ISLAMABAD: The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) announced on Tuesday that the search for Polish climber Olek Ostrowski, who went missing on Gasherbrum II on Saturday, ended without success.

The 27-year-old Polish ski mountaineer was descending on skis from camp II to camp I when he went missing.

A search party which included climbers such as Andrzej Bargiel and Dariusz Zaluski and three high attitude porters combed the area from where Ostrowski is believed to have gone missing but were unable to find any sign of him.

According to ACP Press Secretary Karrar Haidri, unfavourable weather conditions caused difficulties for the search party and forced them to abandon the search on Monday.

Olek Ostowsk and his teammate Piotr Snigorski had planned to summit the 8,051 metres high Gasherbrum II and ski down the slopes. However, on July 24, they had to abandon their mission because of bad weather after climbing as high as 7,600 metres.

Read more: Polish climber goes missing

News from K-2

The world’s second highest mountain could not be conquered this year with all the climbers calling it quits and returning to the base camp.

“The K2 2015 season is over,” Karrar Haidri formally announced on Monday.

After departure of strong mountaineers such as Swiss Mike Horn, Argentinian Mariano Galvan, Hungarian duo, the Estonian team and Spaniard Carlos Sarurez, and exit of commercial expeditions Himex and Madison Mountaineering, the third big team, Seven Summit Treks, also announced the end of their expedition.

The ACP said that Seven Summit Treks team began a summit push from the base camp on July 24. However, when the climbers reached the advanced base camp, they found that the climbing gear they had stored there was buried under an avalanche. It took the team three days to dig through the snow to retrieve their climbing gear and the team was able to recover most of their equipment by July 26.

“All helmets and boots were destroyed, some crampons were twisted, the rest is ok,” Philippe Gatta wrote on his web page.

Karrar Haidri quoted the climber as saying that it was too late and too dangerous for a summit attempt now as all camps and ropes are expected to be destroyed in an avalanche.

“After an extraordinary summer season in 2014, this year the K2 will remain unclimbed,” said the press secretary.

The official said that on the Broad Peak climbers were packing up for their journeys home. The Himex and Madison Team’s advance to the summit was disrupted by bad weather and deep snow above camp III.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play