Interview with Denis Urubko following the rescue on Nanga Parbat.

RESCUE IN THE NANGA PARBAT

This is a rough translation of :
Original interview of Denis Urubko in Spanish by Darío Rodríguez / DESNIVEL - Sunday, January 28, 2018 - Updated at 9:10 p.m.

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Denis Urubko "It has been a wonderful experience to help a person as extraordinary as Elisabeth Revol survive"
This is the conversation we have had today with Denis Urubko. He had just arrived in Skardu, he had not yet been able to sleep and, despite the fatigue, he did not hesitate to talk to us and explain how the rescue of Elisabeth Revol was developed and the reasons why it was not possible to rescue Tomek Mackiewicz

Congratulations for what you did Adam Bielecki and you ...
People have to help each other, especially climbers, and more so when it comes to someone as extraordinary as Elisabeth Revol, whom I respect a lot. It has been a unique experience to help her survive in such a delicate situation in winter in the Nanga Parbat.

You must be very tired, you have not slept yet ...
Of course. I have not drunk in 20 hours, my eyes are a bit burned by the sun, but we are also very satisfied. Now we meet Adam and I at the hotel in Skardu, resting and feeling that we have done what had to be done. Of course we are not totally satisfied because we could not help Tomek. But it has been great to be able to rescue Elisabeth Revol.

"No helicopter had landed before in this place, so close to camp 1"
Why did you make the decision to do the rescue on the Kinshofer route?
It is equipped with fixed ropes installed by commercial expeditions and, also, because this season did not have much ice, there was something, but not too much. We were able to climb so fast thanks to the fixed ropes, this allowed us to ascend without any doubt, and thus focus on climbing, climbing, climbing ...
We went with the ice axes and had to overcome some ice slopes, but we were also very lucky, because -as I told you- we found many fixed ropes in the route, and this allowed us to ascend quickly. The fixed ropes in the Kinhsoffer wall were in good condition and we were able to overcome it without any additional risk.

How much did you ascend until you reach Elisabeth? A thousand meters?
No, more ... around 1,200 meters ... What is clear is that we could not sit idly by. We had the possibility of doing it and Adam and I have been lucky enough to be able to help another person, showing that we are athletes, that we are human beings.
The helicopter left us one hundred meters below field 1, at about 4,800 meters. No helicopter had landed earlier in this place, so close to camp 1. When we approached, I was guiding the pilot and I said "If there is a possibility, leave us here" and he said "Let's try it" and he deposited us in that place. The moment the helicopter left us there was also an epic, heroic moment of this rescue.
Immediately, we begin the ascent.

"We were very lucky: we were able to use the helicopter, we were acclimatized, we had the necessary material ..."
How many hours did you delay since the helicopter left you until you got to where Elisabeth was?
About 8 hours .. It was night. We wanted to go light but we had no choice but to carry weight because we had to transport rescue material: store, medicines .... We made a great effort that we are absolutely satisfied with.
I think that any climber, in case of a similar situation, would do the same thing that Adam and I have done. We were very lucky: we were able to use the helicopter, we were acclimatized, there was a budget to carry out the rescue, we had the necessary equipment ... We just had to give our best. We had to do it.

How high did you find Elisabeth?
At six thousand meters, about fifty above camp 2. We had just passed camp 2, which is about 5,950 meters. When we arrived everything was totally dark, I could not see anything. On the radio someone told us that he had seemed to see a light descending. I started to scream-it was windy, it was a real miracle-and we heard a voice in the darkness. It was a great joy because we knew that we were close to her and that we were going to be able to help her.
She is a very strong woman who came down by herself, in a really extreme situation. He managed to descend slowly until we met.
At that moment we felt that our mission had been a success. Everything has been a miracle. The helicopter pilots landed in a truly incredible area a little below field 1 of the Nanga Parbat. This helped us a lot because it left us relatively high. Immediately we begin to ascend. And Elisabeth kept fighting until the end, descending with a very strong mentality. She is a totally incredible woman.

"We rested four hours in a very small tent in camp 2 and at 6 in the morning we started the descent"
How was Elisabeth when you found her?
It was totally destroyed, its fingers were very white, it descended to -perhaps- 20 meters an hour. She was freezing, very cold, she was very tired but, in any case, she is a very strong woman who was doing something extraordinary. A woman who can do great activities in the future because she is an authentic climber.

It has also been very important that Elisabeth had the willpower to continue descending
Yes, she is a very strong and motivated woman.

