Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day (31 page)

climbing community, high school compared with, 111–12

climbing industry, 19–20

   Kathmandu as base for, 22

clothing, 17, 26, 61, 74, 99, 127, 160

Cold Avenger face masks, 160

Colorado, 45–47

coma, 51, 52, 197

Combined Military Hospital, 113, 215

commerce, Maoists and, 61

Communists, in Nepal, 53–54

Compagnoni, Achille, 39–41, 155, 241
n

compass, 164

Compazine, 132

Concordia, 97,
98,
158

concubines, 84

Confortola, Fonzi, 181

Confortola, Marco, 188–90, 193–98, 252
n,
255
n

   amputations of, 222, 223

   attempted rescue of tangled climbers by,
162,
193–94, 195, 254
n

   at Base Camp, 113, 115

   collapse of,
162,
194–95, 204–5, 255
n

   at Combined Military Hospital, 215

   description of, 113

   English of, 123, 215

   evacuation of, 211, 212–13, 215, 216, 256
n

   Everest climbed by, 205

   fame of, 222–23

   hallucinations and, 194–95, 254
n

   at K2 summit, 159–60, 180

   late summits and, 155

   media and, 205, 215, 222, 223

   Pemba’s finding and rescue of,
162,
204–6, 223, 255
n

   on porters, 98–99

   in return to Base Camp, 210

   rosary of, 125–26

   route lost by, 5,
162,
180–82

   singing of, 5, 181

   on stoves, 180

   unskilled climbers and, 130

coolies
,
70

corneas, freezing of, 189, 190, 253
n
–54
n

coronary artery, 117

Corriere della Sera,
223

corruption, 86

courage, 6, 112, 217

Credito Valtellinese bank, 159–60

cremation, 103

crowd control, failure of, 142–43

Crowley, Aleister, 31–32

Cultural Revolution, 76

Dalai Lama, 76

Dangsar, 71

Danish Embassy bombing, 107–8

da Polenza, Agostino, 155, 181

Darjeeling,
xiv,
71, 72, 76

   Planter’s Club in, 72

Darjeeling census (1901), 68

d’Aubarède, Hugues Jean-Louis Marie, 89, 109–11

   body remains and, 109–11, 249
n

   fall and death of, 5,
162,
166–67

   at K2 summit, 159

   satellite phone of, 5, 119, 137, 159

   weather prediction and, 118, 119, 126, 136, 137

Dawn TV, 257
n

death:

   in avalanches, 202

   in childbirth, 18, 44, 238
n

   cremation and, 103

   during K2 descents, 252
n

   moment of, 255
n

   rejection of, 197, 198

   sky burial and, 103, 249
n

   
see also
specific people

Death Throat,
see
Bottleneck

Death Zone, 87, 116

   of K2, 1–7, 40, 121, 144, 152, 156,
162,
180, 192, 194

del Missier, Jerry, 216

Delsalle, Didier, 256
n

demons, 18, 125

   war against, 14–15

Denali, 108–9

descents, safety of, 2, 155

Desio, Ardito, 38–39

Dexamethasone, 139, 166, 184

dextroamphetamine, 184

Dhirendra, Prince of Nepal, 50, 242
n

Diemberger, Hildegard, 245
n

digestive illness, 131–32

Dijmarescu, George, 256
n

Dipendra, Crown Prince of Nepal, 48–52, 242
n,
243
n

Diran, Mount, 219

Discovery Channel, 41

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

disease and illness, 17–18, 64, 66, 83, 109, 238
n

   acclimatization and, 116–17

   altitude, 30, 31

   digestive, 131–32

   edema, 117, 133, 163, 184, 211

   rinderpest, 71

disorganization, 143–46

divorce, 47

documentaries, 143, 224, 225

Dorje (Sherpa “tiger”), 20, 238
n

dormouse, 77

Douglas, Ed, 246
n

dragons, 16, 33–34, 35

drugs, 210

   acclimatization, 127, 128

   antibiotics, 132, 139

   Dexamethasone, 139, 166, 184

   dextroamphetamine, 184

   Eric’s dispensing of, 114, 127, 131–32, 135, 139, 151, 183–84

   for Pemba, 183–84

   for Shaheen, 138–39, 140

   Viagra, 118

dry-slab avalanches, 199

Dubai, 206

Dublin, 216

Durand, Algernon, 84

Dutch Norit K2 Expedition (2008), 68, 78, 122, 129, 144, 183–84, 187, 251
n

   at Cesen Camp 2, 133–34

   Endura rope of, 250
n

   impaired judgment in, 118

   Pemba’s descent and, 171–72, 173

   Wilco’s regrets and, 123

   
see also
K2, 2008 disaster on

earthquakes, 21

Eckenstein, Oscar, 31

eclipse, 154, 251
n

Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme, 103

economy:

