{"id":31979,"date":"2018-12-02T16:53:14","date_gmt":"2018-12-02T23:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=31979"},"modified":"2019-04-06T12:34:33","modified_gmt":"2019-04-06T18:34:33","slug":"2018-19-winter-k2-nanga-parbat-but-no-everest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2018\/12\/02\/2018-19-winter-k2-nanga-parbat-but-no-everest\/","title":{"rendered":"2018\/19 Winter K2, Nanga Parbat but No Everest"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the winter of 2018\/19 begins, we are seeing another set of attempts on the world’s second highest peak K2 however the winter Everest commercial expedition has been cancelled. \u00a0K2 remains the only 8,000-meter mountain not summited in winter and Everest has only a few. Also there will be a winter attempt by a new route on\u00a0Nanga Parbat.<\/p>\n

Before I get to who is climbing, one of the more interesting aspects of claiming a winter summit is exactly when is winter?<\/p>\n

Big Picture – When does Winter End?<\/h3>\n

If you remember the K2 attempt last winter, there was a lot of controversy over when winter ends, mostly by Denis Urubko. He feels it ends on February 28, not the Spring\u00a0equinox on March 20, 2018 at 12:15 pm EDT. But to say there is consensus on the date would be a mistake!\u00a0The reality is it depends on where you live and the local customs and definition.<\/p>\n

First off, both Pakistan and Nepal issue climbing permits with different fees according to the season. On Everest, for example, Nepal charges USD$11,000 per person for a spring permit – the most popular time. But for a winter permit, the least popular time, it drops to USD$2,750. Both countries’ tourism ministries define winter as December, January and February for permit purposes. They simply take the year and divide into four equal parts. For most people born and raised in this environment, that is what defines the seasons.<\/p>\n

However, many people, including myself, were raised and taught that the seasons are defined according to the astronomical definition which is based on how the sun hits the earth and the shortest and longest days each year, in other words the equinoxes and solstices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Then there are the seasonal definitions influenced by length of day and temperatures. Obviously March 1 at the North Pole compared to being on the equator are very different. Also, if it is a rainy time of year or dry. To make matter even more complicated, the Hindu calendar<\/a> has six seasons!! But hold on, it gets worse (or different \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0 ).<\/p>\n

Australia and New Zealand use the meteorological definition, so spring begins on September\u00a01 each year. Ireland uses an ancient Celtic calendar system to determine the seasons, so spring begins on St Brigid’s Day on February\u00a01.\u00a0In Finland and Sweden, the dates of the seasons are not based on the calendar at all, but on temperatures.\u00a0To make your head spin a bit, take a look at this chart courtesy of Scribd<\/a><\/p>\n

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So if we see K2 summits in March will it be winter or spring? The answer is “yes.”<\/p>\n

The Big Picture<\/h3>\n

Climbing any peak in the winter is all about weather, specifically cold and wind, wind, wind. Any 8,000-meter team will cope with the cold but when the wind gusts over 40mph\/65kph it gets virtually impossible. This year, the K2 climbers have the skills, are strong and experienced so their capabilities are not in question. But even the strongest person cannot withstand 100mph wind gusts.<\/p>\n

Winter K2<\/h3>\n

There are two teams on K2 this winter. It remains to be seen if they will end up working together. I think there is a good chance.<\/p>\n

K2: Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan Team<\/strong><\/p>\n

First up is an international group, made up of\u00a0climbers from Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan.\u00a0Vassiliy Pivtsov<\/a> will be the expedition leader. The rest of the team includes\u00a0Roman Abildaev (Russia),\u00a0Vitaly Akimov (Russia),\u00a0Tursunali Aubakirov (Kazakhstan),\u00a0Mikhail Danichkin \u00a0\u00a0(Kyrgyzia),\u00a0Ildar Gabbasov(Kazakhstan), Eugeny Glazunov (Russia),\u00a0Dmitry Muraviov(Kazakhstan), Serguey Seliverstov(Kyrgyzia),\u00a0Pavel Vorobjov (Russia) according to the website\u00a0Russian Climb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It’s reported they climbed together above 7,000-meters for the\u00a0“Winter Snow leopard” program, and the team leader Vassily Pivtsov has climbed all 14 highest peaks of the world without the use of supplemental oxygen. They plan to arrive in\u00a0Islamabad\u00a0no later than January 2, 2019 <\/strong>and plan on using the traditional Abruzzi route. They continue to seek financial support so I assume there is a chance this expedition will not happen. On Facebook<\/a> they posted:<\/p>\n

You may have heard about the winter expedition on K2 (8611 M. ), the issue of funding remains open.\u00a0The project is a, I wish the “word in mountaineering” said our boys! Ours is both kazakhs and kyrgyz and Russians!\u00a0Friends! If anyone wants to claim themselves on the whole world and enter history, I can tell the briefest way \"\"\ud83d\ude09\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The Flag of your company at the top of k2 as part of the winter expedition, a million audience, PR at the highest level!\u00a0You can write and in direct, and in the comments \"\"\ud83d\ude42\u00a0<\/span><\/span>It is about the participation of kazakh climbers, kyrgyz and Russians on themselves looking for and will find.Country PR on the highest and most difficult top of the world, billions of times less than expo or other megaproject, hope only on us, the rest denied.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That said their logistics organizer, Jasmin Tours<\/a>, provide photos of gear deposited at K2 Base Camp by porters.<\/p>\n