K2 2003: ANDALUCÍA K2 EXPEDITION

ANDALUCIA K2, Base Camp, June 19, 2003

Important step in the installation of the first Andalucian tent in C2.

Two small accidents in the difficult trail between C1 and C2 

Two small accidents have taken place in the Andalucian expedition that tries to crown the summit of K2.  The expedition, sponsored by Consejería de Turismo y Deportes, has passed an important phase of preparation in their adventure, which is narrated this way by the chief of the expedition, 'Lolo' González, from Málaga:

"One of our groups worked hard during the days of 15 and 16 to open the ascent route up to the bottom of the House chimney, using Camp 1 as base.  With two days of climbing for almost 12 hours, the route could be opened using again the ropes of last year's expeditions and stocking technical material at the bottom of the chimney. 

On the 17th the three climbers were relieved by other three teammates that would finish the opening job up to C2 and the installation of a tent in the tiny available landing.  The successful end of this works is an important step for us in the attempt we are doing on K2.  The C1 - C2 trail is possibly one of the more complicated in the climb, although this mountain shows us everyday, along the way, that it doesn't have easy parts and it is not willing to give us anything for free. 

From BC we could happily follow the installation of our tent in C2 (provisional altitude 6,625m); a complicated job because a landing had to be carved in the ice on the steep slope; the visual contact was our only liaison with our high altitude teammates, problems with the batteries of the radio-telephones of the advanced team leave us around 19:00 hours the following intermittent communication: we are... in 30 minutes... camp 1.  We all went to sleep with the euphoria of the moment.

Two accidents in a key day of our attempt to climb K2 

At 6.00 h of the 18th, Javier Sánchez and Amparo Ortega go towards C1 and connect the radio but there is no communication, at BC everybody is still resting with the comforting sleep of the minimum altitude possible.

It is 9.00 and all the radio-telephones start to emit and receive frantic and impossible news: Juanjo Garra tells of two accidents that suffered Fernando when a rope snapped in the rappel of the House chimney, falling 5 meters at the end of the vertical section and tumbling by the slope more than 50 until stopping in a point where he would have gone from light contusions to we don't know what.  He will be recovering 7 days at BC.

His narration continues with Salazar's accident.  Impossible!  Another rope snaps just before C1, with worse consequences, he can't walk, an ankle has undetermined damage.

From radiant happiness we go into Salazar's evacuation operation, with the relative calm to know that the two teammates are OK.  Amparo, Javier and our high altitude carrier Gerard, join the three above to descend to advanced base camp, where Salazar gets sliding on the snow.  We, the rest of the expedition and Ibrahim (the Sirdar), were expecting him in this point to get him down the glacier to BC, and around BC we are joined by cooks, climbers, link officers and almost everyone who is around BC to carry this kind of throne that was made for the evacuation.  Tired and reflexive we let the afternoon go by.  K2 has not shown exclusively its natural defenses, and has talked, and we have perfectly understood the message.  Four climbers will go up there again tomorrow to continue with the work of installing the ropes between C1 and C2, and install a second tent if possible.  The mind of each one of us will work under other concepts from now for sure, but we will continue with the idea to go always up.

Another Spanish expedition has come to BC today, leaded by Carlos Soria, this fact give us new strength because we will count with a real ally for the high altitude work.  Until now we have the mountain for us and it is magnificent, although we know that the alliances to achieve this climbing are also very important.  With Carlos Soria we share previous experiences with some of the members of the group and we can expect excellent collaboration. 

We are very sorry that we are not able to send the spectacular pictures of this climb, but the computer problems and possibly our clumsiness still keep us from doing it. 

A big hug for everybody, from the Andalucians at K2".  Manuel González 

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

Dispatches

Pictures and text copyright ANDALUCIA K2 expedition

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