Ropes to Camp 2 on Winter K2

K2 Camp 2: 22,110'/6700m

Huge news that the fixed lines are to Camp 2 on Winter K2. This is very early but also still low on K2. The teams are enjoying decent weather for winter. Other climbers just arrived in Pakistan or Skardu and will start their trek to BC on Christmas Eve.

Mingma Gyalje Sherpa with three Sherpa, no members

Mingma was on K2 last winter and has extensive experience. He sent me this exclusive update:

On 21st DEC we put our crampons first time in this EXP. Yesterday we fixed line to camp2. Today we will descent back to bc for a few days rest. Then plan for further load transpiring.

K2 Abruzzi Route Map
K2 Abruzzi Route Map

Updates on the other teams for Winter K2:

Seven Summits Treks (SST) with 55 members (27 clients, 28 Sherpas)

Blue Sky Tours, their Pakistani logistics provider said:

International SST Winter K-2 Expedition 2k20-21. Today our expedition leader Mr. Chhang Dawa Sherpa along with 17 clients reached Skardu. Warmest welcome to them from the whole blue sky family and we are praying for our expedition success.
And Dawa Sherpa, co-owner of SST and leader of their expedition provide some details on the definition of winter:
Finally the whole international SST winter K2 team 2020/21 reached Skardu. Officially our expedition started on the 21 December and is estimated to end around 3rd week of February. On the Astronomical calendar winter starts on 21 December, however the metrological calendar says winter starts on 1 December. To avoid controversy we decide to start what is believed to be winter on both calendars.
Our first team of 8 Sherpa (3 rope fixing +5 group Sherpa) reached to the K2 Basecamp yesterday. They will start preparing Base Camp for the main group and quickly after this start preparing the route on the mountain. All teams on the mountain, those already there and those still arriving will work together to have maximum chances, there is no competition between teams! We are all family in the mountains!

Icelander John Snorri Sigurjonsson with two Pakistani climbers Muhammad Ali Sadpara and his son Sajid Ali. Aschar Ali Porik of Jasmine Tours is providing the logistics.

He is at BC and has made one rotation to C1 while fixing ropes with and his son. John reports:

Today it is sunny, -11 Celsius and it feels like heat wave, really nice. But the weather is still harsh in the mountain, so we are waiting. Weather update. 200 km per hour on the top of K2 next days and a great day to summit the 28th, but we are not ready then.
John is right, low winds around 10 mph, reasonable winter temps at -33F! Downright mild for winter!!

Nirmal Purja Purja Purja Purja is in Islamabad

He appears to have five Sherpas with him. Still unclear if he has any clients.

Finally, with COVID, several members had their flights disrupted and will arrive late.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

See my video of my 2014 K2 Summit Experience.

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5 thoughts on “Ropes to Camp 2 on Winter K2

  1. Alan, thanks for all your newsletters! Will the ropes being fixed by Mingma Sherpa be used by all teams? Or is each team fixing their own?

    Keith

    1. One rope for all teams. But the best arrive with enough to fix on their own. Sometimes other climbers will pay a couple hundred to the first teams but usually it’s a shared responsibility when team cooperate

      1. Great work as always alan enjoy reading ur posts. What dates do you consider to be winter. Surely if like most the 21st is the start of winter the progress from mingma to camp 2 cant count as the route to camp 1 was already there this making there progress alot easier if thats the right word to use in these extreme condition
        Look forward to more posts keep up the great work and stay safe

        1. I wrote a long post about this but the bottom line is that absent of a ruling body, the definition is left to the climbers. Most countries who issue climbing permits use meteorological, Dec, Jan, and Feb but a lot of climbers like to use astronomical which aligns with the solstices – December 21 and March 20 in the northern hemisphere.

          For me? I don’t think of March as winter but also think winter begins with the winter solstice. December, so I guess I’m in the middle. 🙂

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