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.

Tragedy On K2: K2 Survivor Wilco van Rooijens Speaks With National Geographic: Adventure

The National Geographic: Adventure blog always seems to be on top of the big news.  Back in May,  they scored the first interview with William Brant Holland after he was banned from Nepal for displaying a pro-Tibetan flag on Mt. Everest.  Today they unveil the Wilco van Rooijans Interview.  Wilco van Rooijans was one of three climbers who recently survived the k2 tragedy that took the lives of 11 climbers, one of the biggest tragedies in K2’s notorious history.

Wilco van Rooijens is currently hospitalized in a local Pakistani medical facility with second and third degree frostbite on his feet.  Through all of the pain he still had time to talk with National Geographic: Adventure, just three days after being plucked off the second highest peak in the world.

Most of the world thought that Wilco van Rooijen had perished.  Two days after the original ice serac collapse, Wilco would hobble back to Camp III and learn that eleven of his fellow climbers and team mates had died.  Wilco, himself, would be forced to be rescued by helicopter and now faces the threat of amputation to both of his feet.  It is an amazing tale of survival, and one that only Wilco can tell..

Please Checkout my Full Coverage as the K2 Tragedy unfolded.

Shout-Out:  The Adventure Blog tipped me off to this interview.  Thank-you.

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.

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K2 Tragedy: Video News Report

Be sure to check out the rest of my coverage of the K2 Tragedy as it happened.

K2 Tragedy: When Tragedy Strikes, Big Mountain Media Battles It Out With Perfect Timing-An Adventurist Editorial

Anticipation for a successful rescue of 12 trapped climbers on K2 is beginning to wain.  Reports have popped up from all over the world reporting a myriad of facts, suggestions, and even what-if’s in regards to this accident.  Millions of people have now seen the headlines thrown out all over the world:  “11 Climbers Dead” “Tragedy on K2″, etc.

I have tried my best to report what was currently taking place in regards to the tragic accident on K2.  My reports come from a variety of sources including ExplorersWeb, EverestNews, and the expedition dispatch’s themselves.  I have also tracked the media and what it has put out and have been trying to decifer through the mountains of information being released on an hourly basis.

My first inkling that major media had finally caught wind of this tragedy came at 5 am yesterday, when I first began seeing Spanish media reports.  Later in the day, CNN would run a piece that mentioned ExplorersWeb’s K2climb.com site as the source of their information.

ExplorersWeb has recently put up a rebuttal to claims that 11 climbers are dead, suggesting that only one death has been confirmed.  Meanwhile, Everestnews, another major source for big mountain information has put up a list of the dead—a controversial move since no ‘official’ word has been given by expedition companies or climbers in the region.  They report 11 deaths due to the original avalanche, and another two do to recent rescue efforts.  Which is the correct version, and why are these reports so varied?

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K2 Could Be Worst Mountainering Disaster In Himalayan History, Spanish Reports: “An Avalanche In The Top of K-2 (8,611 meters) Claimed On Friday The Lives of Eleven Climbers–Three Koreans, Two Pakistanis, Two Nepalese, One Serb, One Dutch and One Norwegian — While Six Others Are Still Missing.”

This quote is coming from the Spanish news site Gara.com and represents some of our worst fears.  The tragedy on K2 could be one of the world’s deadliest mountaineering disasters ever, even surpasing the tragic 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest.

I am having a very hard time confirming these foreign reports, however.  EverestNews and ExplorersWeb are both staying quiet until climbers reach the area and can investigate, but these reports are pretty wide-spread in the foreign press.

Some climbers are talking to their country’s press about this tragedy and most agree that at least 6 people have died, while at least 11 others are missing, and there are more that are in severe danger of dying from injuries suffered after an ice serec dislodged and caused an avalanche.

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Tragedy On K2 Update: Marco Confortola Has Been Located, Wilco van Rooijen Is Alive! Other Climbers Still Missing Or Stranded, Rescue Efforts Persist Into Third Day Of Tragic Events

First A quick note:  Many Media sources are reporting that up to seven climbers have died on K2 in the last couple of days.  Be weary of what you read and don’t take anything as truth.  I understand that the climbers’ family and friends do stop by and read these posts at The Adventurist.  They also comment on what they read.  I have seen this happen with the tragic events on Mt. Hood in 2006, and respectfully, I try to present what is currently known and confirmed.  To date there has only been one confirmed death out of this situation.  Serbian climber Dren Mendic died after suffering a fall around Camp IV on K2.  Any other reports of fatalities are pure speculation at his point and have not been made publicly available.  If this information changes, I will update with the info.  I would also like to welcome all readers visiting from UKclimbing.com.  This is one of the premier climbing sites in the world and it is always nice to get their backing.  Thank-you.

Tragedy on K2 Update-10:22 pm eastern time-August 2, 2008

Let’s start things off with a good note.  Climber Marco Confortola has been located and is alive.  Previously I reported that Marco was one of the missing climbers that rescuers were having a hard time of figuring out where he was.  ExplorersWeb is reporting that Marco was located at Camp IV on K2 and is currently being looked after by one of the high-altitude porters.  His condition is not immediately available, but at least he is alive and has been located.  Click below for more.

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Adventurist Open Thread: Your Thoughts And Prayers For The K2 Climbers

I have rarely opened up a thread in regards to a situation.  I am openig up this thread for everyone to post heir thoughts and prayers for the climbers currently trapped on K2.  To read more about this ongoing situation, please read the following updates:

• 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

Please read of this situation and post your thoughts and prayers to the climbers, rescue workers, expedition companies and their families below.  This is a terrible situation and they need all the support they can get.

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Tragedy On K2: Confusion–Climbers Missing–Deaths and Injuries Abound–Climbers Still Trapped In K2’s Deathzone

The reports are getting quite hard to follow.  Many of the expeditions involved on K2 are from International countries, and many of those don’t speak English.  I will try to update the best I can from what I know at this point.

It is being reported that one porter has died.  This is in relation to earlier reports that I could not previously confirm.  The climbing porter was working with Adventure Tours Pakistan, which also has a french climber that they can not find or get in contact with.  His condition is not known at this point, as he is still missing.

Hushe Trek and Tours, who is coordinating the Italian K2 Expedition has one member that has been injured and is requiring rescue attention.  Supposedly this member fell in the Bottleneck and has broken an arm or leg.  This member is currently being helped down from Camp IV.  All other members are accounted for.

Gerard McDonnell, a member of the Dutch International K2 Expedition, is currently missing. He is being listed as living in Alaska, United States.

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