Jaroslav Bansky, one of the Czech Republic’s top mountaineers, died last Thursday (16 July) in an accident on the six-thousander Biarchedi II in the Karakoram in Pakistan. Even seven days later, the exact circumstances remain unclear. Pakistani media reports stated that the 46-year-old had fallen. Other reports suggested that Bansky had apparently been struck by rockfall.
This is reminiscent of the fate of the former world-class German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier. The mountaineer died on 28 July 28, just under a year ago, on the six-thousander Laila Peak due to a rockfall. Laila Peak and Biarchedi II are only about ten kilometers apart as the crow flies and are located near the 7,821-meter-high Masherbrum.
Tragedy following triumph
Bansky was climbing the previously unclimbed Southwest Face of the 6,781-meter-high Biarchedi II with his Czech teammates Zdenek Hak and Radoslav Groh when the accident occurred. According to reports, Hak and Groh emerged unharmed.
Ten days earlier, the Czech trio had successfully made the first ascent of the 6,810-meter-high Biarchedi I. The main goal of the expedition was the seven-thousander Masherbrum, which the three climbers intended to scale via a new route.
Highlight: First ascent of Muchu Chhish
Jaroslav Bansky, nicknamed “Banan” (Banana), was from the winter sports resort of Vítkovice in the Giant Mountains. He had been climbing since his school days. In recent years, he had regularly gone on expeditions to the Himalayas or the Karakoram with his Czech friends and celebrated several highly acclaimed successes.
In 2021, in Khumbu – the Nepalese region near Mount Everest – he and Hak achieved the first complete ascent of Kangchung Shar (6,063 meters) via its north side, as well as the first traverse of the mountain: The two descended via the south side of the mountain. In 2022, Hak, Groh, and Bansky were part of the five-member Czech team that made the first ascent of the 6,859-meter-high Chumbu.
In 2023, Hak, Groh, and Bansky achieved another mountaineering highlight in the Karakoram: the first ascent of the 7,453-meter-high Muchu Chhish, without bottled oxygen. Previously, Muchu Chhish was considered the second-highest unclimbed mountain in the world, but the highest one that could be reached: the 7,570-meter-high Gankhar Puensum on the border between Bhutan and China is off-limits to climbers. In Bhutan, mountains are considered the abode of the gods and therefore may not be climbed.
Climate change increases alpine hazards
Last week was a dark one for Czech mountaineering. The day before Bansky’s death, two Czechs were killed by a rockfall on Mont Blanc: a mountain guide and his client.
The high temperatures of recent weeks have drastically increased the risk of rockfall in the Alps. As a result, mountain guides on the Matterhorn in Switzerland are advising against attempting to climb the mountain.
Due to the ongoing heat, the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) is warning of black ice, large crevasses, and an acute risk of rockfall on high-altitude tours.
Climate change is making its presence felt – not only in the Alps, but also in the Karakoram. On K2, several tents at Camp 1, at an altitude of around 6,000 meters, were destroyed by rockfall.
Update 25 July: According to Pakistani media reports, three foreign climbers were injured when a rockfall struck their base camp at the foot of the Trango Towers. One of the climbers reportedly suffered a serious head injury. Bad weather prevented a helicopter rescue operation that had been requested immediately.
Update 26 July: The three Spanish climbers who were injured by a rockfall at their base camp at the foot of the Trango Towers were transported to a hospital in Skardu for further medical treatment.
