A massive serac swept part of the Mont Blanc du Tacul trail Sunday, media reported. It is feared that 8 climbers perished on the popular climbing route.

Back home, K2 survivors have started to share details of their experiences.

K2 – Norwegian team “The climb up was ok,” reported Lars Ebbessen. “Øystein turned after the Bottleneck and descended to C4. The others continued. Half way up Cecilie gave her bottle to Rolf who progressed at a slower pace, and summited without O2 with Lars, some time before 5:30 pm. They talked to Rolf from the summit, and later met up with him on the way down. On descent, they started the tough sections in daylight. Rolf rappelled first down the Bottleneck, and went straight into the traverse. Cecilie was a bit behind; Lars stood above. As Cecilie started her traverse it was dark, and she did not see what came, but that Rolf’s headlamp went abruptly missing and she was thrown off balance as the rope was torn. She knew immediately. They had an emergency lightweight rope with them, and with that she and Lars were able to traverse and bring themselves down to C4, which they reached between 11.00 pm and midnight.”

K2 – Pemba Gyalje Sherpa’s details Pemba wrote that on August 1st around 8-9 pm, a huge serac fell from the Bottleneck, (hanging glacier). Pemba wrote that the serac swept about 200 meters of fixed line and anchors in the couloir, at the same time that the majority of climbers were descending from the summit. Running out of oxygen, only few managed to descend safely from the Bottleneck without fixed ropes or any protection in the dark. Some climbers stopped and resumed descent with daybreak on August 2nd, bombarded by several more seracs still falling from the Bottleneck. “The rest of climbers were hit by serac fall on the traverse and in the couloir section,” Pemba Gyalje Sherpa reported from Pakistan.

K2 Confortola: frostbit feet and soul K2 survivor Marco Confortola is home, after being treated for his frostbites in Padova. “Recovery won’t be short, but otherwise I trust I am going to make it,” Marco stated. “It’s not just the physical pain… Images and memories will stay with me for a long time. I refuse to speak about responsibilities, neither about blame – least of all if referred to others,” Confortola stated. “I can only reflect about what have I done and, being lucky enough to have returned alive, learn from it. There’ll be plenty of time for that.”

Lessons from K2: Fredrik Strang and “the other Swedes” “I think it’s fun and that is why I stay with this job,” Fredrik’s PR agent told news sources. He said that Fredrik called him three times already during descent, and that he had never before experienced such a media hausse. Last week, ExWeb ran “the other side” of Strang’s many stories, along with a rundown of skilled Swedish climbers.

K2 – memorials More than 1,000 people gathered for Gerard McDonnell’s memorial in Ireland. A funeral was also held last week for the three Korean climbers in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province. Lars Ebbessen announced a memorial event in Stavanger. “It’s been one year since we attended Cecilie’s and Rolf’s wedding, so it will be a sad farewell to a man who did so much, but never had time for books, talks or fame. Best of all, he was never sad to miss a summit or a goal, as long as a real and good challenge awaited up the road.” A memorial mass will be also held next week in France for Hugues d’Aubarede. Father Bouzy will hold the ceremony on August 28th at St. Genis Laval Church 69230 – France. Hugues’s home team has also published a detailed report on the climber’s website.

Climbers currently on K2: no news No updates from Mike Farris, the Tall Mountain expedition, or Georghe Dijmarescu and his two Sherpas.

K2 – Supplementary Oxygen update Pemba offered facts for AdventureStats regarding oxygen usage on the 2008 K2 summit push, with a list of mountaineers who climbed K2 without supplementary oxygen.

Nanga Parbat Before tackling the Rupal face, Zangrilli’s team is acclimatizing on the Messner route. On the 20th Fabrizio, Billy, and Dave made it to the top of the couloir that leads to the serac that C2 sits at 5500m. That day, a helicopter came by with a cameraman hanging out the door filming the team. Turned out Messner himself was filming the climbers for an upcoming film on Nanga Parbat. The three men hope to be done with the Messner route by the 1-15th September, which will leave them 3 weeks for their planned route on the face.

