{"id":39851,"date":"2021-07-18T16:09:36","date_gmt":"2021-07-18T22:09:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=39851"},"modified":"2021-07-19T10:48:03","modified_gmt":"2021-07-19T16:48:03","slug":"k2-2021-summer-coverage-karakorum-summits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2021\/07\/18\/k2-2021-summer-coverage-karakorum-summits\/","title":{"rendered":"K2 2021 Summer Coverage: Karakorum Summits"},"content":{"rendered":"

There were summits on Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II on Sunday, July 19, 2021. Meanwhile, a big weather event is forecasted to being on Monday, July 19 which should force everyone to stay in their base camp for a while.<\/p>\n

Karakorum Big Picture – Tennanicity<\/h2>\n

Huge props to the summiters on Broad Peak and GII in what has been described as difficult conditions with deep snow. They made one attempt and turned back with chest-deep snow but returned and bagged the top. Well done by all. This is especially meaningful with a big storm moving in on Monday. It’s reported all are back at lower or even base camp now.<\/p>\n

Broad Peak – Summits<\/h2>\n

Karakorum Expeditions<\/a>‘ Mirza Ali<\/a> gave this update on summits on Broad Peak. This shows how fast the Pakistani climbers are coming on board in the Karakorum climbing community. Good to see.<\/p>\n

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Karakorum Expeditions Pakistan International joint expedition rope fixing team summit #BroadPeak at 3 PM PST. Superstar fixing team:<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n
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1.Jalal Uddin<\/div>\n
2.Eid Muhammad<\/div>\n
3.Faryad Karim<\/div>\n
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These three boys worked for nearly 24hours breaking the trail fixing rope very proud moment! More client’s on the way to the summit! Will update the names soon! Please do pray for the safe return!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Austrian guide, Stefan Keck, and the owner of Himex (purchased from Russell Brice) was with them but it;’s unclear his overall role especially on the summit push. I believe he was instrumental.<\/div>\n
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Blue Sky Tours<\/a>\u00a0gave this update on their BP summits:<\/div>\n
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Broad Peak Summited members include :<\/div>\n
1) Mr.Hongbin Kim \"🇰🇷\"<\/span><\/div>\n
2) Mis. Sofie Lenaerts \"🇧🇪\"<\/span><\/div>\n
3) Mr.Stef Maginelle \"🇧🇪\"<\/span><\/div>\n
4) Mr.Yousuf \"🇵🇰\"<\/span><\/div>\n
5) Mr.Imtiyaz \"🇵🇰\"<\/span><\/div>\n
6) Mr. Mehdi \"🇵🇰\"<\/span><\/div>\n
7) Mr.Hussian (Rope Fixing leader)<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
There are more Pakistani climbers wanting to attempt BP including Asif Bharti, and Sa’ad Mohamed with their Project Thin Air<\/a>. They want to climb with no HAP support or Os.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gasherbrum II – 10+ Summits<\/h2>\n

Two Irian climbers summited according to\u00a0koohnevesht<\/a><\/p>\n

According to satellite phone call by Iranian mountaineers Arman Shahpari and Milad Keshavarzi, they successfully Climbed GasherbrumII today, And now they are descending to low camps.\u00a0We should notice that they start their Summit push on July 15th, and spending a night in each of Camp1 and Camp2 and finally reached Camp 3 on July 17th. After a short rest, started their ascent and finally , today, on Sunday, July 18th, they proudly scaled 8035m GasherbrumII.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the summit were Sirbaz Khan, Luis Cortadellas, and Naila Kiani. Sirbaz’s is making a name for himself with this his eighth 8000er. He has Everest, K2, Nanga Parbat, Lhotse, Broad Peak, Manaslu and Annapurna.<\/p>\n

Also,\u00a0Beskid Expedition Team<\/a>‘s Piotr Krzy \u017cowski and Radoslaw Wo \u017aniak summited<\/p>\n

