August 2008 K2 climbing accident

On August 2 2008, eleven mountaineers from international expeditions died following an avalanche on the Himalayan mountain K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth.cite web|url=http://www.everestnews.com/pak2008/k22008sadnews081020080101.htm|title=K2 2008: List of climbers who passed away released|author=everestnews.com|publisher=everestnews.com] Three others were seriously injured. It was the worst single accident in the history of K2 mountaineering. [cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7539543.stm |title= Eleven climbers feared dead on K2 |accessdate=2008-08-06 |work= |publisher=BBC News |date=2008-08-03] [The most deadly climbing "season" on K2 was in 1986, when thirteen climbers died in seven separate accidents. See cite book |title=K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain|last=Curran|first=Jim|authorlink=|coauthors=|year=1995 |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location= |isbn=978-0340660072|pages=pp.183-207]

Expedition goal: K2

Location map
China| label=K2
mark=RedMountain.svg|marksize=18
lat_deg=35|lat_min=52|lat_sec=52.8
lon_deg=76|lon_min=30|lon_sec=48.4
position=right
width=300
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caption=Location on Pakistan/China borderK2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth after Mount Everest. With a peak elevation of 8,611 metres (28,251 ft), K2 is part of the Karakoram segment of the Himalayan range, and is located in the Northern Areas of the Kashmir region, on the borderPDFlink| [http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/collection/LimitsinSeas/IBS085.pdf Text of border agreement between China and Pakistan] |253 KiB ] between Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China.The mountain is located on the western side of the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.] It is regarded by mountaineers as far more challenging to conquer than Everest, and is generally looked upon as the most dangerous mountain in the world. [cite web |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-big-question-what-makes-k2-the-most-perilous-challenge-a-mountaineer-can-face-885220.html |title=The Big Question: What makes K2 the most perilous challenge a mountaineer can face? |accessdate=2008-08-07 |author=Jerome Taylor |date=2008-08-05 |work= |publisher=The Independent]

The climbing season at K2 lasts from June to August, but the adverse weather had prevented any groups from summiting during June and July. So at the end of July, there were 10 different groups waiting the possibility to reach the summit, some of them waiting there almost two months. The months preceding the summit push were used for acclimatization and for preparing four camps higher on the mountain, the highest of them, Camp IV, just a little short of 8000m high.

Events between the Camp IV and the summit

With the end of July approaching, weather forecasts indicated improving weather, and several groups had arrived at Camp IV on July 31 in preparation to try the summit as soon as weather would permit.

Friday, August 1st

The Sherpas and Pakistani high-altitude porters (HAPs) started to prepare fixed lines upwards before midnight, but some of them had become ill. So when the groups started upwards at 3am, the Sherpas and HAPs had prepared lines from the camp - where they were not needed - to the Bottleneck (a steep couloir - a gully - leading to the summit slopes) but had run out of rope, so they had to take rope from the lower portion of the path and use it to prepare ropes at the Bottleneck, which caused unplanned delay. At this point the American group decided to abort the attempt and return to the lower camp. [cite web|url=http://www.nickrice.us/index_files/k2dispatch63.htm|title=Day Sixty-three: SUMMIT PUSH- Summit Day; Tragedy Begins|publisher=www.nickrice.us]

At 8am people were advancing through the Bottleneck. Dren Mandic decided to pass another climber and released the rope, but lost his balance and fell over 100m to his death. People in Camp IV saw the fall and sent a group to help recover his body. Swede Fredrik Sträng statedcite web|url=http://www.k2climb.net/news.php?id=17472|title=K2 report: Missing summit pics and no world records - turning the tables on Fredrik Strang|date=August 6, 2008|publisher=K2Climb|language=English|accessdate=2008-08-07] he took command of the recovery operation, but when HAP Jehan Baig fell to his death, Sträng decided to descend without the body of Dren Mandic. [cite web|url=http://k2climb.net/news.php?id=17465|title=K2: Fredrik Strang's tale of Pakistani guide's fatal fall|publisher=k2climb.net] The Serbian group wrapped the body of Mandic in a flag and fastened him to the mountain before aborting and starting to descend.