Gasherbrums: Daniela and Paulo back home After a long trek back across the Gondogoro la, a bumpy ride along the Karakoram Highway and several flights, Daniela Teixeira and Paulo Roxo are back in sunny Portugal. Bad conditions forced the two climbers back on both Gasherbrums, but that’s OK; the couple is recovering with tasty local food and chilled caipirinhas.

Pakistan Government to honor Greg Mortenson American Greg Mortenson has been appointed to receive the “Sitara-e-Pakistan” (The Star of Pakistan, a prestigious civilian award) in March. He is one of the very few foreigners who have received the Sitar-e-Pakistan award since it was established in 1957, shortly after the country proclaimed its independency.

HumanEdgeTech heads-up: American Grafitti Research Lab co-founder detained in Beijing It started out with “war chalking” then “War Driving” and finally “War trekking.” Some of Contact ground work was done at Eyebeam – an art and technology center in midtown NY. Last week, our roads would cross again. Eyebeam alum James Powderly was detained by Chinese authorities in Beijing early Wednesday, after collaborating with activists to project messages onto the facades of prominent Beijing buildings using a laser beam and stencils. It is unclear how Chinese authorities learned of the plan. Five activists with Students for a Free Tibet were detained after displaying a banner that spelled out “Free Tibet” in LED Throwies, the open source technology pioneered by the Grafitti Research Lab.

Exweb Week-In-Review is sponsored by HumanEdgeTech the world’s premier supplier of expedition technology. Our team helps you find ultra light expedition tech that works globally.
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Stories of survival; statistics – and useful lessons emerging already. On a mountain such as K2, climbing veterans pointed out last week; the best we can do for victims is to learn from their misfortune and respect their memory.

More lessons are taught by a cross-over explorer in a book dedicated to his daughters and subtitled “what they don’t teach you in school.” Last week, ExWeb caught up with “Three Poles” pioneer Erling Kagge for a big interview.

K2 wrap-up: Americans in ghost BC Only ghosts remain on the barren glaciers of K2, plus a group of six climbers who still hope for a chance to attempt a summit bid. Mike Farris joined Dave Watson and Chuck Boyd of team Tall Mountain, and Gheorghe Dijmarescu, Rinjen Sherpa and Mingma Sherpa of Sunny expeditions for a summit bid. (Gheorghe’s name is familiar to readers of the book “High crime” where his Everest commercial outfit is among the featured.) The teams plan to use oxygen. Tall Mountain team members have reached C2 on the Cesen route after Broad Peak which they didn’t summit, although “Andy Shelters reached a new personal high altitude record, and Dave had some good skiing from an altitude of 7500 meters,” according to the expedition blog.

American Fabrizio Zangrilli for Nanga Parbat’s Rupal face August 5, Zangrilli’s team trekked into Herligkoffer base camp. Due to constant rains, the reportedly easy half hour easy glacier crossing to the start of Messner turned into a long march requiring ladders and fixed rope. The team moved BC further south, about 4 to 5 hours away.

Mustagh Tower: Pavle Kozjek’s new goal Piolet d’Or nominee Pavle Kozjek is leading a small Slovenian team on Muztagh Tower. Pavle, Dejan Miškoviè and Gregor Kresal arrived in Skardu on August 6th, and hoped to reach BC in a week’s time. However, the team expected some difficulties on the way, since land slides have reportedly blocked the road at some points.

Valery Babanov and Viktor Afanasiev call off GII Viktor and Valery are coming home with new routes opened in alpine style on BP and G1. However, after a week in BC they called off G2, due to rock fall injury suffered by Viktor on the G1 ascent.

Stories of survival from K2:

Norwegians ExWeb’s correspondent Karrar Haidri checked in with K2 survivors in Islamabad. The Norwegians said that Lars Flato Nessa and Cecilie Skog topped out, while Oystein Stangeland and Rolf Bae turned around approximately 100 meters below the summit. Cecilie and Lars met Bae on the way down, when in the middle of the traverse, Skog and Nessa heard a big ice avalanche coming and saw Bae’s head-torch disappear in front of them. The rope was broken at approximately 40/50 meters before the Bottleneck. The climbers used spare rope to climb down the Bottleneck, and reached C4 at around 11:00 pm.

