April 18, 2006

2006 EUROPEAN FAIR PLAY PLAQUE of MERIT and DIPLOMA (Individuals) MARTIN GABLIK and RUDOLF BOSJAK (SVK)

The Congress of the European Fair Play Movement in Udine approved the awarding of the EFPM Prize for 2006 to Slovak mountaineers Martin Gablík and Rudolf Bošjak. Earlier that March, at the General Assembly of the Slovak Olympic Committee in Bratislava, both had received the Radovan Kaufman Award for 2005, the highest recognition for a fair play act in Slovakia. The Slovak Olympic Committee also nominated them for the international award.

The EFPM Congress in Udine decided to grant a total of four main awards, one of which went to the Slovak climbers. The good news was learned directly at the congress by Jana Stašová, chairwoman of the SOV Fair Play Club, and Slovakia’s Fair Play ambassador Katarína Lokšová-Ráczová, who also delivered a co-report on the topic “Fair Play in Practice.”

Slovak mountaineers Martin Gablík and Rudolf Bošjak, as members of an international expedition to Broad Peak (8,047 m) in July 2005 led by Polish climber Piotr Pustelnik, took part in rescuing an injured expedition member, the Polish climber Artur Hajzer. During a night descent from Broad Peak at an altitude of 7,800 meters, Hajzer broke his leg. Piotr Pustelnik and two Italian climbers descending with him immobilized the limb and began transporting him downward.

At that time, the Slovak team (Gablík and Bošjak) was camped on the mountain face, preparing for a summit attempt the next day. Piotr Pustelnik contacted them by radio and asked them to abandon their summit plans, descend to the घायल climber, and join the rescue effort. The Slovaks reached the injured mountaineer at midnight, risking their own lives during the night descent. Martin Gablík even fell 400 meters and was initially feared dead. Fortunately, after several hours he rejoined his companions and continued helping to carry the injured climber.

By 3 a.m., they had all reached Camp III. The following day they descended to Camp II, and on July 23 they reached base camp. Throughout the rescue, Martin Gablík supported and carried Artur Hajzer, while Rudolf Bošjak provided assistance and helped ensure the transport.

By this act, the Slovak climbers gave up their chance to reach the summit, but demonstrated respect for both the written and unwritten rules of sport.