Karakoram 2011: Accident On Broad Peak

Earlier in the week we had reports of several successful summits on Broad Peak, despite the weather there not being the most advantageous for climbing. A few days later we also get word of tragedy on that mountain, as one of the climbers fell to his death while descending.

Climber Rob Springer, who is part of the Field Touring Alpine squad, posted news of the accident on his blog today. Rob is on BP to acclimatize before jumping over to K2, which is his ultimate goal this summer in the Karakoram. He reports that five members of their team were on a summit bid a few days back when Chinese climber Jeff Wai Hung Chung slipped and fell more than 500 feet before landing in a crevice. All attempts to reach the fallen climber failed, and in the end he succumbed to his injuries.

My condolences to Jeff's friends, family and teammates.

Rob also tells us that three of the climbers on the FTA team did actually summit during their bid to take advantage of the small weather window. They were Sophie Denis, Wim Smets, Andre Bredenkamp. On the way down however, they had issues of their own when one of them tore a muscle in their leg, greatly slowing their descent. As a result, it took them 27 hours to complete the round trip from High Camp to summit and back. Thanks to the combined effort of the team, they are all down safe and sound now however.

Rob believes that the weather window on Broad Peak is now closed for the season, saying that if teams didn't go up during the two-day break they had, they most likely aren't going to be able to do so now. He's getting ready to head to K2 himself, and after a bout of food poisoning, he is happy that he didn't burn too much energy on the BP climb.

As usual in the Karakoram this year, the weather will dictate who gets the opportunity to climb on any of the peaks. It's going to be dicey for the foreseeable future, and you don't want to take any chances on K2.

Karakoram 2011: Broad Peak Summits, Tragedy On GII

Over the weekend, several climbers on Broad Peak took advantage of a brief break in the weather to head up to the summit, while others used the time to further acclimatize. There was also sad news from Gasherbrum II, where a climber fell to her death on the descent.

As I mentioned last week, the weather reports on BP haven't been good for some time, but there were predictions of a very brief window opening over the weekend. As a result, several climbers moved up to high camps with the intention of taking advantage of lull in the winds and the hopes of grabbing the summit at last. According to ExWeb, four climbers were successful in that bid as Xavi Arias and Xavi Aymar both topped out, as did an unnamed French and Russian climber as well. The summits were achieved on Friday in high winds, and according to the British Team on the mountain, it was a 30 hour round trip push from Camp 3 to the summit and back. At the time of their update, they were still waiting on these climbers to come down. That same team of climbers from the U.K. sent their squad up as high as C3 as part of the acclimatization process over the weekend as well. They report that things are progressing well, although they're still waiting on a weather window to allow them to finish off the climb.

We also have news this morning from the Field Touring Alpine team has put three climbers on top today. They sent five up to the summit despite the winds, and two turned back, while three were able to successfully stand on top. This is great news, as ExWeb points out that we had heard reports that the team was heading home just last week.

One team that has decided to pull the plug is the Altitude Junkies. They waited until the last possible moment, but with weather forecasts all sounding sketchy at best, they've decided it is best to call it a season on BP. In their latest dispatch, they explain the various weather forecasts that are being used by the teams on the mountain and why it causes problems and confusion at times. The climbers on this team have been waiting for three weeks for a chance to go up, but it simply isn't in the cards this year.

Finally, ExWeb is also reporting that a climber has fallen to her death on Gasherbrum II after a successful summit. Iranian climber Leila Esfandyari was on her way down to Camp 3 when she fell, but other than that few details are offered. She was part of a squad that put four climbers on top, and there were reportedly 15 summits on Friday on GII.

Condolences to her team, friends, and family.

Karakoram 2011: Summits on Gasherbrum II

Despite bad weather across much of the region, the Karakoram climbing season continues to unfold. Yesterday there was more action on the Gasherbrums, while climbers on Broad Peak hope to take a shot at the summit and have moved themselves into position as well.

Over on Gasherbrum II, Alex Txikon has reached the top just nine days after summiting GI. According to the dispatch on his website, he is tired but excited to have bagged his second 8000 meter peak of the summer. He's not done yet either, as Txikon will now move on to K2, where he hopes to add yet another big mountain to his resume.

Carlos Pauner also topped out on GII, nabbing his 12th 8000-meter peak in the process. His dispatch reports that it took Pauner 11 hours of climbing to reach the summit, and that his intentions were to drop down to Camp III before taking a rest. But the descent won't be an easy one, as there are no fixed lines to the summit, so they'll be down-climbing without ropes.

Meanwhile, some teams on Broad Peak have moved into position with hopes of a summit attempt on Sunday. The weather reports have indicated that bad weather is expected over the peak well into next week, which has convinced some teams to go home, while others are pinning their hopes on a narrow window of calmer winds that are expected on the 24th. As a result, acclimatized teams are getting themselves up to Camp 3 with the hopes of making a dash to the summit if the winds do actually calm some.

For many of these climbers, K2 is looming, so they need to finish up their efforts and head to that mountain – a mountain that is as unforgiving as they come.

Karakoram 2011: Weather Window Slammed Shut

Heading into the week, all of the weather forecasts indicated that there would be a couple of days of great weather in the Karakoram, which could give some of the teams a chance at their respective summits. But the weather in the mountains is fickle to say the least, and it now seems that that window won't open after all, which means the teams will continue to wait, while Mother Nature ponders their fate.

The British Broad Peak team posted an update his morning that confirms that high winds and generally poor conditions have hit the upper-reaches of the mountain. The team had hoped to make a summit bid early next week, but their advance team was turned back from Camp 1 yesterday, and the long range forecasts are ominous to say the least. They'll hold position for the next week, and hope for the best, although things aren't looking all that promising at the moment.

Meanwhile, the Brits say that two of the commercial teams on BP have decided to call it quits and head home. Amongst them is the Altitude Junkies, who haven't mentioned their immanent departure on their own website yet, although their last dispatch does mention the incredibly high winds that are buffeting the mountain at the moment.

The Field Touring Alpine squad sent out an audio dispatch yesterday and confirmed that echos the reports of bad weather on Broad Peak, and across the Karakoram actually. But their forecasts seem to indicate that another window could open early next week, which could give them one last crack at the summit. After that, it's on to K2, where their camps are already being built and supplies are being delivered.

Speaking of K2, there hasn't been a whole lot of news coming out of Base Camp there, so we can only assume that everyone is too busy establishing their high camps and acclimatizing to the altitude. There are a number of teams on the mountain already, but I haven't received many dispatches from any of them for awhile now. The focus in the Karakoram will soon shift to that mountain, as traditionally the early part of August is when climbers make their summit pushes on that incredibly tough peak. Earlier this week, Maxut Zhumayev did mention that his team was in the process of establishing camp at 7100-7400 meters (24,000 ft) but there was no word on when summit pushes would begin.

Finally, Alberto Zerain has climbed up to Camp 1 on Nanga Parbet, where he is keeping a close eye on the weather. It has been incredibly bad there as well, with lots of wind and rain, but it appears that there may be a summit window opening now, and he hopes to be in position to take advantage of it should it happen.

It seems no matter which mountain you visit, it is always the same story. We are all at the mercy of the weather.

Karakoram 2011: Summits On GI!

As mentioned earlier in the week, a projected weather window has indeed opened in the Karakoram, bringing clear skies and a temporary respite from the high winds and snow that have been prevalent there for the past few weeks. Because of this, several teams who moved up to high camps a few days back, have been in position to take advantage of the change in weather, with a few summits taking place at last.

Among those topping out today are Gerfried Goschl and Hans Wenzl, who reached the summit of Gasherbrum I this morning. They were joined at the summit by Basque climber Carlos Tamayo as well, reaching the top in 7.5 hours from Camp 3. Also checking in from the summit is Alex Txikon, who reports that in addition to the names above, Louis Rousseau, and Juanra Madariaga have successfully reached the 8080 meter (26,509 ft) summit.

