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WALDEMAR NICLEVICZ
VIA SATELLITE BY IRIDIUM
K2-
Base K2, 5,100m Jul 30th, 69th day
of the expedition
A beautiful shooting
team from National Geographic is here at base-camp,
what makes us feel truly a movie character
everyday. They've already interviewed each one of us
at least ten times, and each one of the smart
interviews leads us to think about the expedition aim,
about this immense desire to overcome a real dangerous
challenge, but fascinating.
And then, I draw a
conclusion the bigger the wish, the nearer we get
close of the reality of this dream. And it isn't
craziness! Everybody has dreams, but really few ones
search the this dream accomplishment. This
is, for me, escape from reality. Because these dreams
will never come true. What we do here is exactly the
inverse, we face the reality of this dream, we
give direction to our existence, we give direction to
these wishes that tie us to life itself, and no to
hypothetical delusions. Here we live intensively each
second, here our life depends on the consciousness of
our acts, here the life is the pure reality, where
each of us is here because we feel the blood vibrates
powerfully, because a tear heats our face, because our
smile brings always hopes. Here we don't wear masks
and we aren't actors, here we are just the character
of our own existence. And the mountain isn't our stage
simply and nor a false scenery where we play our
adventure. The mountains raises our feelings,
reveals the true human being in each one of us, with
its magnificence reduces us to nothing.
And inside this
insignificance we understand the human being's value,
the importance of a friend, and our weakness in
front of nature. In fact, we don't step forward if
that big mountain doesn't permit. In fact we don't go
anywhere if we don't believe in ourselves, no dream
will come true if we don't search its accomplishment.
Today, I was doing some
photos for my sponsor and the National Geographic team
shot everything and so they asked me what I was doing
"Photos for those who trust in the
Project K2, it is the minimum I can do for those
whom deposited so much confidence on me".
WALDEMAR NICLEVICZ
K2,
Base - K2, 5,100m Jul. 31st
70th day of the expedition
Brazil, Brazil, I
miss you a lot!!!
It has been 70 days
since I left home, far from my country, my family and
the person I most love. But the distance makes feel
well, makes me want more what I have and I can
be sure of my feelings and my return day will be very
nice.
These mountains
fascinate me, and I discover that I'm not else than a
pilgrim here, full of faith!
WALDEMAR NICLEVICZ
K2 -
Base-camp, 5,100m -August 2nd, 72nd day of the
expedition
Message written by my
Friend Pepe Garces, Project K2's partner:
"Again I'm on the
feet of this big, mountain called Chogori or K2. Less
than a year, since I joined Waldemar Niclevicz and
other three Italian companions, we overcome the limits
of 8 thousand meters, when a strong blizzard pull us
down, where we looked for shelter on the inferior
camps, obliging us to close the climb to K2 in 1998.
Now, a year later, after
climbing Gasherbrum, we've arrived at K2's base-camp
where, as it had appeared a plague and most of its
inhabitants escaped believing that it was impossible
to climb the big mountain, It's true that there
weren't so many and important forces, but it's
true that if the little that exists here disappears,
rest nothing or almost nothing.
Few days ago, before
arriving at K2's base-camp, a Romanian expedition lost
one of the six alpinists, the Romanian Mihai
Cioroianu, 32, who was hit by a stone on the Abruzzos
ram, and then everybody left the mountain.
Afterwards the famous Italian alpinist Hans
Kammerlander with his two companions reached the
"Bottle Neck" at 8,300m, and they withdrew
by the snow depth, giving up definitively. And then,
Abele Blanc, our team companion, did the same, knowing
the mountains condition by Kammerlander 's report .
So, just a 6-Korean expedition and two other alpinists
(one Turkish and other American) have decided to stay.
Abele Blanc's giving up,
was decisive and negative for us, because being a
small group, just three alpinists, when the third part
disappears, the team diminishes not only physically
but also psychologically. The hopeless union of
forces, that are not a lot here at base-camp,
it's not the best way to climb K2, and just Waldemar
and I can't face the hard situation that this mountain
has shown over 8 thousand meters.
I've
already had a very tough experience to be overcome at
K2, when in 1995 I lost 3 companions, while other four
disappeared forever on the heights of this mountain.
I, and other companion survived to that
situation, just after serious freezing on feet
and hand toes, what have resulted in serious
amputation. In such case, once more, K2 demands
its law against our capacity of decision and caution.
This mountain here,
waiting for us, and surely, some day not so long, it
will lean to our power, our technical
skill and above all to our mind. It
is and it will be"
Pepe Garces
Dear friends:
With those words from my
friend Pepe Garces, and with a deep sadness, we
close our attempts to climb K2 this year.
Unfortunately we have no other option. There is an
immense quantity of snow on the superior parts and
the weather has got worse again, with other blizzards.
We believe that there aren't alpinists enough to go
ahead with the necessary works, i.e., set up camp 4,
at 8,050m both by Tomo Cesen and by
Abruzzos. That is, undoubtedly, the greatest reason
for our giving up. And the Romanian's
death Mihai Cioroianu has touched us a lot.
