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Monday, December 21, 2020 - 10:18

TAMARA LUNGER AND ALEX GĂVAN TO ATTEMPT THE ASCENT OF K2 – 8611M, THE LAST UNCLIMBED EIGHT THOUSAND METER PEAK IN WINTER

December 21st , 2020, Islamabad, Pakistan

Italian - Romanian partnership of Tamara Lunger and Alex Gavan is setting up to climb without supplemental oxygen K2 - 8611m, the second highest peak of the planet and the last 8000+ meter peak remaining still unclimbed during the winter season.

With the team already arrived in Pakistan, the expedition is expected to last till the end of winter. Supplemental oxygen will not be used during the climb. Their planned route will be via the Abruzzi Spur, the original line of the 1954 successful first ascent of the mountain. During their acclimatization period, between the 5000 meter high Base Camp and the summit, Tamara and Alex are intending to set up four high camps at the altitudes of 6000m, 6760m, 7350m and with the last one at almost 8000m. With the expected arrival at the Base Camp on the New Year’s Eve, they are set to start the over 100 km trek in the Karakorum mountains on the Christmas’ day, from the remote village of Askole of the Baltistan region, in the northern part of the country.

Caption-Alex-Gavan-and-Tamara-Lunger-in-Islamabad,-21-Decemner-2020_Photo-Tamara-Lunger

Alex Gavan and Tamara Lunger in Islamabad, 21 Decemner 2020 - Photo Tamara Lunger

K2 is one of the most difficult and dangerous to climb mountains in the world, having the second highest fatality rate among the 14 8000+ m peaks. Approximately one climber never returns from the mountain for every four reaching the summit. Nicknamed “The Savage Mountain”, his first winter ascent is largely regarded as one of the last great undone challenges of the current generation of high altitude climbers.

The thin air, unpredictable weather, fierce winds, extremely low temperatures, technical mixed terrain of rock and ice and the short days of the coldest of the seasons made climbers to back off in the winters of 1987/1988, 2002/2003, 2011/2012, 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. The highest point reached during winter was 7650m. At the time of writing, the real feel temperature at the summit is - 70 Celsius degrees, with wind with speed up to 70 km per hour. For the altitude of the base camp, the real feel is - 31 Celsius degrees and the winds are at a speed of 35 km per hour. Above 7500m altitude, the acclimatization become impossible and the human body is slowly dying. At the summit, each breath takes in less than a third of the oxygen of a breath at sea level.

Caption-View-from-the-summit-of-Gashebrum-1-(8080m)_-from-left-to-right-Gasherbrum-3-(7952m),-Broad-Peak-(8047m),-Broad-Peak-Middle-(8016m),-Gasherbrum-2-(8035m)-and-K2-(8611m)-_-Photo-Alex-Gavan

View from the summit of Gashebrum 1 (8080m) - from left to right Gasherbrum 3 (7952m), Broad Peak (8047m), Broad Peak Middle (8016m), Gasherbrum 2 (8035m) and K2 (8611m) - Photo Alex Gavan

Tamara Lunger is one of the only eleven women in history to have climbed K2 without oxygen. It was in 2014, when she also became the second Italian woman doing so. In 2016 she was part of the team making the historical first ascent of Nanga Parbat in winter, a mountain with no less than other thirty previous winter aaempts. She stopped 70 meters short of the summit.

She also had previously winter aaempts on Manaslu - 8156m, Gashebrum 1 - 8080m and Gasherbrum 2 - 8035m, all done together with Simone Moro. In 2018 they did the first winter ascent of Peak Pobeda - 3147m in Siberia, one of the coldest mountains on earth. She is a previous world champion at ski mountaineering and also a winner of mountain running competitions. K2 allowing, Tamara will become the first woman in history to succeed a first winter ascent of an 8000+ meter peak. Being an Italian, this would also close a circle opened 66 years ago by the first climbers to have made it to the top, Italians Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli.

