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No Way Down

Page 26

by Graham Bowley


  visit to Gilkey Memorial, 96

  website, 55, 73, 174, 182, 199

  Normand, Bruce, 229n

  North Face company, 49, 181, 194

  Norwegian K2 Expedition 2008, xv, 233n

  death of Rolf Bae, 86–89

  K2 ascent, August 1, 19–20, 47–48, 69–71, 234n

  K2 descent, August 1, 82–83, 86–91

  K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 174–75

  oxygen use, 83, 86

  O’Connell, Jerome, 230n, 234n, 237n

  O’Leary, Virginia, 230n, 234n, 235n blog, 235n

  Overleven op de K2 (Van Rooijen), 234n

  Pakistan

  assistance to climbers, 8, 189, 203–4

  military liaison officers on K2, 14

  Panzeri, Mario, xviii, 208

  Park Kyeong-hyo, xvi, 161

  accident and death, 128–29, 142–43, 145, 151–55, 160, 169–70

  Everest climb, 126

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 125–26

  Pasang Kikuli, 39

  Pasang Kitar, 39

  Pasang Lama, 35–36, 37, 38

  “Perfect Chaos” (Wilkinson), 230n

  Phinsoo, 39

  Pius XII, Pope, 9

  Planic, Iso, xvi, 12, 205

  attempt to move Dren’s body, 25–26, 29–30

  death of Dren and, 21–22, 33

  fall of Baig and, 31

  K2 ascent, August 1, 17, 18–19

  Pokharel, Tilak, 229n

  Porik, Asghar Ali, 230n

  Powers, Matthew, 230n

  Powers, Phil, 230n, 233n

  Puchoz, Mario, 8

  radios, 98–99

  “United Nations frequency,” 98

  Rice, Nicholas, xvii, 23, 54, 174, 175, 230n, 231n, 232n, 233n, 235n, 237n

  blog, 233–34n

  Rinjing Sherpa, xvii, 207–8

  Sabir, Nazir, 230n

  Sangmu, Dawa, 75, 127, 128, 129, 170

  Schoening, Pete, 93, 94–95

  Sekkesaeter, Bjorn, 230n, 233n

  Sella, Vittorio, 6

  Selter, Andy, xvii, 230n, 237n

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

  Serbian independent climber K2 2008 (Bite), xvii

  Serbian K2 Vojvodina Expedition 2008, xv–xvi, 12–15

  abandonment of Dren Mandic’s body at 26,000 feet, 32

  blog reports from, 232n

  death of Dren Mandic, 20–22, 205

  death of Jahan Baig, 30–31

  departure from K2, 205

  descent of Kahn, 17

  descent of Shaheen Baig, 16

  descent of Zagorac and Planic with corpse, 22, 25–26, 32

  equipment brought by, 12

  expedition report, Internet, 232n

  food for, 14

  HAPs with, 16, 17, 21

  K2 ascent, August 1, 16–22

  plate made for Dren Mandic, 206–7

  porters forget food, 16

  use of oxygen, 16–17

  Shah, Sajjad, 136, 198, 210, 230n, 236n, 237n

  Sheen, Mark, xv, 178–79

  Sherpas. See also Jumik Bhote

  Chhiring Bhote and family as, 106, 107, 127, 128

  climbing without oxygen, 72

  forgotten equipment and, xx–xxi

  Mandic’s fall and bad karma predicted by, 42

  marketing rivalry with HAPs, 27, 42

  with Norit Dutch expedition, 51

  with South Korean climbers, 58–59

  superstitions and gods of, 53

  uneasiness, backup at Bottleneck, 12

  unemployment in Nepal and, 127

  on Weissner expedition, 35–39

  Shimshal (village), 27

  Shishapangma, 127

  Siew Cheok Wai, Edwin, xviii

  Singapore K2 Expedition 2008, xvii–xviii, 174

  Skardu and military hospital, Pakistan, 12, 58, 62, 134, 189, 202, 204, 210, 237n

