Tragedy On K2: K2 Survivor Marco Confortola Speaks With Media

Marco Confortola, the last survivor of the recent tragedy on K2, is starting to give us a few more details of what went on, what went wrong, and ultimately what lead to his near impossible survival in one of the world’s most deadly climbing accidents.

The Independent, one of the U.K.’s largest newspapers, recently had the chance to sit down with Marco and discuss these events.  Marco elaborates on the full series of events from his successful summit of K2 with Gerard McDonnell, to the falling ice serac that originally started the tragedy, to a completely different avalanche that claimed the life of McDonnell, almost killed Confortola, and would lead to one of the most amazing rescues of recent memory.

I must throw out a warning.  This interview is graphic and goes in to quite a bit of detail surrounding those events, but likewise, is probably the best account of what actually transpired that I have read so far.  It is heart-wrenchingly tragic, but really fills in the details of something that so little is still known about.

To read The Independent’s complete interview with Marco Confortola, just click the link.  It is definitely amazing that anyone survived thorugh this tragedy, and more amazing that these climbers, Wilco van Rooijens and Marco Confortola, have both talked to the press about this incident.  Marco was just lifted off K2 in the past couple of days.  After witnessing the horror and nearly dying yourself, I don’t know if I would want to speak.

Marco is still fighting a battle with frostbite that may continue for quite some time.  He may eventually loose his legs after this tragedy, so let’s keep him and everyone else still suffering thorugh this in our thoughts.  Now go check out the interview.