Year: 2021

38 years after the first winter reconnaissance, climbers on K2 are preparing to push towards the summit with a credible chance of making history.  Saturday, January 16, 2021 looks to be a good summit day as we been discussing all week. A Nepal Sherpa was hit by rockfall suffering serious injuries.

38 years after the first winter reconnaissance, climbers on K2 are preparing to push towards the summit with a credible chance of making history.  Saturday, January 16, 2021 looks to be a good summit day as we been discussing all week. A Nepal Sherpa was hit by rockfall suffering serious injuries.

Climbers are all over K2 pushing to get rotations in, but Saturday looks to be a perfect summit day! Teams have now established Camp 3, and the ropes are to 725,080’/7600m, a serious sign of progress. Saturday’s weather is perfect for a summit!

K2 is filled with people today, most on their second and final acclimatization rotation before a summit attempt later this month. Several climbers reported rockfall yesterday with minor to insignificant injuries. But the warning is clear. I’m hearing directly from the climbers on conditions.

Teams are taking advantage of a two-day weather window mid-week to work on acclimatization. Big winds are forecasted to return soon. There is hope to establish camp 3 and get the ropes to Camp 4. Another climber leaves the SST team.

The winter K2 teams are regrouping after high winds destroyed Camp 2 just above and below House Chimney. For some, the question of when winter ends comes into play, the end of February or on the equinox on March 20, 2021. Regardless, the weather continues to play games with all the climbers. A few days of low winds followed by patches of hurricane breezes trapping anyone wherever they might be.

K2 C2 tents along with gear for higher were erased or destroyed. Humans have been swept off the high slopes of K2, thus to scourer these slopes is understandable. Unclear future

It’s been confirmed that high winds have destroyed Camp 2 along with the tents and gear. Time to reassess for some expeditions. No injuries as the Camp was empty.

With a break in the winds starting Sunday, 1/9/21, look for many climbers to head up K2 to finish their acclimatization. Over 50 people next week so coordination will be critical.

Minga G tells me the ropes to 7300-meters, a bit higher than the previous estimate. However, with the big winds and everyone at Base Camp, it feels a bit academic at the moment.