• Deteriorating weather conditions continue to hamper foreign climbers’ summit push
• Around 200 climbers await suitable weather window, sources say
GILGIT: Three injured Spanish climbers were rescued from the Trango Tower and shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Skardu through a ground rescue operation on Saturday.
A Pakistani member of the climbing team also sustained minor injuries in the incident.
The three Spanish climbers, including Mr Markel De La Fuente, Mr Gorka Prieto and Mr Aiesr, along with their Pakistani assistant, had recently reached the Trango Tower base camp to attempt the peak.
The climbers were waiting for a suitable weather window to begin their summit attempt when a rockfall struck their camp on Wednesday, causing head and shoulder injuries to the three Spanish climbers and their Pakistani assistant.
The climbers’ camp was also destroyed in the incident.
Mr Gorka Prieto sustained a serious head injury, while Markel De La Fuente, Mr Aiesr and Pakistani assistant Qasim suffered minor injuries.
The Trango Towers are a group of dramatic granite spires located north of the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Asghar Ali Porik, owner of Jasmine Tours, which organised the expedition, told Dawn that a helicopter rescue operation could not be launched because helicopters could not fly over the mountains in adverse weather conditions.
He said a ground rescue operation was initiated to evacuate the climbers from the base camp.
Mr Porik said the climbers were receiving treatment at a hospital in Skardu.
Secretary General of the Alpine Club of Pakistan Ayaz Shigri told Dawn that the climbers had been safely shifted to Skardu through the ground rescue operation.
Meanwhile, deteriorating weather conditions continued to hamper the progress of foreign climbers attempting the world’s second-highest peak, K2 (8,611m), as well as Gasherbrum-I (8,080m), Gasherbrum-II (8,035m) and Broad Peak (8,051m).
Sources at the base camps said around 200 foreign climbers were waiting to begin their summit push after establishing Camp 2 and Camp 3 on the mountains and completing acclimatisation rotations.
The climbers had expected to begin their summit attempts in the last week of July.
However, adverse weather conditions forced them to delay their expeditions.
According to Summit Karakoram, weather conditions on K2 continue to deteriorate, forcing all expedition teams to remain at the base camp while waiting for a suitable weather window to resume their ascent.
The route has been fixed with ropes to approximately 400 metres below Camp 3, marking significant progress despite the challenging conditions.
Teams have also completed the placement of oxygen supplies at Camp 1, Camp 2 and a depot near Camp 3. Tents have been established at both Camp 1 and Camp 2 in preparation for the next phase of the climb.
However, conditions on the mountain remain difficult, with most of the tents at Camp 1 damaged by rockfall.
According to the rope-fixing team, led by Speed Dawa, the plan is to move higher on the mountain on July 27, provided a favourable weather window develops. Several expedition teams are expected to advance alongside the rope-fixing team to Camp 1 or Camp 2, while others plan to begin their ascent a day later.
Looking ahead, any significant snowfall over the next few days could further complicate the situation.
Fresh snow would increase the risk of avalanches and make climbing considerably more difficult, potentially delaying summit plans until conditions improve.
For now, all teams remain at the base camp, closely monitoring weather forecasts and waiting for a safe opportunity to continue their ascent.
Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2026
