Nanga Parbat (8126 m), Broad Peak (8046 m) and K2 (8611 m) Kazakhstan Expedition
Summer 2003

18 July, 2003 This morning news: Denis Urubko has just summited Broad Peak and now he's descending to Camp 3. The first group reached Base CAmp, the second - Camp 2. Ervand Iljinsky said, that team will rest three days and then will begin K2 climb. Our congratulations to Denis and all the team!

Baglan Zhunusov:

Yesterday, July 17, at 10-00am (Almaty time) the second group of Kazakhstan team summited Broad Peak - Serguey Lavrov, Alexey Raspopov, Vassily Litvinov and Serguey Bogomolov. Congratulations! Denis helped French climber to reach Base CAmp and now he's going to Camp3 for the summit bid.

That French alpinist, who was rescued on Broad Peak, was JC Lafaille - Simone Moro wrote yesterday. Lafaille had pulmonary problems after the summit, and couldn't descend to the Base Camp without help. Denis and Ed Viesturs went with him till the BC, then Lafaille, Katja, Magliano and Viesturs went to Skardu via helicopter. Simone and Inaki will climb K2 with the Kazakhstan team.

16 July, 2003 Rescue on the Broad Peak.

July 16 Maxut Zhumayev, Vassily Pivtsov and Dmitry Chumakov summited Broad Peak at 10 am (Almaty time). Congratulations! All night before the summit bid the first group ( Urubko, Zhumayev, Pivtsov and Chumakov) tried to save the life of French climber in Camp3 (7200 m). Than the team decided that three of them will go to the summit, but Denis Urubko will began to descend with French alpinist, who felt very bad. The second group are going to Camp 3 and can help Denis if it'll need.

Baglan Zhunusov, July 16, 8-54 am

We don't know the details yet, exept Denis again (in the third time already!) helps climber, who's on the border between life and death, come back from the 8000-er. The first time it was on Lhotse in 2001, when Denis helped Anna Czervinska, the famous Polish woman-climber, to descent from Lhotse slope, where she and her Sherpa couldn't descent by themselves. Then, this winter, during K2 ascension, it was very dangerous situation on 7750, where Denis and Marcin Kaczkan spent night in the small tent. They were going to summit next day. (Polish K2 Winter Expedition) But in the morning Marcin felt extremely bad, and Den had to descent with him. Nobody could help them on the Mount, exept injured Wielicki 0,5 km below, who boiled a cup of water for Marcin, but have burned the tent... And now - Denis again refused from his summit chance to save the life of other alpinist. It's very hard and dangerous work - to rescue at the high alitude. It's luck, that all the team is on the route this time - hope, all'll be OK. And maybe Denis'll find enough energy to speed climb to Broad, which he dreams so much about. If the Chief should allow it... -E.L.