GILGIT: Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of legendary mountaineer late Mohammad Ali Sadpara, and Canadian Filmmaker Elia Saikaly announced on Thursday to climb K2 for a ground search of the three missing climbers.

The missing climbers included Mohammad Ali Sadpara. They went missing during K2 winter expedition in February this year. “It’s time to announce that Elia Saikaly and I are going to K2 for a ground search of the three missing climbers of K2 winter expedition including my father Ali Sadpara. To find out what happened to them and possibility of his recovery. Need lots of prayers and good wishes,” Sajid tweeted.

Mohammad Ali Sadpara, John Snorri of Iceland and Juan Pablo Mohr of Chile went missing at K2 in February this year.

Read: Sadpara, two other mountaineers missing on K2 declared dead

Sajid Ali Sadpara was also member of their expedition team and Elia Saikaly was making a documentary on K2. Both of them had also taken part in the rescue operation.

Elia Saikaly in his social media post said: “I’m in Pakistan and headed to K2 with Sajid Sadpara to search for his father, Ali Sadpara, and our dear friend John Snorri.”

“The truth is: I just couldn’t do nothing. These are our friends. These were our teammates. We were making a film about their winter ascent. We were supposed to be with them the night they disappeared with JP Moer and we are likely alive because fate intervened as an oxygen mix-up forced PK and I back just below camp 3. Ali, JP Mohr and John never returned. Sajid survived” he said in his post.

Meanwhile, two members of expedition team with renowned Pakistani mountaineer Samina Baig reached the base camp to attempt world’s second highest peak K2.

Samina Baig along with five local guides of the expedition themed ‘K2 dream expedition 2021’ and more than 20 local climbers of Joint Pakistan-International Broad Peak and K2 Expedition had started the journey from Shigar on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2021