AMERICAN K-2 EXPEDITION (NORTH)
American expedition leaves for China to attempt K-2
MAY22-2000
By
Asem Mustafa Awan
ISLAMABAD
— Elite American mountaineers will be leaving for China to attempt K-2,
8611 metres from North.
Jeff
Alzner from Portland leads the side which comprises 12 specialists
climbers who were hand picked by Jeff after two years of deliberation on
the project.
K-2
from the North Ridge has been climbed by only three Americans since the
first ascent by the Japanese in 1982.
Heidi
Howkins from Oregon who led a team of three in 1998 is also member of the
elite team which will vie for the top which has eluded the climbers for
the past three seasons. She harbours the passion of scaling the
Mountaineer's Mountain (K-2). A fete which will make her the sixth woman
in the world with the distinction, luck unfortunately never favoured the
other five who perished high on the mountains pursuing their dreams.
Heidi
also experienced the life and death trauma and miraculously survived when
an avalanche nearly buried her in Kanchenjunga in Nepal. Heidi has the
summit of Gasherbrum II (8036 metres) in Pakistan in
1996.
Heidi
in her exclusive interview in 1998 with this scribe said," I wouldn't
be here if I had doubts and Insh-a-Allah I will be the sixth woman to
climb K-2 summit."
Heidi
has a seven year old daughter Devin.
Forty
two year old Jay Sieger who replaced Erik Eriksson in the out fit is
visiting Pakistan the third time. He has attempted five 8000ers Makalu,
Everest (8600m 1989), K-2 (8300m 1995), Kanchenjunga (8000m 1997) and Cho
Oyu (8000m 1998). He managed 7000 metres on Makalu. He attempted K-2 from
China side in 1995 and in 1999.
He
avowed in 1999," I will come again to climb K-2 and It will be for my
parents and Mihai."
Mihai
Cioroianu from Romania died in Jay's arms on July 10, 1999 when a stone
hit him in the chest. Jay commitment added with judgement in the high
mountains makes him a valuable member in the team.
Jeff
Alzner having the summit of Broad Peak (8047 metres 1995 and 3rd American
on Manaslu summit in 1999) said," We have a very compact team and all
members are specialists. It took me two years to sort and find them
out."
The
medical team has Fred Ziel (MD) and Ivan Ramirez (MD) who besides being
doctors are very good mountaineers.
"We
will move in a cycle with one team pushing hard, the second supporting it
and the third resting and it will continue," said Jeff.
"The
K-2 North Ridge offers the most awesome of climbs and has an unmatched
allure to it. The angle is from 45 to 60 degrees requiring front pointing
(moving on the front spikes/ nails/ crampons of the shoe) all the
way."
"It
also means that there is very little space for the tent platforms."
Answering
a query about the grade of the climb Jeff said," By American
standards of climbing it is of Fifth Class."
"We
are taking 5000 metres of ropes. The lower portion from Base Camp to Camp
2 is exposed to sun and there is frequent rock falls and we will be
climbing early morning most of the time in that portion. The Camp 2 to
Camp 4 is the hardest portion of the climb with steep sections of 60
degrees added with mixed terrain offering both rock and ice."
Answering
a query Jeff said," We expected more snow but the fact is there was
very less snow on the peak meaning the climb in the upper portion will not
have deep snow which slows down the progress of the expedition — there
will be more rockfalls but we will negotiate with them."
Other
members of the expedition includes Shawn O'Fallon, Mike Bearzi, Gill
James, Wayne Wallace, Ziggy Emme, Drew Hansen Paul Teare and Ginger
Russell.
Route
Map:
Caption:
Jeff Alzner