No Way Down, Life and Death On K2 (2010) (26 page)

Goro II, 210

Graziani, Yannick, xvii, 229n

Great Trango Tower, 46, 83–84

Norwegian Pillar, 84

groupthink, 46, 233n

Guggemos, Peter, xvii

Gyalje, Pemba, xv, 15, 24, 42, 51, 58, 66, 72, 74, 230n, 236n, 237n

avalanche on August 2 and, 168

Cas van de Gevel missing and, 188, 192

clothing worn on August 1, 159, 194

d'Aubarède and, 73–74, 75

death of McDonnell and, 199–200

departure from K2, 210

disputed versions of McDonnell's death and, 222

Gerard McDonnell and, 137, 162, 167

K2 descent, August 1–2, 76, 100, 101–4, 159

Marco Confortola rescue and, 164–70, 176, 223

missing friends and, 159–60, 163

no oxygen used by, 72

photographs by, 165, 169, 230n

reports deaths of Koreans and Sherpas, 176

return to Base Camp, August 3, 198–202

return to Camp Four, 159

Van Rooijen's rescue and, 148–49, 182, 186–89, 191–92, 194–97, 237n

 

Haegens, Court, xv

Hall, Rob, 177

HAPs (high-altitude porters), xxi, 7, 16, 22, 27

Confortola's anger with, 209

K2 ascent, August 1, 63, 67

Marco Confortola and, 197–98

marketing rivalry with Sherpas, 42

Zerain and, 63

Hargreaves, Alison, 96

Hatiya, Nepal (Sherpa village), 106, 127

high-altitude.
See
altitude

Horvath, Timothy, xvi

House, Bill, 16

Houston, Charles, 93–95, 235n

Houston expedition (1953), 93–96, 234n

Hunza porters, 7, 9, 14, 95

Hussein, Mohammed, xvi, 16, 21, 25, 26, 29, 32

Hwang Dong-jin, xvi, 161

death, 170

K2 descent, August 1–2, 126, 160

 

ice screws, 57, 62, 88

independent climbers K2 2008, xvii

Isserman, Maurice, 229n

Italian Abruzzi Expedition (1909), 1, 5–7

Italian Broad Peak & Nanga Parbat Expedition (2008), xviii

Italian K2 Expedition (1954), 7–9, 231n

Italian K2 Expedition (2008), xv

 

Jamling Bhote, xviii

Jasmine Tours, 203

Jovovic, Miodrag, xvi

 

K2, 9, 99, 225

Abruzzi Spur (route), 6, 15, 33, 41, 63, 174, 189, 197–98, 202

as “America's Mountain,” 95

author's trip to, 224–25, 231n

Balcony Glacier or Balcony Serac, 82 (
see also
serac
below
)

Black Pyramid, 16, 93, 180–81

Bottleneck, xxi, xxii, xxiii, xxiv, 38, 68, 117, 145, 161, 213, 233n

Bottleneck, ropes swept away by avalanche, August 1, 2008, 79, 89, 99, 101, 106, 112–13, 119

Bottleneck, traffic jam, ascent, August 1, 2008, xxi, xxiii–xxiv, xxv, xxvii, 11–12, 231n, 232n

camp system of ascent, 37, 93

Cesen route, 15, 47, 66, 180, 187, 194, 195, 198

crevasses, 60, 64, 96

dangers of descent, 77

the dead of 2008, 212

“death list” kept by Chris Klinke, 174, 176–77

death of Dren Mandic, 20–22, 232n

death of Gerald McDonnell, 157, 189

death of Hugues d'Aubarède, 109, 113, 117, 118

death of Jahan Baig, 31

death of Jumik Bhote, 166–69

death of Korean climbers (Park, Kim, Hwang), 166–69

death of Pasang “Big Pasang” Bhote, 166–69

death of Rolf Bae, 86–89

Death Zone, 17

difficulty of, attraction of, xx

disasters of 1986, 55

early attempts to climb, 4–9

falling ice, 82, 86–87 (
see also
avalanche)

