Zdeněk “Háček” Hák, a top Czech mountaineer and winner of two Piolets d'Or, spoke with Lucie Výborná in an interview about his recent dramatic expedition to Pakistan’s Karakoram. He described both the successful first ascent and the circumstances surrounding his medical emergency, as well as the tragic incident in which his longtime climbing partner, Jaroslav “Banán” Bánský, was killed by a falling rock.

The goal of the three-member expedition - which included Zdeněk Hák, Jaroslav Bánský, and Radoslav Groh - was first to climb the unclimbed peak of Biarchedi 1 and then the dreaded Mašerbrum. The team succeeded in the first part of their plan, making the first ascent of Biarchedi 1 and successfully skiing down from the final high-altitude camp. At base camp below Laila Peak, the trio also paid tribute to the memory of Laura Dahlmeier, the German biathlete and climber who passed away last year, by carving commemorative Olympic rings into a boulder there.

However, before the second phase of the expedition, Háček was struck by a sudden and severe illness associated with a total physical collapse. Due to inclement weather, a rescue helicopter was unable to fly in, and Háček spent four days in a tent before he was able, with the help of the cook and a porter, to begin the arduous descent on foot to Askole.

After Háček’s involuntary withdrawal, the remaining pair of climbers decided to reassess their plans and, instead of Masherbrum, chose an alternative destination: Biarchedi 2. Jaroslav Bánský, however, was tragically struck by a flying rock of an unusual shape resembling an axe, which “essentially almost amputated his arm” in the shoulder area. Jaroslav Bánský survived for about eight hours after the severe injury. The rescue operation was complicated by adverse flight conditions, which prevented the helicopter from taking off at all that day. Jaroslav Bánský ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

In the interview, Háček recalled Jarda Bánský as an exceptionally dedicated climbing partner with tremendous physical and mental strength, with whom he had been climbing since his teenage years. He also admitted that the tragic loss of a close friend represents the most difficult moment of his life so far.

You can watch the full interview in Czech on YouTube: