The Hindu Business Line : Alpinist rescued from Nanga Parbat

TOMAZ Humar, Slovenian mountaineer and among the world's leading extreme alpinists, was rescued on Wednesday morning from the 8,125 metre-Nanga Parbat peak in Pakistan, after several days spent trapped on the mountain's Rupal Face, believed to be the biggest mountain face in the world.

The Web site, www.humar.com, had reported a few days ago that a helicopter rescue was being planned for the climber who had been at a damp, cold bivouac for the last five days. He had been on the face for over a week, including two earlier bivouacs before the final one where he has stayed put since August 5. The spot he was in was described as a "labyrinth of seracs and mushroom shaped snow" at a height of 5,900 metres.

Humar had been attempting to climb solo a particularly tough route on the Rupal Face. It is best associated with Reinhold Messner's attempts and eventual ascent, years ago. He lost his brother in the process. Humar's route was reported as being to the right of that taken by Messner.

On the two days Humar managed to climb since starting out, he reached up to 6,400 metres. Then he climbed down to his final position on a ridge. Reports said he had to cope with very bad weather, rock fall and unsteady snow conditions, including a huge avalanche at start. He was tired and had not eaten for a long time. His clothes were wet, the temperature inside his sleeping bag was around minus five degrees and he had voiced fears of frostbite.

Pictures with Humar's position circled off, showed a tiny dot on a huge, near vertical mountain face. He is "pinned on a tiny snow ledge," the magazine Climbing had reported on its Web site.

In its report on Wednesday on the rescue, Humar's Web site said, the mountaineer had kept warm by digging snow. As the Pakistan Army chopper approached, Humar waited, tied to two ice crews with a loose `prusik' knot to prevent himself from staggering, while catching the rope thrown from the helicopter. He caught the rope and tied it to himself, but forgot to free himself from the knot.

"Luckily it tore, or else... ." the Web site said. According to it, Humar showed the beginnings of frostbite but had suffered no permanent damage from his ordeal.

The alpinist's solo climb of the south face of Dhaulagiri was screened a year ago at the Himalayan Club's annual mountain movie festival at major Indian cities. The film titled Dhaulagiri Express had showed Humar moving fast with little protection up the steep walls of the mountain (quick climbing is often key to solo attempts), successfully reaching the top and later recuperating at a hospital, purple welts from falling rock scattered across his body.

Nanga Parbat is among the world's fourteen 8,000-metre peaks and had claimed the lives of 31 people attempting it before Hermann Buhl reached its top in 1953. It is often called `The Killer' mountain.

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Alpinist rescued from Nanga Parbat