Surviving K2

by Wilco van Rooijen

WILCO VAN ROOIJEN: SURVIVING K2
Surviving two days in the Death Zone

In the summer of 2008 the 'Norit K2 expedition' climbed without additional oxygen the 8611 meter high peak of K2 in Pakistan. During the descent the expedition turned from triumph to tradedy. One of the biggest tradedy's in mountain climbing history. Statistical every quarter 'conqueror' will die on the "Killer Mountain". In 2008 11 climbers lost their life. The news was going over the whole world from CNN, Al-Jazeera, Sky News, BBC, New York Times etc.

Wilco van Rooijen, the Dutch expedition leader has been missing for three days and give up by the outside world. On his last strength he came back a life out of the 'Death Zone'. The 'Norit K2' Expedition 2008 paid a high price. What exactly took place that August 1, 2008? How could this tragedy have taken place?

Genres: Nonfiction, Mountaineering, Sports, Biography, Travel, Adventure, Memoir

207 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book I've read about the events on K2 in the 2008 season and its disaster and I would certainly recommend this to anyone interested in this type of climbing book. However I would equally recommend reading some of the other available books before this one to get a real overview of the situation on K2 - something that is lacking in this narrative. As others have said this is a somewhat disjointed book which at times changes time and place with little flagging.

It is quite obviously written by someone for whom English is not their first language. This makes for some perfectly correct sentences in some senses but they can seem quite odd to a native English speaker. However where I would really recommend this book is for Wilco's description of his descent from K2 - for this part of the book the narrative is very simple and very direct and all the more powerful for the simplicity of the English - a very powerful climbing narrative for this part of the book.

[Gabriël de Klerk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilco van Rooijen is van nature geen auteur, maar een avonturier, en dat maakt zijn verhaal juist zo krachtig. Dit boek is rauw, ongefilterd en doordrenkt met emoties, waarmee hij de lezer meeneemt in het verhaal van 's werelds grootste bergramp.

[Julie Young Buckler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story. An excellent read. A book hard to pause even for sleep. Such an adventure; something I will only ever read about. It's amazing and sometimes sad.

[Heleen Osse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spannend geschreven, soms door de vele details wat minder vaart, maar al met al wil je door met lezen! Hoe goed men zich ook van tevoren fysiek en mentaal kan voorbereiden, op de berg is alles anders. Bijzonder

[Barbara Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echt gebeurd. Spannend.

[David F Hetue · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe I missed something...

After going a bit over 20 percent I just did not feel l was getting a feel for what was required to make the climb. Maps,diagrams might have helped. Lots of spelling and grammar--Made me wonder if this was for real. l was really looking for an exciting story. Just was not getting. there.

[Koen De · Rating 3 out of 5]

Soms wat moeilijk geschreven met termen die ik niet gelijk begreep, dit zorgt ervoor dat het geen 4 sterren zij geworden.

Het verhaal is daarintegen erg aangrijpend! Het is waargebeurd, maar voelt bijna onwerkelijk, een aanrader als je van waargebeurde verhalen houdt.

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realities and nitty-gritties of mountaineering, in high Himaalaya, with details of dangers thereof, and effects of altitude on human body, given along with the stories of personal climbs therein - interspersed with awesome photographs and links for videos shot during the climbs.

A small correction necessary is about when author keeps giving names of, instead of the legitimate nation's, the illegal occupiers. It's akin to, say, mentioning Prague in 1940 as part of Germany. (Did anyone do that, apart from nazies?)
***

