The K2 season summit record was smashed with at least 145 summits over the past day, with more to come. What else was smacked was the level of support, an astonishing 88 Sherpa or Pakastani support for 54 clients or a 1:1.6 ratio. The Everest model is now official on K2.

Big Picture – The Summit Push

The first summit of K2 was in 1954. There were few or no summits for years until the dam broke in 1986 with 26. However, K2’s history is sporadic at best for double-digit summit years. There have been 32 years since 1954 with no summits compared to only nine for Everest since 1953. There have been 15 double-digit summit years on K2, with 2018 holding the previous record with 62 summits:

• 1993: 16
• 1994: 17
• 1995: 11
• 1996: 29
• 1997: 11
• 2000: 25
• 2004: 51
• 2007: 31
• 2008: 18
• 2012: 30
• 2014: 48
• 2017: 12
• 2018: 62
• 2019: 30
• 2021: 58
• 2022: 145 and counting. Expected to be over 175.

I wrote that K2 would never become Everest in a blog in 2016. I was wrong.

With the ropes to the summit and excellent weather (for the moment), we saw scores of summits led by throngs of Sherpas with clients on high oxygen flow rates – it’s the Everest model now applied to K2. There were at least three exceptions to using O’s: Andorian Stefi Troguet, Taiwanese Grace Tseng, and Chinese climber He Jing all summited without O’s.

Also notable were the first nationality and several female summits: Pakastani female Samina Baig, followed by Pakastani female Naila Kiani. Also the first Irian female, Afsaneh Hesamifard. Another national first is Saeed Almemari from the United Arab Emirates. South Africans, John Black, and Warren Eva summited – the first for SA.

Finally, a note on summit success. We are seeing a lot of 100% claims, and many are absolutely true. However, it’s becoming more common for operators to only count those climbers who left for the summit push and, in some cases, only from high camp, into their overall summit success calculation. So, for example, if an operator had 15 members and only ten left for the summit, and all made it, they will cite 100% success, not 66% with 10 of the 15 summiting. The Himalayan Database uses “members above base camp” for their summit rate calculations, ignoring those members who came to a climb but never left base camp. Lots of ways to do these calculations but be aware of the basis when admiring the overall success of an operator.

K2 – Scores of Summits

Many summits on K2 in the last 24 hours. Thankfully, the conditions are good, reducing the risk of accidents, and thus far, no serious complaints about crowds, even though they may emerge once climbers are back to base camp or home. And of course, what happens on the mountain stays on the mountain! 🙂 These teams reported summits with 88 Sherpa or Pakastani support for 54 clients:

• 8K Expeditions (Nepal) – 11
• Elite Expeditions (Nepal) – 33
• Furtenbach Adventures (Austria) – 14
• Madison Mountaineering (US) – 15
• Mingma G’s Imagine Nepal (Nepal) – 23
• Pioneer Adventure (Nepal) – 10
• Seven Summits Treks (Nepal) -11
• Summit Karakorum (Nepal) – 4
• Karakorum Expeditions (Pakistan) – 6+

The team from Madison Mountaineering was the first commercial team on K2’s summit. Garrett Madison gave this update:

1. Mr. Terray Ellington Sylvester from USA (Guide)

2. Mr. Claudio “Cacho” Javier Beiza from Argentina (Guide)

3. Ms. Nelly Attar from Lebanon

4. Ms. Krisli Melesk from Estonia

5. Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa from Nepal

6. Mr. Siddhi Bahadur Tamang from Nepal

7. Mr. Dorji Gyeljen Sherpa from Nepal

8. Mr. Kamdorji Sherpa from Nepal

9. Mr. Lhakpa Wongchu Sherpa from Nepal

10. Mr. Mingdorji Sherpa from Nepal

11. Mr. Lakpa Bhote from Nepal

12. Mr. Rinji Sherpa from Nepal

13. Mr. Temba Sherpa from Nepal

14. Mr. Lakpa Sherpa from Nepal

15. Mr. Inayat Ali from Pakistan

Additionally, our rope fixing team of Siddhi, Dorji, and
Rinji worked with 2 Sherpas from another team to set the lines from camp 4 to the top. We are very proud of their hard work in opening the route and leading the way!

