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Latok I North Face Seems Invincible Said Thomas Huber

Top alpinists Thomas Huber, Rainer Treppte, Simon Gietl and photographer Yannick Boisennot have bailed on plans to climb the north face of Latok I, the very famous 7,145-metre peak in Pakistan.

The team arrived about a month ago, but the conditions have not lined up with expectations.

They climbed Panmah Kangri (6,406 m) before turning their attention to Latok III for more acclimatization.

“We climbed up to camp one at 5,700 metres and then down again,” Huber told Stefan Nestler here. “We calculated three days if everything went well and the conditions were good.

“We tried everything that was possible and justifiable from a reasonable climbers’s point of view. More couldn’t be done, we simply have to accept that. I just like it over there. We had a good time and a great atmosphere in the team. That’s what I took home with me.”

The north face was covered in snow with big avalanches ripping down during the warmest time of the day.

“The north face seems invincible,” said Huber. “If you go there, you have to say, ‘good-bye life’ and then touch and go!”

There has been a lot of action on Latok I this year, with the success of Tom Livingstone, Alex Cesan and Luka Strazar reaching the summit from the north; an avalanche incident with the South Korea team on the north face and the tragic end to the Russian expedition.

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