  Skog, Cecilie, xv, 47–48, 70, 97, 218, 219, 230n, 231n, 232n, 233n, 234n, 236n, 237n

  author’s interview with, 218

  in Base Camp, 137

  clothing worn on August 1, 69

  death of Rolf Bae and, 86–89, 161, 175, 192–93

  departure from K2, 205

  “devotion to the outdoors,” 218

  Dren Mandic’s fall and, 19–20

  Everest climb, 47

  fall on descent, 90

  K2 ascent, August 1, 18, 19–20, 46–48, 60–61, 67–68, 72, 234n

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

  K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 161, 171, 174–75

  life after K2, 205

  life with Rolf, 83–84

  North and South Pole expeditions, 47, 205

  previous K2 attempt, 46–47

  return to Base Camp, 192–93, 237n

  on summit, 69–71

  snowblindness, 8, 200

  Van Rooijen and, 141, 143, 146

  Son Byung-woo, xvi

  Song Gui-hwa, xvi

  South Korean K2 Abruzzi Spur Flying Jump Expedition, xvi, 11, 233n

  B team, 31–32, 44, 59

  cook, Nawang, 204–5

  departure from K2, 204–5, 237n

  Jumik Bhote as Sherpa, 125–26, 127, 128, 142–43, 145, 151–55, 166–69

  K2 ascent, August 1, 43–44, 57, 58

  K2 descent, August 1–2, 100, 106–9, 119–21, 125–26, 131–32

  K2 descent of remaining team, August 3, 197

  as largest team, 44

  missing climbers, 121, 128–29, 142–43, 145, 151–55, 235n

  missing climbers, deaths of, 166–69, 200

  nationalism of, 44

  rope placement and, 223–24

  Sherpas with, 16, 58–59, 69–71, 100, 105–9, 127, 128

  sponsorship of, 71

  on summit, 70, 71, 234n

  use of oxygen, 44–45, 119

  Srinagar, 6

  Staleman, Jelle, xv, 51, 53, 230n, 233n, 236n, 237n

  Stangeland, Oystein, xv, 91, 161

  return to Base Camp, 192–93

  Stangl, Christian, xxv–xxvi, xvii, xix–xxviii

  Starkey, Annie, 50, 73, 134, 137, 215, 230n, 234n, 236n

  disputed versions of McDonnell’s death and, 221–22

  Stavanger, Norway, xii

  Strang, Fredrik, xvi, 23–33, 97–98, 104, 105, 211, 230n, 237n

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

  climbing record sought by, 23

  deaths of Mandic and Baig, effect of, 33

  decision to turn back, xxv–xxvi, 231n

  fall of Baig and, 31–32

  film made by, 231n, 237n

  K2 ascent, August 1, xix–xxv

  K2 descent, August 1, xxvi

  K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 179, 189

  rescue of Mandic attempted, 22–26, 28–30, 223, 232n

  videos by, 23, 26, 161, 200–201

  Sunny Mountain Chogori Expedition, xvii

  Teler, Jacek, 234n

  Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson), 219

  Trango Towers, 204

  Trommsdorff, Christian, xvii, 230n

  Urdukas, 6, 53

  Van de Gevel, Cas, xv, 51–52, 53, 230n, 233n, 236n

  in Base Camp, 134

  bivouac on K2, 187, 191

  condition of, after descent, 197, 200–201, 204

  death of Hugues d’Aubarède and, 117–18, 176, 235n

  evacuation from K2 by helicopter, 204, 237n

  filming of Van Rooijen, 195

  Gerard McDonnell and, 51, 236n

  K2 ascent, August 1, 51

  K2 descent, August 1–3, 2008, 111–13, 117–18, 196–97, 235n

  Marco Confortola and, 77, 165, 169–70

  return to Base Camp, August 3, 198–202

  on summit, 72–73, 234n

  Van Rooijen’s rescue and, 149, 162, 163, 165, 170, 182, 186–89, 192, 194–97, 237n