   of Nepal, 21

   of Rolwaling, 17, 238
n

Ecureuil/AStar AS 350 B3, 256
n

Ecureuil B3 Mystery, 212–13, 256
n

edema, 117, 133, 163, 184, 211

Egocheaga, Jorge, 131

Elizabeth II, Queen of England, 74

“Elvis leg,” 130

emergency airlifts,
see
airlifts, emergency

emergency bivy sacks, 180

emphysema, 130

Endura rope, 148, 190, 250
n

English language, 23, 114, 122, 123, 145, 215

enzymes, 164

eroticism, of climbing, 20

Eurasia,
xiv,
29

Everest, 12, 22–32

   amateurs at, 42–43

   Base Camp of, 26, 31

   blizzard on, 197

   Camp 1 of, 145

   climbing of, 2, 6, 17, 23–26, 36, 38, 42–45, 56, 60, 70–76, 105, 110, 197, 205, 228, 245
n

   deaths on, 31, 42, 43, 102, 239
n
–40
n

   Falvey rescued from, 224

   fatality rate for, 31, 239
n
–40
n

   goddess of, 16, 23–24, 25

   helicopter on, 212, 256
n

   “hen” metaphor and, 74, 246
n

   Hillary’s ascent of, 17, 38

   Hillary Step (Tenzing’s Back) on, 73, 246
n

   K2 compared with, 2, 26, 28–31, 43, 102, 113, 158, 249
n,
251
n

   on maps,
xiv,
10

   North Col of, 145

   permits for, 108, 249
n

   quartz rock found at, 105, 127

   Sharp passed on, 43, 241
n

   Sherpa villages near, 69

   South Col of, 25

   summit roll of, 31, 42, 60, 74, 103, 192

   Tenzing’s obsession with, 72–73

   weather on, 24, 25, 31, 197

   Western guide companies and, 42

evil spirits:

   names and, 67

   
see also
demons

Evo-Sport Sherpa Rucksack, 64

exhaustion, 140, 163, 170, 185, 187, 190, 204

expedition-style climbing, 127, 128–29

Explorer’s Grand Slam, 114

ExplorersWeb,
216, 227

extinctions, mass, 28

face masks, 143, 160

“fair means” protocol, 128, 129

Faisal, Suleman Al, 211

Falvey, Pat, 224

famine, 16, 66

Fearless Five, 95–96, 101, 210–15

Figure-8-on-a-bight, 164, 165, 170, 171

films, 99, 114, 115, 224, 225

Fiordi, Miro, 160

flags, 74, 180, 246
n

   Buddhist prayer, 104

   Irish, 159

   at K2 summit, 152, 159

   Serbian, 152

floods, 20, 80, 90–91, 238
n

flowers, 150

Flying Jump,
see
South Korean K2 Abruzzi Spur Flying Jump

food, 59–60, 100, 131

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

   cultural barriers and, 99

   of Hugues, 126

   longevity and, 84

   meat, 99, 106, 110, 245
n

   Muslims and, 99, 110, 126

   for porters, 99, 249
n

   potato, 16, 18, 58, 228, 237
n

   sardines, 133

footwear, 39, 100, 241
n

fratricide, 83, 247
n
–48
n

French expedition (1979), 210

French-led Independent Expedition,
see
d’Aubarède, Hugues; Rice, Nick

frostbite, 39, 85, 126, 180, 182, 197

   of Marco, 210, 215

   of Wilco, 188, 192, 210, 218

Gasherbrum I,
78,
96

Gasherbrum II ,
see
K4

Gasherbrum IV, 216

Gauri Shankar:

