Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day (30 page)

Index

Page numbers in
italics
refer to maps.

Ab Maas, 138, 250
n

Abruzzi, Duke of the (Luigi Amedeo Giuseppe Maria Ferdinando Francesco di Savoia-Aosta), 32–33

Abruzzi route, 119, 129–36, 142

   Camp 1 of,
120,
121, 135, 250
n

   Camp 2 of,
120,
121, 131–34, 136, 138–39, 250
n

   Camp 3 of,
120,
121, 132, 135, 144, 250
n

   description of, 121

   on maps,
120,
121

Abruzzi Spur, 33, 45

acclimatization, 115–17

   drugs and, 127, 128

Advanced Base Camp, of Everest, 44

Afghanistan,
xiv,
10,
78

Aga Khan, fifty-first anniversary of coronation of, 110–11

airlifts, emergency, 96, 101, 109, 113, 211

   cost of, 210, 216, 256
n

air pockets, 201, 202

air pressure, 116, 130

Aishwarya, Queen of Nepal, 50–51, 242
n,
243
n

Ajak, 56

Ajak Bhote language, 56, 122

Alaska, 108–9, 196

Alexander the Great, 79, 83, 247
n

Ali, Didar, 214

Ali, Nadir, 106, 110

   memorial plates and, 209–10

   in rescue of Shaheen,
120,
133–36, 138–40, 207

   Wilco’s location and, 207–8, 256
n

Ali, Nisar, 209–10

Ali, Rehmat, 96

Ali, Sabir, 123, 139

Ali, Zaman, 100

Al Jazeera, 107

Allah, 79, 97, 98, 110, 126, 134

   Nadir’s praying to, 135, 139, 140

Alpha Insurance, 100, 218, 257
n

Alpine Club, Pakistani, 108, 218

alpine-style climbing, 127, 128

Al-Qaeda, 107–8

altitude adjustment,
see
acclimatization

altitude illness, 30, 31

alveoli, 130

Aman, Ashraf, 219

Aman, Merza, 214

American K2 International Expedition, 1–7, 45–47, 102–6, 112–14,
120,
122, 183

   
see also
K2, 2008 disaster on

amnesty, 16

Amnesty International, 53, 243
n

amputations, of Marco, 222, 223

Amundsen, Roald, 38

anchor point, 196

anchors, 148, 167, 194, 196

Andes, 65

anemia, 65

animals:

