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Kangchenjunga
Autumn 2000
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This is the Czech Expedition Himalaya 8000
Himalaya 8000 ( Czech Republic )
departure : 8/30/00
in order : Seventh Expedition
path : South-West Route
leader of expedition : Josef Simunek
deputy leader : Ludek Ondrej
members : Josef Moravek, Martin Minarik, Radek
Jaros and Sona Vomackova
sirdar : Lhakpa Dorjee Sherpa
New
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Additional
Background: (Dispatches
Below)
Josef
Simunek - [Simon]
expedition to
eightthousanders (EXPEDITIONS TO 8000M PEAKS INCLUDE) : 6
summits
over 8000 : 3 ( Shisha Pangma,
Central Summit not the Main Summit 95, Makalu 98,
Lhotse 99 )
Born
on July 21st, 1964 in Jicin, Czech republic. Simon is
married and has a daughter named Gabriela. Simon
started to climb in Prachov when he was 18 years old.
Then followed with winter trips to High Tatras, Kaukasus
1984, Alps 1987, Kaukasus 1990 (Ushba, Elbrus), Pamir
1991 (Peak Fourth) etc. In the Himalayas he was part
of expeditions to Cho-Oyu 1993 (deputy leader),
Dhaulagiri 1994, Shisha Pangma 1995 (summit October
8th, downhill from 7.300 meters, expedition leader),
Manaslu 1996 (expedition leader), Makalu 1998 (summit
May 19th, expedition leader), Lhotse 1999 (summit May
12th, expedition leader).
Sona
Vomackova - [Sona]
expedition
to eightthousanders : 2
Summits
over 8000 : 2 ( Makalu 98,
Lhotse 99 ) Sona was born September 22nd, 1971 in
Boskovice, Czech republic. She is married without
children. Sona has been active in sports since
childhood. Mainly skiing, cross - country skiing,
hiking, and running. In 1990 she studied teaching,
math, and physical training with a focus on outdoor
sports in FTVS. Out of all the sports Sona had tried,
she was attracted to climbing the most. How about big
mountains? Dachstein 1993, climbing in France
(Chamonix). While still in school, Sona joined the
expedition to Pumori 1995. In May 1997 she reached the
summit of McKinley (the highest mountain in North
America 6,194m). In 1998 she became the first woman in
the Europe to reach the summit of Makalu (8,463m)
without the aid of SUPPLEMENTAL oxygen. Other expeditions
that Sona has successfully completed include: Skialp
Austria 1992, Rumania 1994, Poland 1995, Austria 1998,
and Ukraine 1998. In 1999 she was part of the
expedition to Lhotse (8,516m) and become the second
woman to reach that summit, and the first woman ever
to reach that summit without the aid of artificial
oxygen.
Ludek
Ondrej - [Bouda]
expedition
to eightthousanders : 6
Bouda was born May 10th, 1956 in Jicin, Czech
republic. He is married and has a daughter named Dita.
Bouda started to climb by himself at the age of 13 in
Prachov. In 1979 he joined Pavel Krupka, Zdenek and
Pavel Weingartlers as first ever to climb over Cimme
di Lavarde, using superdiretissima in Cima Grande.
From 1998 he climb Kaukasus, Pamir, three times Peak
Fourth, two times Peak Korzenevskaja (7.150m), south
ridge of Schara, Elbrus, Ushba, Ullutau, Fanske
mountains, etc. Bouda also joined Himalayas
expeditions to Cho-Oyu 1993 (expedition leader),
Dhaulagiri 1994, Shisha Pangma 1995 (deputy leader),
Manaslu 1996 (deputy leader), Makalu 1998 (deputy
leader) and Lhotse 1999 (deputy leader).