   British expedition to, 19

   flash flood on, 20

   goddesses and gods of,
10,
15–16, 19–20, 238
n

   Roskelley’s climbing of, 20

Gayar (shield bearer), 79

gays, 99

gear, 96, 124–27

   of deceased, 209

   left behind, 143

   Nadir’s scrounging for, 135

   reselling of, 99

   signing bonus and, 99–100

   snowmelt spilled on, 146

   
see also
specific kinds of gear

generators, 96, 111

genetics, 64, 65, 164, 244
n

   acclimatization and, 115–16

Genghis Khan, 28

Geo Television Network, 211, 257
n

German expeditions:

   to Everest, 72

   to Nanga Parbat, 19, 238
n

Germans, 227

   on K4, 88

   unlucky, tales of, 19, 238
n

Ghang La, 70–71, 76

Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Crown Prince of Hunza, 86, 248
n

ghost winds, 137, 138, 139

Giezendanner, Yan, 118–19, 126, 136–37

Gilgit,
xiv,
78,
85

Gilgit-Baltistan, 85

Gilkey, Art, 36–38, 65, 102

Gilkey Memorial,
98,
102–3, 209–10

glaciers, 19, 23, 29, 158

   Baltoro,
78,
97,
98,
158, 213, 214

   Chogo Lungma (
Chomogori lungma
), 16, 238
n

   of K2, 5, 30, 33, 146, 167, 171

   on maps,
78,
94,
98

   Shimshal and, 90–91

   Siachen, 211

gloves, 40, 167, 189, 193

goats, 86, 110, 181

goddesses and gods, 15–16, 18

   Bhotes and, 69

   Chhiring’s worries about, 19, 103–4

   of Everest, 16, 23–24, 25

   of Gauri Shankar,
10,
15–16, 19–20, 238
n

   in Hunza, 79

   of K2,
see
Takar Dolsangma

   Shah dynasty and, 49, 51

Godwin-Austen Glacier, 97, 102

Go Mi-sun, 60–63, 159, 160, 254
n

   controversy surrounding, 61, 243
n
–44
n

   Jen Jen’s birth and, 209

   late return of, 185–87

   on Marco, 215

Gorakhnath, 21–22, 51

Gosaikunda, 58

GPS, 206, 207

Great Aerial Ocean, The, 115

Great Britain:

   Hunza invaded by, 84

   India relinquished by, 36

   spies of, 81–84

   
see also
British expeditions

Great Game, The, 83, 248
n

Great Trigonometric Survey of India, 29

Green Trust Tower, tea party in, 217–19

Gromchevsky, Bronislav, 83

Guardian,
42

Gurkhas, 82, 83–84

Gwalior state, 242
n

Gyanendra, King of Nepal, 52, 53

Haegens, Court, 118

hailstones, 175–76

hallucinations, 31–32, 40, 117, 170

   Marco and, 194–95, 254
n

Haramukh, Mount, 29

harem, 84

hashish, 242
n

headaches, 117

headlamps, 35, 178–79, 240
n

   in descent, 165, 168–71, 173, 175–76, 186, 208

healing, 16, 69

heart, 117, 163, 182, 201, 202

heart attacks, 117, 153

helicopters, 95, 101, 109, 210–15

   on Everest, 212, 256
n

helmets, 111, 113, 176, 178

hemoglobin, 65

“hen” metaphor, 74, 246
n

herding, 84, 86, 181

Herodotus, 79, 247
n

heroes, 6, 217, 224

high-altitude cerebral edema, 117

high-altitude porters (HAPs), 5, 70, 85, 99, 109, 112, 122, 126, 134, 136, 187, 210, 249
n

   bonus for, 160

   of Italian team, 143

   Wilco’s blaming of, 218, 257
n

high-altitude pulmonary edema, 117, 133

high-altitude workers, 70, 127, 237
n,
241
n

Highland Sherpa Trekking, 62

Hillary, Sir Edmund, 17, 38, 43, 73–75, 246
n

Hillary Step (Tenzing’s Back), 73, 246
n

Hilton, James, 84

Himalaya, 12, 29, 31, 41, 95

   
beyuls
on southern flanks of, 14

   Guru Rinpoche’s travels in, 15

   on maps,
xiv,
10