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ExWeb interview with Edurne Pasaban: "It's time to turn the page - to Nanga Parbat!"
Sep 13, 2004 10: 58 EST
Edurne Pasaban is back home, resting and recovering her frostbit toes. Lounging at her couch, still unable to walk, she takes the opportunity of the imposed immobility to plan new travels and expeditions - or a book even. Phone calls help to fill the long hours and so ExplorersWeb spent some time chatting with her.
"I'll only lose two toes and they are not so important anyway"
“I am great, really. I'll only lose two toes - I’ll have the surgery next week - and those two are not so important; the second toe on each foot. Quico (Dr. Federico Arregi) has told me that I’ll be walking again mid October, and that I’ll be climbing and skiing by December.”
Juanito is losing them all
Her recovery is fast indeed; at least much faster than Juanito Oiarzabal's. In spite of that, Juanito is obsessed to return to the mountains: “Juanito is amazing," Edurne cries out. "Can you believe that he keeps telling me that we have to go to Aconcagua this January, to test how we feel? His wounds are very serious, he is losing all his toes - except, perhaps, parts of his big toes. Still though, he is remarkably optimistic, just can't wait to be back up in the mountains again.”
Edurne is not totally clear about Aconcagua: “I am not really into it; I am not supposed to climb high mountains in the next months, and I don’t want to rush. What I want is to be able to climb near home again, and to go on ski hikes when the snow arrives. That's what I want most right now: Some quiet times with my crowd, to definitely close the K2 chapter once and for all. I want to break away from it.”
Goodbye to Manel of the Magic Line
Brake away from what, exactly? “Well, you know, ever since the summit day, everything has been too fast for me. I came back to base camp and had no time to rest. I was brought away without a chance to say goodbye to the people in BC. I found myself in a whirlwind of hospitals, doctors, airplanes, journalists, interviews... I almost couldn't even see my family and friends, I was not in control.
Finally, two weeks ago, I managed to escape to Catalonia, to get away from everything. Last week I attended a tribute ceremony for Manel de la Matta, and that was the finishing point. A sad end yes, but we all had no other choice than to say good-bye to him, close the story and get on with our lives. It's time to turn the page and think about the future.”
Nanga Parbat is next
Yes, there are more mountains ahead for Edurne: "Of course! The Doctors say I should be well enough by June to go on an expedition again, so I'm going to Nanga Parbat. It's entirely my own idea, I still don’t know who I am going with. It's just that I want to climb Nanga, and I'm as motivated and willing as ever. I really can't wait to be on a new mountain, a new climb, a new story.”
Just the road and the two of us
There is still some time to go before next summer. “Before that, well, I’ve got appointments for lectures until the end of the year; I am focusing on that right now. Then, sometime spring, I want to do a long bicycle trip. I want to ride for a month or two with my boyfriend . It will be not only good training for Nanga, but also a new experience and a great opportunity to be away from it all: Just the road and the two of us.”
Edurne Pasabán (30) was born in Tolosa (Basque Country, Spain). Her K2 summit made her the only living female K2 summiteer today. She is also the (living) lady climber with the most 8000+ peaks: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, GI, GII and K2, all of them bagged in an amazing short period of time.
Both Juanito and Edurne were on K2 last summer, as part of a huge expedition launched by ‘Al Filo de lo Imposible’, a Spanish TV documentary series. A strong team of climbers was hired to support her and film the ascent: Juan Oiarzabal, Juan Vallejo, Mikel Zabalza and Ferrán Latorre. They summited on July26th through the Abruzzi Spur route, along with Silvio Mondinelli and four other climbers from the national Italian team ’50 Years after’.
Image courtesy of Edurne Pasabán.
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