ISLAMABAD: The only expedition on K2 this year need almost a week of good weather condition to summit the mountain.

The team that is aiming to summit K2 this winter comprises a Taiwanese female climber Grace Tseng and Nepali sherpas, including Nima Gyalzen, Chhiring, Dawa, Furi, Ngima Tendi and Ningma Dorje Tamang.

“Despite the expected clear weather window, wind speeds are likely to be strong,” said Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) Secretary Karrar Haidri said on Saturday.

He was sharing details on the current status of the expedition that is attempting to summit the world’s second highest peak this winter.

Time running out for team as winter season to end on Feb 15, official says

According to Karrar Haidri, the team failed to set up Camp III three days ago.

The climber and the Nepali Sherpas tried to set up Camp III, but were forced to return back to Camp II due to strong winds, he said.

Nonetheless, the team was on the move again and aimed to climb as high as possible, the ACP official said, adding that it was supposed to reach Camp II by now and start fixing rope up the Black Pyramid toward Camp III.

“Once the team reached its destination, the mountaineers would pitch tents and supply the camp with gear, fuel and oxygen, Mr Haidri said, adding that, “they will then have to decide whether they should try to go higher and if yes, should they set up the fourth camp?”

The Nepali team that conquered K2 last winter was large and strong and was climbing in astonishingly good weather, the ACP secretary said.

“Time is running out for the current team as the winter season, which started on Dec 15, will end on Feb 15,” he said.

“Similarly, there was also some talk of climbing Masherbrum, which only four expeditions, or 15 people in all, have climbed. Its West Face remains unclimbed and its even bigger Northeast Face ranks as one of the most difficult big walls in the world and among the greatest unsolved problems in modern high-altitude climbing,” Mr Haidri said, adding that the latest successes happened almost 40 years ago.

He said Masherbrum was so massive that geologists named it K1.

Standing at 7,821 metres, Masherbrum was highly technical, vertical, exposed to constant avalanches and well into thin air. Even the base camp was at 4,800 metres, Mr Haidri said, adding that its unclimbed Northeast Face was the hardest route on earth.

The official said Russian mountaineers, Alexander Odintsov and Alexander Ruchkin, who had planned an expedition-style ascent, called off their attempt at Camp I - which is as high as 5, 800 metres - due to weather and unacceptable danger.

“It was impossible to climb,” Mr Haidri quoted the Russians as saying.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022