Kaltenbrunner adamant about K2

Upper Austrian climber Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner has revealed she will launch another attempt to scale the world’s second-highest mountain next month after rough weather forced her to return to her base camp at K2 earlier this week.
The 39-year-old from Spital am Pyhrn said she and German husband Ralf Dujmovits could imagine starting a new expedition in August. Kaltenbrunner would be only the third woman in the world to have reached the peak of the world’s 14 highest mountains. She started climbing mountains higher than 8,000 metres in 1998, and K2 – located on the Pakistani-Chinese boarder – would be the final one on her list to be ticked off.
It was Kaltenbrunner’s fifth attempt to scale the 8,611-metre-high mountain after abandoned bids in 2007 and 2009.
South Korean Oh Eun-Sun became the first woman in the world to climb all 14 peaks earlier this year, with Spaniard Edurne Pasaban following a few weeks later on.
Oh’s missions have however been overshadowed by claims that she did not reach the summit of some of the mountains. Critics value Kaltenbrunner’s achievements higher since she has never used oxygen on her expeditions in contrast to Oh who never hiked without a team of carriers.
Meanwhile, Pasaban told Austrian magazine profil that she has the greatest respect for her Austrian colleague. The 36-year-old praised Kaltenbrunner as a friend, adding she looked up to her for her technical versatility.
Kaltenbrunner’s first book "Ganz bei mir: Leidenschaft Achttausender" was a bestseller last year.

28.07.2010 19:54:37