Blue Sky Tours<\/a> confirms that the Czech-Slovak Expedition Club Gasherbrum II made the summit:<\/div>\n
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Huge congratulations to our Gasherbrum 2 members from for achieving the mission Gasherbrum 2.\u00a0The members include :<\/div>\n
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1) Mr.Martin Ksandr \"🇨🇿\"<\/span><\/div>\n
2) Mr. Pavel Burda \"🇨🇿\"<\/span><\/div>\n
3) Mr.Jozef Jazac<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
And the Altitude team<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Llu\u00eds Cortadellas,<\/a> Gonzalo Fern\u00e1ndez Garc\u00eda<\/a>,\u00a0Ferran Perez<\/a>,\u00a0Ignasi Sala Guasch<\/a>, and\u00a0Albert Villarroya<\/a>gave this update:<\/div>\n
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Last night the team did the Summit Push! It started at 9:00 p.m. and this morning at 9:00 a.m. local @llcortadellas and @gonzalo_pirineus reached the summit at the GII 🏔, a dream come true.\u00a0At the same moment, Ignasi and Ferran decided to return to C3, since they were not quite well. The most difficult decision but at the same time the most successful. Albert yesterday returned to CB, as he saw that it was not the time to continue.<\/p>\n

The mountain and Himalayanism have this double reality, great projects that can be dreams come true ✨ and at the same time difficult and even unattainable projects.Now the 4 of us rest at C3 and tomorrow we will go down to C1.\u00a0Thanks for all the support.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

K2 – Holding<\/h2>\n

Pioneer Adventure<\/a><\/span>\u00a0said their Sherpas have fixed the route to Camp 4, which is also the High Camp where all summit bids from the Abruzzi and Cesen (not climbed this summer) use. They are back at Base Camp to wait out the next weather event. Madison Mountaineering<\/a> confirmed the weather and said they will begin their summit bid on July 25, a date that has become common over the past several years:<\/p>\n

Our sherpa team has finished carrying all of the equipment, oxygen, ropes, tents up to Camp 4 and fixing lines to Camp 4 on K2<\/a> and they\u2019re all back in base camp now.\u00a0 So, we\u2019re resting here in base camp and there is a storm perdicted to develop starting tomorrow.\u00a0 Big snowfall starting tomorrow over the next few days and then some very high winds up to 100km per hour near the summit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The West Ridge team of Graham Zimmerman<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ian Welsted<\/a> are holding at their base camp for the weather to play out. Ian posted:<\/p>\n

We got lost in the dark and descended so missed out on this perfect weather window. Good thing we are here for a long time; we will go up again after a few days rest.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With climbers bask at K2 Base Camp, we are getting a few reports on their experience. UK Climber Becks Ferry<\/a> with guide Jon Gupta is trying to get seven 8000ers in one year. She got Everest and Lhotse earlier this spring. She reflected on her current K2 experience:<\/p>\n

First rotation. Thoughts on this mountain ? Well\u2026.. indomitable , indefatigable spirit required. This mountain is steep. Very steep. It\u2019s also beyond beautiful in ways I\u2019ve never experienced. There\u2019s a celestial feel which brings a certain tranquility and calm. It feels remote but in a positive way. It\u2019s ineffable I suppose to explain exactly what this mountain is. There\u2019s a certain sonder to the people that pass me by. Now , we wait at base camp watching the weather, whittling time away with books , banter and solitude.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And Ukrainian Irina Galay<\/a>, who is trying to be the first female from Ukraine to summit both Everest and K2 shared her thoughts:<\/p>\n

How is it to be at the foot of your dream?\u00a0I try very hard to pretend that everything is as usual and that this is not K2 behind me, but just a mountain that I have to climb.\u00a0Of course, there are a lot of thoughts in your head, you are constantly analyzing all the information received about this dangerous peak and you understand that there is no reason to think, because they only lead to various new fears.\u00a0We have already held one acclimatization exit, one night at 6100 and two at 6700, we were unlucky with the weather and K2 showed how she can rage.\u00a0After the descent, I can definitely say that it will be the hardest mountain test in my life.\u00a0But physically and morally I am ready, I think all the mountains that were before, it was just a workout!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Teams and Trackers (partial list)<\/h2>\n