K2, Mexican-New Zealander-Swedish Attempt and Tragedy. A ten ...
K2, M exican-N ew Zealander-Sw edish A ttem pt and Tragedy. A ten-m em ber international expedition was com posed o f M exicans R icardo Torres, leader, H éctor Ponce de Leó n, A drián B enítez and B erta R am írez, N ew Z ealanders Rob H all, G ary Ball and M arty Schm idt and Sw edes Johan L agne, O scar K ihlborg and M ickael R eutersw ärd. Base C am p was occupied on June 28 and a long siege of the A bruzzi R idge took place in cooperation with the R ussian-A m erican
expedition. As a diversion from the main attack, Ponce de León and Lagne m ade a foray onto B road Peak, reaching the foresum m it on A ugust 5. On A ugust 13, Torres, Ponce de Leó n, B enítez, H all, Ball, Lagne and K ihlborg reached C am p IV at 8000 m eters. On A ugust 14, Torres and B enítez decided to descend because o f deteriorating w eather. Just below the shoulder, at 7775 m eters, B enítez fell to his death w hen a ski pole they w ere using as a rappel anchor pulled out. O n A ugust 15, on hearing the new s o f the accident, Ponce de Leó n, Lagne and K ihlborg gave up the attem pt, leaving only Hall and Ball with the three A m ericans o f the R ussian-A m erican expedition at C am p IV to make a sum m it attem pt on A ugust 16. W hile the A m ericans reached the sum m it, the two New Z ealanders had to quit at the top o f the B ottleneck at 8300 m eters. D espite their using supplem entary oxygen, G ary Ball had fallen ill as a result o f pulm onary em boli. They w ithdrew to C am p IV w here his condition becam e m uch w orse. Rob Hall and the descending A m ericans m anaged in three days to bring him back to Base C am p, from w here he was evacuated by H elicopter to Skardu. [M ore details are found in the full article above in this Jo u rn a l.] D uring the course o f the expedition, a hum an foot w as found inside its sock and boot. The old type o f cram pon and the nailed boot suggest that the foot m ust have been that o f D udley W olfe lost in 1939. X
a v ie r
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g u sk it z a
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Pyrenaica, Bilbao, Spain
expedition. As a diversion from the main attack, Ponce de León and Lagne m ade a foray onto B road Peak, reaching the foresum m it on A ugust 5. On A ugust 13, Torres, Ponce de Leó n, B enítez, H all, Ball, Lagne and K ihlborg reached C am p IV at 8000 m eters. On A ugust 14, Torres and B enítez decided to descend because o f deteriorating w eather. Just below the shoulder, at 7775 m eters, B enítez fell to his death w hen a ski pole they w ere using as a rappel anchor pulled out. O n A ugust 15, on hearing the new s o f the accident, Ponce de Leó n, Lagne and K ihlborg gave up the attem pt, leaving only Hall and Ball with the three A m ericans o f the R ussian-A m erican expedition at C am p IV to make a sum m it attem pt on A ugust 16. W hile the A m ericans reached the sum m it, the two New Z ealanders had to quit at the top o f the B ottleneck at 8300 m eters. D espite their using supplem entary oxygen, G ary Ball had fallen ill as a result o f pulm onary em boli. They w ithdrew to C am p IV w here his condition becam e m uch w orse. Rob Hall and the descending A m ericans m anaged in three days to bring him back to Base C am p, from w here he was evacuated by H elicopter to Skardu. [M ore details are found in the full article above in this Jo u rn a l.] D uring the course o f the expedition, a hum an foot w as found inside its sock and boot. The old type o f cram pon and the nailed boot suggest that the foot m ust have been that o f D udley W olfe lost in 1939. X
a v ie r
E
g u sk it z a
,
Pyrenaica, Bilbao, Spain
