CONCORDIA – THE GLACIAL WONDER – XIII
Part – XIII
In 1986, there was a mix atmosphere of Triumph and Tragedy as Jim Curran titled his book with this name. A large number i.e. 27 mountaineers made it to summit of K2 in 1986 but on the other hand this was the worst season with maximum fatalities as the number of deaths reached to 13. Other than a team of international mountaineers, there were expeditions from France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Austria, Britain and South Korea.
That was the first time in climbing history when K2 was climbed by a lady, rather three ladies reached on the top of K2. Wanda Rutkiewicz from Poland, Julie Tullis from Great Britain and Liliane Barrard from France were the ladies with this splendid feat but unfortunately Julie Tullis and Liliane Barrard could not make it to return to the base camp. K2 became their eternal abode after their success, however Wanda had this distinctive achievement to make it successfully. Its further remarkable that all of them had climbed K2 without Oxygen. On 23rd. June 1986, Wanda Rutkiewicz climbed K2 as a member of the French expedition under the leadership of Maurice Barrard. The team was consisting of only 4 climbers, rest of the two were leader’s wife Liliane Barrard and Michel Parmentier.
In 1986, an amazingly fast ascent of K2 was made by Benoît Chamoux. From base to the top of K2, he took only 23 hours, while climbing solo. He had also climbed Broad Peak in a single day.
There was an astonishing feat achieved by Josef Rakoncaj as he became the first person to climb K2 twice. In 1983, he was a member of Italian Expedition led by Francesco Santon and climbed K2 via the North Ridge (31 July 1983). Three years later, he again reached the summit on 5th. July 1986. This time he climbed through the Abruzzi Route as a member of Agostino da Polenza’s international expedition. There was another exclusive record as he doubled his success when he soloed west face of Broad Peak.
In 1986 ( on 8th. July ) , Jerzy Kukuczka and Tadeusz Piotrowski climbed south face through central rib which was the first ascent of south face. Piotrowski had a fatal fall while descending. Till 1993, this route was never repeated by any other mountaineer. Kukuczka and Piotrowski were members of an international expedition led by renowned Dr. Karl Maria Herrligkoffer. At the age of 70, this was his last expedition.
Józef Jerzy Kukuczka was one of the most accomplished mountaineer who became the second person to climb 14 x 8000 meters high peaks ( 1979 – 1988 ). Previously, Reinhold Messner was the only person to achieve this distinction. Except Mount Everest, Kukuczka climbed all peaks without using Oxygen. Kukuczka had legendary records as he was the only person to climb 2 x 8000 in one winter season among 4 x 8000 in winters in total. He and his partner Tadeusz Piotrowski establish a new route on K2. This was in alpine style and wasn’t repeated by another mountaineer. The route got fame with the name as Polish Line. Kukuczka had a fatal fall on Lhotse, while in 1989, he was leading a pitch at 8200m on unclimbed south face.
In the same season, an American team under the leadership of Lance Owens attempted K2 from China side. They reported that the height of K2 has been increased and now it measures 8858 meters, which means 10 meters higher than Mt. Everest. When this news broke in print & electronic media, a debate started among the climbers and experts about its accuracy. The official height of the mountain in the record was 8611 meters which was measured by Col. T.G. Montgomery in 1856.
In 1987, Prof. Ardito Desio got permission from the government of Pakistan to measure K2 with latest equipment. Two members from Survey of Pakistan were also detailed with him. During their work, weather remain favorable and the team completed their job with sophisticate equipment and with the help of 3 satellites.
In October 1987, Prof. Desio reaffirmed the supremacy of Mount Everest and announced the height of K2 as 8616 meters instead of 8611 meters which was measured a century ago. It may not be the increase in height but resulted with use of modern and better equipment. He published his report and made announcement which was seconded by the then President of Alpine Club of Pakistan, however this new measurement was not updated officially and still the maps show the old height of K2 i.e. 8611m.
After the ascent of K2 in summers, mountaineers raised their bar and started visualizing to take the challenge winter ascent of K2. Andrzej Zawada, a Polish mountaineer could be rightly said as the pioneer of winter Himalayism, started planning to climb K2 in winter. In 1983, alongwith Jaques Olek made a reconnaissance trip of Baltoro to assess the viability of winter climbing of K2. They returned with apparently less possibilities but Zawada kept on planning in coming years and finally organized a Polish-Canadian-British international expedition with 13 Poles, 7 Canadians and 4 Brits to attempt K2 in the winter season of 1987/88.
They reached Pakistan in the month of December however to avoid high winter rates for portage, they shifted their luggage by the end of autumn. On 25th. December, the team reached at base camp to celebrate Christmas. The weather was harsh and prevailed almost three months during their stay at base camp. They hardly had 10 days of good weather, in which it wasn’t possible to progress as per their plan.
