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K2/Chogori
Winter 2003 A
month's work
Each day brings the
alpinists closer to the summit of K2. Within two
days, they have secured 600 meters of the 4 km high
Northern Pillar with hand lines
Yesterday's team
that was working at the Pillar, consisting of Denis
Urubka and Wasilij Piwcow, has been replaced today
by Dariusz Załuski/Maciej Pawlikowski and Piotr
Morawski/Marcin Kaczkan. They mounted another 100
meters of lines.
"We will be
securing the route with hand lines up to a height of
7900 m", says Krzysztof Wielicki, head of the
expedition. "It's going to take us around a month.
Then we can think of attacking the summit. At this
time of year, when it isn't covered with fresh snow,
the mountain looks particularly threatening and
bleak. The sun hardly ever reaches the upper base.
It's only here that we see what we risk. An
important task is also moving up all bases and
connecting them into one, common base. We'll try to
carry out such a shipping action in one week's
time."
The last days in
the lower base (3900 m) were exceptionally
beautiful, warm and quiet, considering it is winter.
It was only yesterday that the weather changed. The
wind, though stirring up dust, also provides us with
energy - Bogdan Jankowski fixed a fan that is
charging the accumulators essential for keeping
phone and computer communications with the world.
Monika Rogozińska
from Karakorum
Written by Monika
Rogozinska, "Rzeczpospolita";
translated by "Scrivanek".
 Dispatches
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