Caption View from the summit of Gashebrum 1 (8080m)_ from left to right Gasherbrum 3 (7952m), Broad Peak (8047m), Broad Peak Middle (8016m), Gasherbrum 2 (8035m) and K2 (8611m) _ Photo Alex Gavan

Tamara Lunger training in Italy's mountains Photo Alice Russolo

"For weeks I thought about this project, trying to understand if it was my way, my real dream. I thought about it a lot and then I called Alex who immediately told me that he already knew the reason for my call: the proposal to climb K2 in winter together. I was impressed by this immediate connecBon and so it confirmed my choice. The lockdown changed my way of thinking and acBng. I feel I have grown personally and I understood more the power of the energies that are in each one of us and between people and that they can also influence our surroundings. It is my intenBon to approach this expediBon in a confident and calm way. I would also love to have the involvement of the people following my projects, supporBng us with their faith and sending us good energy, thoughts and vibes”. - Tamara Lunger.

Alex Gavan reached seven 8000+ m summits without supplemental oxygen:

Makalu - 8481m, First Romanian Ascent,

Gashebrum 1 - 8080m, First Romanian Ascent,

Shishapangma - 8027m, First Romanian Ascent,

Manaslu - 8153m, Second Romanian Ascent,

Broad Peak - 8047m, Second Romanian Ascent,

Cho Oyu - 8201m, Second Romanian Ascent and

Gasherbrum 2 - 8035m, Third Romanian Ascent.

Alex uses the summits of the world!s highest mountains to advance environmental causes, such as the quest against illegal logging, protecting and conserving Romania!s virgin forests, Vacaresti Natural Park, creating the Bucharest Green Belt, “Oltenia de sub mount” UNESCO Geoparc or saving the asprete, probably the world!s rarest fish. After surviving the earthquake and the Everest avalanche on April 25th 2015, together with his team he initiated "Joy for Nepal”, a humanitarian campaign that resulted in more than 300 children learning now in 3 schools built from scratch in remote Himalayan villages. This expedition also marks the first atempt of a Romanian on an 8000+ meter winter climb.

Caption Alex Gavan on the summit of Gashebrum 2 (8035m), july 2019, with Broad Peak (left, 8047m, which Alex summited back in 2014) and K2 the highest mountain visible in the background - Photo Alex Gavan

Alex Gavan on the summit of Gashebrum 2 (8035m), july 2019, with Broad Peak (left, 8047m, which Alex summited back in 2014) and K2 the highest mountain visible in the background - Photo Alex Gavan

“Tamara and myself are not here for the race of whom will be the first to the top of K2 in winter. SBll more, we are not interested in this race and we do not belong to any kind of summit rush and fever. We are not in any kind of compeBBon with other teams on the mountain but bringing our energy and equipment instead for collaboraBon to work up the route in the spirit of abundance, generosity and altruism. It is my deep belief that mountains are to be climbed not only with ice tools and crampons, which we all can have, but above everything else, with humbleness. For myself, climbing mountains outside is climbing mountains inside. To me, K2 is a great teacher and a great master which I revere, not some giganBc pile of rock to just be desecrated by a Victorian mindset of conquest. Going without supplemental oxygen is not only a choice we deem ethical but the only by fair means approach we can envision and have over this most extraordinary being, the mighty K2. For us being on his steep and icy slopes is foremost a spiritual maQer, and only secondary a climbing feat. Ascension is always from within”. - Alex Gavan

Caption View from the summit of Gashebrum 2(8035m) towards Broad Peak (8047m) and K2 (8611m, the highest mountain visible in the photo) - Photo Alex Gavan.jpg

View from the summit of Gashebrum 2(8035m) towards Broad Peak (8047m) and K2 (8611m, the highest mountain visible in the photo) - Photo Alex Gavan

The team is sharing the base camp logistics with one other expedition for efficiency reasons but other than that they have their own climbing strategy and acclimatization schedule, their own decision making on and off the mountain and even their own base camp dining tent.

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