Nick Rice American Nick Rice climbed with French Hughues D’Aubarede who perished on K2 with Mehrban Karim and Jahan Baig. Nick said that Hughues and Meherban got stuck above the Bottleneck. They tried to descend the next day without rope but slipped and fell. Jehan Baig, who died in relation to the Serbian climber who suffered a fatal fall, was initially hired by the Singaporean team. After he was fired by the leader, Rice and D’Aubarede took him in.

Wilco Van Rooijen and Cas Van De Gevel said climbers were trapped at around 26,000 feet of altitude above the Bottleneck. Wilco confirmed that advance climbers fixed ropes in the wrong place at about 1,150 feet below the summit, where the avalanche later took place. The Norit K2 Expedition team had extensive meetings with the relatives of McDonnell in Pakistan, and returned home Thursday.

Marco Confortola said that poor rope equipment and a mistake by a porter who forgot to bring a 656-foot rope was “just the beginning of the problems.” Confortola said he heard a boom and witnessed a second avalanche, in which Gerard McDonnell vanished. Marco also said he descended alone until he was helped down by two Pakistan high altitude porters (Ed note: the climber also told Montagna that he was found by Pemba Sherpa who saved his life).

Korean female climber Go Mi Sun told Karrar Haidri that it was a great loss to the expedition as three of the team’s experienced mountaineers and two of their Sherpas died in the accident. Go said that her team summited K2 at 5.30pm, and lost all 5 members in an accident on descent. She also said that team Sherpa Jumik Bhote called home to his pregnant wife over a satellite phone from the summit. After he died, Bhote’s wife gave birth to a baby girl. Go added that K2 became her 6th 8000er summit, and that her goal is to climb all 14 8000 meter peaks by the year 2011, with Kanchenjunga last on the list.

Korean Expedition leader Kim Jae Soo told Karrar that he climbed Everest twice (1990 and 2007), Cho Oyu in 1993, Broad Peak in 2007, Shisha Pangma twice (1991 and 2007) and Lhotse twice (2002 and 2008 ) in addition to K2 in 2008. Kim said that he plans to climb Manaslu this fall.

Chhiring Dorje Sherpa: “an alternative route could save future lives on K2″ Chhiring Dorje Sherpa summited K2 in his 17th summit of a 8000er. Chhiring has summited Everest 10 times, and told Karrar that every climber should bring with him around 6000 meter rope to K2’s Abruzzi route (check the story for details). Chhiring also told ExWeb that he will avoid the Bottleneck in the future by using the route from 8000 meter to the South Rock Face, which is only 500 meter and will reduce casualties. “This route will be difficult the first time, but easy for followers if properly fixed,” Chhiring said. Check in Monday also for Pemba’s story.

Zerain, Hayas and González: “Don’t look for anyone to blame – perished climbers deserve respect” The three Basque climbers said in a press conference that all climbers perished on K2 were highly experienced – and not “mountain tourists” as some had stated. Juan Carlos told El Correo Digital, “you mustn’t put blame on anyone. Mountain climbing demands making decisions, and sometimes these can be the wrong ones – but at 8000 meters is very difficult to evaluate the situation. There have been many false comments published about the ones who died. They were all experienced climbers, and we all expose ourselves when climbing. People who perished (on K2) deserve respect, not frivolous accusations.”

ExWeb special: AdventureStats K2 update AdventureStats has been updated with the latest statistics on K2. The numbers show facts useful for future K2 climbers. With this season’s 11 fatalities, 77 climbers have now perished on K2. 20 died in avalanches, 21 died in falls. 11 climbers marked as “disappeared” could add to the avalanche figure. The last 17 fatalities on K2 all happened in or above the Bottleneck. They were all caused by either fall or avalanche. 18 climbers have summited K2 so far this season (preliminary numbers), for a total of 299 summits. 32 summiteers, or more than 10% of the total 299 died on descent. Compare to Everest with 2.5% of summiteers perishing on descent. From 2000 to 2007; Everest has seen a summit/fatality ratio of 1.5% while K2 has lost 7.5% of the summiteers. Check the story also for other interesting notes and images of 2008 K2 survivors.

Exweb Week-In-Review is sponsored by HumanEdgeTech the world’s premier supplier of expedition technology. Our team helps you find ultra light expedition tech that works globally.
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I Recommend

ExplorersWeb Week in Review Special K2 Edition

(Aug 11, 2008 ) Yesterday we ran a WIR K2 special; and here goes the second edition, wrapping up other events over the past two weeks. Pakistan has been action packed with a first ski descent of Nanga’s central Diamir face; a new route double by Babanov and Afanasyev; G4 success by the Spaniards and an Italian new ascent on Beka Brakai Chhok.

Piotr Morawski delivered a GI & GII debrief; while in the polar areas a solar eclipce and global warming were big issues. ExWeb flew a banner over Manhattan but the Olympic inauguration lost more publicity to Russian tanks and jets invading Georgia Friday.

Thoughts went to Georgian climber Gia Tortladze (Shisha central twice, Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse and several K2 attempts, latest in 2006) who escaped a car bomb attack on his life only this past January.

ExWeb special: Stitzinger’s first ski descent of Nanga Parbat central Diamir face It has been an unfortunate season for Karakoram extreme skiers. French Jean Noel Urban was lost on Gasherbrum in a crevasse fall and the North Face Ski & Snowboard G-II Expedition aborted their summit attempt on July 23d. The season was equally dark on Nanga Parbat; but there were highlights. Following his 2006 speed ascent and complete ski descent of G2; Luis Stitzinger climbed Nanga as a guide via Kinshofer route. He wanted to reach summit over the unclimbed Manzeno ridge, where he climbed until Manzeno Peak and descended due to bad weather via Messner route on the Diamir wall. Finally he made a speed climb up the Kinshofer route, had to abort short from summit but skied down the whole Diamir face in a 24,5 hours roundtrip.

Broad Peak, G1 and G2 triple – new route double! Valery Babanov and Viktor Afanasyev summited BP on July 17th via a new, 3000 meter long route which they rated “VI, WI5, M6, Max 90º”. Starting July 29th, the two went on to attempt a new route on the SW face of Gasherbrum 1 in alpine style. The two reached the summit of G1 on August 1. Incredibly, on the second night a rock shot right through the climber’s tent hitting the sleeping Viktor in the head. The climbers spent the remains of the night trying to stop the bleeding, wrapped the wound, put on helmets and resumed the climb by daybreak. “We thought our climb was over, but couldn’t go down our ascent route.” Left without a choice, the two climbed up the new route to the ridge from where a safe descent would be possible. There Viktor decided he wanted the summit after all. At about 3 pm local team mates Valery Shamalo, Pavel Chochia and Elizabeth Revol made an unscheduled show, and the 5 climbers summited GI together. With that Valery Babanov and Viltor Afanasiev had opened two new routes in alpine style within only 16 days. Valery and Viktor will reportedly try to climb Gasherbrum II next.

More on Revol & co Before G1; Valery Shamalo and Pavel Chochia summited G2 on July 29th via normal route; while Elizabeth Revol summited G2 on July 30th via the classical route, expedition leader Valery Babanov confirmed on his website.

Gasherbrum IV success August 1 Alberto Iñurrategi, Jose Carlos Tamayo, Ferran Latorre, Juan Vallejo and Miguel Zabaleza summited Gasherbrum IV via the NW Ridge (the third conquest of this 1986`s route). On descent, Ferran Latorre suffered leg injury due to rock fall. The team managed to bring him down and reached BC August 2nd.

