E-Kantipur

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA, NOV 13 -

A veteran Slovenian mountaineer has become stranded in the Himalayas during a solo climb, and bad weather is hampering rescue efforts, a colleague said Thursday.

Tomaz Humar last contacted his base team in Nepal on a satellite phone Monday to say he had been injured, and he has not been heard from since, Viki Groselj told The Associated Press. Groselj could not identify the injury, but Slovenia's Delo newspaper, which also reported the event, said on its Web site that Humar had broken a leg.

In Kathmandu, Nepal's Department of Mountaineering could not immediately be reached for comment late Thursday night.

Groselj said Humar was believed to be stuck at an altitude of about 20,670 feet (6,300 meters) on the southern face of the (23,710-feet-high (7,227-meter-high) Langtang Lirung mountain in Nepal.

Groselj said bad weather has been hampering rescue efforts, but he could not provide details.

Humar, 40, who is married with two children, has climbed many mountains around the world.

In 2005, he got trapped in the Himalayas on an icy ledge of Nanga Parbat mountain at about (19,685 feet) 6,000 meters during a solo climb. Two Pakistani army helicopter pilots eventually saved him and were later decorated with Slovenian highest award for bravery.

Humar received the annual Piolet d'Or mountaineering award from a French magazine in 1996, and the Sliver Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia in 1999.

'Rescue team on its way'

KATHMANDU

KANTIPUR REPORT

Meanwhile, according to MountEverest.net,  a rescue team is on its way to Nepal for Humar's rescue.

It has quoted Menno Boermans of Air Zermatt saying: "A rescue team of Swiss Mountain Rescue  Station Air Zermatt is on its way to Nepal to try to help Slovenian mountaineer Tomaz Humar. Humar is injured and stranded at about 6,300 meters on Langtang Lirung’s north face since earlier this week."

"On Monday November 9, Tomaz phoned with his partner in Slovenia. He said that he is injured, but without details. This was his first and last call from the mountain. He is thought to be on an altitude of around 6300 m, in south face of Langtang Lirung 7227m, a peak in the Langtang mountain chain, of the Nepalese Himalaya. His colleague in Slovenia called Air Zermatt, and asked for an intervention of the highly skilled mountain rescuers."

 

Posted on: 2009-11-13 01:53

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