K2: Manel, Oscar and Valen update - Magic climb dedicated to Casarotto
Agu 17, 2004 03: 19 EST
Oscar Cadiach and Jordi Corominas left their tent at 8100m at 4:00 am, local time, yesterday. Oscar Cadiach soon decided to turn around.
Manel was waiting for him in camp 4. Oscar and Manel reached camp 3 on the Magic line route yesterday and rested there. Manel had minor signs of pulmonary edema, and that's why he couldn't join the summit bid.
The climbers are now coming down slowly on the fixed ropes below C3 and are expected in Base Camp this evening. They have dedicated the route to Renato Casarotto, who's widow Goretta is in Base Camp.
She is very moved by this gesture of tribute to her late husband Renato, who died on K2 when attempting the very same route - The Magic Line.
The Magic line team wrote about Renato earlier (check link section). In 1986 he launched his most ambitious project: attempting the Magic Line route to K2 solo. He would reach 8200m high, twice.
Almost reaching BC coming back from one of his summit bids, he fell into a crevasse on the Phillipo Glacier. Even though he managed to contact his girlfriend Goretta, who was in BC, the rescue party came too late. Renato expired in his rescuers arms a few minutes later.
Renato’s fiancée, Goretta, came to K2 BC, this year. When the expedition set out on their summit push August 10, her words were: "Good luck. I would like, with all my heart, that you are able to reach the summit by the route Renato longed so deep to achieve.”
BC is already preparing a party. The cook, Fiva, is preparing pizza, there is also beer and champagne around. Valen Giro is extremely happy after all the recent events "It feels like you have won the lottery" he told ExplorersWeb this morning.
Messner attempted the Magic Line in 1979 with Michl Dacher. He abandoned the route after a while and climbed the Abruzzi Spur instead. It was then the fourth repetition of the Abruzzi. It is commonly said that after his climb, Reinhold described the Magic Line as suicidal, which he denied Friday.
The first Magic Line ascent was made by a Polish/Slovak team. The men were Wojtek Wroz (Poland), Przemyslaw Piasecki (Poland) and Peter Bozik (Slovakia). The climbers ascended in expedition style up to 7600 m. Wojtek Wroz fell from the fixed ropes during the descent by the Abruzzi spur. Peter Bozik later perished during an attempt to climb the Bonington route on the South West Face of Everest in 1998.
Oscar Cadiach, the head of the current "Tarragona Magic Line Expedition 2004" has done 5 expeditions to Everest, 2 of which reached the summit. Cadiach has also climbed Nanga Parbat, Shisha Pangma, Makalu and Lhotse. He opened the route 'Free Tibet' on Cho Oyu and did a new route on Broad Peak central.
Team members include Manel de la Matta who climbed Cho Oyu and Shisha Pangma. Jordi Tosas descended Cho Oyu on a snowboard. Jordi Corominas climbed Dhaulagiri alone. Ski touring expert Valentí ‘Valen’ Giró has accomplished expedition to 7000+ peaks Duch SpantiK and Gurla Mandhata
Image of Magic Line team members Manel de la Matta (in blue) and Oscar Cadiach, Copyright K2 Magic Line 2004 Expedition
Image of Renato courtesy of intraisass.it
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