Relatives of Iker Bilbao prepare a trip to Patagonia to see the place of the accident
The death of Iker Bilbao in Fitz Roy has left the towns of Durango, where he was from, and Abadiño, his place of residence, in shock. The tragic accident that occurred on January 19 when he was trapped by an avalanche and fell into a deep crevasse along with Amaia Agirre from Gipuzkoa is difficult to assimilate, and has silenced the young people and fans of the world of mountains in both towns.
“We have to assimilate the blow,” say people close to them. These same sources advance on the intention that he is considering within his family to move to the place of the tragedy. And they also advance the intention of paying tribute to him in privacy. From the municipalities of Durango and Abadiño, they indicate that they will join as many acts as are called, while showing their support for the family in these moments of mourning.
Iker has been missing, along with the Gipuzkoan Amaia Aguirre, since last Thursday after being swept away by an avalanche on the Fitz Roy peak, 3,405 meters high, and both are presumed dead as the rescue is unfeasible.
From the Durango association for the promotion of mountain and canoeing Ourdaybi, which Iker, 29, joined to start in the world of climbing almost three decades ago, they were dejected yesterday with the tragic outcome. They admitted that they needed “a time to assimilate the blow”, although they have in mind to pay tribute to him in private later. They also indicated that relatives of the victim, specifically his brother Aitor, with whom they shared so many moments in the mountains, are preparing a trip to the place of the tragedy.
“We need to assimilate what happened,” emphasize his friends. The abadiñarra Aitor Azueta, who shared many of his trips through the mountains with Iker, insists that, for the moment, they have not planned to pay any tribute.
The president of the Alpino Tabira de Durango club, Julen Fernández, lamented the fatal accident of the former partner and son of two of its members, Karmele Ortega and Iñaki Bilbao. “I met the mother on a trip to Croatia,” he said sadly. In the Durango City Council, on the other hand, they claim to have contacted the relatives to make all the resources they need available to them.
On Sunday Iker already received a heartfelt tribute from the Euskadi Firefighters Association. Stationed in the Álava town of Campezo, he had managed to transfer to Llodio, where he hoped to join the return from his latest alpine adventure.