lolo’ Gonzalez will attempt both Gasherbrums this summer. After two seasons failing to conquer K2, the ‘Savage Mountain’ seems to have won the battle, if not the war.
Lolo knows first hand how cruel K2 can get. On his first attempt in 2003 bad weather prevented his team from launching a summit bid – in fact, nobody summited that year.
No luck in record breaking year either
In summer 2004, they got much closer to the top. The Andalusians took part in the third wave of summit bids that took place that record-breaking year. But when it was their turn the weather window closed, a storm hit the mountain, and the drama began.
Fell asleep twice on the ropes
Lolo and two climbing mates left Camp 4 on July 28th, but health problems forced them to retreat. Gonzalez grew suddenly weak, became partially blinded, and fell asleep on the ropes twice.
In a sudden moment of clarity, he knew he had to turn back or die there. He and his team retreated before the summit. Feeling defeated, they spent the night back in CIV.
Three climbers lost
But their problems didn’t end there: Gonzalez and his team had an epic descent along with other climbers in the storm, losing their way; arriving BC ill and exhausted. However, they were lucky. Three other climbers would never return.
A year has gone by, but the wounds have not healed. Lolo has decided to change his goals. In a chat with Explorersweb, he explains the reasons to turn to the Gasherbrums, and give K2 a cold shoulder.
ExWeb: Haven’t you considered returning to K2 again this year?
Manuel Gonzalez:No, not at all. Right now, the name of K2 only brings bad memories. I’ve given that peak too much time and suffering. So much that I can’t find the motivation to go back there for now. I needed to change the goal and the place, to live new experiences on a new peak.
ExWeb: Why the Gasherbrums?
Manuel Gonzalez:And why not? They are a nice double aim. Honestly I hope we are lucky this time and will get a summit. I think we deserve it, and of course so do our sponsors.
ExWeb: Where are you starting from?
Manuel Gonzalez:We will start climbing Gasherbrum I, Hidden Peak. It can be more difficult than its neighbor, and therefore we would like to invest more time on it. Afterwards we will go for GII.
ExWeb: Will you be following the classic routes?
Manuel Gonzalez:We will on Hidden Peak, where we will climb the Japanese Couloir. However, I am not so sure about GII. I am gathering information on the French route along the ridge. It is a rarely visited route but from the pictures we have it seems also doable. It is a beautiful, direct line which leads to the right side of the summit Pyramid. It is more technical that the normal route, but it also avoids the traverse teams have to do under the summit pyramid. We will get to Base Camp and, depending on the conditions, perhaps we will give it a try…
ExWeb: We can see some new names on the team…
Manuel Gonzalez: Yes, we are trying to get some new climbers on the team, looking for the next generation. However, Manuel Salazar is coming along after attempting K2 last year, and Jorge Vazquez is the expedition doctor we had on K2 in 2003. The “newbies” are Pedro Soto, Rafael Rodríguez, Javier Vera, and José Ramón Carmona.
The French route on GII was opened in 1975 by a team led by J.P. Fresafond. It follows a line to the East of the classic route (SW Ridge, opened in 1956 by Larch, Moravec and Willenpart).
The “normal” route on Hidden Peak is the Japanese Couloir, opened in 1981. That’s not the route of the fist ascent, however. GI was first climbed in 1958 by an American team.
Image of two team members on K2 last summer courtesy of Andalucia K2 expedition
|
|
Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
 |
ExWeb Interview: Damian Benegas - Return to a Dangerous Land
Full Story
|
 |
ExWeb Interview: Manuel Gonzalez - Turning to the Gasherbrums to h
Full Story
|
 |
Menno Boermans: Frozen images from Broad Peak
Full Story
|
 |
K2 2005: Base Camp Clinic!
Full Story
|
 |
K2: Americans for 2005 SSE Ridge Alpine style attempt
Full Story
|
 |
Karakorum climbing permit Sale to continue!
Full Story
|
 |
Silvio Mondinelli/Edurne Pasaban Nanga Parbat 2005
Full Story
|
|
|
| Ireland K2 expedition leaving town Sunday Jun 3, 2005 | | Avalanche alert in Pakistan and media reports of 2005 causalties Jun 2, 2005 | | Vikings for Pakistan sky descents! Jun 1, 2005 | | Russians for K2 West Face first ascent May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | Pakistan's last images of Chinese/Tibet expedition May 28, 2005 | | China/Tibet's great loss - Rena dies, Bianba Zaxi seriously injured May 28, 2005 | | China/Tibet Gasherbrum expedition caught in big avalanche May 28, 2005 | | Simone Moro's Batura II expedition: “Thank God Alpinism is anything but dead,” part 2 final May 26, 2005 | | Simone Moro's Batura II expedition: "Thank God alpinism is anything but dead" part 1 May 25, 2005 |
| | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
|
|
|
|
2004
BEST of EXPLORERSWEB
|
|
|
|