" ... After three hours I reach camp 1 at 6150 metres. I am pleased. On this section I have only heard one stone flying past. When I arrive in camp 1, I expect to be able to lie in my tent, melt snow, drink tea, eat lots of sugary sources of energy and rest for the morrow. The HAPs, however, have other ideas. Four of them are sitting in one tent drinking, relaxing and chatting. The other two are snoring in the other tent. At first I laugh about it. I realise that I have ascended quickly, and have ‘surprised’ the HAPs with my arrival. According to the agreement they should now be going up to prepare camp 2, and for the moment they show no intention of leaving. When I mention this, they appear to have suddenly changed their mind. They say the wind is blowing too hard. I wait until Ryan arrives half an hour later and notice that he also has difficulty swallowing his disappointment on the attitude of the HAPs. The plan is under threat. Ryan says it was clearly explained to them in base camp and they should stick to the agreement. At base camp the question had been asked who was motivated enough to work for the expedition. Everyone had responded enthusiastically. But now there is wind and the initial enthusiasm seems to have waned somewhat. Takhi, the responsible HAP, is in a conundrum. He knows by now that our weather forecasts are reliable and he can believe us when we say the wind will not be blowing hard. But you need to win everyone over. In any case, camp 1 simply does not have enough room for so many people. Two two-person tents have been set up on a small ledge, everyone is crammed together and there is barely room to move. Six HAPs and four climbers on this tiny ledge is not going to work. I am getting cold and want to crawl into one of the tents. Again I explain the wind may seem strong, but this is only the thermal flow up the slopes. In the afternoon the wind will settle, and evening might even be windless. The HAPs do not believe it. I start putting their gear outside the tent. Rucksacks, stoves, sleeping mats, gloves, climbing gear. Luckily, they come round, Takhi and Akbar are in favour of going up. I wonder how this ‘argument’ would have ended if they would not have budged. Finally, five of them leave and promise to return if the wind is too strong. In that case they must take two tents back down, dig a plateau and set them up in camp 1. The sixth HAP is sick and needs to descend. ... The climb was great, but I had not counted on this reluctance. Fortunately, the HAPs do not return and by around 17.00 the wind has died completely."

It never occurs to them that this surprising reluctance, after promises, isn't surprising to the locals, but counted on?
***

" ... During this part of the climb, between camp 1 and 2, you are fully aware you are on the infamous Abruzzi Ridge, from where most of the stones fall. In spite of this permanent danger I fully enjoy the ‘airy’ climb and allow myself the time to soak up the wonderful colours and enormous rock formations. The climb leads higher and higher. We reach House’s Chimney - a rock corner to the left of around 20 metres. Thierry Schmitter, part of our team in 1995, then opened the ‘Schmitter variant’; considering it easier than House’s Chimney. I want to film and let Ryan lead. I recognise the yellow band of rock and the ladder dangling there. Other climbers have told me not to trust the new rope, but to trust the old blue rope. Hats off for the very first climbers on K2, who had to climb this without rope and ladders, and did so much of the pioneering work on this enormously difficult mountain.

"We manage to scale House’s Chimney fairly easily and feel we have entered a new phase in the expedition. Another milestone. Above House’s Chimney we easily reach the always windy location of camp 2. It is a graveyard of tents. Whenever the wind picks up, this place takes a serious beating. The tents and contents of the Pakistani climbers have been blown into the abyss, as well as the tents of the Irishman, Banjo and Polish climber, Jacek. Our two three-person tents are still safe and firmly anchored.

"Déjà vu. After four hours of wonderful climbing, I run into the same thing that occurred in camp 1. The five HAPs are sitting comfortably in the tent, drinking tea and chatting. I try to stay calm."

When does West plan to learn?

Honour from pakis, unlike climbers from Nepal or Darjeeling et al, is strictly limited to within their own faith, regardless of payments and promises.

Anyone outside their creed isn't a human on par, just someone to extract from, until he can no longer serve that purpose - and that's about human males! Rest are not even supposed, as per the paki creed, to possess souls, therefore not worthy of consideration any more than animals or furniture. Indeed, latter may be valued far more.
***

"A three-person tent is available, but only two thirds of it is anchored down on the snow and ice, while one third hangs in the air as a result of the incline. It’s the same old song, the porters are refusing to climb to the next camp, and once again they are complaining about the strong wind. The wind in camp 2 is more of a rule than an exception, because this area is located beneath an enormous mass of rock, from where the route ascends steeply. This time, the porters are refusing to move and this means that four of us will have to share the three-man tent. Due to the incline this is effectively only a two-man tent. There is no other option as there is no room to set up the two lightweight tents. Our tents are here, along with the Italians’ broken tent, and Russians’ and Antoine’s tent. Tomorrow Antoine will climb with us to camp 3, along with the five HAPs. We resign ourselves to the situation, and prepare for a restless night."

