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Kanchenjunga 2014
Marco Confortola tells us about the expedition in Kanchenjunga
Kance…
Yes, because its full name is a tongue twister, but Kanchenjunga, with its 8586m of altitude, is the third highest mountain in the world after K2 (8611m).
K2 gave me a second life and since 2008 it didn’t want an Italian on its summit, over there where there are rarefied air and an endless view.
Back to Kance. Who talked me about Kance said that its bulk was astonishing.
After 10 days of approaching you reach the base camp and there the greatness of this mountain scared you a little bit, but makes you feel positive emotions.
We placed the camp and after having dinner I loose myself in the greatness of this big mountain with its 4 summits along the peak which are more than 8000m high. I put off my Rebel, good friends in every adventure, and once I went to bed I fall in a troubled sleep, due to the altitude and to the thought of this great and majestic Kance. After some days of hard work to equip the serac and to acclimatize, the so long waited window of good weather arrived…
Time is arrived, we leave along the route that we know very well. The wind forces us to stop two days at 7000m of altitude, but we resist.
In the evening, after melting some snow we drink and prepare ourselves to try to reach the peak. My Phantom makes me quiet. After the cut I’m always afraid of the cold, but my friends Davide and Simone created a special boot for me… I’m at 8450 m of altitude, I’m near the peak, I see my colleagues on the top from here… we are near to the summit, but my left foot aches.
I look Marco reaching the peak and I start crying like a baby, I cry and I can’t stop. I left the hardest part behind, but the life is much important than this mountain, the pain increases and I’m afraid to die here, with the eyes full of tears I go down, and go down and the pain is always more intense. I reach the third camp walking with a limp, it’s time to go home, Fracoise and Emrik walk towards me and help me and give me something to drink.
Thank you very much my friends, you are “bravi bocia” and with a laugh that hide my tears we come back to the base and I thank the Kance that allowed me to come down.
See you Kance!