  Van de Walle, Mark, 236n

  Van Eck, Maarten, 55, 73, 147, 230n, 233n, 234n

  rescue of Van Rooijen and, 148, 180–81, 182, 183, 189, 236n, 237n

  website, 174, 182, 189, 202

  Van Oss, Roeland, xv, 51, 118, 173, 230n, 233n, 235n, 236n

  departure from K2, 203–4, 206, 237n

  K2 descent, August 1, 54

  life after K2, 206

  report on deaths, 189

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

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

  Van Rooijen, Heleen, 147–48, 149–50, 194

  Van Rooijen, Wilco, xv, 12, 49–55, 115, 161, 177, 230n, 231n, 232n, 233n, 236n, 237n

  above Camp Three, 191, 192

  author and, 219–21

  backpack left behind, 113

  in Base Camp, 134

  bivouacs on K2, 138–40, 184–85, 189, 236n

  book by, 234n, 236n

  clash with d’Aubarède, 54

  clothing worn on August 1, 109, 181, 188, 237n

  condition of, after descent, 195, 196, 197, 199, 200–201, 204, 219

  dehydration of, 144, 195

  effects of ordeal, 211

  end of K2 climb, 197

  evacuation from K2 by helicopter, 203–4, 237n

  Everest climb, 49

  finds corpses, 184

  Gerard McDonnell and, 49–51, 54, 234n, 236n

  GPS coordinates of satellite calls and, 180–81

  K2 ascent, August 1, 18–19, 51, 55, 59, 60, 71–72, 233n

  K2 descent and loss of way, August 1–3, 100, 118, 138–50, 179, 183–89, 193–97

  as leader, 53–54

  leaves Confortola and McDonnell, 140, 141–42, 151

  loss of mental clarity, 147, 149, 185

  missing South Korean climbers, Jumik Bhote, and, 142–43, 145, 235n

  previous K2 attempts, 12, 49–50

  rescue, 194–97

  return to Base Camp, August 3, 198–202

  satellite phone (Thuraya), calls for help, 146–48, 149–50, 162, 177, 183, 194

  search for, 162

  self-preservation of, 141–43

  snowblindness, 141, 143, 146

  son, Teun, 49, 194

  sponsorship of, 49

  spotted from Base Camp, 181, 191

  on summit, 72, 73, 234n

  summit call to Van Eck, 73

  video interview, 200–201

  at wake for Gerard McDonnell, 219

  wife, Heleen, 49, 147–50, 194

  Vernay, Philippe, 116, 230n

  Vernay, Raphaele, 116, 230n, 233n, 234n, 235n

  Vid, Theodora, xvii

  Wagnon, Patrick, xvii

  Walters, Paul, xvi, 33, 230n, 232n

  K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 179, 189, 236n

  Warner, Chris, xvi, 230n, 233n, 234n, 235n

  Watson, Dave, xvii

  weather

  d’Aubarède and, 115

  Friday, August 1, 2008, xix, xx, xxvi, 12

  Houston expedition (1953), 93

  late July, 2008 unforecast winds, 16

  night of August 1–2, 2008, 132

  Saturday, August 2, 2008, 160, 163

  Weathers, Beck, 133

  Wiessner, Fritz, 35–39, 93, 95, 232n

  Wiessner expedition (1939), 232n

  Wilkinson, Freddie, 230n

  Wolfe, Dudley, 36–39

  Workman, William Hunger and Fanny Bullock, 4

  Yeats, William Butler, 214

  Zagorac, Predrag, xvi, 12, 17, 205, 230n, 232n

  attempt to move Dren’s body, 25–26, 29–30

  death of Dren and, 20–22, 33

  fall of Baig and, 31, 232n

  K2 ascent, August 1, 20–22

  Zarate, Patricia Prevost, 219, 234n

  Zavka, Stefano, 116, 235n

  Zerain, Alberto, xvi, 11, 16, 61, 62–63, 69, 230n, 233n, 234n, 237n

  author’s interview with, 218–19

  “devotion to the outdoors,” 218, 219

  K2 ascent and summit August 1, 57, 61–68, 234n

  K2 descent, August 1, 67–68, 234n

  life after K2, 218–19

  return to Base Camp, 174

  on summit, 61, 64–65, 67

  visit to Gilkey Memorial, 96

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I owe a debt of gratitude to the many people who graciously gave me many hours to tell me their story or the stories of their loved ones who died.

  In particular, I thank Cecilie Skog, Annie Starkey, Mine Dumas, and Raphaele Vernay.

