At Camp CII (6450 m) with a view to reaching the Summit on 22nd July

After eleven hours of heat, cold, snow and wind, Raúl Martínez and Carlos Pauner have reached 6450 metres where CII is installed.

After comparing his strength, Adrián Uclés at CI decided to go back to the Base Camp. A difficult decision... but the best one without a doubt. Over time, when the state of normoxia stabilises in his head and his body is well fed and hydrated, he will ask himself “and.......what if I had kept going a little longer? Adrián, it’s no cliché to say that only good mountaineers are capable of reaching these conclusions. For a mountaineer, abandoning is a strength, a virtue and under no circumstances a weakness. You’re a very strong guy, decided, jovial and happy, confident. I imagine the turning point and see your eyes looking up, with your legs bent and a look of reflection, your voice saying what you don’t want to say and the surprised, accomplice look of Raúl and Carlos. On your descent to the Base Camp, you will have looked just once at your colleagues as they walk away, with the iciest peak of the GII in the background and then putting all of your attention into the arduous descent, full of cracks. Adri, you’re an admirable man, you have caressed the eight-thousander, a discipline not within reach of us all but only the privileged few, of which you are one. You have gone with your homework done to get a good grade but, on analysing the circumstances, has decided to bid your farewells. Here at home we give you a knowing wink, a hug, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you’re one of us. Adri, we’re really proud of you.

Insofar as Raúl and Carlos, they were very tired but animated. Their plan is to reach the CIII tomorrow; they’re 700 metres away, and then the summit on Friday. An ambitious, demanding plan that we hope goes according as expected. They’re about to show their cards, big style, and we hope they’ve got the best hand.

They won’t get another chance, bad weather is on its way and their stay on the Karakorum will be over.