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No Way Down

Page 25

by Graham Bowley


  message, July 31, 2008, 1, 48

  partner, Mine, 74–75, 115, 215, 229n (see also Dumas, Mine)

  phone calls from summit, 74–75, 234n

  porters for, 27–28

  previous K2 attempts, 48, 115

  on summit, 73–75

  use of oxygen, 73–74, 114

  visit to Gilkey Memorial, 96, 116

  De Filippi, Filippo, 1, 7

  dehydration, 43, 57–58, 174

  of Van Rooijen, 144, 195

  Desio, Ardito, 7–9, 10, 231n

  Diemberger, Kurt, 229n, 231n

  Dijmarescu, George, xvii, 202, 207–8

  Disaster on K2 (documentary), 231n

  Dogramadzieva, Alisa, 229n, 230n

  Dorje, Chhiring, xvi, 24, 42, 58, 71, 209, 229n, 230n, 232n, 233n, 234n, 235n, 236n

  Confortola helped by, 208

  descent tied to Little Pasang, 101–4, 223

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 79, 97–105, 106, 179, 189, 235n

  no oxygen used by, 72, 163

  wife, Dawa Futi, and daughters, 103

  Dumas, Mine, 74–75, 115, 215, 229n, 234n, 235n

  Durrance, Jack, 36, 39

  Egocheago, George, xvii

  Elberus, Mount, 47

  Elkins, Katherine, 6

  Elkins, Stephen B., 6

  Erdeljan, Milivoj, xv, 12, 22, 33, 229n, 232n

  Everest, Mount

  Confortola on, 42

  crowds on, xx, 47–48

  d’Aubarède climbs, 74

  first Norwegian expedition, 69

  height, xx

  Jumik Bhote climbs, 127

  McDonnell climbs, 50–51

  Park Kyeong-hyo climbs, 126

  Rob Hall’s death on, 177

  scaling of (1953), 7

  Skog climbs, 47–48

  Van Rooijen climbs, 49

  explorersweb, 222, 231n

  Falvey, Pat, 213, 229n, 234n, 237n

  Farris, Michael, xvi, 174–75, 189, 235n, 237n

  “Few False Moves, A” (Kodas), 230n

  Fioravanti, Donatella, 229n, 234n

  Fiordi, Miro, 77

  Fiumi, Elettra, 229n

  Fram Expeditions, 47, 193

  French Independent K2 Expedition (2008), xvii

  French “TGW” K2 Expedition (2008), xvii

  frostbite, 9, 105, 133, 187, 196, 201, 202, 204, 207, 208–10

  Gasherbrum I and II, 224

  Giezendanner, Yan, 115, 229n, 233n

  Gilkey, Art, 93–96

  Gilkey Memorial, xiii, 68, 93–96, 116, 237n

  plates hung for Bae, Mandic, McDonnell, 206–7

  Giorni di Ghiaccio (Confortola), 233n

  Godwin-Austen, Henry Haversham, 4

  Godwin-Austen glacier, xiii, 6, 13, 38, 43, 95, 137, 200

  Base Camp, altitude of, 173

  Goh Ee Kiat, Robert, xvii

  Go Mi-sun, xvi, 44, 119, 205, 224, 229n, 233n

  death on Nanga Parbat (2009), 205

  earlier fall in Himalayas, 119

  Jumik Bhote and, 127

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 100, 108–9, 119–21, 125

  missing climbers and, 170

  rescue, 120, 235n

  on summit, 71, 234n

  Goro II, 210

  Graziani, Yannick, xvii, 229n

  Great Trango Tower, 46, 83–84

  Norwegian Pillar, 84

  groupthink, 46, 233n

  Guggemos, Peter, xvii

  Gyalje, Pemba, xv, 15, 24, 42, 51, 58, 66, 72, 74, 230n, 236n, 237n

  avalanche on August 2 and, 168

  Cas van de Gevel missing and, 188, 192

  clothing worn on August 1, 159, 194

  d’Aubarède and, 73–74, 75

  death of McDonnell and, 199–200

  departure from K2, 210

  disputed versions of McDonnell’s death and, 222

  Gerard McDonnell and, 137, 162, 167

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 76, 100, 101–4, 159

  Marco Confortola rescue and, 164–70, 176, 223

