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Check out the previous story from Sergey Bogomolov: Ama Dablam (6856 m)-1994 8125m-Nanga-Parbat Sports autobiography of Sergey Bogomolov

Author: Sergey Bogomolov, Saratov
Translated by Anna Samodelko, Moscow
Photo from http://www.russianclimb.com

 

 

 

8047m-Broad Peak
In the steps of the International Kazakh Expedition “Karakorum-2003”

For the first time the russian climber has ascended Broad peak. The ascent was in alpine style.
For the first time two summits Nanga-Parbat, 8125m and Broad peak, m 8047, were ascended one after the other.

Just we went to the sleeping bags in the Camp II, 6500m, we learned on the radio that Lafaille felt unwell but could move in his own and he, Viesturs and Urubko were descending to find some medicines. When we met them we understood that he probably had a heart disease, gave all necessary medicines and they had to descend lower in order to Lafaille would feel himself better.

So what was happened?

We were trekking from Skardu for a week. At first along Baltoro-river, then over the glacier. We had a meat following us. It was a curious yak. But when it began crumbling he broke his leg and disappeared. Then we met the American Viesturs, the French Lafaille, The Italian Moro and the Spaniard Inaki Ochoa. They settled the Base Camp just under Broad peak. They seemed that it would be more convenient for them. In our turn we climbed in the day time under K2 and settled the Camp at 5000m. When we stopped under Broad peak and had a rest in a wardroom of International Expedition with our cook’s friend Farman an unforeseen incident happened. A senior officer asked our nationality and when we replied we all were the Kazakhs he looked at us and didn’t believe about Zhumaev: “Here are the Kazakhs! You don’t look like them! Maybe you are Chinese?” And Maksut should to show his passport to confirm that (though he was the only a real son of soil in our group). Finally we lectured about the history of the Asian population beginning from Chingis-Khan.

If we settled the Camp on 12.07 we began already to ascend on 14.07. To save the acclimatization was the topical question. That is why we jointly decided not to climb K2 and try to summit Broad peak. As it turned out there wasn’t any climber to do it. There was only one attempt failed because of the bad weather.

Inaki leaned about a perfect weather forecasted on 15.07. And that day about ten climbers dashed to ascend. Mister Khon Van Yun had a good chance to close his account of 14 summits. He had already spent a lot of money and came with 4 sherps could work at high-altitude. To hire a helicopter cost him $21000.

By the way Khon is the same hooligan who took an air-plane when the International Alpinist Camp “Khan-Tengri” in North Inylchek was going on. He boasted now as he was cool, the eye-witnesses said that everything was much more prosaic. Some group of foreign climbers should be evacuated and waited for a better weather and an arrival of a helicopter. When the first flight was opened Khon and his company pushed away all the people waiting for their turns and burst into a salon of the helicopter. It was the international incident, the embassy was investigating it as a capture of a air craft for a long time and Khon became a persona non grata in Kazakhstan.

Camp 3 (7100ì)

Lafaille and Viesturs started to ascend from the Camp III, 6900m, Moro and Inaki – from the Camp II, 6200m. Inaki had already climbed this route so they planned the easy and speed ascent with minimum of clothes, minimum of equipment. As a result Inaki lost his strength and fell into the Korean tent at 7400m, Moro fell into our first group’ tent at 6900m. Lafaille caught a pneumonia as Inyaki said.

16.07 our first three climbers ascended the summit in a good style from 6900m. The weather had already become worse. I and three other climbers decided to be more safety and climbed first at 7400m - the Camp IV. We found two empty oxygen balloons near the Khon’s tent. The hero used them while was climbing.

Sergey Lavrov - in the summit of the Broad-pik

17.07 we went out at 00.30 and at 07.15 we were on the summit. The fast ascent was a surprise for us by comparison with Nanga Parbat ascent. During the ascent It was good the visibility but the weather was cold and a strong wind blew. And the mask and protective goggles didn’t protect. Our video camera was frozen. All of us were cold and we couldn’t take photographs all together. By 11.00 we descended to the Camp IV and spent there a night.

Next morning we met the column of 8 climbers leaded by Urubko. The weather assisted them and they reached the summit happily.

When we were descending we witnessed the sherp stifled when he was trying to climb down 4 meters without any rope device. We couldn’t help him. But when he had already became blue he could reach the plate under his foot with all his might. Then he put on his rubber slippers he hopped down the moraine.

I looked at down and saw that the moraine under Broad peak became empty. Mr. Khon dispensed the presents and flue away. Lafaille and Viesturs were taken by the medical insurance company. Only the moraine under K2 was buzzing. Nobody climbed higher then the Camp III. But as for us the most horrible thing was the ascent from the foot of Broad peak along the moraine to the K2 Base Camp, where as usually Mr. Ilyinsky was waiting for us.