Interview with Gerfried Goschl: Team Leader of the Gasherbrum 1 winter expedition -Last part

 Interview with Gerfried Goschl: Team Leader of the Gasherbrum 1 winter expedition -Last part

Question: There are 5 teams scheduled this winter on three Pakistan 8000ers. Does this signal increased interest in winter Himalaya, and why is that do you think?

Goschl:  For a small group of climbers, a winter climb provides the hardest conditions, but also fascinating moments and lots of fun. I am sure that all 8000ers will be climbed in winter ten years from now. So, if you wanna be part of history
you better join now! That’s what I’m doing.

Question: This is your second winter attempt on a summit you bagged this summer – won’t that affect your motivation?

Goschl:  Right after the winter expedition I decided to climb G1 in summer with three goals in mind: To acclimate for K2; to get to know intimately every step to the GI summit on the normal route on the north side; and to take a good look
at our planned winter route down the south face. (It also proved a great adventure with good friends and a big success. I wanted to prepare for the really “mad” upcoming winter project. I want to climb G1 in winter, via a new route and make the first traverse
of any 8000er in winter (south to north). Nobody has had such an incredible idea before. For me, personally, this project is so incredibly interesting in itself, that I really don’t care if I’ve been on the summit before.
Moreover, to have summited already gives me a psychological advantage when I stand up there in winter. Knowing the route down to the north side might help to take such an overwhelmingly hard step.

My view is that if you don’t really believe in your project, in the possibility of succeeding on it – you don’t go for the same 8000er three times a year, least of all in winter!

Gerfried Göschl (39) lives in Liezen, Austria with his wife and two daughters. He initiated, organized and led several big expeditions for the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV). His first 8000er summits were Cho Oyu (2002) and GII (2003). In 2005 he summited Shisha
Pangma’s main summit and Everest without O2 within a month. In 2007 he attempted a Broad Peak/K2 double header – he summited Broad, but failed to reach K2’s top due to deep snow and high risk of avalanche.
In 2009 Gerfried led a team up a new variation line on Nanga Parbat, but suffered the loss of mate Wolfgang Koblinger.

Through autumn 2010, he collected more than €20,000 for his family’s relief organization in Pakistan’s Northern areas near Besham, together with his father Rainer Göschl and climbing mates Günther Unterberger, Hans Goger and brother Rainer Wolfgang Göschl
(they collaborate through charity lectures). With the donations they provided the first crucial help to the local flood victims.
2011 was a busy year for Gerfried who, after the winter attempt, ended up summiting GI in summer; then he attempted again K2. He is currently preparing for his second attempt on winter GII via a new route, leading an international team.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=6808

Posted by Naveed A Bari on Dec 21 2011. Filed under Pakistan, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry