Dozens of climbers literally walked over corpses on their way to the top of K2 in Pakistan. Specifically, it was the injured Pakistani mountain worker Mohammad Hassan (27), who was not helped and eventually died. The Tyrolean mountaineer Wilhelm Steiner was in the Karakoram Mountains at the same time and was shocked by the lack of civilian courage. For the 31-year-old it is clear: “If I had been injured, there would have been a rescue operation”.
An investigation is now being launched following reports of the tragedy in the Karakoram Mountains. Witnesses must be heard. “The main testimony would be that of the other high-altitude doorman who tied the rope with the dead doorman and saw him fall,” explained Rahat Karim Baig, a member of the investigative committee.
Climbers climbed over the dying
The accident happened on July 27. 27-year-old Pakistani high-altitude porter Muhammad Hassan lay at the dreaded key point, the bottleneck traverse. After a fall in the early hours of the morning while assembling a fixed rope, the father of three was apparently pronounced dead too soon. About 70 alpinists, including Norwegian extreme mountaineer Kristin Harila and her Sherpa team, reportedly climbed over the lifeless body or missed it during the ascent and descent. Videos have since become known showing the courier alive at the scene of the accident.
Tyrolean mountaineer Wilhelm Steindl is amazed at the selfishness of his fellow mountaineers. In the ‘Krone’ interview, the 31-year-old talks about the lack of civic courage and the importance of Pakistani porters.
“crown”: After your K2 tour you are back home in Tyrol. How are you?
Wilhelm Steindl: I have to process what I went through there first. I am saddened to learn that a Pakistani porter has died as countless climbers stepped over him.
When should you give up an injured climber?
If you are about to dismount and you have no strength left yourself, then such a decision is justifiable. But as long as I’m on the climb and have the strength for the top, I can rescue wounded comrades and provide assistance.
Do you think it would have made a difference if you were injured?
In all cases! If a Westerner had been lying there, a rescue operation would have been launched. No one felt so responsible.
When you see the terrifying images of K2, you think this is mass tourism.
The images of this ascent distort the general picture of the ascent of this peak. When I was there, there was only one peak day. All climbers flocked to the mountain during this time window. So there was only one job where everyone was hanging with ropes.
Nepal has restricted the ascent of Mount Everest because more and more athletes took on the adventure but were not properly prepared. Anyone who dares to climb more than 8000 meters should also be aware of emergency situations at this height.
Clearly! I prepared for my expedition at Furtenbach Adventures in Tyrol. The motto here is: if you need help, you will get it. The tour is canceled immediately – even if the injured person is not brought down alive.
After this horrible incident, your reports will also be used for investigation. Among other things, what comes to light is the difference between Pakistani and Nepalese carriers. Where is it from?
Nepal has specialized in mountain tourism for 30 years. They have decades of experience. In Pakistan they started much later. So they lack a lot of expertise. Therefore, there is also a difference in the reputation of the two nations.
Spend website: Go-Fund-Me
They could not climb K2 due to the dangerous weather conditions. Do you want to try again?
I have to recover first. But I will definitely travel to the region and visit the family of the deceased.
When you learned of the 27-year-old’s death, you immediately traveled to his family’s village. How is that possible?
I just couldn’t believe that no one helped the young man. In the camp I found out that he has three children, his mother is seriously ill and his wife cannot go to work. I wanted to show the family that there are Westerners who don’t abandon them – not like their father. So I started a fundraiser. More than 60,000 euros have now been collected.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
