Denis Urubko just couldn’t wait for the wide weather window expected to open by Feb 22. He is going up now, even if he has to endure gale-force winds on his solo rush to Camp 7. In a brief text to his partner, Pipi Cardell, Denis Urubko confirmed yesterday that he was hurrying for the summit of winter Broad Peak. His simple, bold plan: Run to Camp 3 today (at about 7,000m), summit tomorrow and back.
The only problem: high winds are raking the mountain, making the winter cold far more dangerous. According to Federico Bernardi of Montagna Magica, winds may reach 80kph today. As he also noted, Urubko wouldn’t bother to add the weight of a satphone to his backpack because, after all, any rescue in case of trouble would be impossible. According to the latest forecast, summit weather for Monday will be clear but windy, with still-air temperatures close to -40° and winds of 30kph in the morning increasing to 70kph by evening.
As usual with Urubko, it’s nail-biting time for us at home. We won’t know his whereabouts or what is going on until he returns and tell the story himself. On his recent solo of Gasherbrum II last summer, other teams in Base Camp could at least share the word when the lonely climber was finally spotted on his way down. This time, he is totally alone on the mountain.
On Facebook, Pipi Cardell has posted a romantic image of her and Urubko’s silhouettes joined at the hip on a sandy beach, with the motto: “We are one.” For the next couple of days, supporters around the world will also be united in wishing him the best.
Photo: Pipi Cardell
