Tragic climber was first Pole to ascend Nanga Parbat in winter
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
31.01.2018 08:30
In an expedition that ended in tragedy, Tomasz Mackiewicz became the first Pole to conquer in winter the 8,126-metre summit of Nanga Parbat, the ninth-tallest mountain in the world, his climbing partner has said.
Nanga Parbat. Photo: Atif Gulzar/Wikimedia Commons (Free Use)
Mackiewicz climbed to the peak on 25 January alongside France's Elisabeth Revol, making the pair the second expedition to conquer the mountain in winter.
Revol, who was rescued from the mountain last weekend, did not reveal the news of her triumph earlier due to distress caused by having to leave her climbing partner in a critical condition to die alone in a crevice on the mountain.
The pair experienced difficulty on their way down Nanga Parbat and called for rescue from about 7,400 metres.
Polish climbers who were at base camp on the world's second-tallest summit, K2, ahead of their winter attempt to ascend the mountain, were helicoptered in to try to save Revol and Mackiewicz.
Two Poles reached Revol as she descended the mountain and took her to base camp at 4,850 metres. She was later taken to Islamabad for treatment for severe frostbite.
Mackiewicz, who suffered frostbite and snow-blindness, was still stranded at 7,200 metres when the rescue team decided to call off the rescue due to adverse weather conditions.
The mountain was first conquered in winter on 26 February 2016 by Italy's Simone Moro, Pakistan's Ali Sadpara and Spain's Alex Txicon. (vb/pk)
Source: PAP