  missing friends and, 159–60, 163

  no oxygen used by, 72

  photographs by, 165, 169, 230n

  reports deaths of Koreans and Sherpas, 176

  return to Base Camp, August 3, 198–202

  return to Camp Four, 159

  Van Rooijen’s rescue and, 148–49, 182, 186–89, 191–92, 194–97, 237n

  Haegens, Court, xv

  Hall, Rob, 177

  HAPs (high-altitude porters), xxi, 7, 16, 22, 27

  Confortola’s anger with, 209

  K2 ascent, August 1, 63, 67

  Marco Confortola and, 197–98

  marketing rivalry with Sherpas, 42

  Zerain and, 63

  Hargreaves, Alison, 96

  Hatiya, Nepal (Sherpa village), 106, 127

  high-altitude. See altitude

  Horvath, Timothy, xvi

  House, Bill, 16

  Houston, Charles, 93–95, 235n

  Houston expedition (1953), 93–96, 234n

  Hunza porters, 7, 9, 14, 95

  Hussein, Mohammed, xvi, 16, 21, 25, 26, 29, 32

  Hwang Dong-jin, xvi, 161

  death, 170

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 126, 160

  ice screws, 57, 62, 88

  independent climbers K2 2008, xvii

  Isserman, Maurice, 229n

  Italian Abruzzi Expedition (1909), 1, 5–7

  Italian Broad Peak & Nanga Parbat Expedition (2008), xviii

  Italian K2 Expedition (1954), 7–9, 231n

  Italian K2 Expedition (2008), xv

  Jamling Bhote, xviii

  Jasmine Tours, 203

  Jovovic, Miodrag, xvi

  K2, 9, 99, 225

  Abruzzi Spur (route), 6, 15, 33, 41, 63, 174, 189, 197–98, 202

  as “America’s Mountain,” 95

  author’s trip to, 224–25, 231n

  Balcony Glacier or Balcony Serac, 82 (see also serac below)

  Black Pyramid, 16, 93, 180–81

  Bottleneck, xxi, xxii, xxiii, xxiv, 38, 68, 117, 145, 161, 213, 233n

  Bottleneck, ropes swept away by avalanche, August 1, 2008, 79, 89, 99, 101, 106, 112–13, 119

  Bottleneck, traffic jam, ascent, August 1, 2008, xxi, xxiii–xxiv, xxv, xxvii, 11–12, 231n, 232n

  camp system of ascent, 37, 93

  Cesen route, 15, 47, 66, 180, 187, 194, 195, 198

  crevasses, 60, 64, 96

  dangers of descent, 77

  the dead of 2008, 212

  “death list” kept by Chris Klinke, 174, 176–77

  death of Dren Mandic, 20–22, 232n

  death of Gerald McDonnell, 157, 189

  death of Hugues d’Aubarède, 109, 113, 117, 118

  death of Jahan Baig, 31

  death of Jumik Bhote, 166–69

  death of Korean climbers (Park, Kim, Hwang), 166–69

  death of Pasang “Big Pasang” Bhote, 166–69

  death of Rolf Bae, 86–89

  Death Zone, 17

  difficulty of, attraction of, xx

  disasters of 1986, 55

  early attempts to climb, 4–9

  falling ice, 82, 86–87 (see also avalanche)

  fatalities (previous to 2008), xx, 8, 35, 39, 55, 57, 60, 71, 77, 82, 96, 116

  first summit by Italians (1954), 9, 10

  Gilkey Memorial, xiii, 68, 93–96, 206–7

  height, xx, 3, 4, 10

  House’s Chimney, 15–16, 93, 175, 207

  Houston expedition (1953), 93–96, 234n

  jet stream and, 60

  location, xx

  Magic Line route, xxiii, 96

  naming of, 3–4

  Negrotto Pass, 7

  1986, deaths, 55

  number of climbers making summit, xx, xxiv, 72

  photographs by Sella, 6

  rope placement/rope problems, August 1, 2008, xxii, xxiv, 66, 67, 79, 88, 89, 99, 100, 105, 108, 112, 131, 139, 177, 223–24

  routes to the su
mmit, xxii–xxiii

  Savoia Glacier, 7, 95

  Sella Pass, 7

  serac, danger of, xiii, xxii, xxiii, xxiv, 12, 41, 42, 43, 57, 82, 86, 155, 156, 161, 167, 213

