Is the first winter ascent of K2 a turning point for Sherpa mountaineers?

January 27, 2021 History 8000m peaks, ali sadpara, angtharkay, bottled oxygen, denis urubko, first ascents, gyalzen norbu sherpa, k2, nepal, nirmal purja, pakistan, pasang dawa lama, seven summits treks, sherpas 19 Comments

Is the first winter ascent of K2 a turning point for Sherpa mountaineers?

It’s not very often that the ascent of an 8,000m peak makes international news headlines, but earlier this month something rather special happened when a team of 10 Nepali climbers stood on the summit of K2.

Tomek Mackiewicz and Nanga Parbat: a Shakespearean mountaineering tragedy

February 7, 2018 History 8000m peaks, adam bielecki, albert mummery, crowdfunding, denis urubko, elisabeth revol, heinrich harrer, k2, mountain rescue, nanga parbat, pakistan, peak lenin, reinhold messner, simone moro, tomek mackiewicz 10 Comments

Tomek Mackiewicz and Nanga Parbat: a Shakespearean mountaineering tragedy

Tomek Mackiewicz’s death on Nanga Parbat carries a number of characteristics of a Shakespearean tragedy. It has a tragic hero with a tragic flaw that will ultimately lead to his downfall. It involves a tragic waste, an external conflict, and even a catharsis.