Karpos: The Ogre’s Son the webseries

The Ogre’s Son: An epic adventure in the Karakoram

The extraordinary expedition undertaken by Matteo Della Bordella, Silvan Schüpbach, François Cazzanelli and Symon Welfringer becomes the protagonist of an engaging webseries in two must-see episodes.

On the Karpos YouTube channel, enthusiasts will have the opportunity to follow the narrative of the expedition led by the Lecco Spider, Matteo Della Bordella, joined by Silvan Schüpbach, François Cazzanelli and Symon Welfringer.

The expedition led them first along the inviolate east edge of the Ogre and then to the majestic summit of Baintha Kabata, a 6250-meter-high mountain where its rock seems to offer a logical line, the one on which to experience an adventure awaited for more than a month. A never-ending time of patient and nerve-wracking waiting in a season marked by continuous rains and snowfall, without interruption.

The Ogre’s Son

Four climbers challenge the East Pillar of the Ogre, one of the most ambitious feats in the Karakoram. Despite twenty previous attempts, no expedition has ever succeeded in conquering this magnetic line. During the summer of 2023, the bold challenge was embraced by Matteo Della Bordella, Silvan Schüpbach, François Cazzanelli, and Symon Welfringer.

Those who preceded them reached a maximum altitude of 6800 meters, facing extreme technical difficulties. However, the four have devised a new route, a direct and logical trail past the pillar to the as yet unexplored east summit of Ogre, positioned at 7150 meters.

However, nothing goes as planned. The season proves unusual, dominated by incessant rain and snowfall. With a few days of good weather, challenging the Karakorum Orc seems impossible. A failed attempt forced them back to base camp under a heavy snowfall that lasted for days and weeks. Holed up in their tents, morale low and luggage almost ready to return, Silvan Schüpbach catches a glimmer of hope.

Next to the Ogre, stands Baintha Kabata (son of the Ogre in Urdu), 6250 meters high. Colin Haley and Maxime Turgeon climbed it in 2008, calling it “The Alien Face.” Bravely, Della Bordella, Schüpbach and Welfringer tackled the mountain in threes, taking advantage of a short weather window. In two days, they open a new route with maximum difficulty 7b, bringing back to Italy not only a smile, but also a technical and vertical route.

“Two extraordinary days that allowed us to return to Italy with a smile on our faces and a technical and vertical route,” Della Bordella sums up. “I would certainly like to get my hand on the Ogre rock again, but it certainly won’t be my next expedition.” Days and weeks of downtime in one of the harshest environments known. Long, and sometimes nerve-wracking, waits. Who would come back? But once again the mountain imposed its greatest lesson: knowing how to wait“.

In conclusion, long waits and challenges in one of the harshest environments on the planet have taught mountaineers the art of knowing how to wait, proving once again that the mountain dictates its rules and offers valuable lessons to those willing to listen.

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