Tomek Mackiewicz Perhises on Nanga Parbat Following Heroic Rescue Attempt.

While I was away at Winter Outdoor Retailer last week, one of the biggest stories in recent memory from a mountaineering aspect was unfolding on Nanga Parbat. The massive peak known as “the Killer Mountain” amongst alpinist was the backdrop for a dramatic rescue attempt that left one climber dead, while rescuing another.

When last we checked in on the winter climbing expeditions, Tomek Mackiewicz and Elisabeth Revol were in Camp 3 on Nanga Parbat waiting out poor weather conditions. They had planned to move up to C4 later in the week and then make an attempt on the summit on Thursday or Friday. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned and they found themselves in trouble when descending from the 8000-meter (26,246 ft) mark.

Eventually the duo were able to descent to 7400 meters (24,278 ft) where they huddled in the tent. It was at that point that Revol discovered that her climbing mate was suffering from severe frostbite and snow blindness. Eventually, Tomek would slip into unconsciousness as well, leaving the Frenchwoman to make what was probably the hardest decision of her life. With things looking very grim, she made a call to inform their support team to the situation and began descending the mountain on her own. She had no food or water and had been high on the mountain for several days.

When the Pakistani government received word of the situation they contacted the Polish team attempting the first winter ascent of K2 to see if they could help. The rescue operation was delayed due to poor weather, but on Friday Denis Urubko, Adam Bielecki, Piotr Tomala and Jarek Botor were picked up by helicopter in K2 Base Camp and flown to Nanga Parbat to launch a rescue operation.

Urubko and Bielecki were the tip of the spear in that operation, setting off at lighting quick speed to go up the mountain in an attempt to bring Tomek and Elisabeth down. They flew up the Kinshoffer Route covering an astounding 1250 meters (4101 ft) in seven and a half hours. That is an amazing pace considering how technical the route is and the fact that they were climbing at night.

Latest Headlines – avalanche killed 19 climbers and Sherpas.

An earthquake-triggered avalanche slammed into hundreds of tents at … least 61 people injured and a total of 19 climbers and Sherpas dead.

1. Mount Everest avalanche triggered by Nepal earthquake kills 18: reports

Updated 26 Apr 2015, 12:32am

Photo: Building damage at Lobouche, a small settlement near Mount Everest, after a deadly earthquake in Nepal. (Twitter: David Arvan)

Related Story: Powerful quake hits Nepal, more than 1,300 dead

Map: Nepal

An Indian army mountaineering team has found 18 bodies on Mount Everest, an army spokesman said, after a massive earthquake in Nepal unleashed an avalanche on the world’s tallest mountain at the start of the main climbing season.

The earthquake hit Nepal and north India on Saturday afternoon, killing more than 1,300 people and collapsing buildings in Kathmandu.

Nepal’s Tourism Ministry could only confirm 10 deaths, but spokesman Gyanendra Shrestha said the death toll could rise, and that the avalanche had buried part of the base camp.

He said two tents at the camp had been filled with the injured.

More than 1,000 climbers had gathered there at the start of the climbing season, including about 400 foreigners.

One of those killed was Dan Fredinburg, a Google engineer based in California.

External Link: Everest tweet

He died as a result of head injuries when the avalanche hit, according to a statement from the mountaineering company that had taken him to base camp.

Climbers on the world’s highest mountain have pleaded for help, saying an avalanche has destroyed camps and sent slabs of ice crashing in a “huge disaster”.

“An avalanche from Mt Pumori has hit the base camp, burying a part of it,” Nepalese tourism official Gyanendra Shrestha said.

“We don’t have the details yet, but 10 have been reported dead so far, including foreign climbers.”

“We are trying to assess how many are injured. There might be over 1,000 people there right now, including foreign climbers and Nepalese supporting staff.”

Romanian climber Alex Gavan said on Twitter that there had been a “huge avalanche” and “many, many” people were up on the mountain.

“Running for life from my tent. Everest base camp huge earthquake then huge avalanche,” he said.

“Huge disaster. Helped searched and rescued victims through huge debris area. Many dead. Much more badly injured. More to die if not heli asap,” he later tweeted.

Another climber, Daniel Mazur, said Everest base camp had been “severely damaged” and his team was trapped.

“Please pray for everyone,” he said on his Twitter page.

Carsten Lillelund Pedersen, a Danish climber, said about 40 people were being treated in a makeshift hospital at a tent at base camp.

He said many of those injured had back injuries from being hit by rocks and ice when running from the avalanche.

The poor visibility after the first avalanche meant it was “difficult to see the following avalanches, and there are so many – maybe one every five minute – that I have stopped counting”, Mr Pedersen said on Facebook.

* more…

• http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-26/nepal-earthquake-triggers-deadly-mount-everest-avalanche/6422142

* see also :

1. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/12/mount-everest-sherpa-disaster-one-year-on

2. www.cnn.com/2014/04/18/world/asia/nepal-everest-avalanche/

3. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27075638

4. www.cbsnews.com/…/earthquake-triggered-avalanche-kills-sherpa…

5. http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2016/02/01/everest-2016-welcome-to-everest-2016-coverage/

*

* Polish Himalayas – Become a Fan

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

Święto Zmarłych to czas by wspominać himalaistów polskich, którzy zgineli – cześć ich pamięci!

W dniu Święta Zmarłych wspominamy o bliskich, których już z nami nie ma i czcimy ich pamięć,  zaś świat Gór Wysokich wspomina sławnych zdobywców himalajskich szczytów, wspomina o wspaniałych himalaistach takich jak :

Jerzy Kukuczka, Wanda Rutkiewicz, Andrzej Heinrich, Andrzej Marciniak, Eugeniusz Chrobak, Mirosław Dąsal, Mirosław Gardzielewski, Wacław Otręba, Wojtek Wróż, Andrzej Czok, Andrzej Zawada, Piotr Morawski.