How was the descent with Elisabeth? Very difficult?
It was not difficult. We did what is normally done in a rescue operation. You have to be aware of a person who raps very tired at high altitude and this takes a long time. We rested four hours in a very small tent in field 2 and at 6 in the morning we started the descent, rappelling, always step by step; It took a lot of time but, in any case, we did it the way we have to solve this kind of situations.

How did Elisabeth spend the three nights until you rescued her?
It is better that she tell you, that she is the one who tells you her adventure.
The few hours we rested we did in a small bivouac tent for two people, but there were three of us. We gave her some water, medicine, and she was able to get some sleep sometimes leaning on me, sometimes on Adam. We were happy to be able to help this great woman and mountaineer. Adam and I did not sleep at all. The important thing was that Elisabeth slept a few hours.

Was it a tent that you found or did you bring it with you?
We went up with a very light bivouac tent. We found a very good platform to install at an altitude of 5,950 meters, in camp 2 and we could rest for a few hours, enough to heat some water and give some medicines to Elisabeth.

"We had to make a decision: either help Elisabeth survive or continue up with a very slight hope of being able to find Tomek"
How are the freezes that Elisabeth has? Very serious?
They are not terribly serious, they have frostbite, I have seen much worse ... I think it is even possible, I hope, that she can overcome them without major operations and that within a year she might be climbing normally and we can see extraordinary climbs carried out by this woman .

Where do you have the most severe freezes? On the hands or on the feet?
Regarding the feet I'm not sure, but the fingers of my hands I saw them at night. They were very white and when they started to warm up they went black, but they did not look extremely black either; It was like a shadow on the top of the fingers. I think they are not excessively serious freezes.

So the Tomek rescue was impossible at this point...
At that moment we had to make a decision: either help Elisabeth survive or continue up with a very slight hope of being able to find Tomek. We also had a very bad weather forecast for the following days. It was evident that we had to stay with Elisabeth, who was very weak, and that is why we decided to focus on helping her.
Both Adam and I are not in a position now to face the rescue of Tomek, in case anyone wants to try ... But it has been three or four days since Tomek had the problems due to altitude sickness and Elisabeth told us that he was in very bad conditions. It is very difficult to think that nobody can help you now.

Do you know if they reached the summit?
Yes, Elisabeth confirmed it to us.

Do you think Elisabeth could have survived without your help?
Miracles happen. I think she is very strong, but in the morning the force of the wind grew a lot until it became a real hurricane, and I have many doubts that the helicopters could have flown to help her at that altitude. And, also, her fingers were so bad that it was very difficult for her to rappel on the Kinshoffer wall. Our help was key.

What is your plan now?
"We want to return as soon as possible to the base camp of K2 to continue with our objective"
We have to rest one night in Skardu and then, of course, we have to return to our expedition to K2 because our goal this winter is K2. It has been a pride to be able to rescue Elisabeth in Nanga Parbat but our goal is K2.

And how are you going to return to base camp? Trekking?
No ... the helicopter will take us back to base camp. But now it is very bad weather there and we will have to stay two or three days in Skardu because it is impossible for the helicopters to fly to the base camp.

It will be good to rest ...
Yes, of course, but I can not say ... [laughs]. Our leader, Wielicki, wants to see us again in the base camp focused on the ascension of K2.

By the way, how are you planning to climb K2?
As in any expedition: we go step by step. Acclimatizing and equipping the mountain. There is a good weather forecast for the beginning of February and I believe that, step by step, we will reach the top. The team is very strong, is very motivated, we are also very strong psychologically, we are enjoying the mountain ...

You always said you did not want to go to Nanga Parbat in winter. And suddenly you have seen it in the wake of this rescue ...
Now I am on the winter expedition to K2. If later I set a goal in winter, it will be the Broad Peak and Gasherbrum 1, to acheive them in the real winter. You know my opinion: winter is December, January and February. If later I have any chance to go to Broad Peak and Gasherbrum 1 in winter I would like to go.

Metanoia (Jeff Lowe)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Jeff Lowe’s projection of Metanoia in Montreal.

Metanoia is the story of a climber ahead of his time, a man who changed visions of what was possible. He contributed to thousands of new routes be they ice, mixed or rock climbs, be they aid climbs or burly free solo ascents. It’s also a story of a man’s ability to face his own mortality through a disease. From achieving the most insane climbs to the struggle of getting in and out of his wheelchair Jeff Lowe teaches us a lesson of humility.

One of the most moving climbing films I’ve seen in a while! Apparently they’d been working on it since 2007. No wonder it was such a masterpiece. I felt like we saw a fair amount of good clear footage for an old school climber. I was impressed with all the material that they’d dug up for Metanoia. Jeff Lowe’s last project was to make this movie and to share it with as many people as possible. I believe they have done an amazing job.

