TOLO, THE MAJORCAN GUDARI

I met Tolo Calafat in a nice Majorcan expedition which tried Everest in 2005. I was there with Carlos Pauner filming and trying the same summit. Carlos already knew Tolo from the year before in Cho Oyu. During these years Tolo climbed Cho-Oyu, Everest and the fore-summit of Broad Peak. I did not get to see Tolo until autumn 2009 in Shisha Pangma, Tibet, where I was there again with Carlos. Tolo was with Juanito Oiarzabal. For Tolo as well as for me, to be part of an expedition with these two giants of Himalaya was such an honour. Juanito, had just met Tolo in Shisha, and he quickly became very fond of him, same as everyone, and in the thousand duties that an expedition requires, he was friendly calling Tolo: "The Gudari"..." which means "The Warrior" in Basque: "Gudari, take two burners and gas", "Gudari, don’t forget the powder for the water"... Tolo, like me, used to get shiny eyes while listening Juanito's and Carlos' stories in their numerous eight thousand meter summits, imagining to step on the summit of the mountain we were in. And he dreamed about continuing his Himalayan career next to distinguished climbers such as Juanito and Carlos.  Juanito and Carlos advised him how to orientate his career as the eight thousander representative of the Balearic Islands and Majorca. Listening carefully to Juanito, and following his advices, many times making jokes, he was turning into a "Gudari", as Juanito was constantly calling him.
We used to joke with him, telling him that due to his great strength he should break trail for us on the summit day, and also that he should carry all the rope to fix. "This is what we expect from a Gudari" Juanito used to say. And Tolo, swallowing the joke, with no complaints, and with a great respect towards Juanito and Carlos, used to say that he would do whatever their mentors say. After Shisha Pangma in Tibet, this 2010 spring Annapurna in Nepal came. The same group met, Juanito Oiarzabal, Carlos Pauner, Tolo, turned already into a "Gudari" after the Shisha period, and myself. Annapurna fills with fear to whoever comes to climb it. Tolo, who had a heart of gold, in his kindness, he expressed sometimes his doubts or fear about the mountain. Quickly Juanito or Carlos told him off and joking or not, they reminded him the path of eight thousander he had just started to cover, and they reminded him his condition of warrior to be able to get out of the mountain with success.
Already in the base camp, Tolo, a daily training athlete, almost professional, went for a walk every day around the base camp. And he used to go with Juanito, who many days asked him¿¿where is it today Gudari?? and Tolo always proposed long hours walks and Juanito told him off with affection... "till there you will go, Gudari, me, at 1 I have to out the chickpeas in the pot". (Juanito has cooked for us almost every day in the base camp, special dishes as if we were guests at his home). It kept my attention the curious couple made by Juanito and Tolo, confirmed already as the squire and Gudari of Juanito. We all made plans together for the future. Carlos Pauner, Juanito Oiarzabal and the Majorcan Gudari , Tolo, reached the summit of Annapurna on 27th of April at 16:00 hours Nepali time. Unfortunately something happened in the trained body of Tolo, in the descent from the summit of Annapurna. The doctors M. Antonia Nerín and I had the last words with him at 9 p.m. on 28th of April through the radio. Our Gudari was switching himself off. And a part of all of us with him. Tolo, the Majorcan Gudari, passed away in the morning of 29th of April, at more than 7.500 meters height in Annapurna. His spirit survives, forever, in the memory of his wife Marga, and his shiny and good-nature look in his two small boys. Tolo, Gudari, as Juanito called you, when we come back to the mountain, we will feel you between us. May you rest in peace, wherever you are now. 

Javier Pérez