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News from Dhaulagiri (8167m) is both extremely positive - demonstrating howactive Italian mountaineering continues to be - and immensely sad, as a result of the death of the Spanish mountaineer Pepe Garces.
Highly gifted, enthusiastic, but above all a friend, Garces had summited “his” K2 last year together with Carlos Pauner, shortly after Hans Kammerlander and Jean Christophe Lafaille. He fell while descending along the hardest section of the route, the traverse at 7800m, after 100 km/h winds forced him to turn back from his summit bid.
2001 continues to be an excellent year for Abele Blanc and Silvio Mondinelli: the former climbed Nanga Parbat this summer, while the latter has reached the summit of four 8000m peaks this year, including two of the hardest, Everest and Dhaulagiri. Blanc and Mondinelli were members of two different teams but shared the permit for Dhaulagiri.They set foot on the summit at 11.15 on Friday 12 October, together with three other Italians, Adriano Favre, Alessandro Busca and Claudio Rosset.
They left Camp 3 (7.550 m) at 3.30 am in high winds; conditions proved to be extremely difficult, especially on the windslab traverse at 7800m and the steep gully that leads to the crest. From here they all took turns leading through deep snow before confronting a large cornice. Above this a terrible storm and winds of up to 100 km/h winds made it difficult to reach the summit: they stayed just long enough to take a few photos before making a hasty retreat.
Pepe Garces and Merelli (Mondinelli’s partner on Everest) had abandoned their attempt four hours from the summit, and when they all reached the delicate traverse once again the tragic accident occurred. Impotent witnesses to this accident, the mountaineers could do nothing but descend to Camp 3 at 15.00, and continue down to Base Camp the following day.
The weather and snow conditions on the mountain have been particularly difficult of late, making progress extremely difficult for all expeditions currently attempting Dhaulagiri. More news of these will follow in the next few weeks, but in the meantime the Italian expeditions have already started preparations for their return to Kathmandu.
by Manuel Lugli
Info
Further information about Abele Blanc
www.blancabele.com
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Dhaulagiri (8167m) is situated on the border between Nepal and Tibet. It was first climbed by the Austrian K. Diemberger and the Swiss A. Schelbert, P. Diener and E. Forrer on 13 May 1960.
Top and left: Dhaulagiri's SE Face (Mondelli, Blanc & co climbed the NE Spur.)
Photos F. Tremolada and M. Lugli.
Above: Camp 2 on the NE Spur. Below: Base Camp.
Photo F. Tremolada.
Mondinelli's 8000m peaks in 2001
Everest
Gasherbrum I
Gasherbrum II
Blanc's 8000m peaks in 2001
Nanga Parbat
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