Congrats to everyone who reached the top! A number of these climbers will now go on to K2 for an attempt at a second 8000 meter peak this summer.

Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, the Field Touring Alpine squad checked in and reported that the weather was better, but due to the heavy snow on the higher slopes, they were sitting out this summit bid in favor of another one that is expected to come next week. They're hoping that the extra time will help to allow the snow to settle, making it easier to avoid avalanches and safer all around. They're staying put in Base Camp for now.

The Altitude Junkies are in a similar position, and are waiting for next week's weather window as well. They climbed up to Camp 1 yesterday just to survey the situation, and report that there were a number of teams on the mountain, including two making their summit bids right now. Other teams had just arrived in BC and were starting their first acclimatization rotations during the current spell of good weather. The winds are expected to pick-up over the weekend, sending everyone back down the mountain, but good weather is in the forecast for next week, when they'll make their attempt at the top.

There are several teams using BP as their acclimatization climb before heading to K2 as well. I'm sure they're all eager to finish up and head to that peak, where everyone is still waiting for good weather while they fix lines, build camps, and get use to the altitude. After a two year drought, perhaps someone will finally stand on top of that mountain again.

Karakoram 2011: Summit Bids In Progress

Teams on both Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums have been waiting on a weather window to materialize, and while conditions were not great over the weekend, the forecast for the week ahead is a promising one, which has prompted some to begin their summit push, while others take a wait-and-see approach.

According to Rob Springer, who is climbing as part of the Field Touring Alpine squad, the team started their bid on BP yesterday, with the climbers heading up to Camp 2. Rob says that a lot of snow has fallen in the area in recent days, so breaking trail is going to be tough, but the team is ready to make an attempt while the weather holds out. If all goes as planned, they should have arrived in Camp 3 today, where they'll rest for a day and a half before hopefully topping out on Wednesday of this week.

Not everyone is confident in the weather however, as the latest dispatch from the Altitude Junkies indicates that they plan to stay in Base Camp and let things settle down before heading up. They are particularly nervous about the snows above Camp 2, which could be treacherous considering how much accumulation they've seen the past few days. The team is hoping the sun will show itself soon to help melt and solidify the situation.

Staying on Broad Peak, the British BP team arrived in Base Camp on Friday and will now begin their acclimatization process as well. They noted that even the trek in was more challenging than they thought, and that heavy snows are making it difficult to go anywhere at the moment. They attempted to make their first run up to Camp 1 in hopes of carrying gear and building their first caches, but they turned back halfway to their goal due to knee deep snow. They're hoping to give it another go tomorrow however, with the entire team pitching in.

Over on the Gasherbrums, there are similar stories to these. The weather has continued to be a challenge but some teams are hoping to make a summit push this week. Those include Alex Txikon's team, who hope to top out on Wednesday and  Gerfried Göschl group, which has reached Camp 2 today. Gerfried reports that the weather was treacherous all the way up, but looks to improve tomorrow, hopefully allowing them to go to the summit.

Not everyone has found success in the Karakoram this summer, as the Kobler team has left the Gasherbrums simply because they ran out of time. Bad weather prevented them from getting any higher than Camp 2, and now they have to depart in order to catch flights back home. Other teams are in a similar boat throughout the region, which means it is now or never for some of the climbers.

Meanwhile, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner has checked in from BC on K2. She and her team arrived their early in the month, and have been busy setting up camp ever since. They have established their ABC at 4650 meters (15,255 ft), which is about halfway between the traditional BC (or "Italian Camp") and ABC ("Chinese Camp"). Apparently, the porters they hired found the work far too difficult, and threatened to quit, so they compromised on where the gear would be carried to. At the moment, Gerlinde, Ralf, and the rest of the team are back in BC and watching the weather, as the snow continues to fall on K2 as well. It is going to be another very rough and challenging season on that mountain it seems.