And Pemba Sherpa from 8K Expeditions reported 11 summits:

Members:

1. Kristin A. Bennett – USA

2. Kristin Harila – Norway

3. Frank Loke- Norway

4. Liliya Ianovskaia – Canada

Climbing Guides: 1

. Pema Chhiring Sherpa – Nepal

2. Dawa Ongju Sherpa – Nepal

3. Pemba Tasi Sherpa – Nepal

4.Dawa Dorchi Sherpa – Nepal

5. Dawa Wongju Sherpa /AD-Nepal

6. Pemba Dorchee Sherpa- Nepal

7. Fida Ali – Pakistan

And Seven Summits Treks had a nice talley:

1) Afsane Hesamifard (f)

2) Mingtemba Sherpa

3) Monikia Witkowska (f)

4) Pasang Sherpa

5) He Jing (No O2) (f)

6) Vladimir Kotlyar

7) Nadhira Alharthy (f)

8 ) Fura Tshering Sherpa

9) Ngima Tashi Sherpa

10) Ravi Chandran Malingam

11) Mingma Tenjen Sherpa

+ Counting Abbreviation: (f) = Female. Note: He Jing a Chinese Female Climber climbed Everest and Lhotse in 2022 Spring
and now K2 (today) all with No Oxygen.

Blue Sky Expeditions, a Pakistani logistics operation supporting Elite Expeditions, reported 33 summits.

K2 SUMMIT, 100% This morning everyone from our K2 team who started from basecamp reached the summit. The team is now descending below C4. Mission accomplished for our K2 expedition! *100 percent
success rate! Huge congratulations once again to our elite Exped K2 Expedition 2022 Summiteers:

1. Asma Al Thani @atalthani

2. Fahad Badar @fahad917

3. Miguel Madrid @miguelmadridlopez

4. Spencer Pipkin @spennypip

5. Isaac Selby

6. Stefi Troguet @etroguet

7. Marie-pier Desharnais @mariepier.desharnais

8. Wasfia Nazreen @wasfianazreen

9. April A. Leonardo

10. Anne Faerovig @popuplens

11. Hakon Asvang@hakonasvang

12. Anthony Middleton @antmiddleton

1. Nimsdai Purja @nimsdai

2. Mingma david Sherpa @mingma_david_sherpa

3. Mingma tenzi Sherpa @mt.sherpa

4. Mingma temba Sherpa

5. Lakpa tashi Sherpa

6. Mingma Sherpa

7. Nima Sherpa

8. Dawa temba Sherpa

9. Ramesh Gurung @climber_ramesh

10. Phur Bahadur Gurung

11. Tenji Sherpa @ifmga_tenji_sherpa

12. Pam dorjee Sherpa

13. Pasang tshering Sherpa

14. Pasang tendi Sherpa

15. Mitra Tamang

16. Mingma dorjee Sherpa

17. Suman Gurung @guiding_photography

18. Pem chiri Sherpa

19. Kalden phura Sherpa

20. Karma Geljen Sherpa

21. Abid Asad Sadparvi

All team are safely back at Camp 3. More updates to follow Team Blue Sky Treks & Tours Expedition With: Elite Expedition

Furtenbach Adventures also said 100% success:

K2 SUMMIT, 100%. This morning everyone from our K2 team who started from basecamp reached the summit. The team is now descending below C4.

Summiteers:

Roland Striemitzer

Mingma Dorchi Sherpa

Christian Wild Kunga
Sherpa Ang Kaji Sherpa

Ingo Berner

Dawa Jangbu

Lama Dawa Dorchi

Michael Lutz

Lakpa Nurbu

Ngima Dorchi

Sherpa Moritz

Werner Ram

Nurbu Sherpa

Ngimadorchi Sherpa

And Pioneer Adventures had:

Mr. Jon Mr. Warren

Mr. Khai Mr. Shuhei

Sherpa Mr. Mingma Dorchi Sherpa

Mr. Pemba Rita Sherpa

Mr. Lakpa Gyalzen

Sherpa Mr. Pasang

Sherpa Mr. Phurtenze

Sherpa Mr. Chhangwa Sherpa

More summits were reported by Karakorum Expeditions. They did not list any support for either Nepali or Pakistani.

