Iñigo de Pineda fell down a cliff to the glacier 1,000 meters below duriing descent on Kangchenjunga. Image of the mountain courtesy of FEEC (click to enlarge).
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Iñigo de Pineda lost on Kangchenjunga
Posted: May 28, 2007 06:59 am EDT
(MountEverest.net) Spaniard Iñigo de Pineda fell to his death from the upper sections of Kangchenjunga, most likely after reaching the summit together with Oscar Cadiach.
The events are still sketchy, and no exact date has been provided, although the facts have been reported straight via sat-phone by the expedition leader, Oscar, to Catalan Mountaineering Federation. According to the accounts, Iñigo and Oscar set up a bivouac at 8,200 meters during their summit push on Kangchenchunga. The rest of the team had previously retreated since conditions were reportedly bad.
Summit yet to be confirmed
On the following morning, the two men proceeded up until a few meters short from the summit. It is not clear whether this means that the climbers eventually turned back, or they actually “summited,” since most Kangchenjunga climbers stop some meters away from the highest point out of religious respect (it is a sacred mountain according to Hinduism’s beliefs).
It was on the way down, when Iñigo fell down a cliff to the glacier 1,000 meters below. De Pineda’s body couldn’t be retrieved; meanwhile Oscar has joined the rest of the expedition in BC.
Oscar Cadiach’s Spanish team, formed by climbers from Catalonia and the Basque Country, was the only expedition attempting Kangchenjunga this season. Oscar was teaming up with Patxi Goñi, Julen Requeta, Fernando Rubio, and Iñigo de Pineda.
Iñigo de Pineda, born in Barcelona, had previously summited Cho Oyu and Shisha Central, plus Aconcagua, Elbrus, and Kilimanjaro.
Oscar Cadiach has taken part in 5 expeditions to Everest, reaching the summit twice (once from each side). Cadiach has also climbed Nanga Parbat, Shisha Pangma, Makalu and Lhotse. He opened the route 'Free Tibet' on Cho Oyu and did a new route on Broad Peak central.
Cadiach was also the leader of the "Tarragona Magic Line Expedition 2004." The Catalans were the most exciting expedition during summer of 2004. The team accomplished the first repetition of K2’s Magic Line… but there was much more to it than that. They were the only ones to try a rescue party when two climbers went missing on the Abruzzi Spur route while their own climbing mates hurried home.
At midnight local time, on August 17th 2004, Jordi Corominas reached the top of K2 through the Magic Line, accomplishing the first repetition after a Polish/Slovak team in 1986. Oscar Cadiach and Manel de la Matta turned around from their camp at 8100 m on the morning of August 16. Manel fell ill in C1 at 6400, and died hours later.
The climb was awarded the Best Expedition of 2004 by ExplorersWeb.
Last year, Cadiach opened a new route on Baltoro's Cathedral Towers and led a team on an attempt on GI.
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