GILGIT: Forty-seven climbers, including eight Pakistanis, scaled K2, the world’s second-highest mountain after Mount Everest, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pakistan’s Sajid Ali Sadpara, Canadian filmmaker Elia Saikaly and Nepal’s Pasang Sherpa climbed the 8,611-metre K2 on Wednesday morning.

Sajid later secured the body of his father and noted climber, Mohammad Ali Sadpara, near the K2 Bottleneck and took it to Camp 4.

Mohammad Ali had gone missing during an expedition last February along with John Snorri of Iceland and JP Mohr Prieto of Chile.

The Nepali Sherpas of the Pioneer Adventure expedition team had spotted the bodies on Monday.

Sajid searched for the bodies along with Elia Saikaly and Pasang Sherpa after scaling the mountain.

In a tweet, he said, “I have secured body of our hero [Mohammad Ali Sadpara] at C-4. An Argentinean climber has been a great help in bringing body above Bottleneck till C-4. I offered Fateha & recited the Holy Quran on behalf of whole nation.”

Meanwhile, Elia Saikaly retrieved the body of John Snorri. He and Sajid will head down to the base camp afterwards.

Managing director of Jasmine Tours Asghar Ali Poriktold Dawn that Sajid had identified the bodies of three missing climbers at 8,350 meters height on Tuesday.

“Sajid had asked the Nepalese Sherpas for help to bring back the bodies but the latter refused saying they’re exhausted,” he insisted.

Mr Poriksaid it was not possible for helicopters to reach the area to collect bodies.

“The Sajid team will come to the base camp to go again with another team to bring down the bodies from where helicopters may pick,” he said.

According to secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan Karrar Haidri, all 21 climbers of the Madison Mountaineering team climbed K2 on Wednesday morning.

They included Garrett Christan Madisom, Conan Tundra Bliss and Chase Allan Merriam of the US, Robecca Jan Ferry, Jonathan Gupta, Kenton Edward Cool, Robert Richard Lucas of the UK, Oksana Litynska of Ukraine, Mohammad Ali, Hussain Ali and Zakir Hussain of Pakistan and eight Nepalese Sherpas.

Meanwhile, 23 mountaineers, including five Pakistanis, climbed K2 on Tuesday.

They included a four-member team of Hushe Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to Alpine Club of Pakistan, Pakistani climbers Ali Durrani Hushe, M Hassan Hushe, Mushtaq Ahmed Hushe and Yousof Meeri Hushe reached the summit as part of an expedition organised by the Hushe Welfare Mountaineering and Climbing School.

Also, 19 mountaineers, including two Pakistanis from Pioneer K2 expedition, climbed K2 on Tuesday morning. They’re led by Lakpa Sherpa and Mingma Dorchi Sherpa.

Published in Dawn, July 29th , 2021