With good weather, the Polish K2 team established their highest point yet this season while the Everest team is forced to sit at base camp waiting for lower winds.
See this post for full background on the K2 and Everest expeditions and the history of winter attempts on the highest two mountains on Earth. Both expeditions need to summit no later than the spring equinox on March 20, 2018, at 0:15 PKT for K2 and 18:00 NPT for Everest to meet a winter summit definition.
Winter K2 – Pushing Hard
The Polish team are enjoying low winds for a change but expect high winds to return on 25 February according to this interview with expedition leader Krzysztof Wielicki. He noted that the temperatures are higher, approx. -13 ° C in the shade, before it was below -20 ° C. They must be feeling great with all the team climbing, the route getting set, camps established. Their patience is paying off.
Today, Sunday 18 February 2018, Adam Bielecki and Denis Urubko were reported to have climbed House’s Chimney to Camp 2 near 22,110’/6700m. They used the ropes that were placed last summer. They will spend the night just below the Chimney as it is at the base of a large wall (hence the Chimney) and blocks the strong winds that usually shatter Camp 2 (see image at top of post from 2014). Tomorrow, they will climb the Black Pyramid in hopes of establishing Camp 3 at 23,760’/7200m on this rotation. The other climbers, Marek Chmielarski, and Janusz Golab are either at Camp 1 or 2 with the intention of climbing higher and Artur Malek and Maciej Bedrejczuk returning to base camp.
Meanwhile in an excellent demonstration of respecting the mountain, Wielicki sent the Pakistani High Altitude Porters back up the Česen ridge to remove ropes and tents. Well done!
You can follow them directly on their website, Facebook, and SPOT tracker
Winter Everest – Waiting
Alex Txikon and team remain at base camp and got a little spray from an avalanche off the Lho La Pass. This is extremely normal and happens often but I’m sure was “entertaining” for them!
You can follow their movements on Alex’s GPS tracker, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
3 thoughts on “Progress on K2”
> eanwhile in an excellent demonstration of respecting the mountain, Wielicki sent the Pakistani High Altitude Porters
Respecting the moutain by getting others to clean up your mess! lol
Hasan, in my view the HAPs are a key part of this expedition. They have carried and set ropes on both the Cesen and Abruzzi. To discount their contribution is a mistake as they are playing a key role. Few expeditions today clean the route so hats off to Wielicki. Also well done to the 2014 Pakistani/Italian team who brought down probably 2,000lbs of trash including 700m of old rope.
Alan,
I wasn’t questioning the contribution of the HAPs! That wasn’t the point I was trying to make! =]
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