Only 12 days after his record time on Nanga Parbat, the French mountaineer Vadim Druelle climbed Gasherbrum II in 17 hours and 17 minutes. Six days later, he also climbed Gasherbrum I solo, without bottled oxygen and in a continuous push, in just under 12 hours.
Within just six days, the 22-year-old Frenchman Vadim Druelle on the peaks of Gasherbrum III (8035m) and Gasherbrum I (8080m). For his solo ascents of the two eight-thousanders he needed just 17 hours 10 minutes and 11 hours 55 minutes respectively.
With these quick ascents, the mountaineer follows up on his success on Nanga Parbat, which he achieved on 10 July in new record time Even though Druelle cannot claim the Fastest Known Time on the Gasherbrum, he was very fast and was able to complete his speed climbs in his purist style: solo, without Sherpa help or artificial oxygen, and in a continuous push from base camp.
Gasherbrum II: strenuous trail work to the summit
Vadim Druelle began his ascent of Gasherbrum II in the late afternoon of July 21st. After seven hours he reached Camp 2000, a good 3 metres higher. A little later he came across the other climbers who had set out a few hours earlier. In order not to get cold or lose his rhythm, he decided to go ahead - with all the consequences that entails:
Being fast is good, but you also quickly find yourself alone and have to do some tracking work.
Vadim Druelle
That was also the case on the Gasherbrum II during the last 1000 meters of altitude. "I sank up to my knees and it was an extremely hard effort for me," says Vadim Druelle. When it then started to snow, he lost some time trying to find the right path.
When he reached the pass and still had about 400 meters of snow to climb, he was at the end of his strength. "Fortunately, I saw the characteristic rocky outcrop of the summit from here, which gave me new energy."
Difficult comparability
At 10:12 a.m. - 17 hours and 17 minutes after he left the base camp - he stood on the summit of Gasherbrum II. A very fast time, although not a new record. The Kazakhstani high-altitude mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev climbed the eight-thousander in 1997 from the advanced base camp in 9 hours and 30 minutes.
The different starting points also reflect the challenge of comparing the different speed climbs. Vadim Druelle is also aware of this: "17h17min is the time it took me, but also the first reference time from base camp."
Some will say it was a record, others a first, but that will never surpass the intensity of what I experienced up there.
Vadim Druelle
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Credits: Cover picture Vadim Druelle