Broad Peak summits, Veikka tops out no 13 July 31 at around 11 am, French duo Stephane Portier and Claude Labatut, Italians Mario Panzeri and Daniele Nardi, and Finnish Veikka Gustafsson summited Broad Peak. The mountain marked the second top in Pakistan this season for the Italians who previously summited Nanga Parbat, and also for Veikka Gustafsson who previously summited G2. With Broad Peak, Panzeri now has 9×8000ers, Nardi 4×8000ers and Veikka 13×8000ers.

Chris Warner’s Nanga Parbat debrief: about Karl, Saman, egotism, camaraderie, risks and the spirit of mountaineering. For a number of years now, stories of people left for dead but surviving on Everest – such as Beck Weathers, Lincoln Hall, latest Sultan and Faruq – have taught mountaineers that we can survive on high altitude much longer than we had previously thought. This summer, Nanga Parbat offered the same lesson, only too late. Go to Chris Warner’s debrief and get all the details on what went down on Nanga Parbat last month, including flashbacks on K2 last year; egotism, camaraderie, risks and the spirit of mountaineering.

Nanga Parbat take 2 American Fabrizio Zangrilli is in Pakistan with Billy and Dave for an attempt on the Rupal Face. Fabrizio Zangrilli provided a detailed report on the team’s gear.

Piotr Morawski’s GI & GII debrief: Beyond the summit fever Polish Piotr Morawski has submitted a debrief on his Polish-Slovak Alpinus Expedition. Together with Peter Hamor, shortly after their very demanding Annapurna attempt, they made a beautiful traverse of Hidden peak, in alpine style and hard conditions, ending with a cool ascent to GII, ahead of dozens of climbers burning with “summit fever.”

Simone Moro’s Beka Brakai Chhok first ascent debrief: “we climb to live” “Vetta!!Vetta!! Vetta!!! Finalmente!!! (Summit!! Finally, the summit!!).” So began Italian Simone Moro’s report on the first ascent of Beka Brakai Chhok he did together with Herve Bramasse – without high camps and in less than 48 hours. In light of the recent events on K2 and Nanga Parbat, Simone wrapped up: “Alpinism is not just death, tragedy, survival and heroism. We hope our climb will serve as a reminder that mountaineers like us and many others climb mountains to live, to enjoy, to grow. And to accept the verdicts of life and sometimes also of fate; without arguing or lacking respect toward those who share the same value: the value of life.”

Danijela’s impossible climb to the top of the world “Don’t play to impress, play to win,” said Michael Gersitz about the game of poker. Dealt nothing but leftover cards at birth, Danijela too had a choice. After spending most her life in an institution and an IQ level of only 80, Danijela Jovanovic became the only woman without hands and feet to pass the mental and physical training set up by Extreme Sport Club “Pozitiv” and Federation for Sport and Recreation for People With Disabilities of Serbia. Saturday, she summited Mount Elbrus! With this success; Danijela will head to Aconcagua in January next year – and you already guessed the ultimate goal: the summit of Everest, with Danijela the first disabled woman to climb all the way to the top of the world.

Gasherbrum 1 Mid-July, Colombian Fernando Gonzalez-Rubio attempted Gasherbrum I along with Veikka Gustafsson, but the two were forced to abort the summit bid around 7.600m due to bad weather. Portuguese couple Dani & Paulo also aborted their summit bid.

Exweb Week-In-Review is sponsored by HumanEdgeTech the world’s premier supplier of expedition technology. Our team helps you find ultra light expedition tech that works globally.
e-mail or call +1 212 966 1928

** Read these stories – and more! – at ExplorersWeb.com

The World’s Greatest Light Protest for Tibet grows even greater

One last day of effort

Today I would like every one of us, to dedicate as much time as she or he can, to remind the world that the

BIGGEST LIGHT PROTEST ON EARTH
will take place tomorrow at 9:00 p.m.

Please use every possible means of broadcast
• facebook, MySpace, Xing, Bebo, Orkut and other networks.
• Email all your contacts
• Blog and post
• Talkback where you can

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THE LINK http://www.candle4tibet.org

Please make it a priority. Please ask them all to remind their friends too.