Karakoram 2011: Bad Weather Hits The Karakoram

Since ou

r last update on the 2011 climbing season in the Karakoram, more teams have arrived in their respective Base Camps, but many have been held back from climbing much higher thanks to bad weather. This is typical of the early part of the season, and at this point no one is panicking, although if conditions remain bad, it could impact their ability to acclimatize.

Fabrizio Zangrilli reports that his team arrived in Base Camp on K2 over the weekend, after just a five day journey in from Askoli. But heavy snows at BC have forced them to wait for the expected change in weather. For now, they sit and wait, resting and eating, and preparing for the opportunity to go up. Meanwhile, we also get word that Christian Stangl has left for Pakistan, and is expected to be in K2 BC in a week or two.

The Field Touring Alpine squad will eventually head over to K2 as well, but they've been acclimatizing on Broad Peak. After spending three nights at Camp 3, the team has descended to Base Camp, where the weather has put them in a holding pattern for now as well. They are hoping to begin their summit bids on either Wednesday or Thursday of this week, before they jump over to the second objective. Similarly, the Altitude Junkies are also in BC on Broad Peak and are waiting for a weather window of their own.

Over on the Gasherbrum Massif, Gerfried Göschl checks in with the news that his team has also completed a round of acclimatization and are resting before heading back up for more. The team is hoping to summit both GI and GII, and while things are going well on the first of those peaks, Gerfried reports that avalanche dangers on GII are keeping them from going higher than 6200 meters (20,341 feet) at the moment. They're hoping that will change in the days ahead.

It seems that if everything goes as planned, we could see a few summits in the Karakoram later this week, particularly on Broad Peak. We're weeks away from summit bids on K2 at this point however, which is were the real action will be heading into August.

Karakoram 2011: Big Walls Conquered, Summit Bids Stymied

Yesterday I mentioned that news out of the Karakoram has been a bit slow so far this year, but that teams were arriving in Base Camps and that things would pick-up soon. Turns out that was a prophetic, if obvious, thing to say, as we have news today of a major success in the mountain range, as well as an early summit bid that was turned back.

First, the British Mountaineering Council is reporting that four Russians have claimed the first ascent of the West Face of Latok III. The team, which includes Evgeny Dmitrienko, Ivan Dozhdev, Alex Lonchinsky and Alexander Odintsov, spent 15 days on the wall, from June 10th to the 25th, before successfully topping out. Latok III is a 6949 meter (22,798 foot) peak located in Pakistan, and the West Face is a 5580 foot big wall that is considered one of the most challenge climbs in the world. Reaching the top puts an end to an 11-year quest, led by Odintsov, to finish a route that was first explored by an Italian team back in 1988. (Tip of the hat to Outside Online for sharing this story)

Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, an audacious young French climber by the name of Sophie Denis attempted to nab the summit quickly this season, but was turned back by high winds at Camp 3. Sophie is climbing with Lakpa Sherpa and only had arrived in Base Camp a few days before their alpine style ascent. The fixed lines are only up to Camp 2 at this stage, but the two climbers were hoping to take advantage of the acclimatization from the Himalaya this past spring, during which Lakpa summited Everest, and Sophie knocked off Cho Oyu and Lhotse within two weeks of one another.

Now back in BC, they'll wait for a better opportunity to climb the mountain. Reading the report on their attempt however, you can't help but wonder what the rush was. Do they have designs on another peak this summer, say maybe K2? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Lots of teams are expected to begin reporting in soon as Base Camps start to fill up. Expect more regular reports in the days ahead.

Karakoram 2011: A New Season Begins

With the 2011 Himalaya climbing season now officially in our rear view mirror, it is time for the world's top climbers to start focusing on the Karakoram and the challenges that come along with climbing in that range.

Stretching across Pakistan, India, and China, the Karakoram range contains some of the most challenging peaks on the planet. It is home to one of the highest concentrations of mountains found anywhere as well, which makes it a popular summer mountaineering destination, which is about the only time of the year that the weather is good enough to allow safe climbing. Amongst the coveted summits in the Karakoram are Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, the Gasherbrums, and of course, the infamous K2.

ExWeb has an early season report posted that takes a look at some of the more interesting expeditions set to take place in the Karakoram this year. Amongst them are Christian Stangl, who returns to K2 seeking redemption after last year's debacle. You may recall that last year, Stangl fabricated a summit photo and made a false claim to having reached the top of the mountain. Hopefully he'll be able to top out this year, and put that whole affair behind him.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is also heading to K2, although she'll be climbing from the North Side. Gerlinde has attempted K2 several times in the past, and so far the summit has remained elusive. She hopes to change that this year, and by doing so, complete her final 8000 meter peak.

It seems that there are a number of teams gearing up for Gasherbrums I and II, including Gerfried  Göschl, Kari Kobler, and Ueli Steck, who comes off the spring with two successful summits in the Himalaya, and a bit of a disappointment on Everest. In fact, it seems thats where the early climbers are headed first, as ExWeb reports that one of the Gasherbrum teams has already met in Skardu (Pakistan) and is preparing to begin the trek to Base Camp, while another is already en route. That second team has two female climbers,  Aleksandra "Ola" Dzik of Poland and Ukrainian Maria Khitrikova, who will attempt the first female double header of both GI and GII.

The Karakoram season is just gearing up, so expect lots of news from the region in the days ahead. The big question this year is whether or not someone will finally summit K2 again. It has been nearly three years since someone stood on top of that mountain.

Karakorum 2010: Weather Delays On K2

It has been a busy week throughout the Karakorum range, where climbers have topped out on a number of mountains, but all eyes are now turning towards K2, as teams there prepare to make their summit bids, with a new weather window expected to open early next week.

According to ExWeb, a new weather forecast has now moved the K2 summit window to Tuesday of next week, and teams are adjusting their schedule appropriately. A number of climbers are planning on setting off tomorrow, with an eye on hitting the summit on schedule with the new weather window. Amongst them are Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner who is hoping to become the first woman to climb all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Fredrik Ericsson and Trey Cook are also hoping to go up tomorrow, with the eventual goal of making a ski descent of the mountain. On their blog, Trey has posted a story that explains how it is possible that Bulgarian cimber Petar Unzhiev died earlier this week while in Camp 2 on the mountain, without anyone knowing. It seems that Petar arrived at BC, but proceeded up the mountain far too quickly, skipping past ABC and moving on to Camp 1. After spending the night there, he would have normally gone back down the mountain to recover, but instead, he and his high altitude porter, chose to move up to Camp 2 instead. Other climbers heard Petar in his tent with very labored breathing, but they assumed that his porter was watching out for him. As it turns out, the porter had gone down to BC without alerting anyone, and it seems that Unzhiev developed and succumbed to HACE in the process. A very sad story that should provide a number of lessons for high altitude mountaineers. 


Also headed to K2 are the Field Touring Alpine Team, who have finished their acclimatization on Broad Peak, and are now moving to K2 Base Camp. While the team didn't summit on BP, they are now hoping to take advantage of their experience on that mountain to knock of K2 instead. They are eying the weather window for early next week as well, but are also considering a second window which is in the forecast for the 30th of the month, so it seems they are in no rush to scramble up the mountain. 


A few days back there was quite a bit of action on the Gasherbrums where Colombian climber Felipe Ossa became the first person this season to scale GI. Next door, on GII, the Altitude Junkies put several of their climbers on the summit, while the Czech team of Petr Masek, Radek Jaros, and Libor Uher also topped out, but are still only halfway to their goal. That team of strong climbers hopes to knock off GI yet this season as well, claiming a Karakorum double-header on the Gasherbrums.

It seems the teams on K2 are the ones gearing up for action now. This weekend will likely be spent heading up the mountain and waiting for the weather window to appear on Tuesday. Lets hope everything goes well, and everyone climbs very safely. We all know what this mountain is capable of.

Karakorum 2010: Mixed Results and Tragedy on K2

It was a bit of a mixed bag for teams across the Karakorum this weekend. While the weather window opened as expected, copious amounts of snow high on the mountains prevented many from reaching their goals. Still, there were some successful summits and word of a death on K2.

