11.05.98
The group returned in Greece on Saturday.
Watch or listen to Antonis Sykaris talk about the tragedy in Dhaulagiri
Nikos's last message - 1 (13.03.98)
Nikos's last message - 2 (13.03.98)
Message from Antonis Sykaris (02.05.98).
2nd message from Antonis Sykaris (02.05.98).
3rd message from Antonis Sykaris (01.05.98).
Message from Dimitris Kallos (01.05.98).
5.05.98
Yesterday a service was held in memory of Nikos Papandreou, in the church of Agioi Anargyroi, in the place where he lived.
The group remains in Nepal in order to settle all matters with the Nepalese Government and is finally due to return on the day originally scheduled: the 18th of May.
4.05.98
How can we describe this... This tragic end of an expedition, which, in a 100 m. would be victorious... A rope that ended a little sooner, an effort to use another's rope, a wrong step and finally the end, in a a place that Nikos chose himself, after all... God rest his soul...
The group returns within a week. They are already in Katmandou since Sunday, in order to prepare all needed papers.
Oreivatein received many messages of Condolences for the tragic loss of Nikos Papandreou. We thank all those people, "known" and "unknown", and we feel the rather strange need to say "sorry" to those of our friends who heard the news from Oreivatein... We never thought we'd be the messangers of such news... Oreivatein received many messages of Condolences for the tragic loss of Nikos Papandreou. We thank all those people, "known" and "unknown", and we feel the rather strange need to say "sorry" to those of our friends who heard the news from Oreivatein... We never thought we'd be the messangers of such news...
From these messages, we collect two, coming from abroad, from sites known to our frequest visitors: GoSki and MountNet, as well as the one of Achilleas Theodoridis, vice-president of the Mountaineering Club of Thessaloniki (O.L.T.)
At the same time, we invite all of you, who would like or feel the need to drop a line or two on this tragic event, to send an e-mail to Oreivatein. May be we should have done this earlier, but we admit we are still in shock... We promise to publish these messages here, and also hand them over to Niko's family and the Expedition's Club.
Hello Maria,
This is tragic news, especially for a climber so close to the top. We are sad here, but glad to know that he lived to pursue his goal.
Best,
Eric
GoSki
Dear Maria,
our staff is really sorry for this tragic accident. Please pass our message to the his family and the expedition members.
Best regards.
Mara
Μαρια, γεια σου
Ειλικρινα νοιωθω οτι εχασα εναν συγγενη μου, κι ας μην τον ειδα ποτε μου απο κοντα !!
Το εμαθα απο εσενα.
Αχιλλεας Θεοδωρίδης
Hello Maria
I honestly feel like I've lost a kin, although I never saw him from close!!
I heard it from you.
Achilleas Theodoridis
I would like to send my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Nikos and to the expedition team. I had the pleasure of meeting the team in Marpha, Nepal, and their spirit and energy has remained with me. They are an inspiration to follow one's dreams and one's heart during this moment of life.
Betty (from San Francisco)
Message from Antonis Sykaris - 01.05.98
Everything stopped - because Nikos is above all - we were 7 and we are 6, it is aweful...it was a very important expedition, since it included, take me out, the best boys, first Nikos, and success was ours, a big success, the bigger greek mountaineering success, and it turned out to be a tragedy - that's all - and everything went so well, they assured me they were in a very good psychological condition, they felt strong, they didn't seem to get affected by the high altitude, and that they maintained their forces and spirit.
Everything stopped - because Nikos is above all - we were 7 and we are 6, it is aweful...it was a very important expedition, since it included, take me out, the best boys, first Nikos, and success was ours, a big success, the bigger greek mountaineering success, and it turned out to be a tragedy - that's all - and everything went so well, they assured me they were in a very good psychological condition, they felt strong, they didn't seem to get affected by the high altitude, and that they maintained their forces and spirit.
Unfortunately at 07:45, on the 1rst of May, the report I received was that the worst thing that could happen to us, the worst thing that can happen to a mountaineering expedition, was there for us: Nikos Papandreou was killed. This was reported to me by Babis Tsouras, head of the group by Gallos and Papandreou. I asked what exactly happened, they said that Nikos was following, the steady rope finished at one point, they had to move left to another, it was very windy, Nikos got carried by the wind, he obviously didn't step right, we can never know precisely, he got carried away and fell to a space 1.500 m. deep, on the rocks, and was of course killed. The boys, on their own, and also following my instructions, tried to have a look into the space down below, using ropes, in order to see if anything showed; nothing visible, the space is very big downwards, and ice follows which can be 2.000 m. high, it was impossible to see anything, and of course it is impossible for someone to survive, falling from such a height. We called the rescue team of the in Himalayas, 3 big russian helicopters, which came from Katmandou, we embarged, we 6, and flew for some time, 1-2 hours, I can't remember how long, I was in shock, in order to find Nikos, we couldn't see anything, this is we couldn't find him.
Message from Dimitris Kallos - 01.05.98
Look, since I have - I had a very good frienship with Nikos, I wouldn't like to talk about this, due to sentimental reasons - exclusively - it's a great shock and I would like not to talk.
Q: Was every required provision taken? was everything anticipated?
Everything -
Q: So was it simply what we call a bad moment? - what happened?
- the bad moment, nothing else, tiring, exhaustion... His last words, I remember them strongly in my heart, we all remember them, he wanted to ascend for his family and his children, he kept telling us this - he said that his family supports and loves him, and he wanted to offer this great success to his children and wife. He told me so.
2nd Message from Antonis Sykaris - 02.05.98
Although everything went fine and the top was so close, and we would have made it, everything was fine, unfortunately, so unfortunately, we faced a big problem...
Although everything went fine and the top was so close, and we would have made it, everything was fine, unfortunately, so unfortunately, we faced a big problem...
Q: At which altitude did this happen?
7.500 m. - we had prepared Camp 1, 5.800 m., Camp 2, 6.600 m. and Camp 3 was finaly ready, at 7.250-7.300 m, on an ice edge. The first group, Tsoupras, Papandreou and Kallos, had already arrived at Camp 3, one camp per day, and on the 1rst of May, at 1:30 in the evening, they started the final attempt to the top, from 7.300 m. to 8.167 m. The weather was relatively good, but it was very windy. The 3 boys started, they did very well, I had frequent reports, and everything was fine.
3rd Message from Antonis Sykaris - 02.05.98
Nikos was very happy, full of spirit and he wished most of all to make it to the top - this is the reality, he wanted to make the top and offer his success to his wife and children, he had told us so. When I talked to him on the eve, 30 of April in the afternoon, I told him chacteristically "tomorrow you have an appointment with history"...since we beleived that we'd make it to the top and write a new victorious page in the history of greek mountaineering. Unfortunately it was an appointment with tragedy...
Nikos was very happy, full of spirit and he wished most of all to make it to the top - this is the reality, he wanted to make the top and offer his success to his wife and children, he had told us so. When I talked to him on the eve, 30 of April in the afternoon, I told him chacteristically "tomorrow you have an appointment with history"...since we beleived that we'd make it to the top and write a new victorious page in the history of greek mountaineering. Unfortunately it was an appointment with tragedy...
We have left. We'll prepare a plaquette with the name of Nikos inscribed, and the date, and we'll come back sometime and leave it here... it is our duty, all of us, to award the least of honours, by leaving here a plaquette bearing the name of our beloved Nikos.