Last chance on the Gasherbrums
Jul 24, 2004 04: 55 EST
Carlos Pauner has launched his final summit bid on Hidden Peak (Gasherbrum I) this morning. It is a now or never attempt.
”Most of the climbers at Gasherbrums BC suffer from ‘broken minds’ and dying motivation.” Said Carlos. “We’ve been here for 50 days! People only talk about getting out of the mountains, about the things they’ll do back home… There is no excitement left. Nonetheless, some of us keep hope. I believe we could still have a chance, even if it keeps on snowing every day in BC. The snow conditions can’t be worse; we expect to find deep and unstable snow in our long, hard and dangerous attempt.”
“We have set our hopes on the 25th, when a small weather window is forecasted. That day we will go from CIII at 7200m all the way to GI summit. There is no other choice, as the 26th and 27th will be poor again. There won’t be time to attempt GII. We are all going the same day - about ten climbers in all, working together on the trail. We have been fighting with all our strength in this fortress-like mountain, and I honestly believe that we deserve the reward of the summit. In the end the mountain will decide, but we are ready to use all our energy.”
“Today I am going up straight to CII at 6500m. My partners left yesterday for CI, as they climb at a slower pace and needed more time. Tomorrow we are climbing the corridor that leads to CIII, and the next day will be our first and last summit attempt. Whatever happens, we are leaving this place on the 1st of August.”
Along with this group will be the GIII team: Alberto Iñurrategi, Jon Beloki and Jose Carlos Tamayo. Their paths will separate tomorrow at CIV. From that point, the Basque team will try to break trail up to the summit of Gasherbrum III, in what would be the second repetition after a Polish team summited in 1975. They would have liked to wait a couple of days for the snow to settle but, as with everybody else, they know they are running out of time and next Sunday will surely be their last chance to get to the top.
Carlos Pauner, Raquel Pérez and Willy Barbier planned to climb both Gasherbrums this summer.
Carlos has summited 4, 8000m peaks – K2, Makalu, Broad Peak, and Kangchenjunga.
Alberto Iñurrategi has already climbed the fourteen eight thousand meter peaks on Earth. Along with Jon Beloki and Jose Carlos Tamayo, both experienced climbers, he planned to attempt GIII and GIV.
Image of Carlos, courtesy of Carlospauner.com
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