K2 WINTER POLISH EXPEDITION

NEWS

 

7 January, 2003

 

THE HEAD'S BIRTHDAY

 

 

The alpinists reach the next meters of the Northern Pillar. On Sunday, the 52nd birthday of Krzysztof Wielicki - the head of the expedition - camp I was ready at 5900 m.

On Saturday, Gia Tortladze and Ilias Tukwatyllin, who were accompanied by the Polish team transporting the equipment, fastened another 150 m of fixed ropes. On Sunday, the next twosome installing handlines, Denis Urubko and Wasilij Piwcow, supported by Jacek Berebka and Jerzy Natkanski who were transporting the equipment, reached a height of 5900 m, where they set up camp I. The weather makes climbing still possible. Temperatures at night fall below minus 30 degrees, but luckily there are no hurricane winds, characteristic of winters in the highest mountains.

The TV-crew consisting of Robert Wichrowski - director, Bartolomiej Prokopowicz - 1st cameraman and his brother Jeremi Prokopowicz - 2nd cameraman of the expedition left the Chinese base (3900 m) on January 4th, heading home. >From the five-person TVP channel 1 team, only the technical crew is still in Karakorum: the sound operator, a technician supervising the broadcasting and an expert on broadcast and satellite transmissions. Robert Wichrowski handed over the role of the cameraman to Michal Zielinski, an amateur filmmaker.

Monika Rogozinska 01.06.03