fatalities (previous to 2008), xx, 8, 35, 39, 55, 57, 60, 71, 77, 82, 96, 116

first summit by Italians (1954), 9, 10

Gilkey Memorial, xiii, 68, 93–96, 206–7

height, xx, 3, 4, 10

House's Chimney, 15–16, 93, 175, 207

Houston expedition (1953), 93–96, 234n

jet stream and, 60

location, xx

Magic Line route, xxiii, 96

naming of, 3–4

Negrotto Pass, 7

1986, deaths, 55

number of climbers making summit, xx, xxiv, 72

photographs by Sella, 6

rope placement/rope problems, August 1, 2008, xxii, xxiv, 66, 67, 79, 88, 89, 99, 100, 105, 108, 112, 131, 139, 177, 223–24

routes to the summit, xxii–xxiii

Savoia Glacier, 7, 95

Sella Pass, 7

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

Shoulder, xix, xxi, xxii, 15, 23, 24, 25, 29, 66, 161, 164, 233n

size and shape, 63

Southwest Pillar, 96

summit, 65

superstitions and gods of, 35, 42, 101, 224

Traverse, xxii, 11, 19, 42–43, 57, 86, 88, 111–12, 233n

Wiessner expedition (1939), 35–39, 93, 95

women on, 71, 96

K2 Tall Mountain Expedition, xvii

“K2: The Killing Peak” (Powers), 230n

Karakoram mountain range, 3–4, 65, 178, 231n

Kathmandu, 84, 103, 107, 127, 235n

Khan, Mohammed, xvi, 16

Kilcornan, Ireland, 50, 230n

author in, 213–15

McDonnell family in, 177–78, 181, 197, 199, 237n

wake for McDonnell, 214–15, 219

Kilimanjaro, 74

Kim Hyo-gyeong, xvi, 161

confirmed dead, 170

K2 descent, August 1–2, 126, 160

Kim Jae-Soo, xvi, 44, 67, 100, 119, 120, 224, 229n, 233n, 235n

K2 descent, August 1–2, 107–9, 125

missing climbers and, 160, 170

Shishapangma expedition, 127

Kim Seong-sang, xvi

Kim Tae-gyu, xvi

Klinke, Chris, xvi, 98, 113, 188, 229n, 231n, 236n

Cas van de Gevel missing and, 188

Confortola helped by, 208, 209

“death list” kept by, 174, 176–77, 188, 195

departure from K2, 211, 237n

disputed versions of McDonnell's death and, 222

helicopter transport for wounded and, 204

life after K2, 211

respects at Gilkey Memorial, 211

search for missing climbers and, 162–63, 171, 173–74, 179–80, 188–89, 237n

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

strobe light owned by, 98, 235n

treatment of Van de Gevel and Van Rooijen, 202

Kodas, Michael, 222, 229n, 230n, 233n

 

Lacedelli, Lino, 8–9, 35, 59, 95, 231n

Lama, “Little” Pasang, xvi, 70–71, 169, 200, 230n

K2 descent, August 1–2, 100–104, 106

Lee Sung-rok, xvi

Lee Won-sub, xvi

Leustean, Mircea, xvii

Lhotse, 128

Limerick Leader
, 177

 

Mahdi (Hunza porter), 9–10

Mandic, Dren, xv, 11–14, 174, 232n

abandonment of body at 26,000 feet, 32

attempt to move body, 22, 25–26

clothing worn on August 1, 11

fall to death, 20–22, 23–24, 232n

girlfriend, Mirjana, 14, 33

K2 ascent, August 1, 16–22, 232n

Manni, Roberto, xv, xxvi, 202, 204, 209

Masherbrum, Mount, 4, 14, 204

McDonnell, Gerard, xv, 49–51, 52, 115, 123, 161, 162, 234n, 236n

in Base Camp, 134, 136–37

bivouac on K2, 132–36, 138–40, 236n

blog, 236n

clothing worn on August 1, 132–33, 157, 167, 200

courage of, 152, 223

death, 157, 167, 177, 189

death, disputed versions, 221–23

Everest climb, 50–51, 152

family in Kilcornan, 50, 73, 137, 177–78, 181, 197, 199, 221, 237n

girlfriend Annie, 50, 73, 134, 137 (
see also
Starkey, Annie)

