K2 Tragedy: “Up There It Was Hell”–Survivors Of K2 Tragedy Begin To Speak, Photos Emerge

Wilco van Rooijen After Surviving K2 Tragedy–Click Here For More Photos

Hours after rescue helicopters lifted two climbers from the depths of one of the world’s biggest mountain climbing tragedies, the two climbers’ stories are beginning to be reported.  Wilco van Rooijen has been quoted in today’s news articles from both Reuters and the Associated Press.  The first details of this tragic event provoke thoughts of unorganized expeditions, crowds, and when it became time for do-or-die decisions it was every man for himself.

Wilco van Rooijens miraculously walked into high camp after spending three long days fighting for survival on the world’s second highest peak.  His long experience in the death zone is being recorded as amazing and a feat to ponder.  He may very well become known as the person who has spent the most continuous amount of time above 20,000 feet in history.  It is a feat worth noting, yet, his mere survival is the most important thing.  He didn’t do this by choice, but by a need to survive when tragedy took hold.  Eleven climbers are dead and four are still missing.

The biggest mistake we made was that we tried to make agreements,” Wilco van Rooijen told Reuters, his face reddened by sun and snow burn after days on the unforgiving 8,611 metre (28,240 feet) mountain.

This is coming from the Reuters report talking with Wilco.  Wilco’s statement is made in regards to agreements being set to handle the rope laying, something Wilco notes as being something another expedition was suppose to take care of.

When it came time for the summit push on K2, many climbers who reached the bottleneck, one of the most dangerous places on the mountain, found that the ropes leading up the route were not set in the right position and caused concern for crossing a high-altitude gulley.  Leading climbers and guides in the line of up to 19 quickly went to work trying to reset the rope.  When this extra work began, it delayed the climb for the rest of the climbers.  They were forced to sit and wait for what amounted to hours before the lines were ready to go.

Simple blame can be brought from many different aspects.  Most of these climbers were experienced and had been to more of the world’s tallest peaks before K2.  Many of them were previously successful on Mt. Everest.  Having said that, each of them must have known that the time to successfully summit and get back safely was quickly evaporating.  Wilco goes on record and says a few of the climbers became anxious and decided to turn around.  Others went on the notion that they were in good company, and that even though the timing looked bad, they could possibly still accomplish their goals–by all accounts, the weather was perfect.

I am not so sure that the ropes, or the expedition that Wilco lays blame on should be on the receiving end of the harsh criticism. Things went wrong that had nothing more to do with anything than being stuck at he wrong place at a very wrong time.  Sure, the climbers may have moved up more quickly had the ropes been laid out perfect and they may have even returned safely after the climb, but what actually killed these eleven climbers was an act of nature-an avalanche caused by a falling block of ice.

Most climbers know that on an 8,000 meter peak there are certain rules you follow.  Mt. Everest and K2 are both notorious for being timed climbs.  If you end up falling behind or are forced to climb in the dark, the safety level drops by hundreds of degrees–temperature is also a big player.  K2 also holds the distinction of having some of the most unpredictable weather in the world.  One minute it could be sunny and the next, you could find yourself fighting for your life in a whiteout.

The injuries to Wilco, Cas, and Marco Confortola are attributed to the freezing temperatures.  Marco may lose his legs to frostbite, Wilco will lose a few toes, and Cas may lose both, an arm and a leg.  These injuries are the results of three days in perfect climbing conditions–there wasn’t even a storm or a strong temperature drop.  This was under great climbing conditions.

Wilco van Rooijens also makes note that after the original accident happened, when the ice serac had fallen resulting in the tragic avalanche, that many climbers began to think of themselves and their own safety without coming together and working things out as a team.  They wondered off and tried to make their own way down the world’s most dangerous mountain.  Wilco was a guide, their were a couple of others, as well, that thought staying together would be the better option.  Some of the expeditioners decided that their life was better off in their own hands.  Many of them fell from trying to navigate the notorious bottleneck in the dark, by themselves-without the guides and experience they paid for.  It was everyman for himself.

