GERMAN GASHERBRUM I&I I EXPEDITION LEADER RALF DUJMOVITS
Ralf leads 14 for Gasherbrum I & II
JUNE11-2000
By Asem Mustafa Awan
ISLAMABAD — Elite German mountaineer Ralf Dujmovits will be
taking his team to Skardu to attempt Gasherbrum I and II.
Ralf has six of the 14 8000ers of the world and will be vying for
GI&II summit to make it eight.
He has climbed Dhaulagiri (1990), Everest (1992), K-2 (1994), Cho
Oyu (1995-98), Shishapangma (1996-97) and Broad Peak (1999).
The Nation has the exclusives on the elite German mountaineer in
1994 and in 1999.
General Manager of the world's leading mountaineering firm Amical
Alpine, Ralf at 38 years of age leads 14 climbers who will first attempt
Gasherbrum II (8035 metres). Out of the 14 mountaineers seven after
getting acclimatized on Gasherbrum II will go for GI in Alpine Style in a
fast push.
"The team is fairly strong and I know all the climbers
personally,"" said Ralf who will only have Nanga Parbat to climb
if he is successful on the two G's.
Head of Expedition Committee of German Alpine Club, Ralf
mountaineering endeavours speak a great deal of his potentials. He started
his exploits in 1988 from Makalu an 8000er in Nepal with an unsuccessful
bid. His success story began in 1990's
when he made the summit of Dhaulagiri in 1990, followed by Everest
in 1992. He came to Pakistan in
1994 for K-2 and
returned back as a happy man with a successful expedition (The Nation has
the exclusive).
He was active in guiding commercial expeditions from 1995 till 1998
in the Nepalese Himalayas and in the four years time he reached the summit
of two 8000ers Cho Oyu and Shishapangma twice with clients.
Ralf a hard core mountaineer always giving safety the top priority
also did a variation in 1996 in Nepal a trilogy with an attempt on Nuptse,
Everest and Lhotse at the same time. The three form a 'horse shoe' in
Nepal but bad weather added with a rescue operation never materialized his
quest.
He however made a hard route on Nuptse and managed 8000 metres on
Everest before turning back.
"The trilogy has never been attempted so far," said Ralf.
Ralf enjoys a great deal of respect in the mountaineering community.
He managed to take 30 out of 48 climbers on Cho Oyu summit on three
occasion, seven out of 23 climbers on Shishapangma top twice, two out nine
climbers on Dhaulagiri once, two out of sixteen on Everest summit on two
occasions and five out of 10 climbers on K-2 in 1994.
In leading the Broad Peak expedition in 1999, 10 out of 13
mountaineers made the summit on July 16, 17 and 18. Pakistani High
Altitude Porter Qudratullah (29) also made the top with the expedition.
Ralf besides the 8000ers has also guided expeditions to the highest
peak in the Antarctic, Mount Vinson where he placed all his clients 15 in
total to the top on four occasions. On McKinley the highest peak in North
America he returned 40 out 46 climbers on the summit
on four occasions and 12 climbers out of 16 on top of Mount Logan
in Canada on two occasions.
The Gasherbrum II expedition has: Dieter Kozlowski, Dr Walter
Treibel, Dr Herbert Baumbach, Gerhard Osterbauer, Richard Stihler. Paula
Hub and Ursula Zippel are the two women in the expedition.
The mountaineers going for both the Gasherbrums are: Oliver Biefer,
Jurgen Spescha, Alois Bogenschutz, Andre Gunzel, Albert Hausler and
Bertold Zedrosser.
The expedition will make standard camp sites on the two peaks with
summit bid on GII in mid July followed by a fast ascent Alpine Style on GI
in late July.