Muztagh Tower update: Miskovic stuck at 5,400m in a storm - choppers and rescuers still grounded
File image of Dejan Miskovic, currently at 5,400 meters on Muztagh Tower, courtesy of the Slovenian expedition's website (click to enlarge).
Three members of a Slovenian team led by Ales Cesen have been airlifted from K7 in order to help Dejan down. Image of one of the Cesen brothers courtesy of Ales Cesen's website (click to enlarge).
Fellow Slovenian Tomaz Humar may join the rescue labors, according to Askari Aviation. Image of Tomaz courtesy of his website (click to enlarge).
Disaster struck earlier this week for the Slovenian team on Muztagh Tower (7,273m): Gregor was evacuated on August 19th, Dejan is still stuck up on the wall, and leader Pavle Kozjek reportedly fell to his death. Image of Muztagh Tower by Kogo on Wikipedia Commons (click to enlarge).
09:05 am CDT Aug 27, 2008
(K2Climb.net) Stranded on Muztagh Tower, Slovenian Dejan Miskovic is facing another hard night without supplies or essential gear, since strong winds keep the rescue helicopters grounded. Dejan has managed to reach 5,400 meters – but now needs at least a rope to come down the highly technical wall.
Fellow Slovenian climbers, airlifted from K7 yesterday, are ready to climb up as soon as conditions permit. Tomaz Humar may join the rescue labours as well. Meanwhile, there’s been no news or trace of expedition leader Pavle Kozjek – who reportedly fell down the face on Monday.
Askari Aviation pilots: The wind won’t stop today
Pakistani pilots are in state of alert, ready to take off as soon as weather allows. “Persistent inclement weather is causing delay in launch of rescue effort,” stated Askari Aviation’s latest report, posted at 3:00 pm local time today. “Weather conditions are unlikely to improve today.”
A team of three fellow Slovenian climbers, originally climbing on K7, were airlifted to Muztagh tower’s BC yesterday in order to help Dejan. The rescuers are members in Ales and Nejc Cesen (Tomo Cesen’s sons) expedition, which also comprises Rok Blagus, Rok Sisernik, and Mihael Hrastelj.
Dejan at 5,400m: “I just need a rope!”
“Miskovic has reached a plateau at 5,400 meters – it’s a safe place,” Urban Golob told ExplorersWeb, after speaking to one of the rescuers in BC. “He reached the place yesterday afternoon after two days of down-climbing the French route without anything but his own personal climbing gear. Dejan has no rope, no sleeping-bag, no stove, no tent, no food or drink.”
“The three K7 expedition members who comprise the current rescue team are waiting out a snow storm in BC (4,600m),” Urban added. “We all hope that weather improves by tomorrow, so that the helicopter may help Miskovic out of troubles. In a radio contact yesterday, Dejan said he would need just a rope to resume the descent under his own power.”
Tomaz Humar to join the rescue?
Strong winds have so far thwarted all aerial rescue attempts. Pilots want to at least to drop some supplies for Dejan; or even try to lift him off the wall with a rope hanging from the chopper, as they did with Slovenian Tomaz Humar on Nanga Parbat's Rupal face in 2005.
According to Askari Aviation, yesterday Tomaz Humar actually landed in Islamabad, willing to assist in Dejan’s rescue.
Meanwhile, hopes fade to find Pavle Kozjek alive. Miskovik’s expedition leader reportedly fell down the face on Monday. Gregor Kresal, the third member in the team, was evacuated from BC already on August 19th, by two Ecureuil helicopters.
Slovenian Dejan Miskovic is trapped on Muztagh tower, where a strong wind so far prevents a helicopter rescue. Fellow Slovenian Gregor Kresal was evacuated from BC already on August 19th, by two Ecureuil helicopters. The third climber in the team, Slovenian Pavle Kozjek is missing.
According to Alpinist, Dejan phoned friends in Slovenia Monday stating that Kozjek had approached a cornice near their bivy tent and fell down the face. Askari reported that a call from Slovenia yesterday had alerted them to a fatal fall on the peak.
If confirmed, Pavle Kozjek's death would be another great loss to the climbing community this year; and also to ExplorersWeb. For his solo, express new route on Cho Oyu, Pavle was chosen as the best climber of 2006 by the crowds attending the Piolet d’Or awards. But the climb was only one part of his popularity: Where most climbers whisper about the fate of Tibet, few will risk their permits to speak up.
That same year, Pavle's images of Tibetan refugees shot dead by border guards at Nangpa La and sent to ExWeb only 3 hours after our call stirred the world. China had denied the incident, so Pavle made international news and a nation of Tibetans expressed their gratitude.
ExplorersWeb selected Pavle's action, combined with his climb, as the Best of ExplorersWeb in 2006.
More on Pavle's climbs
In 2006 Slovenian Pavle Kozjek opened a new route on the southwest face of Cho Oyu, in a 14.5-hour single-push ascent from ABC to the top - the only climb outside the normal route that season according to Miss Hawley.
Pavle Kozjek is not an 8000+ meter peak regular - it's just that all his visits to the world’s giants have ended up successfully, and more.
In 1986 Pavle climbed Pakistan's Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II in a total of five days. In 1989 he opened (with Andrej Stremfelj) a new route on Shisha Pangma’s south face, in alpine style; in 1997 Pavle became the first Slovenian climber to summit Everest without supplementary oxygen; and in fall 2006- on his latest trip to the Himalayas - Pavle left the above mentioned brand new route on Cho Oyu.
Still, Pavle's favorite playground remains the Peruvian Andes, where he has applied his fast, lightweight style to open a number of hard new routes on Chacraraju, Huascaran, Siula Grande, Chopicalqui, etc.
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