By the 5th. of January 1988, Maciej Pawlikowski, Maciej Berbeka, Krzysztof Wielicki and Jon Tinker established C1 at 6100m and after few Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy managed to cross House’s Chimney and established Camp 2 at 6700m. Another bad weather spell restricted them till 2nd. March when they established Camp 3 at 7300m. After 4 days Roger Mear and Jean-Francois Gagnon also joined them. Extremely low temperature with furious winds decided the fate of the expedition and the advanced party had to retreat without any further progress. Although the mission was failed but this splendid effort registered the possibility of climbing K2 in winter.
In 1989 Agostino Da Polenza, with Professor Ardito Desio founded the Ev-K2-CNR. This is a scientific, technological and cooperation research project in the Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindu Kush, whose organizational heart is represented by the International Pyramid Laboratory-Observatory.
The Pyramid International Laboratory/Observatory high altitude scientific research center is located at 5,050 m (16,568 ft.) a.s.l., in the Khumbu Valley, Sagarmatha National Park, at the base of the Nepalese side of Everest. The Pyramid is considered as an international center of excellence for high altitude scientific research.
In 1990, a new route ( the North West Face ) was established on the north side by a Japanese expedition led by Tomaji Ueki. The route joined the existing North Ridge route at 8,000 meters, but covered significant new terrain on the North West Ridge and the North West Face. On 9th. August 1990, two of the expedition’s climbers Hideji Nazuki and Hirotaka Imamura reached the summit of K2.
On 20th. August 1990, K2 was climbed by Steve Swenson ( American / Expedition Leader ), Greg Child and Greg Mortimer ( Australian ). It took 47 days to reach the summit and on last day, they reached on the summit at 8pm which was very late arrival on the top. While returning in the dark, they had to use an abandoned Japanese tent at about 8000m. All three climbers did not use oxygen. Greg Child and Greg Mortimer were the first Australians on top of K2. Greg Child commented on his climb that: “The route was quite steep, but sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds … Our opinion is that it offers a safer way up K2 than the southern side, though more technical, remote and expensive!” ( Source: Alpine Journal ).
In 1991 ( 15th. August ), French climbers Pierre Beghin ( Leader ) and Christophe Profit followed the North-West Ridge traversing the North-West Face to reach the summit via the Japanese North Ridge route. This was another important climb in alpine style and without using any fixed ropes or established camps.
1992 was another season with success on K2 as 7 climbers from International Russian-American Expedition reached on the top. The expedition was led by Russian climber Vladimir Balyberdin and the team climbed through the Abruzzi Ridge. On 1st. August 1992, the leader Vladimir Balyberdin and Gennady Kopieka ( Ukaranian ) reached the top. After two days, on 3rd. August, Chantal Mauduit ( French ) and Aleksei Nikiforov ( Russian ) also made it to top. The third party to scale the peak on 16th. August was consisting of American climbers, Scott Fischer. Ed Viesturs and Charley Mace
Fischer had a fall in a crevasse and was climbing with a fractured shoulder, using only one hand. Along with Ed Viesturs, Fischer had to abandon their first summit bid when they made a rescue to Aleksei Nikiforov, Thor Keiser and Chantal Mauduit however on their second bid, they reached the top without using supplemental Oxygen. Charley Mace was the third partner on the peak with them.
In 1993, 16 climbers reached the top of K2, while 4 among them were died while descending. On 13th. June, four Slovenian climbers of Tomaz Jamnik team scaled the peak; Zvonko Pozgani ( Zvonko Pozgai or Zvonko Pozgaj ) , Carlos Carsolio, Viki Grošelj and Stipe Božić, while one of their members Goran Kropp ( Swedish ) reached the top on 23rd. June. This was quite unusual month to climb K2.
7th. July was the day for Stacy Allison’s team as Phil Powers ( American ), Jim Haberl and Dan Culver ( Canadian ) climbed K2, however Dan Culver died on descent.
On 30th. July, 3 members of Reinmar Joswig ( Northlight Expedition ) team climbed K2 with Anatoli Boukreev ( Kazakh ), Peter Mezger ( German ) and Andrew Lock ( Australian ). Peter Mezger was unfortunate to make it back to the base camp and died while descending. On the same day Magnus Nilsson’s team members Rafael Jensen ( Danish ) and Daniel Binder ( Swedish ) had success on K2 but Daniel Binder died while descending. On 30th. July Reinmar Joswig, the leader of Northlight Expedition reached the top but he also died on descent.
The story of 1993 was ended up with success of UK-USA K2 Expedition led by Dan Mazur ( American ) when Dan Mazur successfully climbed K2 with another member Jonathan Pratt ( British ).
Photos Credit – Wikipedia
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