A Sherpa would have behaved far more honourably, but abrahmic West has blinkers, preferring abrahmics - who do not return the favour of considering them equals, despite being paid for promised services.
***

"The next morning, we awake, all four of us having slept badly due to the lack of space. On the up side, it wasn’t cold. As predicted, the wind settled in the afternoon and remained calm throughout the night. Another confirmation that we can rely on the weather forecasts from the home front. Today we will focus on climbing the ‘Black Pyramid’. Takhi, the leader of the HAPs, is sick and descends. Four other HAPs are climbing to camp 3 and hopefully on to camp 4. The four remaining HAPs leave early and that pleases me. They just want to arrive at camp 3 on time. That is a good sign. I am the first to leave after the HAPs, and ninety minutes later am climbing in the crux. The Black Pyramid is a massive, black pyramid of rock that blocks any further view of K2. You must first pass it in order to see where you are going. It is pure rock climbing, around 1000 metres, with a band of rock that is similar to House’s Chimney. A nice climb. The first passage rises over 30 metres vertically. There are old ropes here and a wobbly, ladder attached to steel cables. Luckily there are no other climbers. Ryan is climbing below me, and Gerard below him. I wait for Ryan so I can also photograph and film this passage. Ryan doesn’t feel like going first, but does anyway. He slowly but competently struggles through the crux on the Black Pyramid, with his heavy pack on. I follow and find out that this passage is a lot harder than House’s Chimney. It is a long day, it’s cloudy and occasionally the view of the route to camp 3 completely disappears from view. I still trust the weather forecasts that say the cloud will disappear higher up and the wind will fall. Once we have passed Black Pyramid, we climb out of the rocks and go onto the ice on the glacier.

"We meet the first two HAPs on their way down. That was quick. We ask how far the climb to camp 3 is, they have dropped their loads – ropes, oxygen bottles and tents. They smile and say it’s another two hours. We climb on finally past the last two HAPs. We reach a narrow extension of the final rock ledge and discover two lengths of each at least 100 metres of rope. Ryan decides to take up one roll and I the other. We climb on, over the ice on the glacier at the bottom of K2’s shoulder. I think I can see the end point where camp 3 should be. Strange, it’s in the middle of a slope that disappears two-and-half kilometres into the depths below. Not the greatest place for a tent. We soon find out what has happened. The HAPs have just dropped their loads in the middle of the flank. Every day the HAPs have another wonderful surprise in store for us. I plump down next to the stocks and wait for the rest. Gerard arrives first, he grunts at this new setback, braces himself, picks up the three-person tent and some ice axes and ties the whole bunch onto his heavy rucksack. I follow his example and take what I can carry. I leave the three oxygen bottles for flowing climbers. I later hear that Ryan and Mick also leave behind the oxygen because they cannot make it. I see Antoine climbing ahead of Gerard. He left earlier, but I can see that he is completely exhausted. He climbs ten metres and then leans on his ice axe. His tongue is hanging from his mouth. But it has to be said, he is tough. He keeps climbing and is the first to reach camp 3. Camp 3 stands at a corner of the glacier, with a view of the Godwin Austen Glacier, 2.5 kilometres below us. A truly amazing sight. Looking carefully, one can see the pin-head that is our base camp. Above us is the extension of the shoulder of K2, with an enormous serac zone in front. We will leave this task for tomorrow. We will build up our camp first and then rest. It’s fairly late, and it’s been a long day. The last two HAPs arrive with Ryan and Mick. Akbar, one of the porters, is a good guy. We ask him to stay so he can climb with us tomorrow. He agrees.

