Mountain Madness [Updated]

The death toll from Friday's avalanche on Pakistan's K2 mountain is 11 so far:

The Pakistani military launched a rescue operation early Monday, using two helicopters.

“Two Dutch climbers were rescued today from the base camp,” Major Khan said. “They are in an injured condition and very afraid.” Three other injured survivors were in stable condition, he said.

“Four climbers are still coming down,” Major Khan said. “Among them, one Italian is in critical condition. He will be rescued tomorrow.” The mountaineers were still at a high altitude, which made it difficult to reach them with helicopters, Major Khan explained.

The report says there were twenty climbers on this expedition instead of the 22 originally reported.

An ice avalanche killed the mountaineers:

The disaster happened when a huge chunk of ice slid from a steep gully known as the Bottleneck near the summit and swept away the mountaineers ropes.

Swedish climber Fredrik Straeng said he feared for his life when a Pakistani climber fell on top of him.
"I was terrified he would pull us all off the cliff and screamed to him to use his ice axe, but he lost his grip and plummeted off a 300-metre cliff," Straeng said.

So far bad weather has kept helicopter pilots from rescuing Italian climber Marco Confortola.

At the same BBC link, mountaineer Alan Hinkes talks about K2. He's climbed it, but you couldn't pay him enough money to do it again. He notes it is impossible for helicopters to go up higher than 6,000 meters, as the altitude of K2 and Everest is the same altitude that jumbo jets fly.

Climber Terrance Bannon also talks about the events surrounding the tragedy. He's also climbed K2 and knows some who were on the mountain this weekend.

From the BBC link is this diagram of K2 showing the different points on it, including the infamous "Bottleneck":



Update: Marco Confortola, the stranded Italian climber, is alive:

The Italian climber, Marco Confortola, descended to 20,340 feet but bad weather forced officials to abort a helicopter rescue Monday, said Shahzad Qaiser, a top official at the tourism ministry. He was climbing down on foot, despite frostbite, assisted by a support team from a base camp.

"Up there it was hell. During the descent, beyond 8,000 meters (26,000 feet), due to the altitude and the exhaustion I even fell asleep in the snow and when I woke up I could not figure out where I was," the ANSA news agency quoted Confortola as telling his brother Luigi by satellite phone.

"My hands are fine, while my feet are black from frostbite. Anyway, I can walk and I want to descend to the base camp."

Some facts about K2, including why it is called that instead of Godwin-Austen or Chogori, other names for the mountain.

Another update: One of the Dutch survivors talks about the tragedy.

Van Rooijen, 40, who had attempted K2 twice before, said climbers ignored his pleas for calm. "They were thinking of using my gas, my rope," he said. "Everybody was fighting for himself, and I still do not understand why everybody were leaving each other."

Most of the victims were experienced climbers. Rolf Bae, a Norwegian believed swept away in the avalanche, was climbing with his wife, Cecilie Skog. The couple are renowned polar explorers and were making their second attempt on K2.

Skog was reportedly making her way down.

While most of those on K2 were believed to be highly experienced, some survivors questioned the judgment of fellow climbers. Van Rooijen told the Associated Press that some ropes had been laid improperly across a gully and required laborious repositioning. Delays meant some teams reached the summit after 8 p.m., requiring them to descend in the dark, a far more dangerous undertaking.

More.

Names of the dead and injured:

1. Mr. Kim Hyo - Gyeong Korean

2. Mr. Park Kyeong - Hyo Koream

3. Mr. Hwang Dong - Jin Korean

4. Mr. Jumic Bhote Napali

5. Mr. Pasang Bhote Napali

6. Mr. Jehan Baig Pakistan HP

7. Mr. Meherban Karim Pakistani HP

8. Mr. D'aubarede Hugues Jean - Louis Marie French

9. Mr. Gerard McDonnell Irish

10. Mr. Dren Mandic Serbian

11 Mr. Rolf Bae Norwegian

Injured persons are;

Mr. Wilco van Rooijen Dutch

Mr. Cas van de Gevel Dutch

Mr. Marco Confortola Italian

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