Women of K2: Another shy climber and an absent
Jul 5, 2004 15: 22 EST
Just when we though we’ve reached an end to our article series about the women on K2 this season, an email came in about another shy lady climber that no one seemed to know about. A reader from Switzerland was kind enough to let us know:
“Hello! You forgot one female K2 climber. She is member of the Swiss K2 expedition and her name is Joelle Brupbacher. Just in case you'd like to complete your list.”
Sure, of course we would; if we knew who this girl is. A search provided no results, but there was a ‘Joelle Brupbacher’ making news in the triathlon and even the Swiss edition of Ironman. Could be the same person, could be someone else. If it is the Joelle, at least we could presume she is a fit girl, used to endurance challenges. Then there is a log with her name in Peakware.com, a mountain-filing web site. Her signature shows up among other Muztag Ata climbers: “Joelle Brupbacher. Muri, Switzerland. April 12, 2001. If it were the same person, at least we’d know she has some experience in high climbing mountain, as Muztag Ata is a rather high (7546) not so technically demanding mountain, located in Xingjian (China).
Our source of information didn’t provide any other information as far as Brupbacher has not yet been informed of our interest: “I'm not sure if she will be very happy that I wrote to you (i didn't ask her before), but i thought she should be mentioned”. The Swiss team is Kari Kobler’s commercial expedition. ”I know that she has been to camp 1 and is now heading for camp 2.”
There was another lady climber expected at K2 BC. No less than Lhakpa Sherpa, the record-holder Sherpa climber. Lhakpa was the first Nepali woman to summit Everest and survive, back on 2000. Moreover, she kept on since then returning to the mountain year after year, with stunning success. Last spring she made it for the fourth time, setting a world record on females Everest summits. Lhakpa’s name was included in the official permits expedition list, along with her husband, Georghe Dijmarescu; the couple has apparently changed their mind and are not finally going for K2. Lhakpa moved from Nepal to the USA when she married Georghe, born in Romania but currently living in Connecticut.
Image of K2 Copyright K2 Magic Line 2004 Expedition.
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