Two Polish mountaineers missing after conquering Broad Peak

[Areesh]

Two of four Polish mountaineers who made the first ever winter ascent of Broad Peak have not arrived at Camp IV as scheduled. “The situation is very serious,” says the team leader.

“From 04.00 hours Polish time we have had no contact with the two mountaineers, who on Tuesday, after conquering the summit of Broad Peak failed to reach Camp IV,” Artur Hajzer, coordinator of the Polish Winter Mountaineering in the Himalayas 2010-2015 project, has told TVP public television.

“We should be worried. They found themselves in a life-threatening situation and are very tired,” he said of Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski, who spent the night on a pass under the summit at an altitude of 7900 metres.

Two other climbers, Adam Bielecki and Artur Malek, are safely back at Camp IV.

The four scaled the world's 12th highest mountain at about 6 pm local time on Tuesday - a few hours later than scheduled - scaling the peak in the Karakoram range, which lies on the border between Pakistan and China.

Two mountaineers missing after conquering Broad Peak - Thenews.pl :: News from Poland

Very sad incident. Considering the fact that these guys successfully scaled an 8000 thousand meter peak in winter is a very brave attempt from these guys. Hopefully the two mountaineers are safe.

 

[genmirajborgza786]

hope they are found

 

[Ayush]

Hope they are safe.

 

[krash]

Two mountaineers missing after conquering Broad Peak - Thenews.pl :: News from Poland

Very sad incident. Considering the fact that these guys successfully scaled an 8000 thousand meter peak in winter is a very brave attempt from these guys. Hopefully the two mountaineers are safe.

Hope they make it but as it goes their chances are extremely slim. There's a reason why these mountains were left alone during the winter seasons for so long. Brave souls these people are.

Different teams have been attempting these peaks during the winters for a few years now, too many of them have perished. Last year the attempts on Nangaparbat and K2 were called off after the deaths of their team members while one of the two teams attempting Gasherbrum I went missing 200 meters below the summit without a trace. The famous Pakistani mountaineer Nisar Sadpara was one of the three people in that team. A 10 day army search and rescue operation couldn't locate them. The other team, though successful, barely made it back. And the year before that Gasherbrum II was successfully climbed during the winter season only after three crevasse falls, miraculously without injury, and an avalanche just a few hundred meters above the base camp on the way back. The avalanche buried all the three members under deep snow until one of the guys, against all the odds in the world, dug himself and then the other two out after hours of struggling. At that moment all three of them just broke down crying in a not so dignified manner. Goes to show how, in a moment's notice, these mountains can break you and your spirit in half. The next year this same team attempted Nangaparbat only to call it off after the mountain swallowed the other team attempting an adjacent route.

Anyway, lets hope that they are found safe soon, so that the celebrations may begin.

 

[Gentelman]

In which country Broad Peak is??
@Areesh

 

[Jango]

Let's hope they are found...it would be a tough job but anything could be done...just as we saved Tomaz Humar.

 

[Areesh]

In which country Broad Peak is??
@Areesh

Pakistan.

Hope they make it but as it goes their chances are extremely slim. There's a reason why these mountains were left alone during the winter seasons for so long. Brave souls these people are.

Different teams have been attempting these peaks during the winters for a few years now, too many of them have perished. Last year the attempts on Nangaparbat and K2 were called off after the deaths of their team members while one of the two teams attempting Gasherbrum I went missing 200 meters below the summit without a trace. The famous Pakistani mountaineer Nisar Sadpara was one of the three people in that team. A 10 day army search and rescue operation couldn't locate them. The other team, though successful, barely made it back. And the year before that Gasherbrum II was successfully climbed during the winter season only after three crevasse falls, miraculously without injury, and an avalanche just a few hundred meters above the base camp on the way back. The avalanche buried all the three members under deep snow until one of the guys, against all the odds in the world, dug himself and then the other two out after hours of struggling. At that moment all three of them just broke down crying in a not so dignified manner. Goes to show how, in a moment's notice, these mountains can break you and your spirit in half. The next year this same team attempted Nangaparbat only to call it off after the mountain swallowed the other team attempting an adjacent route.

Anyway, lets hope that they are found safe soon, so that the celebrations may begin.

Sad to hear that. Too many casualties on our peaks I guess.

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

Praying for their safe return. Very sad.

One must assume the risks; the conditions can be extremely dangerous even for hardened thrill seekers.

Any news on rescue/recovery efforts?

 

[Areesh]

Two Polish mountaineers missing after scaling world’s 12th highest peak in Pakistan

WARSAW, Poland — Hopes of finding two Polish mountaineers who disappeared in the Himalayas after scaling a peak of more than 8,000 metres are quickly fading, an official said Wednesday.