  For historical discussions of the Himalayas and technical climbing descriptions I am grateful to Phil Powers, Kurt Diemberger, Agostino da Polenza, Maurice Isserman, and Qudrat Ali as well as to the following books: Fallen Giants, by Maurice Isserman and Stuart Weaver; K2: The Story of the Savage Mountain, by Jim Curran; Going Higher, by Charles S. Houston; The Avalanche Handbook, by David McClung and Peter Schaerer; and Wilderness Mountaineering, by Phil Powers. These books are all good introductions to the mountains and their dangers.

  I would also like to thank the following people: Halyna Freeland; Andrea Kannapell, who worked side by side with me on the foreign desk at the New York Times on the day I wrote the first story and is such a wise adviser; and Andrew Ensslen, who risked his life by venturing with me north past Concordia and was flown out by helicopter from the mountains. I am also indebted to my excellent editors Jennifer Barth and Joel Rickett, and to my wonderful agent Andrew Wylie.

  Thanks as well to: John Makinson, Mary Boies, David Boies, Bruce Nichols, Gillian Blake, Rick Gladstone, Greg Winter (for the better intro), Susan Chira, David Gillen, Jim Roberts, Chris Conway, Mike Nizza, David Smith, Marc Charney, Dexter Filkins, Alberto Zerain, Patricia Prevost Zarate, John Elsen, Mick Sussman, Mark van de Walle, George Semler, Hannah Semler, Santiago Lyon, Rob Lerner, Kim Jae-soo, Go Mi-sun, David Hamilton, Peter Truell, Jerry del Missier, Rosa Shipley, Alan Cowell, Su-jin Chu, the families and friends of Philippe Vernay and Hugues d’Aubarède, Hervé Perouse, Nick Rice, Roeland van Oss, Jelle Staleman, Lars Flato Nessa, Bjorn Sekkesaeter, Tom Sjogren, Alisa Dogramadzieva, Predrag Zagorac, Milivoj Erdeljan, George Martin, Chuck Boyd, Andy Selter, Virginia O’Leary, Judy Aull, Natalka Chomiak, Chrystia Chomiak, Anne Freeland, Justine Simon, Eric Meyer (for many things, especially the many hours he gave me and his good-natured patience), Fredrik Strang, Chris Klinke, Chhiring Dorje, Marco Confortola, John Fisher Burns, Wilco van Rooijen, Cas van de Gevel, Tilak Pokharel, Donatella Fioravanti, Enrico Dalla Rosa, Barbara Baraldi, Asghar Ali Porik, Sajjad Shah, Erika Koning, Alan Terry, Douglas Bowley, Audrey Hintzy, Nicolas Mugnier, Yan Giezendanner, Nazir Sabir, Dirk Grunert, Jacek Teler, Paulo Roxo, Daniela Teixeira, Michael Kodas, Maarten van Eck, Jon Yellen, Jack Reilly, Elisabeth Rosenthal, David Roberts, Mike Farris, Pat Falvey, and Gary Landeck.

  Also, Chris Warner of Earth Treks (who helped me care), Bruce Normand, Len Kannapell, Liz Alderman, Miguel Helft, Carol Bowley, Matt Ericson, Alexis Gelber, Bill Brink, Stuart Emmrich, Jawaid Iqbal, Anup Kaphle, Jerome O’Connell, Eelco Jansen, Paul Golob, Mike Oreskes, Paul Walters, Julian Curnuck, Karrar Haidri of Saltoro Summits, Chhiring Bhote, Tim O’Brien, Christian Trommsdorff, Yannick Graziani, Captain Shan-ul-Haq, Katarzyna Sklodowska, Pavel Wojas, Serge Civera, Alex Friedman, Salman Masood, Jane Perlez, Katherine Ensslen, Elettra Fiumi, Peter Chang, Choe Sang-hun, Joe Bowley, Jane Bowley, Anya Stiglitz, Tilak Pokharel, Jason Sack, Alan Arnette, Au Bon Pain at the Port Authority Bus Station in New York (for the table in the corner), Natalka Freeland, David Goodhart, John Lloyd. And last, but not least, my great children, Natalka, Halyna, and Ivan Bowley.

  About the Author

  GRAHAM BOWLEY is a reporter for the New York Times. He grew up in England and lives in New York with his wife and three children.

  www.nowaydownthebook.com

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  Credit
s

  Jacket design by Christopher Tobias

 

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