Tragedy on Nanga Parbat update: survivors in BC, summits and accidents’ details.

Jul 13, 2009
(K2Climb.net) Lt Col(R) Ilyas Ahmad Mirza of Askari Aviation (“The Fearless Five”) in Pakistan told ExWeb in an email this morning that two helicopters were sent yesterday to retrieve Miss Go’s remains on Nanga Parbat but her body, earlier spotted on a steep slope, was missing from the location today. The helis are likely to return tomorrow to resume the search.

As climbers return to BC, more details are emerging about the weekend’s summit push and difficult descent on Nanga Parbat:

Wolfgang Köblinger lost balance in high winds and fell to his death shortly after reaching the summit. Another fall, on an unroped section between C3 and C2 took Miss Go’s life on Saturday.

No hopes for Köblinger

Gerfried’s Göschl’s home team stated all hope is out to find Wolfgang Köblinger alive. The team leader explained over sat phone the circumstances during which Köblinger disappeared. “Wolfgang was part of the group who attempted the summit from the Kinshoffer route,” Gerfried’s home team wrote.

“Hans Wenzl topped-out at about 2.30pm; Michaela Landl and Herbert Schütter turned around due to the late hour – but Wolfgang continued. He reached the summit together with a Korean expedition at 6:10pm. On descent, Wolfgang was behind the Koreans. Following a very strong gust of wind the Koreans glanced back with Wolfgang nowhere to be seen. His footprints ended at a steep slope at approx. 8060m. Louis Rousseau took pictures of the track and found some of Wolfgang’s belongings (backpack, a globe, a cap) and took them down to BC.”

“Meanwhile climbers in BC have helped some exhausted members of the summit group on their way down. Today (yesterday) at six, all our team members are safely back in BC.”

Details on Miss Oh and Miss Go

Giuseppe Pompili confirmed the late Korean Go Mi-Sun’s summit time, provided some details on her accident, and added a correction – stating Miss Oh Eun-Sun was first to summit that day, climbing on O2.

“I had mistaken the two Koreans,” Giuseppe Pompili noted. “Miss Oh was the one climbing on Oxygen – Miss Go was slowly ascending behind.”

“Miss Go topped-out at around 6.00 pm,” Pompili confirmed. “Shortly after she was forced to take shelter behind a rock for two hours due to the strong wind. She spent the night in C4. On the following morning (Saturday), while climbing down between C3 and C2 on a section without fixed ropes, she fell.”

“There are about 20 sections of double ropes along the three first camps, but also some unroped sections which are dangerous. Adriano and I were extremely careful when we had to climb down these passages – and definitely less tired than Miss Go.”

Sadness in BC

“Sadness – That’s the word to describe the feelings here in BC,” Pompili wrote. “Miss Go’s body was sighted down the Messner Couloir. Some people argue the rope in the section where she fell had been removed – others discuss the late departure hour from C4 (apparently about 3:00 am)…”

“One of Miss Go’s Sherpas has sustained severe frostbites in his hands,” Giuseppe added. “Today (yesterday) a chopper is scheduled to take Miss Oh to GI – I am not sure whether she’s finally taking it though.”

“Herbert (Schütter) is helped down by Gerfried and three others (Ed note: at the time of the report). He turned back without reaching the summit on Friday, but topped-out in a second attempt on Saturday,” the Italian climber stated.

Joao’s summit pics

One of the first to summit and also among the first climbers back in BC; Portuguese Joao García has sent a summit pic and a video report is expected soon.

Here is a preliminary summit list:

Friday, July 10th – Kinshoffer route summits:

Approx. 12:00pm: Miss Oh (probably on O2 – in her 12th 8000er) and at least one of her Sherpas.

Approx. 12:00pm: Joao (in his 13th 8000er), Ali and Amin.

2:30pm: Hans Wenzl.