"Later on we will find out what the real reason was why the two HAPs did not take up the gear to camp 3, but left it 250 metres lower. Apparently, later that day, they did an extra job for the French-Canadian expedition leader. They had double work to do. And apparently the fact that we had already hired them, paid them well and were busy on our summit attempt, did not really interest them. Yes, market forces also apply on K2. The one who pays the most, gets the most done. There goes your good intentions and delicate strategy. A shame, but that’s the way it is. We wonder whether we can call this progress…."

No, it's neither market nor progress, but the unreliability of pakis, completely opposite that of Sherpas.

The former can cheat for whim, too, not just because someone else paid more.
***

" ... I stare at a frightening abyss. Black rocks to my left and right, but no exit, and a fathomless abyss and clouds below me. The decision is simple, because climbing up in this condition is impossible. Fool’s world, I traverse across the dangerously steep rocks and each time I pass them, I hope to see a way out. But it’s getting very hard. I am scared and start hesitating. If the face gets any steeper, I will be trapped and never get out alive. I don’t have the strength to climb up again. If the path is closed, then it’s over. I realise that one small mistake or slip will be fatal."

" ... I cannot keep this up. I am dead tired, and am bound to slip somewhere. After having descended and traversed a hundred metres, I collapse. The terrain is too dangerous and too difficult. I cannot see a safe escape. I know that I am trapped. No one can help me at this time. I use the satellite phone to make another call, but the batteries are too cold and empty. It cannot make a connection. No one knows where I am, no helicopter can fly at this altitude. God, I feel so alone. ... "

And yet they fail to realise that Eastern Himaalaya has better survival for a good reason, or that it's a simple matter of perception - that's to begin with, if not all. Of Himaalaya being Abode of Gods, not only of snow that's inherent in the name Himaalaya. And the reverence Himaalaya has in hearts of not only India but all nations contiguous to Himaalaya, whether Tibet or Nepal or Bhutan, has a relevance in this matter.

Attitude of disdain and worse that abrahmics hold, for everything not explicitly ordered revered in their one book, gets progressively worse from Abrahmic-I to Abrahmic-II to Abrahmic-III, and they still fail to understand why K2 is unforgiving.

Nor have they learned from the dual horrendous events of tsunami and subsequent landslides in Kashmir.

And this lack of perception remains through the powerful dawning of a "God, I feel so alone.", so firmly hammered in are the blinkers of the abrahmic creeds. It's only an arrogance that forces them to ignore a fact known yo well over a billion - that India sees Himaalaya as a helper in spiritual attainments, and this includes all creeds purely Indian in source and spirit.
***

" ... Of course non-climbers have a different way of responding to certain situations than climbers do. Particularly in emergencies it is all or nothing. There's often not sufficient enough time for rational thinking or taking action. In situations of life-and-death, choices and decisions often need to be made in a split-second. These decisions are often made, in part, based on knowledge, but particularly based on experience. And even if it doesn't depend on a single decision, then you will still see a dramatic worsening of the situation due to the facts on which inexperienced people base their decisions. As an organizer or expedition leader you will then have to intervene and sometimes need to make unpleasant decisions. The most obvious one that can be easily understood, for example, is the turn-around time. Before you set off everyone understands the importance of starting the descent when faced with the onset of bad weather approaching. But from my own experience I do know how difficult it is to actually turn around, as often you have been going up already for a considerable time and feel like you have almost made the top. These are "unpopular" decisions that people will often continue to talk about. But emotions and reason should be clearly separated in the mountains.

