GILGIT: Three climbers Mohammad Hussain from Skardu, Paul Etherdge and Peter from the UK on Sunday summited K2 (8,611).

Sakhawat Hussain from Summit Karakoram told Dawn that the three-member team reached the top of the world’s second highest peak at 8:20am.

So far, 148 climbers have summited the Savage Mountain in the first summit push of this summer.

Mohammad Abbas, a Pakistani guide from the base camp, told Dawn that most of the climbers who scaled K2 returned to the base camp safely though some had to abandon their attempt half way for multiple reasons, while the remaining climbers would start attempt from base camp from Sunday night.

According to him, stable weather has been forecast at the peak until next week.

First GB police official makes it to Gasherbrum-II peak

Also on Sunday, Hassan Asim Balti, representing Gilgit-Baltistan Police, successfully summited Gasherbrum-II (8,030m).

According to source, Asim who belonged to Shigar district had started the summit push on July 14 and raised the national flag on the world’s 13th highest mountain, Gasherbrum-II, on July 24.

He has become the first GB police official to summit Gasherbrum-II peak.

Meanwhile, Dawa Yangzum completed her eighth 8,000m peak, becoming the only Nepalese woman to have scaled Broad Peak. On a social media page, she said she was always asked why she kept chasing and climbing the eight-thousanders. “I guess climbing has been a way of my life and has changed everything for myself for where I stand today. And I keep going,” she said.

Minga G. from Nepal became the fourth time K2 summiteer and posted on social media that all team members from Imagine Nepal were safely back to base camp.

Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of legendary mountaineer Mohammad Ali Sadpara, disclosed that his cousin, Abid Asad Sadpara, was among those few climbers who scaled K2 this year without using bottled oxygen. He said he was happy to see a climber on the top of mighty K2 this year from the Sadpara family. “Abid is nephew of my late beloved father Ali Sadpara,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2022