Dispatches - February 2009

The Story Continues:

arlenebowie@gmail.com — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:00:00 +0100

On Sunday, February 15th, our huddle in Camp 2 awoke to the wind still battering the tent. Sometime during the night Artur had received a SMS (or phone call, I can't remember) with a weather update stating some possibility of lower summit winds on Tuesday the 17th. As we were already in the thick of things, I also decided that we might as well try, day-by-day from this point, to see if the winds would in fact decrease a little - that a decent window might somehow appear.

Artu [...]

"We got our butts kicked!"

arlenebowie@gmail.com — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:00:00 +0100

[video:3279188 100x100] There's no way around it. There's no other way to say it. To avoid the idea that elements on Broad Peak can outmatch any human is simple arrogance (or denial), so I won't hesitate to admit our (at least momentary) defeat. High winds - at times easily more than 100km/h - and temperatures below minus -35C, added to this, endless sheets of continuous, monotonous, bulletproof ice, were the tools of our challenger, and the challenger outmatched us - the final blow being t [...]

Summit Bid Aborted

info@calpinist.com — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:00:00 +0100

Don and the team are safe in base camp. They had to abort their summit bid due to severe weather conditions and other circumstances. Dispatch from Don to follow soon.

�Can it be meant for us?...."

arlenebowie@gmail.com — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:00:00 +0100

I would like to personally send my congratulations to both Simone and Denis for their incredible accomplishment of summiting Makalu in winter. All of us here at base camp were cheering you guys along, and celebrated with shouts and applauses when we received the news. Finally, the last 8000 meter peak of Nepal has been climbed in winter. We are proud of you both!!