Compilation: Mintina
Flor Cuenca's video screenshot on Jogoli Peak /K2 peak shows tons of garbage, mainly equipment and ragged tents
Flor Cuenca from Peru does not make the climbing news headlines as frequently as climbers or influencers seeking to set records. On July 27, she climbed the Chogoli Peak/K2 without using auxiliary oxygen or Sherpa's support, which is exactly the style she used to climb five other 8,000-meter peaks. Often, she avoids spending too much time on social media. But today, she has some message to the world, but it is not about herself.
Cuenca defines herself as Hirkagwarmi - Quechua, the meaning of mountain female, as a child, she was the daughter of Andes . She had previously experienced people's irresponsible behavior between the peaks, but what she saw on Jogoli/K2 peaks was angering her. The Peruvian woman spoke out and asked people to maintain respect for the mountain. She accused the largest companies of creating an atmosphere of neglecting the environment on the mountain.
Flor Cuenca During the last round of altitude adaptation, he was at Camp No. 4 of Jogoli Peak/K2 Peak
Photo provided by: Flor Cuenca
In an exclusive interview with the Explorers Web site, she explained that the garbage accumulation problem in the Shangduan camp is only one of them, but it is an urgent part to be solved. She released a video showing some of the trash she saw.
garbage dump
"On the Jogoli Peak/K2 Peak, camps 1 and 2 are a garbage dump, a pigpen," Cuenca explained. "Human waste is everywhere. It's still old, broken tents and cemeteries with discarded equipment. It broke my heart, and it wasn't until the big company sent a large number of staff to the mountain and [after] putting in equal effort to remove all the items, I'm afraid the situation wouldn't get better."
"I know that during the downfall, the climbers were very tired, but this was not an excuse," she said. "The worst part is that the staff usually throw away their garbage and equipment when they are still in higher altitude camps. Those tents are basically smaller and do not use auxiliary oxygen [they need more altitude adaptation time before starting the top rush attempt]!"
When Cuenca and her companions set off from the base camp and arrived at Peak Camp 1 during the final top rush, they found down pants, carry-ons, gas tanks and other equipment inside and around the tent.
"I understand that the team returns in extremely bad weather conditions and they may not be able to recycle all supplies and put away the tents," she said. "But this should be an exception, and unconventional practice. This year, the larger teams have reached the top and down in excellent weather conditions."
Higher climber Fish Tri from Taiwan Province, China said the amount of garbage at the higher altitude camp in Jogoli Peak is "exceeding". The photos she took included a large number of broken tents and abandoned ropes
Photo provided: Instagram web page
Teams are supposed to prepare specific toilet locations for people, but these locations are not always used normally. In recent years, some climbers have complained that Shangduan Camp has been greatly polluted. Last year, Don Bowie fell seriously ill in Bloat peak . "I'm sure this is the result of a snow-filled drinking water in a crowded camp 2, surrounded by human waste..." he wrote at the time.
cut the logo from the tent, making it impossible for people to distinguish
Cuenca sees companies cutting their logo from their abandoned tents. "You found a damaged tent on one side, and the fabric you cut out of the mark can be seen," she said.
Cuenca adds that this problem does not only occur in Pakistan . "I also saw the tent with the marked cut off in Manaslu Peak ," she said. "And during my first trip to Zhuo Aoyoufeng , I was stunned when I saw the staff throwing the garbage into the ice crack."
"I am not against the company's business, but [it looks like] the larger team brings more damage.”
Flor Cuenca is at the top of the Jogoli Peak/K2 Peak
Photo provided by: Flor Cuenca
And all this rubbish also prompts customers to do the same.
“You can see climbers take out a chocolate bar or energy bar, they just throw away the packaging. Then, their own tops are made, and this makes other people’s dreams a nightmare. We do our best to take all our garbage off the mountain and we try not to carry too much. "
" I am angry at the marketing of large companies on social media. They promote one thing, but the approach is different, saying one thing and doing another. I have a great relationship with most Sherpa climbers and the head of the Expedition End Company and I use every opportunity to talk about it with them. "Is
able to do something?
garbage crisis may have attracted attention. This summer mountaineering season, for the first time in history, Cuenca saw people in the Karakoram Mountains Central National Park remove garbage from the Baltoro Mountains. "The agency plans to carry out a cleanup activity at the camp at higher elevations at the Chogoli Peak," she said.
Earlier this week, the Karakoram Mountains Club reported that the cleanup expedition had begun, facing bad weather conditions, removing old ropes, discarded tents and "all kinds of garbage up to the Peak 4 camp." ”
Karakoram Central National Park collects garbage from a camp at higher altitude of Qiaogoli Peak/K2 Peak
Photo provided by: Al Desani
This is a positive step in the right direction, although this small team is unlikely to clean up years of scrap during an event. The main responsibility should be the climbers themselves. In particular, the specifications for the Karakoram range should be formulated and implemented accordingly.