"The big challenge in mountaineering is that the summit is only a halfway point. Inexperienced people do not see it this way and consider it as being a match that finishes on the top. The way down is a part that one tends to forget about and in a kind of "tunnel vision"— which increases with the height one attains, as there is less oxygen for the brain and muscles to function normally— one wants to reach the top of the world at all cost! All energy and forces are being spent on the way up, but in this blind ambition one easily tends to forget about the descent. Only by increasing your level of experience you'll be able to correctly assess your strength and from that point onward you can try, step by step, to go a little higher. But what is it that often happens? People buy into a Himalayan expedition and immediately try to attempt Mount Everest. Bottled supplemental oxygen is being relied upon for the ascent and it is all too often suggested that with oxygen it is no problem to scale the peak, because the height of the summit will be lowered to approximately 6000 meters. Acclimatization is said to be not as important as it used to be, and the logistics for ropes, oxygen bottles, tents, food, stoves, fuel and the rest, has all been taken care of. When an inexperienced climber hears that he is progressing too slowly, but that he has only a few hundred meters more to go to the top, this person will absolutely not acknowledge the fact that he really should descend. On the way down he will be confronted with a shortage of oxygen, as well as with the extreme decrease in temperature once the sun dips behind the horizon. This is not an inconceivable scenario as, unfortunately, it is happening all too often.

"From the perception and emotions from the side of the customer, in a way, it is understandable; he invested in this with his training, his time and his money. But, rationally speaking, the only correct decision is to turn around in time and to start the descent. One can only hope that there will always be expedition leaders who have the courage to make this decision. Even when this would mean that you will often be called a heartless person afterwards."
***

"No one could have suspected that, after having reached the summit with eighteen people, it would go so horribly wrong on the descent. There was not a single cloud in the sky], the weather was perfect and it seemed like a routine job; back to the fixed ropes, clip-in and just follow the lines down to Camp 4. That was what it looked like from an objective perspective but, all of a sudden, this scenario had been changed and the carefully built construction collapsed like a house of cards."

"Yes, the mountains really put someone in their place. In the mountains we experienced how insignificant we are and I think that's the right perspective. We think we can achieve a lot, but nature is so much more powerful. You can feel that in the mountains. Because of that magnificence and splendour, the overwhelming vistas, the heights, the different dimensions and proportions, the primeval forces, these all make you humble and ensure that you'll see it in the right perspective and respect the bigger scheme of things. I do believe there is more to it than can be explained by the laws of Isaac Newton, because they aren't sufficient enough to explain the world around us. I do believe that there must be something more powerful and grander than just our puny creatures."
***

" ... We have had many discussions, for example, about what type of ice axes we should take. Do you go for the extremely light ones (not the best), long ones, short ones, etc. This often depends on your personal preferences, on your climbing skills and level of experience. This also applies to the choice of crampons, helmet, goggles, backpack and shoes. The choice of rope was also an essential one. At extreme altitude the use of rope is often abandoned, because it's too heavy. We have been trying to find a rope that was light enough and ....

[Karin Muller · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a riveting story. But the book is obviously written by a non-English and should have been edited by an editor or, at the least, corrected by a translator before publishing. The language is distracting from the narrative, which is a shame because the story is compelling enough.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a decent book. I enjoyed it. There are lots of typos and typesetting errors and sometimes the translation is clunky but in this book that didn’t bother me for some reason. If you like these kinds of books and you can overlook the textual issues it is worth reading.

[René P. Bosman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overleven op de K2 is het fascinerende ooggetuigenverslag van een van de weinige beroepsavonturiers die Nederland rijk is!

Een op de vijf bergbeklimmers die de top van de K2 probeert te halen, overleeft dat avontuur niet. Toch probeerden zeventien klimmers uit verschillende internationale teams in augustus 2008 deze gevaarlijke berg te beklimmen. Een team met daarin de Nederlanders Wilco van Rooijen en Cas van de Gevel behaalde de top, met expeditiegenoten Gerard McDonnell, een Ier,en Pemba Gyalje Sherpa, een Nepalees. Terwijl zij zich opmaakten voor de afdaling voltrok zich een ramp.

[danni smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tragic

This book is a very personal story about the Elite climbing world..the "8000-ers"..Much of it described in painfully honest words .It details primarily the Authors-own experiences with K2 and his journey to finally summit..but equally important he pays homage with deep respect to comrades who lost life doing what they loved. I was moved by the story, I found myself gripped with fear as the Author struggled to find his way out of a seemingly hopeless and life-threatening situation.
Still I found myself constantly referring to a dictionary to decipher certain terms or words used in that elite world of climbers...then again I suppose this book was written for these brave people who cannot resist the pull of these mighty peaks, as it should be.



