Posted: Mar 07, 2006 10:00 am EST
(K2Climb.net) Every year, a large number of trekkers walk up the Baltoro Valley up to K2's BC. Once at the foot of the 'Savage mountain', it's easy to dream of climbing up its sharp ridges - but very few walkers really consider the possibility of going any further, ever.

Daring to dream higher

Canadian Ian Bergeron was one of those wide-eyed trekkers watching K2 from BC back in 2004. He too dreamed of climbing the peak someday - and it stuck with him long after he got back home. Ian also made some good friends in BC that year, which was packed with climbers for K2's 50th anniversary.

Two years on, his dream is now a reality: Ian is preparing for his return to K2 this summer - as a climber. He tells ExWeb his story of how one trekker will return a climber. Here is Ian's report:

Magic friends

"On my way to K2 Base Camp in 2004 I met amazing people, most noticeably Spaniard Oscar Cadiach and the K2 Magic Line team. Upon my return I wrote a trip report for ExplorersWeb and followed the remainder of The Magic Line team’s climb thru your website. I followed with anticipation their progression and, like everyone, felt totally powerless when I learned of the death of team-member Manel de la Matta.”

“This trip was also the start of a new friendship with Oscar. In 2005 I traveled to Spain and had the chance to climb with him. Later in the year, he came to Montreal, Canada, for the FIFAM (Montreal’s Adventure Film Festival) and we got the chance to climb together again."

One thing leads to another

"The FIFAM also got me in touch with Maxime Jean and Mario Dutil, climbers from Quebec. The duo already had in the works a trip to K2 for a summit bid thru the Abruzzi Spur route. Between movies at the FIFAM we talked about mountains, the Baltoro, the Baltis, etc. Oscar shared some advice with Mario and Maxime. Later I offered my services as photographer and cameraman to the K2 team.”

“After some talks, they agreed to include me in the team! My role will be as a support/backup climber, photographer, cameraman and local media relations. Having the chance to go back in the Karakorum is great; to do it as a climber is even better.”

“A medical student might also accompany us during our journey, and we hope to bring a bit of relief to the regions touched by the 2005 quake. Our efforts might be small, but small is still better than nothing. To this day, I’m still evaluating what kind of help would be meaningful and what are our possibilities.”

Meeting up with Oscar again

Moreover, Ian will have the chance to meet up with Oscar Cadiach again in Pakistan, since the Catalan climber has his own climbing plans in the Karakorum. Soon we will update on the Magic Line team leader’s goals this summer.

Oscar Cadiach, the head of the "Tarragona Magic Line Expedition 2004" has done 5 expeditions to Everest, two of which reached the summit. 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.

The Catalans were the most exciting expedition in the summer of 2004. Basically, they 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 17, 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.

 EMAIL   PRINT   SHARE   TEXT