ExWeb is reporting this morning that Bulgarian climber Petar Georgiev Unzhiev passed away on K2 this weekend, succumbing to altitude sickness at Camp 2. He was climbing as part of the Adventure Tours Pakistan team, and other than receiving word from his family to bury him at C2, not much else is known about the situation. My condolences go out to Petar's friends and family. 


Staying on K2, we received word over the weekend that Christian Stangl has returned to the mountain to make another attempt at a speed record. The Austrian climber turned back last year 316 meters beneath the summit, and he's hoping that he can finish the job this year. ExWeb says that now that he's set the speed record for completing all of the Seven Summits, he's going for the "Second Seven", or the second highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Next up, he'll return to Antarctica and go for Mount Tyree.


Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, the Basque BAT Team hoped to complete their traverse of the mountain's three summits this weekend, and they were successful after a couple of very long days in the mountains. They also managed to establish a new route in the process, marking the first new route by a Basque team on an 8000-meter peak. Check out their video below for more. 


Also on Broad Peak, explorer Mike Horn and climbing partner Kobi Reichen reached the summit over the weekend as well. The duo climbed without the use of supplemental oxygen, topping out at 2 AM local time. The long climb followed nearly three weeks of waiting patiently for the weather to clear and for the massive amounts of snow on the summit to come down in the form of avalanches. 


The Field Touring Alpine squad weren't so lucky with their ascent. They called off their planned summit bid just below the Col on BP due to heavy amounts of snow along their route. On Saturday they were all back in C3 and in good health and spirits, and there has been no word yet if they'll have another go at the summit or if they'll just proceed to K2 now. 


On the Gasherbrums it was success for one team while another turned back. The Czech team on GII topped out on Saturday and was back in BC safe and sound yesterday afternoon. Don Bowie and Alexey Bolotov didn't have the same luck on GI however. The boys were forced back down the mountain due to chest deep snow. They're back in BC now too, with no word on another attempt for now.


A second weather window is expected this week and some of the climbers, such as Gerlinde and Ralf, were taking advantage of one more acclimatization rotation this weekend. They're likely to make their summit bids on K2 this week if the weather holds as expected. The next few days could be very interesting once again. 

Karakorum 2010: Summit Push Begins!

It seems that the projected weather windows in the Karakorum are opening as expected, and a number of teams, on a variety of mountains, including K2, are now preparing to begin their summit push.

Starting on K2, Fredrik Ericsson is preparing to make his ascent, and hopefully ski descent, of the mountain, with the latest update on his progress coming today. Fredrik and his partner Trey Cook hope to head up the mountain for one more acclimatization run, but the whole expedition could be in jeopardy thanks to severe frostbite on Trey's fingers. He's been treating them with Amoxicilline for the past few days, and he's going to give them one last chance on the climb, but if they continue to be a problem, he'll abort his attempt, and possibly prevent Fredrik from summitting as well. He has already been advised by other climbers that he should give up and head home, but Cook seems determined to climb, even at the expense of his fingertips. 


Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and Ralf Dujmovits have already climbed up to Camp 3 on K2, and found that their acclimatization on Everest this past spring is still serving them well in the Karakorum. The husband and wife team are now back in BC, where they are watching the weather, and preparing to make their big push. If successful, Gerlinde will be the first woman to claim the fourteen 8000 meter peaks without oxygen. 


Over on Broad Peak, the Filed Touring Alpine team is preparing to make a run at the summit as well. The team is currently in Camp 2 and high winds have been blasting the summit today, but they are expected to subside over the next day or two, giving access to the summit at last. A number of other teams have already tried, and been turned back by heavy snow, so hopefully they'll get a crack at the top while the weather is good. From there, they'll move over to K2 to make an assault on that mountain as well. 


Similarly, the BAT Basque Team has begun their second climb on Broad Peak as well, leaving BC earlier today. They hope to be in position to complete a new route, in alpine style, by Saturday, and if the weather holds, they'll continue on to complete a traverse of the BP's three summits before descending back to Base Camp.


On Gasherbrum I, Don Bowie and Alexey Bolotov have begun their summit push too. They've reached Camp 2 on that mountain, and will be planning on head up tomorrow. They hope to successfully summit in the next few days as well, and will then evaluate conditions on the other Gasherbrum peaks to determine if they'll continue to climb later in the season.


It's beginning to shape up like a busy weekend in the Karakorum with a number of climbers in place to make summit bids Saturday or Sunday, which is when the weather is suppose to be at its best. Another window is expected next week too, so those that aren't ready to go now will get another chance. 


Stay tuned!

Karakorum Update: Summits On Nanga Parbet, K2 Climbers Push Higher

Even though this is the quietest season in the Karakorum for some time, the teams that are there continue to make progress and push towards their summits. Such was the case this weekend, when teams tried to take advantage of improved weather, some with more success than others.

On Nanga Parbet, the ninth highest mountain on the planet at 26,660 feet, there were summits by the Iranian, Nepali, and Korean teams, who, according to ExWeb, reached the top on Saturday. The Korean team reported back that the weather was bitter cold with high winds, but they still managed to put three of their climbers on top of the mountain.

The Basque BAT Team making an alpine style attempt on Broad Peak weren't so lucky however, as poor weather did prevent them from completing their expedition. While the team did reach the summit of BP's north peak on Friday, they were unable to continue on with their planned traverse that would have seen them crossing all three of Broad Peak's summits. Undaunted however, the boys have returned to Base Camp where they are waiting for the weather to improve once again, before making another attempt at the traverse.

Similarly, Mike Horn and Kobi Reichen abandoned their attempt on Broad Peak at 7900 meters (25,918 feet) on Friday due to heavy snow and high winds as well. No word on what Mike and Kobi's plans are for another attempt just yet.

On K2, the world's second tallest mountain, the teams have now established Camp 3, and ExWeb is reporting that Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner  has spent the night at 7000 meters as she continues to acclimatize. She and other members of her team, most notably husband Ralf Dujmovits, hope to climb as high as Camp 3 today, where they'll spend the night, then head back to BC before a round of bad weather is forecasted to hit tomorrow.

Finally, over on the Gasherbrums, a number of teams are focused on making progress as well. For instance, the Altitude Junkies established Camp 1 over the weekend, and even had the odd experience of seeing a glowing glacier while making the trek up from BC in the evening. High winds at the summit were preventing other teams from making their bids over the weekend however, so much like the rest of the region, they're all holding their breath and crossing their fingers for good weather. This includes Don Bowie and climbing partner Alexey Bolotov, who aborted an attempt on the summit of G1 at 7500 meters when conditions worsened as the winds picked up.

Lets hope weather across the Karakorum improves this week so the teams working hard on the mountains can finally get a crack at the summits.

Karakorum Update: Summit Bids and Acclimatization

Things are starting to get busy in the Karakorum, where teams are starting summit bids on some peaks, while others continue the process of acclimatization on others. High camps are being stocked and the weather is deciding factor, as the season moves further into July.

We'll start on Broad Peak, where the action is underway with a major push by the BAT Basque Team made up of Alberto Iñurrategi, Mikel Zabalza  and Juan Vallejo. According to ExWeb, the boys headed up the mountain today on their initial summit push in the hopes that they can take advantage of four days of good weather that is currently in the forecast. They'll be making an alpine style climb, along a new route no less, that will eventually see them traverse all three of Broad Peak's summits. Apparently they're going as light and fast as they can, carrying no oxygen, and using no porters, fixed ropes, or established camps. They hope to summit on Saturday and complete the traverse on Sunday, if all things go according to plan. Stay tuned for more on this dramatic climb. 


Mike Horn and his climbing partner Kobi Reichen have begun their second summit attempt on BP as well. The two turned back due to bad weather a week or so back, and have been patiently waiting for a weather window ever since. It seems they'll try to take advantage of the four days of good weather ahead too. 


