SPANISH GASHERBRUM I&II EXPEDITION LEADER FELIX INURRATEGI

Inurrategi brothers quest, three short of Himalayan Crown

JUNE12-2000

By Asem Mustafa Awan

ISLAMABAD — Elite Spanish mountaineers both brothers Felix and Alberto Inurrategi 33 and 31 years of age are nearing in their quest for Himalayan Crown and they have done all the climbs together and without oxygen.

In the 14 8000ers they have climbed all the hardest ones and the remaining are the two Gahserbrum I & II and Annapurna.

The two brothers initially planned to finish their quest in Pakistan in 2000 but after making the summit of Manaslu  in May they found the weather inhospitable on Annapurna and came to Pakistan for the two Gasherbrums which have altitudes of 8068 metres and 8035 metres.

The two stayed on the Annapurna Base Camp for three days before turning back.

"It just happened we were never pursuing the Himalayan Crown," said More (wife of Juan Lazkano) while interpreting Felix.

Alberto the younger brother of Felix said," I want my brother to be the second Spanish mountaineer to finish the 14 8000ers and I will follow him then."

There are six climbers in the world who have the distinction of Himalayan Crown Reinhold Messner (Italy), late Jerzy Kukuczka (Poland), Erhard Loretan (Switzerland), Carlos Carsolio (Mexixo), Krysztof Welicki (Poland) and Juanito Oiarzabal (Basque/ Spain).

There are a few other climbers who are having over 10 8000ers and more vying for the same honour.

"We have not decided whether we go to Annapurna after the two Gasherbrum or not," said Felix adding," We will see about that in August."

"We are very much motivated and we feel very strong about the current challenge and Insha Allah we will accomplish it."

The two brothers who are very down to earth in their manner also carried out a rescue operation high on the mountain in 1999 on Nanga Parbat in a very dangerous condition.

They reached the Nanga Parbat base camp on July 15 and found the Columbian leader Volker Stalbhom getting injured above Camp 2 at 6600 metres on July 13 and no help in sight as other members of the expedition were not acclimatized and experienced enough to carry out the rescue

The Spanish team with the two brothers Felix and Alberto with members Juan Lazkano  and Jose L Timayo were acclimatized after scaling the Trango Tower in the region climbed up and brought the Columbian leader down with help coming from different climbers on the Nanga Parbat.

Had it not been them the situation would have gone worse for the Columbian leader.

The quest of the two brothers bagan in year 1991 when the set foot on the summit of Makalu (8475 metres).

It  started a snowball for the two brothers for the 8000ers. Everest (8848 metres) fell down in 1992, K-2 (8611 metres) in 1994, Cho Oyu (8153 metres) and Lhotse (8511 metres) in 1995, Kanchenjunga (8598 metres) and Shishapangma (8013 metres) in 1996, Broad Peak (8045 metres) in 1997, Dhaulagiri (8167 metres) in 1998 and Nanga Parbat (8125 metres) in 1999 and Manaslu (8162 metres) in May 2000.

CAPTION: Felix (LONG HAIR and red shirt)

CAPTION: Alberto (short hair and black shirt)

 SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4 TIFFS