The first Irish attempt on K2, the world's second-highest mountain, has been placed in serious jeopardy by a Government decision to withdraw funding for the expedition, the Mountaineering Council of Ireland has said.
Mr John Treacy, chief executive of the Irish Sports Council, has confirmed that the council will not be giving further financial support to the K2 expedition, which is due to leave for the Himalaya this weekend. The Sports Council has decided to revise the criteria for grant aid, he told The Irish Times.
The K2 expedition is a crossBorder venture led by one of Ireland's leading climbers, Mr Calvin Torrans. Despite the fact that only just over 100 people have ever reached K2's summit, the Irish team intends to climb without oxygen or sherpa support. It has already received a £7,000 grant from the Sports Council and expected to receive a second similar tranche before departure.
Mr Treacy said the Sports Council was revising schemes it had grant-aided in the past. Expeditions had been covered under the international competition category, hence a £20,000 grant from the Department of Education for the successful Irish Everest expedition in 1993. The activity was no longer deemed to fit this category, but the MCI had been very well funded generally this year, to the tune of £24,000, Mr Treacy said.
Mr Frank Nugent, chairman of the MCI, said that the change in grant criteria without reference to the national governing body was a particularly disturbing development.
"An Irish team climbing K2 without oxygen or sherpa support could put Ireland on the world mountaineering map," Mr Frank Nugent, chairman of the MCI said yesterday. The success of the first Irish ascent of Everest, on which he was deputy leader, had been greeted by Irish people on both sides of the Border, Mr Nugent said. This cross-Border dimension extended to the K2 venture. He has requested an urgent meeting with the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation, Dr McDaid.
The MCI has also congratulated the Irish nurse, Ms Josie Kieran, on her success in reaching Everest's south summit, at 28,750 feet. Ms Kieran had hoped to reach the summit.
But her success in making it to within 278 feet of the top was "marvellous", according to Himalayan Kingdoms, the commercial company which organised her trip.
