The Magic Line expedition had no film crew - luckily, team leader Oscar Cadiach is an experienced high-altitude camera man. The expedition's documentary "The Other Face of K2" was awarded the Adventure Mountain Prize at the Montreal Adventure Film Festival. Image of Oscar and Edurne Pasaban in K2 BC last year, courtesy of the Tarragona K2 Magic Line 2004 team.
Besides the challenge of flying over Everest, Angelo also did research on the Himalayan Eagle, a migratory prey bird, during the expedition. D’Arrigo is now preparing another bird adventure - the first free flight over Aconcagua. Image courtesy of Angelo d'Arrigo.
The Catalans were the coolest expedition in the summer of 2004. Whilst the world celebrated the 1954 'K2 conquerors' in the 50th anniversary of the climb; the Catalans instead celebrated Walter Bonatti’s birthday. And yeah, they accomplished the first repetition of K2's Magic Line. Image courtesy of the Tarragona K2 Magic Line 2004 team.
Last year, Italian Angelo D’Arrigo astonished Everest climbers by soaring over them in his hang glider when they were on the summit ridge! For that, his expedition was awarded among the top greatest in the world in 2004. Image of Angelo nearing Everest courtesy of Angelo d'Arrigo.
LINKS
|
Over Everest and the Magic Line win Montreal film festival
Posted: Nov 02, 2005 09:54 am EST
Two of the 2004 ExplorersWeb award winners, Over Everest and Magic Line, continue to be celebrated. Both teams won top prizes in Montreal past weekend.
The teams not only took on last year's boldest challenges, they also managed to work tech and shoot video footage on the expeditions, which permitted ExplorersWeb to edit cool video-clips on both adventures as they unfolded (check links section).
Angelo and Richard had a film crew with them and the Magic guys, well, they did it all themselves. Team leader Oscar Cadiach proving he is not just a great climber, but also a seasoned high-altitude cameraman. After the expeditions, the guys edited their own documentaries.
A Magic flight
Flying Over Everest documents Angelo d’Arrigo and Richard Meredith-Hardy's dare-devil flight over Everest in a microlight towing a hang glider. People on the summit of Everest and down in BC couldn't believe their eyes when they spotted the wings soaring in the thin air, the pilots waving at them before the tow line broke off catapulting Angelo to the base of the Pyramid on Everest South side. It all ended well and Angelo is now preparing a flight 10,000 feet over Aconcagua (check yesterday's story), to be documented by National Geographic.
A magic climb
Only months later, in the midst of a K2 anniversary frenzy on the normal route, ExWeb zeroed in on a small Catalan team, camped on The Other Face of K2 - the Magic Line.
The guys planted a Jolly Roger flag in their lonely BC, and dedicated their expedition to one of the true, but unsung heroes of mountaineering - Walter Bonatti - immediately separating themselves from the K2 crowd. Through their daily, brutally honest dispatches, and their awesome pictures, we felt closer than ever to the ice gullies and mighty walls of K2. We shared their triumph (Jordi Corominas summited at midnight after a 24-hour epic ascent), and their tragedy (Manel de la Matta died in Camp 1).
“Flying over Everest” won the Adventura Grand Prize, and ”The Other Face of K2” (Magic Line) was awarded the Adventura Mountain Prize at the Montreal Adventure Film festival last weekend.
Last year, Italian Angelo D’Arrigo astonished Everest climbers by soaring over them in his hang glider when they were on the summit ridge! For that, his expedition was awarded 3rd place among the 8 Best of ExplorersWeb in 2004.
Besides the challenge of flying over Everest, Angelo also did research on the Himalayan Eagle, a migratory prey bird, during the expedition. D’Arrigo is now preparing another bird adventure. It will involve the first free flight over Aconcagua - the highest peak of the American continents.
At 0:00 hours on August 17th 2004, Jordi Corominas reached the summit of K2 after climbing the last section of the Magic Line solo. It was the first repetition of one of the most difficult routes on K2. Jordi made it thanks to his team members Oscar Cadiach, Jordi Corominas, Jordi Tosas, Manel de la Matta and Valen Giró's determination, team-work and climbing skills. Sadly, Manel died on descent, probably due to peritonitis.
The head of the "Tarragona Magic Line Expedition 2004" was Oscar Cadiach, who has done 5 expeditions to Everest, 2 of which reached the summit. Cadiach has also climbed Nanga Parbat, and opened the route 'Free Tibet' on Cho Oyu as well as a new route on Broad Peak central. He has also climbed Shisha Pangma, Makalu and Lhotse.
|
