Year of Broad Peak – 2007

(23.04.2006)

2007 is to be the Year of Broad Peak – 5 pm, June 9 2007 will be exactly 50 years after the Austrian team of four led by Markus Schmuck stood on Broad Peak’s virgin summit. Austrian Gerfried Göschl is to embark on an expedition in honour of the '57 Pioneers and an enormous Broad Peak party is being planned in the heart of the Austrian Alps.

Göschl and his team will receive a hearty send-off on June 9, 2007, at the event dubbed “The Night of the First Ascent,” at the Congress Centre of Salzburg in Austria. The hosts of BroadPeak.org are organising the event.

32 year old Gerfried Göschl was born in Styria, Austria. He has summited Cho Oyu, Muztagh Ata (7546m), Aconcagua, G2, Shisha Pangma Main and Everest - all without oxygen.

The founder of BroadPeak.org and son of Fritz Wintersteller - one of the four first summiteers, said “We expect between 1000 and 1500 guests and over 100 Broad Peak Club members to celebrate the 50th anniversary".

The June 9 "Night of the First Ascent" guest list includes some of the world's best mountaineers, historians, and authors of mountain literature.

“Broad Peak Club membership is for those who reached the main summit of Broad Peak on foot,” Wintersteller said. “There are 259 mountaineers who reached the main summit 8047m (or 8051m as measured later) according to our records. Sadly, 32 are no longer with us. We have the contacts of about 50% of all mountaineers and appreciate any help to find all of them.”

All Broad Peak summiteers are invited and encouraged to contact the organization website. The Broad Peak Club member count could increase by June 2007 as multiple expeditions are planned on the mountain this year. In 2005 only Denis Urubko and Serguey Samoilov managed to get onto the peak’s summiteers list.

Located at the head of the Baltoro Glacier in Pakistan, Broad Peak is locally known as Faichan Kangri. The peak was named K3 by British topographers in the mid 1900's.

Source: ExplorersWeb.com

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Autor: superclimb

Further information at: http://www.superclimb.co.za