ISLAMABAD: Unrelenting harsh weather has forced some climbers to abandon their summit attempts on Nanga Parbat while others, including skiers Anna Tybor and Tom Lafaille, continued to hold out, hoping for a change, said the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP).

According to ACP Secretary Karrar Haidri, forecasts indicated an improvement over the weekend with a possible weather window lasting a few days.

Chhang Dawa Sherpa, climbing director of Seven Summit Treks, reported that ropes were fixed up to Camp 4, the highest on the Diamer Face of the ninth highest peak in the world, reaching 8,126 metres. Mr Haidri estimated July 10 as the most suitable day for a summit push by climbers, considering the weather conditions.

The official said that even under the best circumstances, the climb would be neither easy nor risk-free. While some climbers heeded their guides’ advice, others had different opinions about acceptable risk levels.

ACP estimates July 10 as most suitable day for summit push considering weather conditions

“One climber, Klara Kolouchova, reached 6,100 metres after passing the infamous Kinshofer Wall on Nanga Parbat, but decided to abandon her summit attempt and return home after evaluating the snow conditions and weather forecast,” Mr Haidri said.

Similarly, Monika Witkowska of Poland, who led a trekking group to Nanga Parbat and reached the Diamer side Base Camp on July 1, also returned home, but shared valuable insights.

Mr Haidri noted that at the time 14 climbers remained on the mountain, including familiar names like Israfil Ashurli of Azerbaijan. Ashurli, who had sacrificed his summit attempt last year to assist a Pakistani climber in trouble, received a free climbing permit this year as a reward from local authorities.

The harsh weather has also delayed progress on K2 in the Karakorams for both alpine-style and commercial teams. French athlete Benjamin Vedrines, after multiple attempts, successfully paraglided from just below Camp 3 on the world’s second highest peak and was back at Base Camp again.

Meanwhile, elite alpinists Ethan Berman, Sebastian Pelleti and Maarten van Haeren attempted the southeast pillar of the 7,388 metres Ultar Sar in the Batura Muztagh range, but did not succeed.

“It has been everything I thought it would be and more,” said the ACP official, who shared Pelleti’s post he wrote on social media.

“Complex mountain problems, technical approaches, tough acclimatization, wildly steep valleys, tricky conditions, beautiful people, delicious food, and a whack load of fun.” He acknowledged the difficulty, noting that “unsurprisingly, we did not summit our objective this round.”

The official remarked that Pelleti’s use of the word “unsurprisingly” highlighted the low success rate of difficult routes on technical mountains compared to highly supported expeditions on normal routes. Piolet d’Or winner Ethan Berman received a cutting edge grant from the American Alpine Club to attempt Ultar Sar with the team spending seven weeks in the region.

Meanwhile, Mathieu Maynadier and the Ladevant brothers were acclimatised and ready to go on Pumari Chhish Central, having cached gear at 6,000 metres on the face a few days ago.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2024