Avalanche on Nanga Parbat

It’s snowing and snowing and snowing on Nanga Parbat. An ascent to higher altitudes is out of the question. 25 centimeters of snow has fallen within one day, the Spaniard Alex Txikon writes on Facebook. The risk of avalanches is accordingly high. Therefore Alex, the Pakistani Muhammad Ali – called Ali “Sadpara” (he comes from this village) –, the Italian Simone Moro and the South Tyrolean Tamara Lunger are still forced to twiddle their thumbs in Base Camp. Even with an improvement in the weather, the international team would have to acclimatize again due to the long compulsory break before they can seriously think about a summit attempt – not to mention the necessary work to break the trail again. Nevertheless it doesn’t get boring on Nanga Parbat because the dispute between Txikon and Italian Daniele Nardi, who has meanwhile departed, is turning into a kind of “divorce battle”.

“Grave offense”

Digging out

Txikon sent emails to the Italian Embassy in Islamabad and the Alpine Club of Pakistan. In it, he accused Nardi that he “still hasn’t satisfied his payment obligations here in Pakistan”. “It is not only an accusation, it is the truth”, Txikon’s girlfriend Igone Mariezkurrena (who is doing the public relations for him) wrote me from Base Camp after I had asked her about the backgrounds. “Daniele Nardi hasn’t paid part of his debt with the agency and left BC without paying Ali ‘Sadpara’ one rupee for his work (neither did he last year). As team leader, Alex felt himself obliged to report the situation because keeping quiet would be supporting this grave offense towards people who honorably worked for him.”

“Stunned”

Daniele’s reply was not long in coming. “I’m stunned”, Nardi said. “I understand neither the hostility nor the choice of means, the timing, the manner and the content of his writing.” Only the leader of the expedition had negotiated with the Pakistani agency. He himself had paid his part in recent months, said Daniele, adding that he had promised at his departure to implement all outstanding financial obligations after his return.
Gradually the question arises what is worse: the weather or the soap opera on Nanga Parbat?