6.00 pm: Miss Go (in her 11th 8000er, lost on descent), Kim Jae-Soo (his 11th 8000er), possibly other members in her team, and Wolfgang Köblinger (lost on descent).

Saturday, July 11th – New Route summits:

Gerfried Göschl, Louis Rousseau, Sepp Bachmair and Hans Goger.

Herbert Schütter joined the New Route group from C4 to the summit – he had previously climbed up the Kinshoffer route.

Others:

British Richard (Rick) Allen and Alexander (Sandy) Allan were quoted as summiteers – dates and route are still to be confirmed.

* Previous story  : – https://himalman.wordpress.com/category/karakoram/

* Read these stories – and more! – at ExplorersWeb.com

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Tragedy in the Himalaya, 2009 climbing season.

1. Italian climber Roby Piantoni lost on Shisha Pangma.

Italian Roby Piantoni fell to his death on Shisha Pangma’s south face earlier Oct 15, 2009, climbers in BC have just confirmed.

“It’s a tragedy,” a member in Edurne Pasaban’s BC team has just told ExplorersWeb.

“Roby was climbing together with Marco Astori and Yuri Parimbelli. The face was in very tough, cristal-ice conditions and, apparently, he lost foot and fell. We are all devastated.”

– Tragedy on Shisha Pangma, 2009 climbing season – Roby Piantoni lost on the south face.

2. Go Mi-Sun, 41, (also spelled ‘Ko Mi-young’ by some of the local media) lost on Nanga Parbat normal route.

South Korean climber Ko Mi-young, 41, who went missing after a fall from a cliff in the Himalayas, was found dead in a ravine according to South Korean embassy in Pakistan, Sunday – Jul 12, 2009.

– Tragedy on Nanga Parba, 2009 climbing season : Korean star climber Miss Go lost on Nanga Parbat normal route.

3. Cristina Castagna lost on Broad Peak.

On 18 July 2009 the 31 year old Italian mountaineer Cristina Castagna died as a result of a fall into a crevasse at 7000m during her descent from Broad Peak (Karakorum, Pakistan).

Confirmation came from her climbing partner Giampaolo Casarotto.

Cristina too has left us and will never return from her Broad Peak.

– Tragedy on Broad Peak, 2009 climbing season – Cristina Castagna lost on descent from C4.

4. Italian skier Michele Fait lost on K2.

On 23 June the Italian mountaineer Michele Fait lost his life skiing from Camp 2 on the Cesen route on K2.

– Tragedy on K2, 2009 climbing season.

5. Spanish climber Luis M. Barbero missing on Gasherbrum II.

There is news on the Spanish mountaineer reported missing during a summit push on GII – Sunday Jul 19, 2009 . Luis M. Barbero was last seen near the summit; all searching/rescue attempts have been thwarted by bad weather and high avalanche risks since then, according to expedition mates in BC Sechu Lopez and Marta Alejandre.

– Tragedy on Gasherbrum II, 2009 climbing season – No hopes left for missing Luis M. Barbero.

6. Dutch climber Dennis Verhoeve lost on Cho Oyu.

Dutch Dennis Verhoeve reportedly fell to his death on the way down from Cho Oyu summit on June 2nd. His was the last team still remaining on the mountain this season.

– Tragedy on Cho Oyu 2009 – Dutch climber Dennis Verhoeve lost on Cho Oyu.

7. Polish climber Piotr Morawski lost on Dhaulagiri.

Polish ace climber Piotr Morawski has fell to his death on Dhaulagiri, local media have just reported – April 08, 2009.

Morawski was climbing together with Slovak Peter Hamor. The “Two Peters” hoped to summit Dhaulagiri via its normal route, as a preparatory climb before attempting a new route on Manaslu’s west face.

–  Breaking news: Piotr Morawski lost on Dhaulagiri. Piotr Morawski zginął na Dhaulagiri. /Version english and polish/

* My condolences to the friends and families of these climbers.

* Previous story  : – Tragedy in the Himalaya.

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

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