The two were part of a group of four Poles who on Tuesday completed what other Polish climbers say is the first-ever winter ascent of Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain, which is located in Pakistan.

Contact was lost early Wednesday with two of the four, Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski, and by nightfall they had still not returned to a camp at 7,400 metres, said Artur Hajzer, a Polish mountaineering official.

“The chances are falling dramatically and we are full of anxiety. Hope is fading,” Hajzer said on news station TVN24.

He said a Pakistani climber went up looking for the Poles in minus 35 degrees Celsius temperatures but found no sign of them despite clear visibility.

Hajzer also said time was running out because a snowstorm was expected Thursday.

The two other men, Adam Bielecki and Artur Malek, safely reached a camp below the peak, Hajzer said. He added that Malek and a Pakistani climber would spend another night at the camp in the chance that the missing two would arrive.

The disappearance of the men was top news Wednesday in Poland, where people are proud of a tradition of Polish mountaineers scaling peaks in the Himalayas.

Two Polish mountaineers missing after scaling world’s 12th highest peak in Pakistan | Vancouverdesi.com

 

[BATMAN]

Prays... for their safe recovery.

 

[krash]

Let's hope they are found...it would be a tough job but anything could be done...just as we saved Tomaz Humar.

Tomaz Humar was the freak occurrence of all freak occurrences, he must have had the whole universe praying for him during those six days. It's still unimaginable the way the Pakistan army helis got him out of there.

Bhains kahnay kay liay bhi 0.01 IQ ki zaroorat hoti hai
@Topic - May they can survive. BTW - IMO this as an idiotic hobby.

Yar, firstly, this isn't a cheap thrill seeking sport, like motor cycle stunts etc. The risks and hazards are known to all who give in to it. Everything is calculated to the micro, every precaution is taken. It takes these guys years upon years upon years, and then some more, of experience to even think about touching these peaks. The ones who are genuinely true to this sport aren't glory seeking adrenalin junkis with a death wish searching for their next fix. There are no battle cries, no emotion inflaming locker room pep talks or lessons of the 'all conquering' human spirit and resilience to be found in it. These are only the imaginings of the uninformed. No matter how good you are, you start every attempt scared to the very core and aware of your absolute insignificance vis-à-vis the monster, one which could not care less for your existence. You put every step in utmost awe and respect, as if not to anger it. And if you get to finish you finish humbled in the truest sense and in disbelief of your own emotions.

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
― Edmund Hillary

Why do they do it? Because this is when they feel the most alive. It is the purist love affair, one which never lets go of you.

Praying for their safe return. Very sad.

One must assume the risks; the conditions can be extremely dangerous even for hardened thrill seekers.

Any news on rescue/recovery efforts?

I know it sounds insensitive but it's been five days, they aren't coming back. After the second day all your doing is fooling yourself.

 

[krash]

Just read this:

Krzysztof Wielicki has called off the Polish winter expedition to Broad Peak. The bodies of Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski will remain up on the mountain.

A few minutes ago Krzysztof Wielicki, leader of the winter expedition of Polish Mountaineering Association to Broad Peak, published a brief report on the official website stating that there is no more hope for Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski, the two mountaineers reported missing on Wednesday morning after having summited the 12th highest mountain in the world. We believe nothing more needs adding to the words of Wielicki which are published below:

"Considering all the circumstances, conditions, my experience, history of Himalayan mountaineering, knowledge regarding physiology and high-altitude medicine as well as consultations with doctors and co-organizers of the expedition in Poland, I have to declare Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski dead.

Taking into account the time that has passed since the last contact, altitude where it took place, their condition, current weather conditions and all other factors, I have to claim openly that both climbers are dead.

The expedition has come to an end. We are packing the base camp and start to descend. March via the Baltoro Glacier will take approximately 5 days. We will come back to Poland on approximately 20th March. Due to lack of electricity, we will not have any possibilities to maintain contact via telephones or e-mails and thus, the will not be any information about us till approximately 15th March."

Krzysztof Wielicki
Leader of the winter expedition of Polish Mountaineering Association to Broad Peak

Reported by planetmountain.com

Left: Maciej Berbeka. Right: Tomasz Kowalski

 

[Gentelman]

kidnapped by terrorists ? or simply trapped in rough weather ?

soo now terrorists are on peaks in harsh weather waiting to kidnapp one or two persons???
seems difficult as they are mainly fron Afghanistan they can't stand in such harsh conditions.....
Hope they will be recovered soon...

 

[Gentelman]

self delete

 

[Jango]

Tomaz Humar was the freak occurrence of all freak occurrences, he must have had the whole universe praying for him during those six days. It's still unimaginable the way the Pakistan army helis got him out of there.

I know the pilot who rescued him in that stripped down bare frame Lama...and if you go by his accounts, the rescue was nothing but miraculous!