is the first time, I think, I'm going to write about climbing on the blog, which continues to be entertaining, it is a topic that fascinates me and I spend part of my leisure. The reason is the tragic death of mountaineer on Annapurna Tolo Calafat, in circumstances that do not differ too much from previous cases, but nevertheless, by the grace of the weaker measures Juanito Oiarzabal statements accusing the Korean team Oh Eun Sun's lack of solidarity, have led to a war of words in the elite world of climbing is not being very uplifting. I like to make any Comment on this controversy.
In this link is the news, and it and this controversy details later, for those more interested in the subject.
First we must say something every climber who has been in difficult situations well known: you can not judge lightly, from the couch and watching the news, decisions under adverse circumstances is to take a mountaineer. The mountains, especially in winter, and especially to high altitude, is a hostile terrain, it can play tricks. A difficult situation, such an accident, or simply witness, or lost in the fog as it approaches the night and the depletion arrives, or be on a craggy precipice we do not know how to get out, etc., is a stressful situation in which any person may have difficulty making right decisions. This is true for Pyrenees, imagine what we can provide in the Himalayas, over 7,000 m, with physical and mental faculties seriously impaired.
Any climber who goes to the Himalayas to climb an eight thousand knows or should know, that above 7,000 m ransom is nearly impossible, especially if the weather is not (not usually accompanies ...). One rather has to stagger down looking for the small refuge fields are high, as to think down on his back to a teammate. In the best case, you can expect. Or, after rest and hydrate for a few hours, if freezing and mental fitness and generally do not prevent, try to go to help those who have fallen behind. But for this we must be very sure to not end up regretting two deaths instead of one. And in any case, the decisions that affect their lives are yourself and nobody else.
So fill me with amazement the high-sounding declarations of Juanito Oiarzabal, short of accusing the sherpas of the issuance of Miss Oh you did not want help even offering € 6,000 to each one, "and accusing his own Miss Oh not get tough with them. How can you push yourself to some Sherpas to do what you yourself do not you think you are capable of? I understand that you ask, I understand your frustration at the negative ... but not require them to understand that life is play, put a price on that life and then accuse them of not accepting or by those ... gesture, the latter, who were honored: I would have left a bad feeling if it had accepted to go for Tolo, for money.
Some say that the statements were hot Juanito, motivated by the tension of the moment, but it is not: Juanito was subsequently confirmed in several interviews. One type of experience can not be that big mouth, you should know the media coverage they would have their words, they would cause controversy and doubts which were to grow, once again, ethics, and so on achievements, Miss O and her team.
There is nothing in the attitude of the Sherpas of Miss Oh I seem reprehensible. I feel so much more, if confirmed, the fact that the Korean issue by removing the strings go in the key steps of the ascent, during its descent, when they know that there are other expeditions up having to go down the same place. It is customary in the Himalayas do not remove the strings that you have placed or have placed others, as they often serve for the passage of several expeditions. Forcing the English team to lose time and deepen their hair down to exhaustion a corridor equipped believed could be a before and after the life of Tolo. But that will never know, because many other circumstances came together in the drama: a peak too late, a possible bad measurement of its own forces, a mental block later, etc.
is no wonder that after all this, other well-known mountaineers and Himalayas have disfigured Juanito attitude. From here it has unleashed a small battle in which are revealed and old grudges are put into question the merits of one or the other.
All this is quite unfortunate, but we must not forget that among elite climbers usually ego almost as big as mountains to climb. The controversy about what might be wrong and "why would I have done if he had been there" are common, the heated debates ... they do not fall within the "scene" but that transcend media things start to degenerate.
I believe, however, that fans of the mountain we downplay this. We say (we can all say, that it is clear) with respect to those engaged in activities few and beautiful as you put it all in play, until their lives, knowing full well what they are doing. We think taking into account the conditions in eight thousand, so dramatically effects that can not be judge decisions that are there with the yardstick of us here. Carlos Pauner and Juanito Oiarzabal probably did a lot, staying in Camp 4 in their conditions, to try to help and organize the rescue. Let's stay in addition to other acts of true greatness in the mountains, like the Romanian Horia Colibasanu, who tried to climb by Tolo despite his poor physical condition, as it had done last year with Iñaki Ochoa. And especially to those of Sonam Sherpa and Dawa. The latter, after having topped with Carlos, Juanito and Tolo, and have fallen to Camp 4 as crushed as they still had the inner strength to rise again to seek (unsuccessfully) to Tolo with a sleeping bag and an oxygen bottle in the middle the blizzard ... It is literally risking their lives, and no one remembers after these people, these true supermen who are the people of the Himalayas. To help his memory, I copy here (Site http://www.barrabes.com/ ) the recent dedication Carlos Pauner own, that is priceless:
DAWA, the unsung hero by Carlos Pauner
"We're in Kathmandu, about to leave this country of mountains. After the terrible last days, we managed to recover and rest before starting back home. Gone all the sad events in the past and the bodies slowly recovering from the terrible beating he is climbing a mountain like Annapurna. Thanks to our insurance FIATC, the incipient frostbite and blindness have not gone over and help in our rapid evacuation has become paramount. Our confidence in you grows every day. Thank you friends.
In this moment of reflection and gratitude, I could not pass overlook key person in this whole adventure. Dawa Sherpa, Sonam and his partner. Both two have worked for us in this difficult issue, helping in the hard work on the mountain. However, his work has gone far beyond the ordinary into the extraordinary experience. When Tolo was fixed at 7,600 m, we help Sherpas near the Korean team and they said they were very tired from the ascent to the summit and could not do anything. Was their right and it seems perfectly reasonable. Little more to say. Sonam Tolo had kept all night and tried to bring it down to life, but walked no more Tolo. He decided, logically, save life and fell in the morning to camp 4. Juanito, Horia and I, coming from the summit, we had no chance to reach the top, without sufficient rest. I spoke with Dawa Sherpa this strong nearly 50 years. It was our last round up there and really did not hesitate. Carrying oxygen, food, medicines and a sack, went up to meet Tolo, with faith and determination. I suggested it and he agreed, that was it. He left the safety of camp 4 and went into the death zone, not at work, but to find a friend, Tolo and return to life.
When he returned after more than 11 hours of ascent, without the white mantle of snow would have betrayed no sign of life, Dawa had tears in his eyes. Have not found it, I could not, said ... My tears were for the two since they had lost a great friend and had seen almost disappear to another. Dawa made an extraordinary sacrifice, not money, not glory, not for fame. He did so only because they realized it was the only one who could do and knew that the life of his partner, not its leader, was at stake. When men are so close to the borderline between life and death, appears the best and the worst. The links between us are narrowed and labor ties are blurred, giving way to human feelings and visceral. I've never so glad to be able to embrace a Sherpa noble and powerful, to say I'm proud to be your friend and you can count on me, like he gave us his worth. Thanks Dawa, thanks for your effort, thanks for your help and I hope we can do the same for you. If anyone deserves an award, aid, of course, is the unsung hero of 50 years, whose only way of life is to climb mountains, risking their lives for a salary and I think I should rest and quiet in his small town. Hopefully we can do something for him. "
a mountaineer has died, another one, on a mountain whose ratio of deaths to the number of ascents is 38%. Not be the last. Let him rest in peace.
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