K2 ascent, August 1, 51, 58, 61

K2 descent and loses way, August 1–2, 76, 118, 131–36, 138–40, 151–54

loss of mental clarity, 154

Marco Confortola and, 131–37

missing South Korean climbers, Jumik Bhote, and, 145, 152–54, 221–23, 236n

nickname “Jesus,” 133, 134

Pemba Gyalje and, 137

previous K2 attempt, 51, 58, 137

Rolf Bae and, 61, 84

search for, 162

singing of, 136

special rope brought, 51, 112, 145

on summit, 72, 73, 234n

Van Rooijen and, 49–51, 54, 140, 141–42, 151, 236n

visits Gilkey Memorial, 96

wake for, 214–15

McDonnell, J.J., 178, 215

McDonnell, Margaret, 214

McKinley, Mount, 137, 152

Meherban, Karim, xvii, 27, 48, 60, 111, 177, 181, 221

missing status, 161

Mera Peak, 128

Meyer, Eric, M.D., xvi, xix–xxviii, 33, 108, 229n

activities of August 2, 2008 and descent to Base Camp, 159–64, 236n

attempts radio contact with missing climbers, 162

call to mother, Joyce, 105

Chhiring Dorje and, 97–99, 104–5

condition of Van Rooijen and, 196

death of Baig and, 32

decision to turn back, xxv–xxvi, 231n

departure from K2, 211, 237n

fall of, 178–79, 189, 237n

Gerard McDonnell and, 206, 236n

K2 ascent, August 1, xix–xxv, 230–31n

K2 descent, August 1, xxvi

K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 176, 178–79, 189

rescue of Mandic attempted, 23–26, 30, 223, 232n

Rolf Bae and, 84

Talus cold-weather mask, xix, 230–31n

treating of altitude sickness, 32, 160, 164

treating of Confortola, 208–10

treating of Van de Gevel and Van Rooijen, 200–201

visit to Gilkey Memorial, 96

Mingma Tunduk Sherpa, xvii, 207–8

Montgomerie, Thomas G., 3–4, 10

Mortenson, Greg, 219

mountaineers

nationalism of, 44

psychology of, 221

traits common to, 36, 45, 54

unqualified climbers, problem of, 146

Mugnier, Nicolas, 229n, 233n

 

Nanga Parbat, Mount, 116

death of Go Mi-sun, 205

Nardi, Daniele, xviii

Nessa, Lars Flato, xii, xv, 229n, 231n, 232n, 233n, 234n, 236n, 237n

departure from K2, 205

Gerard McDonnell and, 234n

K2 ascent, August 1, 69, 70, 233n, 234n

K2 descent, August 1, 76–77, 79, 82, 83, 86–91

K2 descent, August 2, to Base Camp, 161, 175

life after K2, 206

plate made for Rolf Bae, 206

return to Base Camp, 192–93

return to Camp Four, 97

Nielsen, Nick, xvii

Noonan, Father Joe, 214

Norit K2 Dutch International Expedition 2008, xv, 33, 233n

assembling of team, 51

in Base Camp, 52–54, 137–38

blog, 233n, 234n, 237n

camp manager for, 136

death of Gerald McDonnell, 157, 189, 206

departure from K2, 206, 210, 237n

helicopter transport for wounded, 202–3

K2 ascent, August 1, 12, 49–55

K2 descent, August 1–2, 76–77, 111–13, 117–18, 234n

no oxygen used by, 17

Pakistani cooks for, 52

rescue of Van Rooijen, 194–202

Sherpas with, 15, 66

slaughter of yak, 53, 233n

sponsorship of, 12, 49

on summit, 72–73, 234n

support team in Netherlands, 55, 73, 148

on the Traverse, 55

unqualified climbers on other teams and, 146

use of oxygen, 76

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