Some influential climbers and large companies often claim their sensitivity to environmental protection and organize large-scale cleanups, but this is basically Just concentrate on the base camp area and fill several garbage bags. Such efforts are usually only within Nepal . Pakistan's Baltoro valley and glaciers and all Pakistan's peaks, including Nanga Palbat peak, require people to take immediate action.
Now, it is more economical to discard tents and equipment at the peak than to sort and carry these supplies back to the Skardu area (Editor's Note) - Human Cost).
More controversial issues: The occupied camps…
Finally, Flor Cuenca talked about another hotly debated thing on the Jogoli Peak/K2 Peak and Bloat Peak. It has nothing to do with garbage, and some larger companies issued aggressive occupation statements for limited camp areas in higher altitude camps.
"They set up tents and left them here, for weeks, not to use them! "Cuenca said. "They surround the camp and hang company's name tags on it, and others should not enter the scope they demarcate.
"A self-sufficient climbers like us need to build space for their own camp. It takes two or three hours to dig the platform by themselves," she said. "Because of possible friction with the adventure companies, I would not risk setting up a tent in the 'encircled area'. My tent may be flattened or thrown out here..."
Earlier this year's mountaineering season, there was a quarrel at Camp 2 of Bloat Peak. According to David Klein from Hungary , a large number of tents were set up in three different locations. The tents of the Furtenbach Adventures team occupy most of the “Traditional Camp 2”, while the Elite Exped team exclusively occupy the rocky location at the bottom of the Traditional Camp 2. All other climbers had to look for camping sites at higher elevations, located in a rocky area above the snow slopes.
David Klein's miniature tent allows him to find space at the "higher" location at the Camp 2 of Bloat Peak
Photo provided: David Klein
…Overuse of auxiliary oxygen
"The climbing of the eight-kilometer-level peak has become a huge tourism industry," Cuenca said. “The period of adventure we read in the book is long gone.The client even went to sleep with auxiliary oxygen at Camp 2, Peak 2, and would not take off the oxygen mask during the summit and the entire descent! "
" No wonder empty oxygen cylinders can be seen everywhere along the line. "
Santiago Quintero from Chile tries Jogoli Peak/K2 without the help of auxiliary oxygen. In the picture, he is in the area between the mountain camp 2 and camp 3. He is surrounded by climbers using auxiliary oxygen
Photo provided by: Santiago Quintero
Climbers seek to set a record at the highest peak in the world
Climbing all 14 peaks of eight thousand meters in six months is underway. Climbers have completed the Gashubrum II Peak and are now heading to Gashubrum I Peak.
Here are some climbers who are advancing the climb of 14 8 thousand meters of mountains looking to be the fastest or youngest person to complete the project.
NorwegianKristin Harila's goal is to set a time record, and she is now moving on the schedule. Together with Padawa Sherpa and Dawa Ouzhu, she has just reached the top of the Gashublum II and completed the 10th 8km peak in 102. They are looking forward to climbing all 14 8km peaks in less than six months. At this moment, they are preparing to try Gashublum I.
"After setting a world record in 2021, I realize my true power at these high-altitude peaks, which is the part I care most about," Harila said. "I think gender equality is ignored in many parts of the world, and in such an environment, there are almost only men." This gave me the motivation to achieve more goals. Recently, Nepali climber Nimsdai set a world record for climbing all 14 8,000-meter peaks in six months and six days. The previous record took a full seven years. Now, I look forward to showing that women can achieve the same success, and I hope to end the climb in less time. "
Canadian, Liliya Ianovskaia also succeeded at Gashublum II, just two weeks after becoming the oldest woman to climb Jogoli/K2. She started this excellent climbing season with her daughter in spring Everest .
Pakistani climber Shehroze Kashif is trying to be the youngest to climb 14 8km peaks. He is 20 years old and just with Sajid Sadpara and his cousins, Imtiaz Sadpara reaches the top of the Gashublum II, the ninth 8km mountain he completed. On July 27, 2021, Kashif became the youngest climber to climb the Chogoli Peak/K2 peak.
Grace Tseng from Taiwan Province, China, led by Nima Gezeng Sherpa and Minma Tamang, also stood at the top of Gashublum II this week, the 11th 8km mountain she has successfully climbed. Tseng did not use auxiliary oxygen. She plans to be the youngest woman to complete the project, and she is now 29 years old. In the past two weeks, she has climbed three 8km mountain peaks, all without auxiliary oxygen.
Source: Angela Benavides, gripped.com
