K2 2015 Coverage: Summits on G I & II, K2 Stops Bid. More Injuries

Finally we have more summits in this difficult summer 2015 season. Teams topped out on the Gasherbrums. A large number of climbers are currently going for the summit of Broad Peak. The strong K2 attempt was ended by deep snow and strong winds. Meanwhile K2 has injured one of the Sherpas with Madison Mountaineering.

The weather is playing a strong hand this year in Northern Pakistan. It has been the small, look experienced independent teams willing to take big risks during small breaks in the weather who have summited. The large commercial teams have worked hard to fix routes on K2 but remain unwilling to thread their climbers through the eye of the weather needle.

Gasherbrum I

An impressive summit on Gasherbrum I by Yannick Graziani, Thomas Seidensticker, Ferran Latorre and Sadiq, They left Camp 3 at midnight and summited at 3:30 pm local time.

They posted this video which I assume but cannot confirm was from their summit today, July 24, 2015.

Gasherbrum II

The team from Chile, Tomas Road Purcell, Matte Rafael Dominguez and Martin Gildemeister Budge has summited G II, making this the only one of the four 8000 meter mountains in this area to have multiple summits this season. Kari Kobler’s team made it earlier this week.

Polish climbers and skiers Olek Ostrowsk and Peter ?nigórskiego turned back on Gasherbrum II at 7600 meters citing waist deep snow.

Broad Peak

A large group of independent climbers from five countries, perhaps 14 people,  are all pushing to summit Broad Peak right now. Al Hancock phoned in that he and three other climbers were now at Camp 3 at 7000m on Broad Peak and would leave around 2:00 am local time for the summit. He expects it to take 12 hours and will update from the summit if/when they make it. Also Turkish climber Tunc Findik has his SPOT tracker working and shows him at the same camp. Best of luck my friends.

K2

Mike Horn confirmed that their summit bid was stopped with this Tweet:

We are back in base camp after an unsuccessful attempt to reach the summit, Snow and strong wind stopped us.

It appears the only team that had substantial  gear at ABC was Seven Summits Treks, when an avalanche buried the camp. No one was at that camp when the avalanche occurred. They have tried in vain to dig out their gear, reportedly under 15 feet of snow.

The remaining teams at K2 BC seem content to wait out this next storm and consider a summit push next week. Himex reports significant rock fall and avalanche activity all over K2.

Kami Sherpa Injured

Joe Ashkar with Madison Mountaineering posted this update on the conditions:

Our Sherpa team tried to carry a load to Camp 3 but their attempt was thwarted at Camp 1 and couldn’t progress further due to deep deep snow and rock fall danger. Unfortunately and sadly, our lead Sherpa Kami was hit by a rock and appears to have three fractures inn his arm. The route between ABC and C1 is a sight to be seen: water streams running down alongside avalanche debris and rock fall. A gigantic boulder was seen rolling down all the way from C1. All the fixed lines between ABC and above appear to have been damaged and rendered unusable.

I’m unclear on the exact identity of the injured Sherpa. Last year, Madison Mountaineering had two “Kami Sherpas” – Kami Rita and Kami (Ang Chhiring Sherpa – Pangboche) Sherpa whom I summited Everest in 2011 and K2 in 2014 with. Both are unbelievably strong, smart and experienced climbers. I wish him the for a speedy recovery.

Update: It was Kami (Ang Chhiring Sherpa – Pangboche) Sherpa who was injured. He was hit by a large rock just below Camp 1. His left shoulder was dislocated and arm and hand broken. He was flown out on July 25 to Skardu to undergo surgery.

A fundraiser has been started to help Kami and his family. Kami also lost his home from the April 2015 earthquake on Nepal.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything