Two Czechs reached the summit of Makalu II (7,678 m)
Czech climbers Martin Ksandr and Petr Kadanka summited the 7,000-meter peak Makalu II (7,678 m), also known as Kangchungtse, on Wednesday. The news was reported by ExplorersWeb. According to the report, the Czech expedition was the only team to attempt the summit this year.
The ascent came ten days after a tragedy that struck the expedition during a previous attempt to reach the summit.
A 38-year-old Czech climber, David Roubinek, died at high altitude at that time; according to available information, he died of altitude sickness. After issuing a statement of condolence, the team temporarily suspended communication, but the expedition eventually continued, ExplorersWeb reported.
“This is for David! Martin Ksandr and Petr Kadaňka have successfully climbed Kangchungtse, also known as Makalu II, at 7,678 meters above sea level. Unfortunately, there’s no need to discuss the conditions or the difficulty. Respect for their performance and determination to keep going. Both are now safe and sound at BC. Once the guys have rested and processed it all, they will surely tell us more,” wrote the expedition’s Instagram profile, expeditionclub.cz.
Makalu II lies on the opposite side of the Makalu massif from the Makalu La pass.