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Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 3:02 pm
by RamonMM
Hi everyone, this is my very first post on this forum, so I hope I'm doing this at the right section.

I'm brazilian, so forgive me for eventual english grammar mistakes or something.

I'm a lot into high-altitude climbing, and I'd like to know whether if, among those climbers who have climbed all 14 Eight-Thousand Meter Peaks without bottled oxygen - which wikipedia says there have been 13 so far - which of them have done so like this:

1- Without having gotten frostbitten at all

2- Without having been caught by an avalanche (and survived, obviously)

3- Without having fallen into a crevasse

4- Without having to bivouack over-night on the death zone

I'm pretty sure that Ed Viesturs has ticked off numbers 1 and 4, and 99% sure number 3. I'm also sure he has not ticked off number 2, for he was caught in an avalanche on K2 in 1992, but managed to self-arrest him and his mate, Scott Fischer.

So, do you guys know if any of those 13 guys did pull off such an achievement?

Thank you everyone!

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:27 pm
by WyomingSummits
Possibly.....but I doubt it. To climb at that level you tend to climb ALOT....the law of averages catches up to you eventually.

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 4:28 pm
by WyomingSummits
I can GUARANTEE Messner ran into some frostbite!

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sat Apr 27, 2013 5:42 pm
by RamonMM
Yes, your right, Messner is one of the ones I also do know got some frostbite. I think on the toes. It was in Nanga Parbat, when his brother died (1970). I know Juanito lost all his toes in K2. So the list keeps narrowing down...

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:45 am
by Damien Gildea
Ramon,

No one here, or on any web forum anywhere, could possibly answer this for you. The only way is to get the 13 climbers, subtract from the list the ones you know experienced one of your four factors, then email the remaining climbers and ask them.

If you don't count deliberate bivouacs on the way up the route, then Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner may be one of the contenders for experiencing none of your four factors?

Messner fell in a crevasse on the way up to the North Col on his 1980 solo of Everest.

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:37 am
by RamonMM
hmm.. maybe you're right, Damien... I dunno, I thought this could be a little more widespread content among people into eight-thousanders and stuff. but to ask everyone now is impossible, because Loretan died 2 years ago =(.

but probably writers who are experts in mountaineering should be able to answer that.

now that you've said that, I've thought of sending an e-mail to Ed Viesturs and ask him that. he may know because he's so conservative.. problem is he probably won't answer some ordinary guy.. =P

anyway, how do you know Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner have never fallen into a crevasse, for instance? if you know that about her without having asked her, maybe it's possible to find out about the others without having to ask them too, I guess.

thanks for your reply!

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:37 am
by radson
I also think it would be difficult over a matter of degree. Not all avalanches, crevasses and frostbite are created equal. Does a fall into a slot/pocket, a bit of a dusting and a touch of frost nip count. Where do you draw the line?

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:14 pm
by RamonMM
Good point, Radson. I created the topic more like thinking something like:

Is it possible to climb the 14 8 thousanders and not get into something evilish perilous, given you're both experienced, prudent, strong and skilled?

But I think maybe my topic was kinda pointless indeed... high-altitude mountaineering is and always will be dangerous...

(I think the thing that bugs the hell out of me is that the only reason Ed didn't get through all four requirements I set up above in the first post is because he was caught in an avalanche in a rescue mission, climbing in a situation he normally wouldn't have, like he's said so many times...)

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:58 pm
by gert
Damien Gildea wrote:Ramon,
If you don't count deliberate bivouacs on the way up the route, then Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner may be one of the contenders for experiencing none of your four factors?



Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner barely survived an avalanche on Dhaulagiri!

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:04 pm
by Damien Gildea
gert wrote:
Damien Gildea wrote:Ramon,
If you don't count deliberate bivouacs on the way up the route, then Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner may be one of the contenders for experiencing none of your four factors?



Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner barely survived an avalanche on Dhaulagiri!


Yes, that's right, I had forgotten that - which is bad, because I wrote about it in an article, as two Spanish climbers were killed by the same avalanche, and a friend of mine was also narrowly missed.

See, Ramon - this shows how hard it is for anyone to keep track of all such things! ;-)

Re: Eight-thousanders without oxygen

PostPosted: Thu May 16, 2013 9:19 am
by ibelieveindevil
seriously this struck me as a topic by itself.... I am not sure what you are trying to bring out Ramon, but i got to say, of all the 13 climbers, i believe none of them will tell your that climbing an 8000er is not dangerous.