It's very hard for me,
but I'm sure I'm taking the right, propitious
and conscious decision. I'd like to remind you that we
are at K2, and that K2 is considered the most
dangerous and difficult mountain to climb. Just 122
alpinists have reached its summit with its
8,611m , and this year the death number increased from
53 to 54.
I thank everybody who
have followed K2 on-line for the last 72 days, and
surely we have learned a lot together. I've received
wonderful messages and I hope I could transmit
you a little of the mountain fascination. I
thank also my loyal sponsors, O BOTICARIO, NUTRY,
IRIDIUM DO BRASIL and MATTE LEΓO, that have believed
in the Project K2, investing much more than money, and
revealing a sincere relationship from the beginning to
the end.
Here I bend in front of
this big mountain, as a sign of respect. Here I thank
your confidence. Here I thank God for being alive,
full of health and able to return home (you
can't imagine how I'm happy!!!). Here the great dream
goes on, a dream to climb K2, that one day I intend to
accomplish. Thank you very much for your support. May
your spirit reach the heights!
WALDEMAR NICLEVICZ
P.S.: I'm very happy to
not return empty-handed , after all, Brazil has
conquered Gasherbrum for the first time, the
"Light Mountain" with 8,035m, the 14th
highest mountain in the world. That's a big Victory!!!
WALDEMAR
NICLEVICZ CLOSES THE SECOND EXPEDITION TO THE DEATH
MOUNTAIN
The alpinist, Waldemar
Niclevicz, 33, has become the first Brazilian to reach
the seven summits of the world - arrive at the highest
peak of each continent, among them Everest , with
8,848m considered the highest in the world - has just
given up, this Monday, of reaching
K2's summit, the second highest mountain in the world
and the most dangerous of all with 8,611m,
placed in Pakistan.
No alpinist has got the
peak for two years, which receives
the name of "the Death Mountain".
According to statistics just 122 alpinists could
complete the climb and 54 have died trying, a
frightening average, a death in two successes.
That's the second time
that the Death Mountain defeats Niclevicz. In August ,
last year, Waldemar Niclevicz got very close to the
summit, just 571m far from it, but the 100- per- hour
winds and snow up to waist made the alpinist postpone
the dream to be the first Brazilian to reach K2's
summit.
THE END OF THE
EXPEDITION
After 72 days, the
expedition led by Waldemar Niclevicz, had two big
reasons to close the climb: A member's giving up and
again the weather conditions at K2.
The climb was planned
to be accomplished by three alpinists, the Brazilian
Waldemar Niclevicz, the Italian Abele Blanc and the
Spaniard Pepe Graces. But, after 3 days at K2's
base-camp, the Italian alpinist has decided to draw
back "Abele Blanc's giving up was
decisive and negative for us, being a small
group, just three alpinists, when a third part
disappears, the team becomes too small, not only
physically but also psychologically. Only
Waldemar and I are not able to face the tough
conditions that that mountain shows over 8 thousand
meters" said the Spaniard Pepe Garces, who,
in 1995 lost 3 friends and saw other 4 died on the
highest part of the mountain, trying to climb K2.
"Unfortunately
we have no other option. There is an immense quantity
of snow on the superior altitudes that reached up to
the waist and it's an insurmountable barrier. At seven
thousand meters there is an enormous serac (a snow
wall) which can fall at any moment. The weather has
got worse, and we believe that there aren't enough
alpinists to go on doing the necessary work.
These are the main reasons for our giving up, and
Romanian Mihai Cioroianu's death last week has touched
us a lot" explained Waldemar Niclevicz.
The dream to conquer K2
was postponed again "Once more I was obliged
to respect such forces endlessly more powerful
than mine. K2 is on a rage moment, but I know that I
can dare again. One day I'll return to K2 in
order to accomplish the great dream of taking
our green and yellow flag to the top of that big
mountain ,considered the most dangerous in the
world" said Waldemar Niclevicz.
Expedition Details
To return to K2 this
year, Waldemar Niclevicz spent a long
acclimatization and training time. In May, in Bolivia,
Niclevicz climbed 3 mountains higher than 5 thousand -
Tarija (5,060m), Pequeno Apamayo (5,370m) and
Condoriri (5,648m). Still, before starting climbing
K2, on the Himalayans Cordillera in Jun and Jul.,
Niclevicz with other expedition companions (the
Italians Abele Blanc and Christian Kuntner and the
Spaniard Pepe Garces and the Australian Andrew
Lock) arrived at 7,100m of altitude at
Hidden Peak and climbed Gasherbrum with 8,035 m - one
of the fourteenth mountains world higher than 8
thousand meters in the world.
Further details about
the expedition can be found on the Alpinist's site
www.sagarmatha.com.br
The Project has been
possible thanks to Sponsorship of O BOTICΑRIO,
NUTRIMENTAL, MATTE LEΓO and IRIDIUM DO BRASIL. These
companies are from the State of Paranα.
Waldemar Niclevicz has received the support of the
Minister of Sports Mr. Rafael Greca.
Leila Kaltman Press
Officer
And K2 1999 comes to an
end...
K2
Summits to Date
K2
1999: 1999
K2News with Daily Reports from K2 ! (Introduction
and June Reports)
July
1999 Reports from K2
August
1999 Reports from K2 (the end for 1999)
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