  Shoulder, xix, xxi, xxii, 15, 23, 24, 25, 29, 66, 161, 164, 233n

  size and shape, 63

  Southwest Pillar, 96

  summit, 65

  superstitions and gods of, 35, 42, 101, 224

  Traverse, xxii, 11, 19, 42–43, 57, 86, 88, 111–12, 233n

  Wiessner expedition (1939), 35–39, 93, 95

  women on, 71, 96

  K2 Tall Mountain Expedition, xvii

  “K2: The Killing Peak” (Powers), 230n

  Karakoram mountain range, 3–4, 65, 178, 231n

  Kathmandu, 84, 103, 107, 127, 235n

  Khan, Mohammed, xvi, 16

  Kilcornan, Ireland, 50, 230n

  author in, 213–15

  McDonnell family in, 177–78, 181, 197, 199, 237n

  wake for McDonnell, 214–15, 219

  Kilimanjaro, 74

  Kim Hyo-gyeong, xvi, 161

  confirmed dead, 170

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 126, 160

  Kim Jae-Soo, xvi, 44, 67, 100, 119, 120, 224, 229n, 233n, 235n

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 107–9, 125

  missing climbers and, 160, 170

  Shishapangma expedition, 127

  Kim Seong-sang, xvi

  Kim Tae-gyu, xvi

  Klinke, Chris, xvi, 98, 113, 188, 229n, 231n, 236n

  Cas van de Gevel missing and, 188

  Confortola helped by, 208, 209

  “death list” kept by, 174, 176–77, 188, 195

  departure from K2, 211, 237n

  disputed versions of McDonnell’s death and, 222

  helicopter transport for wounded and, 204

  life after K2, 211

  respects at Gilkey Memorial, 211

  search for missing climbers and, 162–63, 171, 173–74, 179–80, 188–89, 237n

  spotting of Van Rooijen, 181–82, 191, 237n

  strobe light owned by, 98, 235n

  treatment of Van de Gevel and Van Rooijen, 202

  Kodas, Michael, 222, 229n, 230n, 233n

  Lacedelli, Lino, 8–9, 35, 59, 95, 231n

  Lama, “Little” Pasang, xvi, 70–71, 169, 200, 230n

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 100–104, 106

  Lee Sung-rok, xvi

  Lee Won-sub, xvi

  Leustean, Mircea, xvii

  Lhotse, 128

  Limerick Leader, 177

  Mahdi (Hunza porter), 9–10

  Mandic, Dren, xv, 11–14, 174, 232n

  abandonment of body at 26,000 feet, 32

  attempt to move body, 22, 25–26

  clothing worn on August 1, 11

  fall to death, 20–22, 23–24, 232n

  girlfriend, Mirjana, 14, 33

  K2 ascent, August 1, 16–22, 232n

  Manni, Roberto, xv, xxvi, 202, 204, 209

  Masherbrum, Mount, 4, 14, 204

  McDonnell, Gerard, xv, 49–51, 52, 115, 123, 161, 162, 234n, 236n

  in Base Camp, 134, 136–37

  bivouac on K2, 132–36, 138–40, 236n

  blog, 236n

  clothing worn on August 1, 132–33, 157, 167, 200

  courage of, 152, 223

  death, 157, 167, 177, 189

  death, disputed versions, 221–23

  Everest climb, 50–51, 152

  family in Kilcornan, 50, 73, 137, 177–78, 181, 197, 199, 221, 237n

  girlfriend Annie, 50, 73, 134, 137 (see also Starkey, Annie)