1. Samina Baig

2. Eid Muhammad

3. Bulbul Karim

4. Ahmed Baig

5. Rizwan Dad

6. Waqar Ali

And Mingma G Imagine Nepal team had an outstanding day with 23 summits.

Summiter Name list:

1. Mingma G (4th summit of Mt.K2)

2. Dawa Gyalje Sherpa

3. tamting Sherpa

4. Pasang Namgel sherpa

5. Lakpa Tamang

6. Angdu Sherpa

7. Dawa Sherpa

8. Tsering sherpa

9. Pemba TenzingSherpa

10. Sonam Tashi sherpa

11. Nima Dorjee Sherpa

12. Pemba Cheri sherpa

13. Shah simshali

1. 王钟 Wang Zhong

2。 高立 Gao li

3。 Mr Aleksandr Yul Gromen

4。Ms Gina Marie RZucidlo

5。Ms Jennifer Lyn Drummond

6. Mr.Par Stefan isgren

7. Ms Jill Wheatley

8. mr Sashko Kedev

9. Mr Rene Michael Bergsma Netherland

10. Mr Naoki Ishikhawa

Jenn Drummond furthered her goal of becoming the first female to complete the Second Seven Summits reported summiting K2. She now has Canada’s Logan, and Sumantri in Oceana (New Guinea) left of the Seven.

I summited k2 today! And I cried like a baby at the top. It was a long and hard day. The terrain is non-stop, and there is no place to really pass people going back down, and when you get stuck behind a person, that is not a very good thing. It bottlenecks everyone on the mountain. It was a great weather day. Likely one for the books in terms of weather for K2. Mother nature was definitely on our side to make this happen today for myself and so many others. It was a bit warm at times, but it could have been super windy and freezing cold, so I will take the weather we got. Everyone I know that went for the summit push summited today. I bet it will be the largest summit day in the history of the mountain as well. Watching people work hard for their dream and make it happen starts the waterworks for me every time. I get so excited for everyone. So many records were shattered for so many as well today. It was the first ascent for many women and men from different countries. Some without o2, and for some, it was the first summit for their culture. All pressing the boundaries of what is possible. This environment is mind-blowing so honored to have so many amazing humans with that I will forever have a special bond with from today. I am exhausted yet also bursting with all the feels. More to share and more to come. Love love love – Jenn

The following teams should be finished with their K2 climb, and some will move to Broad Peak:

• 8K Expeditions (Nepal)
• Elite Expeditions (Nepal)
• Furtenbach Adventures (Austria)
• Madison Mountaineering (US)
• Mingma G’s Imagine Nepal (Nepal)
• Pioneer Adventure (Nepal)
• Seven Summits Treks (Nepal)
• Summit Karakoram (Pakistan)
• Karakorum Expeditions (Pakistan)

With these teams either waiting or not providing updates as to their current position or plans:

• Adventure Pakistan (Pakistan)
• Adventure Tours Pakistan (Pakistan)
• Alpine Adventure Guide (Pakistan)
• Lela Peak Expedition (Pakistan)

Muhammad Ali, Managing Director, Adventure Pakistan, tells me his team is targeting July 27/28

Gasherbrum II – More Summits

More summits on one of the three “achievable” 800e0rs, Cho and Manaslu, are the other two in my opinion – note I said ‘achievable, not ‘easy.’. Mani Oostra said his 360 Expeditions summited, but no names or numbers. Jagged Globe, demonstrating great patience, made the top of GII:

The team left Camp 3 at 2230hrs last night (21 July) with Paul summiting this morning (22 July) at 0825hrs with local climbers working for the expedition, Zakir from Hushe and Hassan from Shigar. Luke climbed to 7350m and Rui reached 7400m, before descending with David back down to Camp 3. Note that none of our team were climbing on 02. We’ll post another update when we have it, but for now they are focussed on descending as the plan is to leave BC 24 July. Congratulation to all of the team.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

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