Love
David

Hello my friends

H.H. the Dalai Lama says, in his letter of support to our campaign that people in the free world take freedom for granted.

This is the essence of our campaign – Making people stop and think about their freedom. We’d like people to think about what it means to them, to imagine how it feels to be deprived of it, and to have a say about it.

I strongly believe that there are many millions out there who would love to join us, had they known about us.

We have 7 days left to let the world know. Let us dedicate ourselves in these days to supporting His Holiness and the people of Tibet.

The mass media is the key. We have to do our best to have our story published.
Here you can find our press releases in many languages. Use them.
http://www.candle4tibet.org/en/media

Please make sure that you have invited every one you can. Please don’t assume, everyone loves freedom, Invite them all.
Invitation text (change language – menu top left)
http://www.candle4tibet.org/en/thankYou

Love and Freedom to all,

David

And yes, send all details about public candle lighting to vigils@candle4tibet.org
We will post them for the benefit of all.

1. Invite every one you know. Don’t assume. Everyone loves freedom.

2. Keep telling the media about:
“The Biggest Single Action in the World” for a FREE TIBET (Yes, that’s us)

3. Write to
all Tibet support groups and ask them for their ACTIVE support (they all support us). meaning? ask them to send their mailing lists invitation to www.candle4tibet.org

4. Blog
about it. Post our banners in your website. Talkback on websites and news portals.

5. Light candles in public.
80% of this network wish to light candles either with friends or in public. Get organized. Let us know about it. vigils@candle4tibet.org

CHANGE YOUR PROFILE PICTURE HERE AND ON ANY NETWORK YOU BELONG TO

Let’s paint the internet ORANGE. You can find the photo HERE

‘Infect’ your friends. Thousands are doing it today in facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Orkut. Ask all you friends to do the same.

There are only 1 Day left

Now is the time for extra effort from everyone.

Please copy the invitation below and send to all your friends.

There are many millions who’d love to join us, had they known!

also in:
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Hebrew

Hi,

Do you, like me, care about freedom and want to have a say about it?

Please join more than 100,000,000 people in the Biggest Light Protest on Earth for a Free Tibet.

• Light a candle on August 7th at 9:00 p.m. (At your home, or in public)
• Join and enjoy special light actions on the same night.
• Drive with you car’s headlights on during August 8 2008.
• Watch “Sad Smoky Mountains” teams paint the sky with red smoke.
• Watch those attending the opening ceremony in Beijing light candles, flashlights, cell phones and lighters. All for a FREE TIBET.

Please us join ,

Love,

Candle for Tibet
http://www.candle4tibet.org/

The World’s Greatest Light Protest for Tibet grows even greater

All out light for Tibet in the 24 hours preceding the Olympic Games.

Sad Smoky Mountains & Skyscrapers join Candle for Tibet campaign. Will ignite red smoke on hundreds of mountain tops and on several skyscrapers in major cities.

• “Candle for Tibet” asks people to put the candle in their windows, desks, or anywhere else where other people will see it and hopefully do the same. Many will participate in candle vigils throughout the world.

• CFT is calling on All Light artists in the world to create light shows for freedom.

• CFT calls the people of the world to take part by lighting candles, flash lights, lighters, car headlights and any other light source.

• CFT calls for all those who plan to attend the opening ceremony in Beijing to light a candle, flash light, a lighter or even a cell phone during the ceremony.

Thank you.

** oryginal post by : – http://himalman.wordpress.com/

I invite on viewing of new gallery of photo…. from – http://candle4tibet.ning.com/profile/himalman

1. Very important message :

2. Wishing you a wonderful week, dear friend, filled with love, light and answered prayers.

3.  If you will be included for community… – http://candle4tibet.ning.com/

………. We will write for you message :

.. or :

4. If you are member of… - http://candle4tibet.ning.com/

5. see more photos :

Find more photos like this on Candle4Tibet

Thank you.

** zapraszam na relacje z  wypraw polskich himalaistów.