Petr
Skrivanek - [Skrivan]
expedition
to eightthousanders : 4
summits over 8000 : 1 ( Shisha
Pangma, Central Summit not the Main Summit 95 )
Skrivan was born in December 11th, 1966. He started to
climb in Prachov when he was 14 years old. Then
followed with trips to Tatras, Alps, and Pamir (1991,
1992). In the Himalayas he was part of expeditions to
Cho-Oyu 1993, Dhaulagiri 1994, Shisha Pangma 1995
(summit), Manaslu 1996.
Radek
Jaros
expedition
to eightthousanders : 2
summits over 8000 : 1 ( Mt.
Everest 98 )
Born
in April 29th, 1964 in Czech Republic. Radek is
married and has a daughter named Andrea and sun Ondra.
Radek started to climb in 1982 in Ceskomoravska
vrchovina. Then followed Tatras, Tansan, Pamir a
Himalayas. Some of the his important achievements
include a sixthousander Pik Moskevske pravdy (1989) and
fivethousander Pik Ucitel (1989). In 1994 he had an
unsuccessful attempt at Everest summit. He later
returned to Mt. Everest in 1998, when he reached
summit as second from Czech Republic without oxygen.
His last successful peak was South American Huaskaran.
Vladimir
Milata
expedition
to eightthousanders : 1
Born in March 20th, 1961 in Jesenik, Czech republic.
Vladimir is married and has daughters named Barbora
and Marie. Vladimir started to climb when he was 17
years old in Jesenik and Ostrava, where he was
registered member of the climbing club. In the 80's he
was climbing in High Tatra and in the 90's he was
climbing in Alps, Dachstein, Marmolada in Dolomites,
and Matterhorn. In 1998 Vladimir joined expedition to
the fifth highest mountain in Central Nepal Makalu
8,463m. In the same year he revived activities of his
own climbing club Nevada in Ostrava.
Martin
Minarik
expedition
to eightthousanders : 1
summits over 8000 : 1 ( Manaslu
99 )
Born in November 27th, 1967 in Benesov - Prague.
Martin is married and has a daughter named Anicka.
Martin started in Hostynske Vrchy (Skalny, Lukov,
Drzkova) when he was 16 years old. After his 19th
birthday he climbed mostly in Tatras. Then followed
solo climbing over of High Tatras, winter solo over
West Tatras, and four walls in Kacaci Dolina (Rumanuv
Stit, Zlobiva, Ganek, Kacaci Mnich) climbed in one
day. In Tatras he climbed about 140 different routes.
He's lived in the Czech Republic and the American city
of Seattle since 1991. Martin climbs in Kaskadove
Hory, Rockies, Yosemite, North Face in Alps, Pamir,
solo over Poland Glazier, Aconcagua Argentina,
Cassinuv pilir na Mt. McKinley alpine style Alaska
1995, first solo crossing over Mt. Logan Yukon Canada
1998. In Himalaya - Manaslu 8,163m 1999 (summit).
Josef
Moravek
expedition
to eightthousanders : 4
summits over 8000 : 1 ( Lhotse
99 )
Born in July 24th, 1961 in Czech republic. Josef is
married and has a daughter named Martina and son
Peter. Josef started to climb in Moravsky Kras and
later on he climbed in Tatras and Russia. In 1990 he
reached summit of Mount McKinley in Alaska. First
attempt of eightthousander was Broad Peak in 1994
(8,047m). This expedition ended after the death of two
Czech climbers from the team. Later followed
successful climbs of Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya,
Spicberks, Ama Dablam, and in Himalayas -Mt. Everest
(8,848m), where using north face route Josef reached north
saddle in 7,300m and was successful on Lhotse
1999. His expedition to Dhaulagiri 1999 ended after the death
of one of the members of this international team.
October 19th - BC Back in BC. Blown off again - and
once and for all.
Unfortunately the forecast talking about ever
stronger wind was right. Still, we decided to chance
it. As agreed before, the first group (Sherpas, Simon
and Sona) left for C2 on 10.15. Weather: not that bad.
Wind: not that strong. "We could make it!"