  K2 ascent, August 1, 51, 58, 61

  K2 descent and loses way, August 1–2, 76, 118, 131–36, 138–40, 151–54

  loss of mental clarity, 154

  Marco Confortola and, 131–37

  missing South Korean climbers, Jumik Bhote, and, 145, 152–54, 221–23, 236n

  nickname “Jesus,” 133, 134

  Pemba Gyalje and, 137

  previous K2 attempt, 51, 58, 137

  Rolf Bae and, 61, 84

  search for, 162

  singing of, 136

  special rope brought, 51, 112, 145

  on summit, 72, 73, 234n

  Van Rooijen and, 49–51, 54, 140, 141–42, 151, 236n

  visits Gilkey Memorial, 96

  wake for, 214–15

  McDonnell, J.J., 178, 215

  McDonnell, Margaret, 214

  McKinley, Mount, 137, 152

  Meherban, Karim, xvii, 27, 48, 60, 111, 177, 181, 221

  missing status, 161

  Mera Peak, 128

  Meyer, Eric, M.D., xvi, xix–xxviii, 33, 108, 229n

  activities of August 2, 2008 and descent to Base Camp, 159–64, 236n

  attempts radio contact with missing climbers, 162

  call to mother, Joyce, 105

  Chhiring Dorje and, 97–99, 104–5

  condition of Van Rooijen and, 196

  death of Baig and, 32

  decision to turn back, xxv–xxvi, 231n

  departure from K2, 211, 237n

  fall of, 178–79, 189, 237n

  Gerard McDonnell and, 206, 236n

  K2 ascent, August 1, xix–xxv, 230–31n

  K2 descent, August 1, xxvi

  K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 176, 178–79, 189

  rescue of Mandic attempted, 23–26, 30, 223, 232n

  Rolf Bae and, 84

  Talus cold-weather mask, xix, 230–31n

  treating of altitude sickness, 32, 160, 164

  treating of Confortola, 208–10

  treating of Van de Gevel and Van Rooijen, 200–201

  visit to Gilkey Memorial, 96

  Mingma Tunduk Sherpa, xvii, 207–8

  Montgomerie, Thomas G., 3–4, 10

  Mortenson, Greg, 219

  mountaineers

  nationalism of, 44

  psychology of, 221

  traits common to, 36, 45, 54

  unqualified climbers, problem of, 146

  Mugnier, Nicolas, 229n, 233n

  Nanga Parbat, Mount, 116

  death of Go Mi-sun, 205

  Nardi, Daniele, xviii

  Nessa, Lars Flato, xii, xv, 229n, 231n, 232n, 233n, 234n, 236n, 237n

  departure from K2, 205

  Gerard McDonnell and, 234n

  K2 ascent, August 1, 69, 70, 233n, 234n

  K2 descent, August 1, 76–77, 79, 82, 83, 86–91

  K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 161, 175

  life after K2, 206

  plate made for Rolf Bae, 206

  return to Base Camp, 192–93

  return to Camp Four, 97

  Nielsen, Nick, xvii

  Noonan, Father Joe, 214

  Norit K2 Dutch International Expedition 2008, xv, 33, 233n

  assembling of team, 51

  in Base Camp, 52–54, 137–38

  blog, 233n, 234n, 237n

  camp manager for, 136

  death of Gerald McDonnell, 157, 189, 206

  departure from K2, 206, 210, 237n

  helicopter transport for wounded, 202–3

  K2 ascent, August 1, 12, 49–55

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 76–77, 111–13, 117–18, 234n

  no oxygen used by, 17

  Pakistani cooks for, 52

  rescue of Van Rooijen, 194–202

  Sherpas with, 15, 66

  slaughter of yak, 53, 233n

  sponsorship of, 12, 49

  on summit, 72–73, 234n

  support team in Netherlands, 55, 73, 148

  on the Traverse, 55

  unqualified climbers on other teams and, 146

  use of oxygen, 76

 

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