K2 – Waiting
They all wait together, but one by one, they drop out. Given the deep snow and high winds, the critical human power to reach the summit will soon be unavailable.
Nepali operators Seven Summits Treks, Imagine Nepal, and 8K Expeditions are on K2 this year. Multiple Pakistani guides, including Summit Karakorum, Karakorum Expeditions and Masherbrum Expeditions, are also involved. Madison Mountaineering and Mountain Professionals may be the only Western teams there. Elete Expeditions abandoned their expedition due to conditions.
Popular US climber Ryan Mitchell is at K2 Base Camp and texted me, “Forecasts not looking good for winds.” He must be frustrated.
And the Other 8000ers
With poor conditions, look for a few last summits, but perhaps the season is over for BP and the Gasherbrums.
Broad Peak – Waiting and Over
The wait goes on, as does the frustration. In my last post, I noted comments from Madison Mountaineering, Norwegian climber Vibi Vibeke Andrea Sefland, and Lukasz Supergan about the poor conditions and the lack of cooperation among the teams that could result in reaching the summit this season—there is no need to repeat any of this, as the situation has not changed substantially.
The season is over for my friend Ryan Kushner. With a poor longer-term forecast and a hard stop coming up, they decided to end their expedition and begin the long walk to Askole and the flight home. He told me:
Chest deep snow above three. No ropes. We are done
Gasherbrum II – Stopped
On GII, Karakorum Expeditions called off their bid:
July 28, 2025 – A team attempting to summit Broad Peak has been forced to abort their summit push due to dangerously deteriorating weather and route conditions. The climbers, facing high winds, heavy snowfall, and potential avalanche risks, made the difficult decision to turn back just short of the summit. All members are now safely descending to Camp 2, where they will reassess their plans. Further updates will follow as the situation develops.
I assume the same from Summit Karakorum, who was also at Camp 2, but we need confirmation.
Gasherbrum I – Probably Over!
Four teams, three Nepali and one Pakistani, summited the more difficult Gasherbrum, GI, on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Then on July 22, Elete put eight more on top, including Pakistani climbers Mehboob Ali and Abbas Ali from Arandu village of Shigar valley, Baltistan. Together, there are now over 22 summits.
Nanga Parbat – Over
Nanga is more southern and western than Pakistan’s four other 8000ers. It’s in the Himalayas, whereas the other Pakistani giants lie in the Karakoram. NP usually sees the first summit yearly; this season was no exception. It appears the season is over and closes on NP with at least 24 summits, including climbers from Russia, Pakistan (5), the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France, Nepali Sherpas, and unspecified Europeans.
Climb On!
Alan
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4 thoughts on “K2 2025 Coverage: Another Windy Monday, More teams drops out.”
is Ryan Michell ok ? we are all rooting for him
He’s good, still hanging in there at K2 BC hoping for a window.
Wow tough year in the Karakoram
Yeah, making out to be one of the rare no summits on either BP or K2.