Òscar Cadiach and the rest of the expedition to Kangchenjunga terminate successfully the descent

The expedition had to send a rescue group after a heavy storm while Cadiach began to trace way back alone

Kanchenjunga
Photography of mendiak eta merriak

Updating the chronicle which "K2 Guies de Muntanya" emitted on 26, we take up the story. Contrary to what we announced, it was not possible to Oscar to begin the descent towards base camp on May, 26th. As reported the website Mendiak eta Herriak that day at 13:20h local time in Nepal, an arctic cyclone, with winds of 100km per hour and gusts of snow, covered the base camp and buried the tent of the expedition, resulting in about six feet thick of snow. This storm took up Oscar by surprise, who was alone at camp 3.

Yesterday, at 10 am, two helicopters arrived at the base bamp. One of them took Lasa, Zerain, Garra and Fernández to Kathmandu and in the other arrived four muntain guides with oxygen and other materials, ready to leave immediately to the camp 1. At base camp there were Goñi, Reketa and Pafang. Patxi Goñi also reported that Òscar Cadiach had already descended to camp 2 and that, despite the fatigue, was good: "[...] It is much more lively and, despite feeling very weak, he is much more serene and quiet", commented Goñi in his blog.

At five in the afternoon (Nepal time), Goñi announced that Cadiach had started crossing the plateau between camps 1 and 2, and then four sherpas plus two other persons had not yet arrived to the camp 1. As Goñi says his blog, the trace had to be opened by the sherpas, with the aggravating factor that the approximation was urgent and there was not a clearly marked route. The plateau had one meter of snow and it was important to open the way along difficult cracks in the snow. At 18:45h Goñi informed that Cadiach had already reached the camp 1, and with the assistance of the high mountain sherpas, had finished crossing the plateau. According to Goñi, they felt able to continue the descent, thus attain the base camp in the the same day at the evening. So, three hours ahead of schedule, Cadiach and the sherpas reached the base camp. I was exactly yesterday at half past seven in the afternoon.

Today, at 1:15h pm (Nepal time), Goñi, Reketa and Cadiach have reached the village of Ramtze, at 4110 meters high, after eight hours of descent through the Kangchen's glacier. Tomorrow they will march to Tortong (2995m). As planned by the program, they'll reach Kathmadú at June 3th, to take the flight back the next day. The other expedition members, which were taken to Kathmandu yesterday, are still there. Among them, Koke Lasa, who suffered a pulmonary edema at basecamp days before the arctic cyclone, and now is good.

The expedition has suffered all kinds of adversity. This chronicle makes clear that the weather was crucial. But also what Goñi companion and himself had suffered, and the difficult situation that Òscar overcame in the camp 3. Despite not having reached the peak, the peak this expedition has achieved is maybe the most important of them, the one of the effort and the support among expeditionaries.

Tarragona, 28th may 2009

Sources:
Mendial eta Herriak
Bloc de Patxi Goñi