K2 South: Catalans trying to get to 8300 meters

Update 8/15/2004 e-mail from the expedition to everestnews.com: Yesterday the climbers had problems installing the camp 4 at Torre Casarotto but finally they installed it successfully. Today Òscar Cadiach and Jordi Coromines are trying to open the way to arrive at 8.300 meters. This is the most difficult part of the ascent and the point where the mytic Casarotto decided to go back. Manel de la Matta is waiting in camp 4. The attack to the summit will be probably on Monday morning. Another climber, Valentí Giró, is in camp 3 preparing a possible exit of the way.

Pictures Copyright©Magic Line Expedition 2004

Update 8/14/2004: The last one, say Òscar Cadiach, Manel de la Matta and Jordi Coromines today has been at 8100 meters in the Magic Line, on the place called Torre Casarotto where they rested for a while. Good psico but no news about their plans. According to www.elsesports.net

Update 8/12/2004: Oscar, Manel and Jordi Corominas have gone from base camp (5,100 m.) to camp 2 (6,900 m.) amid strong winds and no visibility.  They left at 17:30 and arrived to camp 1 in Negrotto Col (6,400 m.) around 2 in the morning.  Rested a few hours and arrived to camp 2 around 9 in the morning.  At 15:45 they got to "their" camp 2 where they melted snow after getting inside their sleeping bags.

At 18:30 they have communicated with base camp.  They are fine and will try to go to Camp 3, in the Pulpit, at 7,500 m, tomorrow. They are waiting for the winds to recede, as the forecasts say.   If the weather permits, they will get to Camp 3 to see if their tent has resisted, since they installed it on July 28 in the Pulpit.

K2 from the South is about empty, but the Catalans remain attempting the Magic Line.  We have not talked much about them, so a little background: Oscar Cadiach, Everest climber, has been to Everest 5 times, one of them with TVE's "Al filo de lo imposible". Manel de la Matta, mountain guide, Economist; Jordi Tosas, mountain guide; Jordi Corominas, mountain guide; Valen Giró, International Relations, consultant.

The Catalans appear to be headed up for their summit attempt this weekend.

They are reporting in on several Catalans web sites, if anyone knows Catalan let us know and we can give you the URl's....

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