K2/Chogori Winter 2003

Dispatch 2/24/2003: K2 Winter Expedition The attack continues

Denis is awaiting Marcin

At night, the wind has destroyed the dining room tent, breaking the aluminum poles. Gusts of wind are throwing people to the ground. Nonetheless, the attack on K2 continues.

K2 is clouded over once again. Jerzy Natkański and Jacek Jawień, who had unearthed camp I (6030 m) from underneath the snow and spent a night in it, tried to reach camp II (6780) the following day. A blizzard, little avalanches of dust and flying rocks caused them to turn back from the steep ice-fields leading up. Meanwhile, Denis Urubko has reached camp I together with Marcin Kaczkan. Denis, requests over the radio to hold out were in vain. They have returned to the base.

At night, the wind tore the dining room tent at the base camp. Krzysztof Wielicki, the head of the expedition, was running between the tents on Sunday morning, awaking his friends so that they could help him to save it. Their drowsiness might have made him feel forlorn in his fight against the elements. He walked away into the blizzard without saying goodbye. He has decided to constantly execute the plan of attacking the summit, despite the gale and the blizzard. It takes five days to climb the summit. According to the weather forecast, there are two clearer days ahead. Wielicki wants to be as high as possible when the weather improves. He reached camp I by himself. The camp is sheltered from the wind by the high edge of an ice-crack. "It was tough", that is all he said over the radio to the base camp.

Denis Urubko and Marcin Kaczkan have not pulled back from tremendous difficulties, either. The very same day, they ascended to camp II. "I pitched the tent, It's undamaged, but empty, and I'm struggling inside so that the wind, which is very strong, won't sweep it away along with me. I'm waiting for Marcin to arrive and help me to weigh it down", said Urubko. Apart from these three alpinists, the slopes of K2 are empty.

Monika Rogozińska from the base under K2

Written by Monika Rogozinska, "Rzeczpospolita"; translated by "Scrivanek".

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