..

[Marilyn Rhea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid book. It provided a lot of background information on what exactly is involved in climbing K2. It reads well and the
story flows nicely. There were 100 climbers that lost their lives in 2008 in their attempt to conquer this mountain. I wish there had been a little bit more offered on the individuals and the trials they faced, and also the mistakes that were made, that resulted in this tragic loss of life. I would recommend this to anyone that likes to read about people trying to achieve seemingly impossible goals.

[Piet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating but for an outsider, it is clear that climbing such a mountain is Russian roulette. You have to be in perfect shape and master of your skill, but then it is the mountain that decides whether you make it or not. Still some of the decisions taken on the mountain surprise me given those odds, like going to the top and building some of your return strategies on the hope that... Which is given the environment of k2 sure that it will go wrong. But heroes they are.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very difficult to maintain interest in this book -- managed 17% according to my kindle. It reads like a personal journal that has been translated so the grammar is sometimes off and the narrative is slow. Having read other books about the 2008 expedition on K2, I know it was a terrifying and tragic year. However, I never felt invested in the story reading this book so I decided to move onto others.

[Jyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you rate a book about a mans survival of a mountain that claims 1 out of 4 people that climb it. I learned so much about the process of ascending this great mountain, the mental and physical strength of the climbers, the dangers and tragedies that climbers face, some history of climbing and what is in the head of a man that climbed and survived K2. Great read.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reaching the top of the K2 in 2008, Wilco got lost on his way back down and was missing for 3 days. He managed to get back to a base camp and survived. Sadly 11 climbers who were climbing with him, died on the Killer Mountain.

A good and moving book. Knowing that 1/4 of the climbers will die on the mountain makes me wonder why someone wants to climb it.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I usually enjoy books an climbs on large mountains, this one didn't have that same feeling of adventure and danger that I usually feel when I read this type of book. It can't be the climb as it was filled with treacherous moments, but the narrative just didn't capture my imagination. It was an okay read, but not terribly as gripping as a topic like this normally can be.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This is a great book and an inspiring author. As I was finishing up the book, I watched The Summit on Amazon Prime. I am not a climber but I am fascinated by the thought of climbing the tallest mountains in the world. I’m even more enthralled by the people who do the climbing.

[Frans Reitsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinerend hoe je helemaal niet stilstaat bij het feit dat het beklimmen van een berg een project van een aantal maanden is. Op de 1 of andere manier dacht ik dat je wachtte op het juiste moment en dan naar boven klom. Lees dit boek en je weet dat het verhaal anders is.

[Tommie Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelent book!

I have read many many books on mountain climbing, and this is one of the very best. Would recommend it to any and all who are interested in the subject. You won't be a to put th book down once you start reading it.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spannend, intrigerend en angstaanjagend verhaal over een zeer gevaarlijke klimonderneming. Geen groot schrijver m.i. maar je wilt wel doorlezen, vooral omdat het zo ongelooflijk is wat mensen voor gevaren opzoeken en aankunnen en niet aankunnen.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Wilco's 3rd attempt at climbing K2 in 2008. He includes excerpts of his previous two attempts which I think is helpful to understand his obsession to summit "The Savage Mountain."

[Nena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book for someone whose favorite movie is "Vertical Limit". Well written account of climbing one of the tallest mountains on earth and the tragedies that have befallen non-professional climbers who do the climb "because it's there".

A great read!

[Mikmakkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aangrijpend, een mens is amper opgewassen tegen het natuurgeweld van de K2

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally love a good climbing story. This one seemed choppy, the main story is constantly interrupted by flashbacks of other climbs. Got it free from Amazon.

[Deepak Parthiban · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent read on adventures on k2. Could have been more detailed.

[Kerry Lawrene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truly a tragic story.

[Sigrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spannend en emotioneel verhaal, maar erg veel taalkundige fouten!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

This book was very useful informative without being boring. You get a detailed account of climbing K2. As well as an in-sitenot what can go wrong.