SWISS GASHERBRUM I & II EXPEDITION LEADER KARL KOBLER
12 out of 19 and one Pakistani record summit on Gasherbrum II
JULY26-2000
By
Asem Mustafa Awan
ISLAMABAD
— Twelve out of 19 climbers from the Swiss Gasherbrum II expedition
reached the summit on June 22 from the normal route.
Elite
Swiss Mountain Guide Karl Kobler (45) lead the expedition besides claiming
his sixth 8000er. Karl claimed his second 8000ers of the year 2000 as he
came to Pakistan from Nepal where he scaled Everest in May.
Karl
has summits of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Shishapangma and Broad Peak.
According
to the message from the Base Camp the team recorded the first summit on
Gasherbrum II 8035 metres. The 13th summitter with the expedition was Rozi
Ali who assisted the expedition as High Altitude Porter.
The
fax message comprises names
of Marcel Kraaz (deputy leader 29), Josef Aregger (37),
Fabio Aspali (51), Johannes Blaser (37), Gianni Goltz (37), Olivier
Pasche (39), Guido Solinger
(30) and Jean-Marc Wicht (38) who reached the summit the same day.
Forty-one
year old Barbara Hirschbichler who was the only member from Germany and
was unsuccessful a couple of month ago on Everest made it to the top of
G-II along with two other women climbers Michele Merat (35) and Madeleine
Pasche (40).
Husband
and wife Oliver and Madeleine Pasche with the G-II summit have also joined
the small group of climbers who are going for 'couple ascents' currently.
The
expedition is currently on its way back from the mountains and is expected
to reach Islamabad in August.