   dormouse, 77

   gold-digging ants, 79, 247
n

   horses, 82

   slaughter of, 69, 106, 110, 245
n

   snow leopards, 15, 86

   yaks, 69, 71, 80–81, 172

Annapurna, 59–60, 228

Antarctica, 222, 257
n

anthropologists, 14, 55, 246
n

antibiotics, 132, 139

ants, gold-digging, 79, 247
n

apocalypse, 15, 20–21

apricots, 84, 86

Archimedes
(barge), 138, 207

arteries, 117, 163

Arun region,
10

   
see also
Upper Arun Valley

Ascending Path guide service, 196

Asia
(cruise ship), 40

Askari Aviation, 101, 210, 218–19, 256
n

Askole,
78,
94,
96, 97, 213

asphyxiation, 201–2

assimilation, 66, 68, 76

Associated Press, 215

astrologers, royal, 52

A-Team, 39–41

Austrian Embassy, 85

Austrians, 39, 238
n

autographs, 75

avalanches, 35, 104, 125, 187, 188, 194, 198–205, 219

   air pockets and, 201, 202

   in Bottleneck, 1–5, 162

   camps and, 101, 131

   description of, 199, 200

   Fearless Five and, 96

   flow speed of, 199–200

   forms of, 199

   Gilkey and, 38

   Jehan and, 88, 109

   Pasang’s dream of, 56

   Pasang’s fear of, 171–72

   prediction of, 199

   of rock, 95

   Rolf killed by,
162,
168–69

   triggering, 129, 130, 199

axes,
see
ice axes

Aymara, 65

bacterial gastroenteritus, 131–32

Bae, Rolf, 114, 115, 126, 149, 159, 166

   death of, 5,
162,
168–69, 222

Baig, Asam, 225–26

Baig, Haji, 85

Baig, Jehan,
78,
88–89, 90, 109, 126

   fall and death of,
147,
152–54, 213–14, 225–26

   insurance of, 218, 257
n

   weather prediction and, 118, 119, 136, 137

Baig, Khanda, 77, 87

Baig, Nazib, 154, 214, 225, 226

Baig, Shaheen, 77–79, 87–88, 144

   Al-Qaeda bombing and, 107, 108

   blaming of, 144–45, 218

   as climbing instructor,
78,
88

   illness and rescue of,
120,
131–36, 138–40, 144–45, 207, 213, 218

   K2 deaths and, 213–14

   mountaineering quit by, 226

   in Serbian K2 Expedition, 86, 90, 107–12, 115, 122, 123, 129, 131–36, 138–40, 144–45, 207, 218

   shaving of, 87

Baig, Zehan, 226

Balti language, 29, 99, 122, 239
n,
249
n

Balti milk tea, 131

Baltis, 29, 147

Baltit, 82, 85

Baltit Fort, 81, 84, 85

Baltoro Glacier,
78,
97,
98,
158, 213, 214

Bannon, Banjo, 112

Barclays Capital, 216

barley, 86, 155, 237
n

Bates, Bob, 37

batteries, 188, 193, 208

Bauer, Paul, 72

Baz, M. Bashir, 101, 218–19

Beall, Cynthia, 244
n

Beatles, 31

Beding,
10,
12–14, 17–20, 23, 26, 27, 172

   Chhiring’s childhood in, 17–18

   
chorten
of, 12

   clans in, 68

   description of, 13

   Gauri Shankar summits seen from, 238
n

   German tale in, 19

   getting to, 12

   mortality rate in, 238
n

   population of, 26, 239
n

   power of money in, 25

“being washing-machined,” 200

Bengal, Bay of, 31

beyuls
(sacred valleys), 14, 16, 237
n

Bhote, 56–57, 67–70,
147

   discrimination against, 57, 63, 68, 71–72

   foreigner descriptions of, 69–70

   genetics and, 164

   Sherpa compared with, 57, 68–70, 106

   Tenzing’s Everest climb and, 75–76

Bhote, Big Pasang, 61–62, 125, 143, 185–88, 228, 255
n

   death of,
162,
200, 203, 205, 209, 221, 255
n

   earnings of, 221

   Jumik found by, 198

   Marco offered oxygen by, 194

   Marco’s offering of chocolate to, 194, 198, 254
n

Bhote, Dawa Sangmu, 209, 216, 224

Bhote, Jen Jen, 209, 216, 223, 224

Bhote, Jumik, 61, 105, 122, 125, 159, 179, 187–88, 223

   Big Pasang’s encountering of, 198

   in Bottleneck, 148

   death of,
162,
200, 203, 205, 209, 221, 224, 255
n

   del Missier’s friendship with, 216

   help promised to, 190, 254
n

   linguistic confusion and, 122, 123

   and Pemba Jeba’s fears about films, 224

   photos of, 196, 200, 205, 254
n

   rope system created by,
162,
164–65

   in Shoulder, 144, 145

   son’s birth and, 209, 216

   tangled in ropes and tied to Korean clients,
162,
167–68, 189–90, 193–98, 252
n,
254
n,
255
n

Bhote, Ngawang, 61, 104, 106, 209

Bhote, Pemba Jeba, 221, 224

Bhote, Phurbu Ridar, 56, 57, 58, 61, 63

Bhote, Tsering, 143, 185–88, 194, 195, 198, 255
n

   in avalanche, 202–3

   Marco’s offering of chocolate to, 194, 198, 254
n

   Pasang Lama’s meeting of, 203

Bhoteni, Gamu, 223, 228

Bhoteni, Lahmu (Pasang Lama’s cousin; Big Pasang’s wife), 62, 69, 220–21

Bhoteni, Phurbu Chejik, 57, 58, 60, 125

Bhotias (Tibetans), 68, 75, 76, 246
n

bhuti,
124–25, 172, 178

Biange,
98

bicarbonate ions, 116

binoculars, 146, 207

bin Qasim, Muhammad, 79

birds, 103

Birendra Bir Bikram Shah, King of Nepal, 49–51, 53

Bite, Hoselito, 108,
120

   at Camp 2, 133–34, 136

   at Camp 3, 137–38, 140–41

   climbing problems of, 133–34, 138

   daughter’s photo carried by, 125

   destruction of tent of,
120,
140–41

   Dren’s fall and, 149, 251
n

   sardines spilled by, 133

   Wilco’s problems with, 133–34, 137–38, 141, 207

Bite, Maya, 125, 134

“black hash,” 242
n

Black Pyramid, 121, 132

blasphemy, 19

blogs, 96, 111, 127, 216

blood, 168, 182, 205

   acute vasospasm and, 163, 164

   circulation of, 65

   red cells, 65, 116–17, 244
n

blood clots, 37, 65, 116–17, 210

blood pressure, 117, 194

blood sacrifice/human flesh, 15, 16, 33, 69, 245
n

blood vessels, leaking of, 194

body parts, insuring of, 249
n

body remains, Hugues and, 109–11, 249
n

body temperature, 182, 188

Bonatti, Walter, 39–40, 223, 241
n

Booth, C. P., 238
n

boots, boot tracks, 167, 169, 170, 186

   Jumik’s loss of, 193, 196

   Marco’s sighting of, 194, 254
n

   too small, 39, 241
n

Borat
(film), 114, 115

Bottleneck, 34, 40

   as Death Throat, 146

   delay in, 147,
147

   eclipse in, 154

   on maps,
120,
147,
162

   ropes severed in,
162

   2008 disaster and, 1–7, 78, 121, 122, 132, 146–52,
147,
155, 156, 157, 164, 166–78, 180, 187, 190, 194, 195, 198, 204, 237
n,
252
n

   Wiessner in, 34

Boudhanath
stupa,
22, 104, 105

brain, 116, 117, 163, 170, 182

   asphyxiation and, 201, 202

   swelling of, 194

brain damage, 64, 118

Braldu River,
78,
97,
98

brand recognition, 160

bribery, 83–84

“Bride, the,” 79

bride abduction, 69

British expeditions:

   to Everest, 17, 70–75, 245
n

   to Gauri Shankar, 19

British Gurkha Academy, 57

Broad Peak,
see
K3

Brokeback Mountain
(film), 99

Buddha, 12, 13, 79

Buddhism, Buddhists, 29, 56, 98, 145, 238
n

   animal slaughter and, 69, 245
n

   conversion to, 14–16

   cremation and, 103

   in Hunza, 79

   meat eating of, 245
n

   
pujas
and, 104, 105, 115

   as refugees, 14, 22

   sky burials and, 103, 249
n

   
sonam
and, 174

Buhl, Hermann, 39, 85

bus travel, 57, 214, 220

cameras, 143, 151, 159, 166, 167, 180, 195, 213

campylobacteriosis, 131

capillaries, 117

caravan raids, 81, 82, 83

carbon dioxide, 130

carbon monoxide, 118

cartoons, Islam satirized in, 107–8

Caucasians, Sherpa compared with, 64–65

celebrities, 249
n

Central Asia, 66

   
see also
specific places

central nervous system, 202

cerebral edema, 117, 163, 184, 211

Cesen route, 112, 119, 121, 131, 136–39, 142, 190, 207, 250
n

   Camp 1 of,
120,
121, 250
n

   Camp 2 of,
120,
121, 133–34, 136, 143, 250
n

   Camp 3 of,
120,
121, 136, 137–38, 140–41, 207, 208, 250
n,
253
n,
256
n

   description of, 121

Cha-chu,
245
n

Chamonix, 103, 118, 136, 137

charms, 124–25, 172

chicken, Bumble Bee, 126

childbirth, 80

   death in, 18, 44, 238
n

China, 29, 158, 165, 170, 189

   eclipse in, 251
n

   on maps,
xiv,
10,
78,
94

   Safdar’s exile in, 84

   sky burial in, 103

   Tibet invaded by, 22, 76

   Xinjiang in,
78,
79, 80–81,
94

chocolate, 74, 133, 135, 194, 198, 204, 254
n

Chogo Lungma Glacier, 16, 238
n

Chogori,
see
K2

cholesterol, 49, 242
n

Chopi Drinsangma, 16

chorten
(sacred mound), 104, 105–6, 210

Cipro, 132

civil war, in Nepal, 48, 52–54, 58, 60, 243
n

clans, 66–70, 103, 244
n,
245
n