…and they made the hard decision to leave Tomek on Nanga Parbat due to the awful weather and very low chances for a succesful rescue of both climbers. I’m heartbroken but at the same time I understand that the directors of the whole operation couldn’t risk it anymore. The wind is blowing too hard, the temperature is really low and the snow storm is upcoming.
Adam and Denis did something spectacular and mindblowing, though. They reached to Eli Revol at an incredibly fast pace at night and helped her to climb down to C1 where Piotr and Jarek, other two rescuers, were waiting. I’m speechless and absolutely proud of the Polish squad that sacrificed their own expedition to K2 to save other people’s lives.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some of them wear crampons. Adam and Denis definitely marked the history with that operation: even though they couldn’t save Tomek, they succesfully saved Eli. Their strenght, determination and inhuman abilities will always be remembered as well as Tomek Mackiewicz, the man who tried to face The Killer Mountain more than once in the winter time and finally made it to the top.
Some people are saying that himalayists (and extreme sportsmen in general) are idiots because they risk their own life for nothing. I disagree. I truly understand their love for the mountains, nature, adrenaline, challenges, the feeling of being alive, and I totally get what they are living for. I just really wish that people stopped throwing shit about Tomek and Eli’s choices and blaming Adam and Denis for saving only one of them. They know better the reality of climbing on +8k mountains, they know the chances, they know when and what they can/can’t risk, the know the dangers. THEY. JUST. KNOW. BETTER. It hurts, obviously. These are not light hearted choices to make and none of the rescue squad (nor Eli whom confirmed that Tomek’s chances to survive were already pretty low when she decided to start climbing down) will ever forget about what happened on Nanga Parbat. Would Tomek let his rescuers die? Would YOU make more people die? I really don’t think so.
That being said, my thoughts are with Tomek and his family and friends. His passion and the adventure spirit will always be inspirational for me. Nanga may claimed your body, but you claimed her summit. May your spirit fly high now. Rest in peace.
