[HN Gopher] Nepalese team makes first successful winter ascent o...
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Nepalese team makes first successful winter ascent of K2
Author : tin7in
Score : 70 points
Date : 2021-01-16 17:16 UTC (5 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.theguardian.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.theguardian.com)
| mazokum wrote:
| Sadly, a Spanish climber of the expedition (not on the party that
| made the ascent) perished when descending from acclimation.
|
| https://spainsnews.com/spanish-sergi-mingote-dies-after-suff...
| dillondoyle wrote:
| Some of these articles describing the K2 'downclimb' seems
| crazier than the ascent; indescribably difficult, dangerous,
| skilled, exposed, etc.
|
| https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2014/09/04/k2-descending-re...
| https://i1.wp.com/www.alanarnette.com/blog/wp-content/upload...
| https://i0.wp.com/www.alanarnette.com/blog/wp-content/upload...
|
| Imagine your brain being basically dead from lack of oxygen,
| medical danger like HAPE.
|
| It looks like it there are even (? fully ?) vertical fixed rope
| pitches and going up actual technical climbing one article says
| a 5.9 offwidth ?!?! In -50F windy winter conditions wearing
| giant bulky winter suits.
|
| If you've ever been sport climbing can you image descending
| multiple miles on a rope, even if kind of crawling backwards
| using feet/hands?
|
| Climbers forget to tie knots in the end ALL THE TIME. Brad
| Gobright was one of the best climbers who was known for free
| soloing here in the Front Range (e.g. no ropes at all, like
| Honnold up El Cap) recently died on a rope descent.
|
| Imagine on multiple miles of roped descent many knots,
| transfers, while you can't think from no oxygen. It's an truly
| impressive almost inhuman feat.
| systemvoltage wrote:
| On one hand, I am truly inspired by the feat of achievement of
| this caliber, at the same time it leaves me with feeling of
| mournful contempt like a Gladiator fight where someone is going
| to die.
| chrisseaton wrote:
| Wow Nirmal Purja, former British Army Royal Gurkha Rifles and
| Royal Navy Social Boat Service. The first Gurkha to pass SBS
| selection as well, I believe, and was there as recently as 2018.
| voisin wrote:
| Is this the same route that Colin O'Brady was attempting?
| jordanmarshall wrote:
| Yes, and still is attempting. He and his climbing partner used
| the weather window to make another acclimatization rotation up
| to camp 2. I believe they are at base camp now.
| throwawaysea wrote:
| Nirmal Purja is an incredible athlete, and I find it strange that
| his achievements (like climbing all 8000+ meter peaks within six
| months) aren't better known. He recently released a book, for
| those interested: https://www.nimsdai.com/beyond-possible-book
| thesilentsun wrote:
| I think it's due to the style of climbing he is doing.
| Typically people become much more familiar with more 'alpine'
| style climbing (fast and lightweight). If he were climbing
| these peaks without fixed lines I'm sure he'd be much bigger.
| Not to take away from the accomplishments.
| amelius wrote:
| Reminds me of:
|
| https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/too-many-tourists/
| farseer wrote:
| Global warming kind of made it inevitable
| briandear wrote:
| Makes it a lot harder. The snow and ice is far less stable.
| Mont Blanc for example, is treacherous with rockfall when
| temperatures are warm on the mountain.
| hprotagonist wrote:
| often, weather instability makes high alpine pursuits harder,
| not easier.
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(page generated 2021-01-16 23:01 UTC)