Tamara Lunger: “You never know if it’s the last time”

At the end of December 2019, Tamara Lunger flew to Pakistan with Simone Moro, a native of Bolzano, where the two alpinists pursued a big goal: the double crossing of the two eight-thousanders Gasherbrum I (8080 m) and Gasherbrum II (8034 m). However, drama soon ensued.

On the way to Camp 1, Simone Moro suddenly fell into a crevasse. Because the two were secured by each other, Lunger was also pulled towards the crack. “I had Simone's 90 kilograms on my thumb for 2 minutes,” remembers the extreme mountaineer, who was fighting for her colleague's life, but also for her own, in those moments. “I knew that if I let up, I would fall in. I screamed as if someone was murdering me,” said Lunger, who finally managed to save herself and her colleague.

Tamara Lunger, 4 months have now passed since the accident at Gasherbrum. Are you still haunted by events today?

Tamara Lunger: “Not really, but I asked myself a lot of questions. Is this my future? Is this really my path? I've gone on a winter expedition 3 times now, and I almost lost it twice. What does that mean? What does that mean to me? When I initially looked into the event at Gasherbrum, it brought tears to my eyes. But over time I also recognized the beautiful sides.”

Nice things about being on the brink of death?

“Yes, I realized that I would give anything for a person. You play so well together that everything ended well. Plus, every experience I've had where I've been close to the end has left me appreciating everything more and feeling much more alive afterwards.”

As an extreme mountaineer, death is always with you. Aren't you afraid of it?

“I think I have a slightly different sense of fear. When I'm on an expedition I feel so carefree, with so much ease. Every step is like an adventure. I feel like I’m like a child who trusts his instincts and isn’t afraid.”

Tamara Lunger and Simone Moro. © Tamara Lunger / Instagram

So you are a fearless person…

"No. What scares me more are things in normal life. If someone tells me I should climb K2 in the winter, I say okay. But if I became a mother, I would shit myself. There are so many things you can do wrong, and you don't know how your life will change. For many, the decision to become a parent is the most normal thing in the world. I don't know why this isn't the case for me. Maybe because I’m so intensely involved in my life.”

Where does this great enthusiasm for extreme mountaineering come from?

“As a young girl, I did a lot of sports, including ski touring. I even took part in championships in this sport and was always good. But at some point I realized: I want to experience the mountains and not just rush up as quickly as possible after the starting signal. After my first expedition with Simone Moro, I finally realized: This is what I want for my life.”

Nevertheless, your sport is a dangerous one. Every expedition can be the last, so to speak. How does it work in your home before you start?

“I always have a mass said the evening before, once it took place on a cross, once even at my house. I accompany the mass singing with my sisters and cousins. So friends and family are always together - you never know if it will be the last time. Do tears often flow? Sometimes it does for others, but not for me. I go where I feel at home.”

Do you always have something special with you on an expedition that reminds you of home?

“Yes, a lucky charm. On my very first expedition, my mom gave me a simple, brown shoelace with 5 buttons. "Every button is a family member, nothing will tear us apart," she said at the time. I take this with me as a bracelet on every expedition. I once lost it at the Everest base camp, but someone brought it back to me. And this despite the fact that there were over 1000 people in that camp. That was a sign for me.”

After the events of January, will you be going on expeditions again in the future?

“I have some new projects in mind. I would have gone to Mongolia in July, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”

And a new 8000m adventure?

"Never say Never. I'm always drawn back there. There will be a reason for that.”

Questions: Thomas Debelyak

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Tamara Lunger: “You never know if it’s the last time”

Tamara Lunger is South Tyrol's only extreme mountaineer - and therefore often walks the thin line between life and death. Like in January of this year, when she almost died on an expedition. An event that had a huge impact on her, as she explains in the SportNews interview.

Suggestions

Comments (0)