People were running down but didn’t know where to go, so a lot of people were lost on the mountain on the wrong side, wrong route and then you have a big problem.

This may explain why so many climbers were unaccounted for.  I have read in another report that each guide had a radio-some of them were even in contact after the original avalanche trapped them above 20,000 ft. , yet, when the expeditioners decided to take matters in their own hands and find their own ways down, this put all of them out of communication’s reach.  Up to the very end, some climbers were still unaccounted for, as Wilco suggests, many may have tried to take another route or decided to go up and over, where they had previously been–the summit of K2.  Without guidance and direction this was looking for more tragedy.

This isn’t the first ime that climbers have been accused of setting their own agendas on the world’s highest peaks.  In 2006, a dying David Sharp was passed by over 40 climbers heading to the top of Mt. Everest.  Early reports suggested that not a word was spoken.  No one stopped for help, but they did continue up.  It was a given that if a climber got in trouble high on an 8,000 meter peak, that death would surely be the result.  Why help someone who is considered dead?

David Sharp’s death on Mt. Everest in 2006 sparked many a discussion over the ethics of climbers on big peaks.  Were they just out for themselves, even if they had spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to be a member of a team?

Since David Sharp’s death, the issue of high-altitude rescues have come to light.  Before, it was thought the risk was to high, other climbers could die in the process and it simply was not worth that risk.  Now we are seeing some amazing efforts when a climber gets in trouble.  Inaki Ochoa’s recent accident launched one of the larger rescue operations in recent memory.  Climbers from all over the Himalayas came to try to rescue a man many considered to be one of the best climbers in the world.  The rescuers efforts were futile.  Inaki Ochoa died, but not before being reached by Ueli Steck.  He died in his arms.

Mountaineering is a tragic procession of ego and accomplishment.  To get well-known you have to tackle the impossible, or be the first, or summit a great mountain like the K2’s and Mt. Everest’s of the world.  On the other hand, mountaineering can be the great motivator to achieving your goals and helping a purpose.  This is viewed as a way to raise funds for needy causes, do something that involves challenge and dedication, and also test the odds of what your body can do and what is actually possible.  It can be a great accomplishment or a tragic ending.  That edge is what drives most climbers–to see and do things that most would never attempt or try and to see things in a light that most never will.

We don’t have to understand their mindset’s.  We don’t have to know why they do these things that many of us would never do.  When it works out and triumph prevails, it is a time to rejoice.  When things go tragically wrong, we shed a tear for those we shared so many moments with, but in the end we also understand that many of them are right where they always wanted to be–high on the mountain.

Special Note:  The photo of Wilco van Rooijen is coming from a post on Summitpost Forums.  There are more photos of Wilco, Cas, Gerard, and others on this same post.  I am having a hard time finding where the photos originated, to give proper credit.  Any help would be appreciated.

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Be sure to check back often for further updates in regards to the K2 Tragedy and the climbers involved.  You may subscribe to The Adventurist’s Free Email Newsletter presented daily, or track us by RSS Feed in your favorite Feed Reader.

You may also join in on the current conversation with your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes for the stranded climbers.  This area is begining to get a lot of interst as people stop by and offer their prayers and thoughts on this tragedy.

You may also check out my previous reports beginning when this news first broke.  To check out the previous articles in relation to k2 and the current rescue efforts, click the articles below to get caught up on the situation.

• Tragedy on K2:  Confusion–Climbers Missing–Deaths and Injuries Abound–Climbers Still trapped in K2’s Deathzone
• K2 Rescue Update: 3:46 am Eastern Time
• Breaking News: Serbian Climber, Dren Mandic, Dies On K2, 12 Others Currently Trapped Between K2’s Bottleneck and The Summit

At this time I would like to stop and thank each and every one of you for your continued interest in the current events on K2.  I will try to update as more information is released.  I would also like to welcome the readers coming in from UKClimbing.com, as well as those from Topix, AllTop, and CNN for stopping by and joining in on the discussions.  Please feel free to leave your thoughts in a comment on this post.  Show these rescuers and climbers your support by leaving your well-wishes and Prayers, then stop back by for continued live updates.