* (Święto Wszystkich Świętych wprowadził dla całego kościoła Grzegorz IV w 834r. jako pamięć o zmarłych).

Rok 2009 zapisał się jako jeden z najczarniejszych w historii polskiego himalaizmu. Już na początku sezonu wspinaczkowego, podczas międzynarodowej wyprawy Dhaulagiri/Manaslu 2009, spadł w 25-metrową szczelinę i zaklinował się na 20 metrze – Piotr Morawski. Wypadek miał miejsce 08.04 2009 na Dhaulagiri, podczas wyjścia aklimatyzacyjnego (przygotowującego organizm do przebywania do wysokości) na wysokości ok. 5500 metrów.

W dniu 7 sierpnia 2009, podczas wspinaczki na Pośredniej Grani w Tatrach Słowackich, śmierć poniósł czołowy polski himalaista Andrzej Marciniak. Himalaista wspinał się wraz z dwójką kolegów na “trójkowej” drodze Szczepańskich na Pośredniej Grani w Tatrach słowackich. Po pokonaniu około 10 metrów odpadł od ściany, a wraz z nim blok skalny, który go przygniótł.

To drugi tak tragiczny rok, który zabiera nam tak młodych i wspaniałych himalaistów. Pierwszym był pamiętny1989r, gdy polska wyprawa zdobywała Everest. To była najbardziej tragiczna z polskich wypraw w Himalaje, w której w maju 1989r zginęło 5ciu Polaków : Eugeniusza Chrobaka, Mirosława Falco-Dąsala, Mirosława Gardzielewskiego, Zygmunta Andrzeja Heinricha i Andrzeja Otręby. Jedynym ocalałym z tamtej tragedii był Andrzej Marciniak, niestety i jego góry zabrały.

To były wspaniałe postacie polskiego i światowego himalaizmu.

Wielu z nich odeszło zbyt młodo, w sile wieku, płacąc straszna cenę za umiłowanie zdobywania Wysokich Gór.

Ich sylwetki były prezentowane na mojej stronie….

Te lampki palą się dla wszystkich wspaniałych polskich himalaistów, zdobywców himalajskich szczytów, których już nie ma – cześć ich pamięci !!

* Zobacz posty :
– Jerzy Kukuczka – 21 rocznica śmierci najsławniejszego polskiego himalaisty.

– Jerzy Kukuczka – famous Polish climber /Version polish and english/

– Andrzej Marciniak zdobywca Everestu zginął w Tatrach.

– Everest za cenę życia – Mount Everest Expedition 1989. Biggest tragedy of Polish climbers.

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

– Piotr Morawski the famous Polish climber. /Version english and polish/

– Wanda Rutkiewicz – 17 rocznica śmierci.

– Wanda Rutkiewicz – skarb narodowy. /Version polish and english/

* Sylwetki polskich himalaistów : – himalaisci-tki

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

zapraszam do subskrypcji mego bloga

How You Can Help Haiti.

Footage Video of People just after the Haiti EarthQuake :

Just across the Caribbean from Central America, Haiti is already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Now, CNN says the capital city, Port-au-Prince, has been “flattened” by Tuesday’s earthquake. Already, they’ve run out of medical supplies. There’s no food. No water. No electricity.

Here are three ways you can help Haiti right this very second.

Easy: Donate to Partners in Health.

“Currently, our greatest need is financial support. Haiti is facing a crisis worse than it has seen in years, and it is a country that has faced years of crisis, both natural disaster and otherwise… If you are not in a position to make a financial contribution, you can help us raise awareness of the earthquake tragedy. Please alert your friends to the situation and direct them to this webpage for updates and ways to help.”

Easier: Text “HAITI” to “90999” to donate $10 to the Red Cross (This only works with US cell phones).

Easiest: Tweet or blog the above Partners in Health link (https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquake&subsource=homepage) and/or how to donate to the Red Cross via text.

* Source :  – http://gocentralamerica.about.com/

How You Can Help Haiti – update.

You can donate to Zanmi Lasante’s child nutrition program.  Zanmi Lasante is a program of Partners in Health, founded by Dr. Paul Farmer – a truly amazing man.

You can make a donation to the Vanguard Foundation’s Haiti Emergency Relief Fund.

You can advocate for forgiving Haiti’s debt (courtesy of Haiti Reborn).

You can donate to these groups:

–  Text Yele. Wyclef Jean is urging donors to text ‘Yele’ to 501501 and make a $5 contribution to the relief effort over cell phone.  Click here to get more information via Wyclef’s Twitter page.

– Save the Children. Donate at savethechildren.org or make checks out to “Save the Children” and mail to: Save the Children Income Processing Department, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, Conn. 06880

– UNICEF. Go online to unicefusa.org/haitiquake or call (800) 4UNICEF.

– Red Cross. Go online to redcross.org and click Donate, or call (800) REDCROSS.

– Direct Relief International. Donate online at directrelief.org.

– Mercy Corp. Go online to mercycorps.org or mail checks to Haiti Earthquake Fund, Dept. NR, PO Box 2669, Portland, Ore. 97208 or call (888) 256-1900

To find information about friends and family in Haiti: The U.S. State Department set up a toll-free number to call for information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747.

The department said some callers may receive a recording because of heavy volume of calls.

The State Department has also set up links on its Web site to facilitate donations to disaster relief agencies.

* Source :  – http://www.nydailynews.com/news

* Previous story :

– The Great Orchestra Of Christmas Charity – 18th Great Finale: photo gallery. WOŚP – 18 finał : galeria zdjęć.

*  Polish Himalayas – Become a Fan

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

zapraszam do subskrypcji mego bloga