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View Full Version : Sad losses on K2


shanja
08-11-2008, 01:14 PM
Well it was not in Korea, but this last few weeks saw the untimely and sad deaths of a great many climbers on the slopes of K2. Three of the climbers lost were Koreans, all highly experienced and competent climbers. I wish herein to extend to their families and friends my condolences and sympathies. It is a hard thing to face natures implaccable whims, when the thing which gave them so much joy gives those they loved so much pain.
Another climber to perish was a good friend of mine Rolf, with whom I climbed Xixabangma back in 2003. He was a phenomenal climber and adventurer, having the sort of life movies are made for. Yet he was never reckless nor arrogant. He spoke quietly in a good humoured and self effacing Norwegian lilt, and held himself as incredibly blessed yet normal. When he was lost forever to the snows and folds on K2, his partner and love, Cecile was also there...by fate's graces she lived and summitted. His fate has left her a huge and wretched loss, and my heart goes out to her, and to the memory of a truly beautiful man and mountaineer. Rest quietly my brother.

skinsk
08-12-2008, 12:01 AM
Jake (or others), any word yet on the Koreans? My Korean friends didn't seem to know who?

Hypoxic
08-12-2008, 10:02 PM
Yes, the tragedy on Lamba Pahar was terrible. My deep condolences to the families, and to you also Jake for losing a friend. Rolf Bae was indeed a world class mountaineer, one of the minority.

Regarding the three Korean climbers, they were Hwang Dong-jin, Kim Hyo-gyeong, and Park Gyeong-hyo. Wilco van Rooijen reported that while on his own troubled descent he come across the three Koreans in distress. The three refused van Rooijen's offers of help.

"There was a Korean guy hanging upside down. There was a second Korean guy who held him with a rope but he was also in shock and then a third guy was there also, and they were trying to survive but I had also to survive," he said. He and his companion, Cas van de Gevel, along with Nepali Pemba Sherpa, were the first survivors to make it back to base camp.

Let's not forgot the Sherpas, the true heros of the Himalaya. The two who died during the tragedy were Pasang Bhote and Jumic Bhote. Pasang died while trying to save Jumic.

And to the others:
Rolf Bae
Meherban Karim
Hugues D’Aubarede
Dren Mandić
Jehan Baig
Gerard McDonnell

Rest well.