PRESS RELEASE

about the Hungarian K2 Expedition

by Szilard SUHAJDA and David KLEIN

Szilard SUHAJDA as the First Hungarian Climber reached K2 Summit without supplemental oxygen and Sherpa support

Szilard SUHAJDA succeeded the Hungarian K2 Expedition last week by reaching the second highest peak in the world, the 8611 meters high K2. After three successful acclimatization rounds, Szilard and David started the attempt to conquer the peak last Sunday. At the end, David did not climb to the top due to his health problem, but he was supporting Szilard on radio from the base camp. David decision was extraordinary; he sacrificed his ambitions for the success of the expedition!

Szilard made it, he defeated the "King of the Mountains" which has never been climbed by any Hungarian climber. Szilard is the first Hungarian mountaineer, who reached the Summit of K2 without extra oxygen and Sherpa support. This was announced at a Press Conference hosted by Serena Hotels under its Adventure Diplomacy Initiative.

“I am delightedly announcing the success of the 2019 Hungarian K2 Expedition. I am here at the peak of K2. It's amazing, the sky is clear, I can see everything, the view from the ridge is beautiful. Next time, I hope that we will stand together at a nice peak” - said Szilard to David from the Summit last Thursday.

Last week, it was still questionable whether David and Szilard had any opportunity to attempt the climb, because the Sherpa climbers reported about very deep snow close to the peak. According to the reports, 120 climbers (75 international and 45 Sherpa in ten teams) were on K2 during this period with Sherpa, and few of them could make it!

Despite of the deep snow on the peak, the two Hungarian mountaineers did not give up. Together with another group of mountaineers, they set out for camp 2 at 6,700 meters on Monday and then slept the other night in camp 3, on 7300 meters. In camp 3, David had health problems, therefore he decided to turn back for the expedition’s success, and support Szilard from the base camp. „I am really proud of my decision. I could not have lived together with the fact, that it would have been my fault if the Hungarian K2 Expedition had failed. I am happy about Szilard’s and the expedition’s success” – said David.

The further aim of them is to achieve the 14 mountains above 8000 meters. After climbing K2, only two "eight thousand" mountains, Sisapangma, and Everest are missing from there bucket list. Climbing successfully an ’eight thousand’ high Summit by Hungarian mountaineer happened in 2016 last time, when David Klein was the first Hungarian climber the peak of the most dangerous Annapurna.

Last time when a Hungarian climber reached an ‘eight thousand’ high Summit, was David when he climbed the most dangerous Annapurna Summit in 2016.

For the pictures of the expedition please visit the Facebook page of the Embassy!

https://www.facebook.com/HunEmbassy.Islamabad/