However, we knew well we needed this conditions to
stay for at least four days. One was not enough.
Regards from BC under Kangchenjunga
Sona
Update:
10/28/2000
It is a rap !
The
team picture at BC.
October 16th, 2000 - further on to C3. Pretty
rough. In 6800 m the wind started to blow again. We
reached C3 at 2:30 PM, really longing for the tents.
Well... a small problem: Hannah Expedition tents were
left alone for five days, in wind 25-30 m/s (90-110
km/h). They held out (which is great) but when we
arrived they were covered with thick masses of snow,
eh, snow? half ice!!! (which is ... worse) It took us
- four people working hard - about 2 HOURS to get in.
To make matters worse the snow even got in one of the tents. When
kicking through it we found our cooking stove VAR II,
all covered with snow and frozen. We cleaned and it
worked! Perfect. One good thing in all the mess.
During the time from October 16 to October 17th.: Lhakpa,
Tsomba, Simon and myself (Sona) were in C3. The wind was so
strong we could not go out. At night we thought for a
moment that things are getting better, the wind calmed
down. But at 4 AM it got stronger again, so strong
that we could hardly sleep. At 8 AM we announce our
descent. No chance to go on. We waited till 10 AM
thinking "Maybe the weather gets better..." No. Even
the descent is a real fight. Wind, high snow,
avalanches.
Now Pepino, Radek and Martin leave for C3 to wait
for their chance. Conditions are the same as the day
before. Maybe worse. Gusts of wind are often so strong
that the only way is to lay down at fixed ropes and
wait - and then hurry a bit higher.
Night October 17. to October 18. in Camp 3: The
wind does not let us sleep. Cooking, listening to the
wind. Every minute of silence brings new hope:
"Listen! It's quiet!" No. A second later a
new gust comes.
Morning October 18: Radek, Martin and Pepino called
down: "The night was crazy, we are
descending." They will try to pack the tents and
get them to C2. But it is not that easy. Everything we
did a day before is gone ... the heaps of snow removed
are back. And now the wind is so strong that the snow
gets back right after you put it away. We decide to
leave the tents where they are. May gods of the
mountain enjoy them. However, all stuff except the
tents is packed and the descent from C3 starts. Fight,
again. We slowly begin to admit that - for now, for
this year - the mountain is stronger than us.
Meanwhile the first group packed two tents in C2
and took them down so that not many things are left
there. The whole mountain works and moves. Cracks are
getting wider, fixed ropes freeze into ice. No
health-walk, really.
On Wednesday the descent goes on. Bouda packs C1.
We are leaving the mountain. Pepino does not want to
accept it. He keeps looking up, checking the wind.
But it goes on blowing.
For NINE DAYS the wind blows 100 km/h and more.
Incredible!
Evening October 18. Guests come: Two our friends,
Vlada and Svidri, and two porters. Somehow, the
weather took us in. By experience, according to
statistics, the very best days for climbing
Kangchenjunga in autumn are October 15th-25th. We were
ready since October 10th. Camps built. Everyone okay,
acclimated and healthy. But on October 9th the wind
started and since then it has been blowing. On and on.
Now it is October 19th and the madness does not seem
to calm down. Season ends. On the other hand, one
thing is perfect: We all are safe back in BC, healthy,
no chilblains, none wounded, none blown away and lost
(and it does happen sometimes!)...
Tomorrow the Sherpas bring the last few things
down. On 10.21. porters come (Jangbu went to bring
them 5 days ago) and we leave to Suketar - an further
by plane to KTM. 8 or maybe 7 days trek back to the
airport, and we are sure it will be pretty hard again.
"No more leeches!", we hope.
One thing is clear. Kangchenjunga is a wonderful
mountain. Being here, 10 people for a fair fight, was
great. Just the weather... Anyway, I believe the
memories will be nice. And one day (soon, I hope) we
come back and try it again.
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