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K2
2001: Qgir - K2 Himalaya 8000
expedition 2001
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Qgir - K2
Himalaya 8000
expedition 2001 |
The
Czech Expedition: HIMALAYA
8000 K2 (8612 meters) & Broad Peak (8047 meters) Updates
are here.
- Interview with Peter Guggemos
The
tents of the international expedition are standing
next to our tents in BC. There are many famous names
in the international expedition. The Leader is Peter
Guggemos ( 43 ).
Question:
What is your regular job?
Peter Guggemos:
I own a construction company. Presently, I employ
somewhere between 400 -450 people.
Question:
You are leading international expedition on K2 with 11
climbers, you must be a great leader?
Peter Guggemos:
Not at all. All my leadership consists of an agreement
during dinner or we pull our chairs in front of the
tent and while looking at the mountain face we discuss
our plans. Practically all of my expeditions were
international.
Question:
Does having a name like Hans Kammerlander on the team
force you to mold your opinion to his?
Peter Guggemos:
Practically all climbers are individualists, peculiar,
often independent and strong. For one name I do not
feel the need to conventionalize myself. It is easy to
lead Hans and we have no problem seeing eye to eye. It
is a fact, that this is the first expedition without
any trouble maker or revolutionary on the team.
Question:
Do you have anybody specific in mind?
Peter Guggemos:
Yes. On Nanga Parbat there was one .... . From the moment I left the tent, he
started to doubt everything we had so far agreed on.
Or there was ...... on Gasherbrum with us.
I would never take these two guys on my expedition
again.
Question:
How do you find people for the expedition?
Peter Guggemos:
I placed an ad in Climbing, Alpin, or On the Edge
publications. Simply it says: I am going there and
there and I am looking for climbers. I also have a lot
of friends in the USA. In the end most often I have
Americans, Germans, French, Italians, and Austrians on
the team. It is true though, that to put a team
together for G1 or G2 is much easier that K2. I do not
check out those who want to go. It must be their wish,
their decision to go to this specific mountain. I call
usually only one meeting before departure and it is
only to discuss organizational issues.
Question:
Do you have any profit from the expedition?
Peter Guggemos:
Only sometimes and minimally. Talking about big
mountains, it is not my goal to profit. My goal is to
climb and during that I do not count on profiting.
Question:
Does your family suffer with your yearly 2 months
absence?
Peter Guggemos:
My wife is helping me with preparations. She is
working on organizational and financial issues. Her
name is Ie Tshering Uti, and she is a Sherpa from
Namche Bazar. She speaks 6 languages and is
irreplaceable. Thanks to her I can be just a
construction entrepreneur or just a climber. She is
taking care of the rest.
Question:
Do you consider any of your one of your expeditions as
being unsuccessful?
Peter Guggemos:
Makalu
2000. There were four of us and during our attack of
the summit, one of my friends spilled hot water on
himself in C1.
Question:
Do you think you are successful?
Peter Guggemos:
I am a successful construction entrepreneur.
Question:
And as an expedition leader?
Peter Guggemos:
That is my hobby.
Question:
How much ahead do you plan for your next expeditions?
Peter Guggemos:
K2 is my last one.
Question:
Reason?
Peter Guggemos:
I do
not want to be 60 and still sitting somewhere in Base
Camp.
Peter
Guggemos:
Owner of a construction company - he started to climb
at the age of 20, favorite is mixed climbing, followed
in the footsteps of Pamir, Patagonia, and Yosemite.
1979 - first time in Himalayas, - trekking around Mt.
Everest + Island Peak.
1982 - Nuptse from the North, Scott's route, did not
reached summit, lost all equipment 1992 - Cho-Oyu,
summit, climbing friend broke his leg at 7400m,
carried him down
1993 - Cho-Oyu, first time leader
1994 - Broad Peak, did not reach the summit
1995 - G2, did not reach the summit
1996 - Shishapangma, leader, 2 climbers on the summit
1997 - Broad Peak, leader, 13 climbers on the summit
1998 - G1+G2, leader, 2 climbers on the summit, while
climbing a friend broke his leg at 7400 meters, P.G. -
carried him down by himself
1999 - Nanga Parbat, leader, 8 climbers on the summit
2000 - Makalu
2001 (April - May) - Mt. Everest and Lhotse, leader
2001 - K2, leader
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