Euskal Etxeak

KIROLAK ast April the Basque mountai- neer Juan Oiarzabal entered L the history of world climbing when he became the sixth man to crown the 14 mountains of the planet over 8 thousand meters high, all of them in the Himalayas. Oiarzabal, from Alava and aged 43, started his career as an eight thousand-mountain climber in 1985, when he conquered the summit of Cho Oyu. Fourteen years la- ter, Juanito, as he is known in the THE BASQUE CLIMBER IS THE SIXTH PERSON IN THE WORLD TO TREAD THE world of climbing, and several 14 HIGHEST SUMMITS IN THE PLANET members of the expedition have climbed Annapurna. This was the last stage of an Odyssey that has Juanito Oiarzabal: made of him a true legend of mountaineering, for he has entered a most exclusive club with only five “The mountains have given me everything” other members in the whole world. Euskal Etxeak.– What did you feel re so that we can climb them, but it is your steps or do you consider it too when you conquered Annapurna and also true that we have to respect them. hard? saw you had achieved the feat of tre- E.E.– What do you mean when J.O.– I will definitely try to share ading the 14 highest summits on you say they are humble? mountaineering with him. I would like Earth? J.O.– They are humble because to reach my early sixties and climb the Juanito Oiarzabal.– I must admit in they are out there and they will hurt you Aconcagua with him, who will by then those moments I did not feel much, be- if you anger them. I mean if you go to be twenty years old. cause there was a terrible wind and it them when they are not ready or when E.E.– Now that you have accom- was awfully cold (27 degrees below ze- you are the one who is not ready. Some plished the 14 eight-thousand sum- ro) and we had to film and take pictu- people say the mountain is cruel. I don’t mits, what are you planning to do res. Moreover, the summit of believe it is cruel. I have seen many ac- next? Annapurna is not comfortable. So we cidents in the Himalayas and practi- J.O.– Well, we have planned to go only spent 20 minutes in the summit cally always it is the fault of the person to Venezuela at the end of October in and I didn’t have so many sensations. who is climbing the mountain. order to cross the Andes chain. In However I did remember Atxo, E.E.– Then in your opinion what November I will probably go Guinea Miranda and Zulu, three friends that conditions are necessary to reach the Papua to climb the Carstenz Pyramid, stayed forever in the mountain, and 14 eight-thousand summits? which is the highest mountain in that I always remember. J.O.– In the first place you have to Australia. Next year in January I will E.E.– After nearly 30 years clim- be very lucky, both to get the money go back to the Aconcagua to guide a bing what have the mountains given and the suitable climate, soil, physical group and in March I will return to you? conditions etc. This is very important. Everest with no oxygen to film a docu- J.O.– I believe the mountains have Another important matter is to be very mentary with the program “Al filo de lo given me everything: fame, money, sa- well prepared psychologically. This me- Imposible”(at the edge of the impossi- tisfactions, joys, friends... I found ans you have to want it very much, and ble). everything there. I have also had very most of all you have to have great re- E.E.– During your many travels, bad times, not only the death of three sistance to suffering and enduring cons- have you had the chance to contact very close friends, but I have also been tant pressure, for among other things, the Basques living outside Euskadi? in great danger. I nearly died in you see many intimate friends and so- J.O.– Yes, we usually go to the Kangchenjunga, and in Shisha Pangma me other not so intimate who are dying. Basques centers. I know that of I was buried under an avalanche. But That is why you have to know exactly Santiago de Chile, the one in Caracas, that does not mean the mountains have what you want in order to be able to go and mostly the one in Buenos Aires, the treated me badly, there were just many back to the Himalayas in spite of Laurak Bat center, I have even played circumstances that ended up presenting everything. trinquete there. Whenever I go near I a limit experience. I believe the moun- E.E.– You are going to have a son try to visit the Euskal Etxeak to contact tains are very humble, that they are the- soon. Would you like him to follow the people. ■ 29.

Load more