The film kicks off with an overview of Jeff’s childhood and his passion for Skiing and Climbing. Very soon he starts climbing things that most people thought impossible. As the movie describes Jeff’s first wedding and the arrival of his daughter we also explore one of Jeff’s most remarkable ascents, Ama Dablam. Jeff was invited to climb Ama Dablam in Nepal, for a film by ABC. He was in charge of a team including his father and brother. Together the team reached the summit. But Jeff wasn’t satisfied. The next day he went back without the crew for the first ascent, solo, of the south face of Ama Dablam.

We later learn about Jeff’s expedition to reach the summit of Latok 1 in Pakistan. This, for him, was a more memorable route since it was an ascent he made with three of his good friends. As the team recounts the story we can feel the nostalgia. At this point we get more insight into Jeff’s life as a person. His life wasn’t as glorious as one might think. His attempt at running a business was a complete failure. His daughter feeling abandoned by her father and his affair with a famous French climber that destroyed his marriage pushed Jeff beyond his ability to cope. Jeff was on the edge.

Not knowing what to do in this situation. Jeff turned to what he always did. He chose to climb the North face of Eiger. He was to attempt something that had never been done before. He did this by himself on a 13 day fight to the top. Jeff did things few climbers would do on this ascent. He ended up leaving his rope and pack on the face. Jeff had to free solo the last part of the climb, but he reached the summit. The route was named Metanoia which is a transliteration of the Greek. It means, having a sudden change of mind. Metanoia has never been repeated until today.

Jeff Lowe started seeing signs of weakness in 2000.  Years later he was diagnosed with ALS. Most people die around 1 to 3 years after diagnosis, but as his wife Connie says: ‘’he’s always defied the odds and he’ll keep on doing it’’! It is heartbreaking to see the evolution of Jeff as his disease settles in. He accepts it and respects the difficulties of living with ALS. He appreciates all he was capable of doing in his life and sees this as just another step in life. Jeff is not only an inspiration to climbers but to all human beings.

Jeff Lowe today /  http://jeffloweclimber.com

Right after the screening of Metanoia, we were lucky enough to get a hold of Jeff and his wife Connie through Skype.

Here are a few questions we got to ask him:

Q: In your movie, we notice that you give a lot of importance to names that are given to routes. What are some of your favourite titles?

Jeff: The first thing that comes up to my mind is seamstress corner. This route reminds me of my ex-wife. It’s a really stressful climb (laughs)

Connie: I really like, Get a job asshole! This route is located in the Adirondacks. The story about this route is pretty funny. When Jeff was walking alongside the road to the cliff, a trucker drove by screaming ‘’Get a job Asshole’’! Jeff yelled back ‘’I have a job you Asshole’’!

Q: How did you come up with the name Metanoia?

Jeff: Well, I read a lot. I remember reading this word and it’s meaning for the Greeks. I liked it. Then, as I was lying there in that snow cave on Eiger it came to me!

Q: As a seasoned alpinist you’ve spent many days of your life sitting in a tent, waiting. What did you do to pass the time?

Jeff: We told lots of jokes. Oh and we had these little screens that were called bivy TV’s. It was a plastic red box no larger than a deck of cards that shuffled through photographs.

Connie: Mostly pictures of young women wearing bathing suits I think? (Laughs)

Q: In the name of injured climbers, how do go back to climbing after an injury? What are the tricks to stay positive?

Connie: To be honest, Jeff rarely got injured. He was always adjusting to the present moment and making quick decisions, like when he decided to jump and take a forty foot plunge on Eiger. I think he was pretty lucky in his career.

Jeff getting ready to solo Ama Dablam / http://jeffloweclimber.com

Jeff: I did get hurt once while rappelling with a friend and I dislocated my hip but it’s true, I didn’t get hurt often. What keeps you going though is the love. The love of climbing!

Q: As we know you were the first climber to come up with the figure-4 move. It is now used by various other ice climbers around the world. When and where did you first come up with this funky move?

Jeff: I was climbing Octopussy (mixed climb named in honour of the James Bond movie) in Vail, Colorado. The first time I tried the route, I fell. When I went back I decided to try something new. That is when the move naturally happened. I hadn’t thought about it previously. It just happened.

Jeff Lowe and Connie Self live together in Colorado. Connie helped translate Jeff’s answers as he spoke through a machine. He still released a warm and positive energy. His sense of humour hasn’t changed and he’s got an amazing wife.

For more info about Jeff Lowe, visit his website: www.jeffloweclimber.com

Article: Vincent Kneeshaw