These delays together with the traffic jam in the Bottleneck resulted in people reaching the summit much later than planned, some as late as 8pm (typical time for summiting being between 3pm and 5pm). When descending, the Norwegian group had almost passed the Bottleneck when a serac (a large block of ice) fell, cutting all the fixed lines, taking Rolf Bae with it and trapping Sherpa Jumic Bhote in the Bottleneck. Sherpa Pasang Bhote tried to help Jumic, but both of them fell. As a result of the serac fall, the climb in the Bottleneck became steeper and more technical, and the mountaineers were stranded in the death zone above 8000 meters.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7539069.stm|title=K2 climber missing after ice fall|publisher=bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2008-08-06|date=2008-08-02] There were still ten climbers above the Bottleneck, and panic broke out [cite web|url=http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINISL3480720080804?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0 |title=INTERVIEW-K2 survivor recounts fatal mistakes, numbed panic|publisher=Reuters] among them. Some tried to start descending in the darkness while others decided to bivouac and wait until morning before descending.

Cas van de Gevel and Sherpa Pemba Gyalje descended in the darkness without fixed ropes and reached the Camp IV before midnight. Marco Confortola, Wilco van Rooijen and Gerard McDonnell bivouacked above the Bottleneck.

aturday, August 2nd

The rescue efforts started in the base camp as a six man group was sent upwards with ropes to help those still stuck in the Bottleneck. In the Bottleneck, the three Koreans started to descend, but one of them fell and broke a bone and others refused to leave him.cite web|url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/tales-of-chaos-and-survival-on-k2/|title=Tales of Chaos and Survival on K2|publisher=New York Times] McDonnell started toward the Chinese side of the mountain, Confortola descended the Bottleneck and van Rooijen took the Cesan route, bypassing Camp IV.

Camp IV also tried to send a group upwards, and they found Confortola , who had managed to descend the Bottleneck and was lying unconscious in the snow. They managed to waken him and they all returned to Camp IV. Van de Gevel and Sherpa Gyalje descended from Camp IV to Camp III.cite web|url=http://www.nickrice.us/index_files/k2dispatch65.htm|title=Day Sixty-five: SUMMIT PUSH– The Aftermath; Wilco Helped Down|publisher=www.nickrice.us]

unday, August 3rd

Van de Gevel and sherpa Gyalje made contact with van Rooijen on the Cesan route early in the morning; the three managed to get down to the base camp at 10pm.

Monday, August 4th

Van de Gevel and van Rooijen were evacuated from base camp by helicopter to Shardu. Confortola reached Camp II, the advanced base camp. [cite web|url=http://www.nickrice.us/index_files/k2dispatch66.htm|title=Day Sixty-six: SUMMIT PUSH– The Final Cost|publisher=www.nickrice.us] Pakistani authorities released a list of names of those killed and injured. [cite web|url=http://www.everestnews.com/pak2008/k22008sadnews081020080101.htm|title= K2 2008: List of climbers who passed away released|publisher=www.everestnews.com]

Wednesday, August 6th

Confortola was evacuated from Camp II to Skardu by helicopter. [cite web|url=http://www.nickrice.us/index_files/k2dispatch68.htm|title=Day Sixty-eight: Wait for Porters Continues; Italians Evacuated|publisher=www.nickrice.us]

Rescue operation

The Pakistani military started a rescue operation early on August 4 2008, using two helicopters. They rescued two injured and frostbitten Dutch climbers from the base camp, located approximately 5,000 metres (16,400 ft) above sea level. [cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/world/asia/05K2.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|title=More Are Feared Dead Near K2’s Harsh Summit|last=Perlez|first=Jane|publisher=The New York Times] Four climbers, including an Italian, were making their own way down the mountain. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/04/asia/K-2.php International Herald Tribune] ] The four were flown to Skardu for treatment. Van Roojen was found using GPS coordinates sent out by his Thuraya satellite phone when he used it to call his brother. [ [http://www.xsatusa.com/news.php?ArticleID=13 XSAT USA plays role in recent K2 mountain rescue] ]

List of fatalities

ee also

* List of deaths on eight-thousanders

References

External links

* [http://watershednews.blogspot.com/2008/08/death-zone.html Death zone] – Blog entry in Watershed News including the picture of the Bottleneck and a line of climbers. The picture was taken August 1, 2008 by Nicholas Rice.