The Field Touring Alpine Team is also working the normal route on BP, and are expected to finish fixing the lines up to Camp 3 today. They expect to spend the night there tonight and then descend back to Base Camp tomorrow. They're hoping to then rest for a few days and decide the best time to make their own summit bid. The Broad Peak climb is being used as a warm-up and acclimatization process before heading over to K2. 


Speaking of K2, Fredrik Ericsson and his partner Trey Cook, have checked in from that mountain, giving us some details of their recent climb up the mountain that resulted in them descending back down, on their skis, in bad weather. They had hoped to spend more time acclimatizing themselves, but a predicted small storm turned into a raging blizzard, forcing them back to BC for awhile. Upon their arrival back in Base Camp, they learned that their missing supplies had finally arrived, and that the Polish Team is planning to head up the mountain tomorrow, with Gerlinde and Ralf going up on Saturday. They also report that a Korean team working the Abruzzi Spur, dismissed their high altitude porters, creating a bit of a stir in their camp. They'll now join forces with one of the other teams to work the route. 


Summit bids are underway on other mountains in the region as well, including a Korean Team going for the top of Nanga Parbet and the Altitude Junkies are reporting that teams are preparing to make their bids on Gasherbrum II as well. Nearby on GI, Don Bowie and Alexei Bolotov reportedly had to navigate their way to C2 using a GPS due to the incredibly bad weather that has plagued the area of late. In fact, the weather has been so bad that one French team has elected to call it quits, going home early, calling the weather "exasperating". 


Seems like it's going to be a challenging season once again in the Karakorum. Weather conditions are, as usual, very nasty, and the peaks there are unforgiving to say the least. Lets hope these teams get a crack at their respective summits. 

Karakorum Update: Gerlinde In K2 BC, Progress On Broad Peak

While the U.S. enjoyed a long holiday weekend in celebration of Independence Day, the teams in the Karakorum continued to work towards their ultimate goals, namely to climb some of the highest, most challenging peaks on the planet.

The latest update from Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner has her safely into Base Camp on K2 yesterday. It has been a whirlwind affair for her and her team, as they barely spent a day in Islamabad before setting out on the 500+ mile road trip to Skardu, where they would begin the long trek to the Baltoro Glacier and BC itself. Today, Gerlinde and Ralf will make their first acclimatization climb today, going up the Cesen Route as they get acquainted with the mountain once again, and scout out the challenges that are ahead for this year. If she manages to reach the summit of K2, Gerlinde will become the first woman to successfully climb all of the 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen. A huge accomplishment to be sure.

When last we heard from Fredrik Ericsson a few days back, he was lamenting the weather at Camp 2 on K2. At the time, he and his climbing partner Trey Cook were hoping to make the hike up to C3, but poor weather was preventing them from going higher. They reported 40 mph winds with blowing snow on the mountain, which was keeping them in place, huddled inside their tent, and enjoying their sleeping bags. That report came on July 1st, ands since then we've heard nothing, so at this point it is impossible to know where they are on the mountain. Fredrik and Trey are hoping to summit soon however and then make a ski descent of the peak.

Over on Broad Peak, the teams are waiting to get a crack at the summit as well. Mike Horn has updated his Pangaea Expeditions Blog with the news that they are waiting for a weather window to give them the go ahead to move up the mountain, but with high winds at altitude, they've stayed off of Broad Peak thus far.

The Field Touring Alpine squad is on BP at the moment too, using it as a warm-up for K2. The team has cached their gear and equipment all the way up to C3 at this point, but are also reporting bad weather and high winds. In fact, Brian Block posted an audio dispatch in which he says that the forecast calls for 45cm (about 17 inches) of snow over the next few days, which will make an approach to the summit rather challenging. The hope is that things will improve later this week, and the team can make a summit bid before making the jump to K2.

Karakorum 2010: Bad weather on K2, Teams into C2 on Broad Peak

More teams are now en route to K2, while those already on the mountain have gone up to Camp 1 and are reporting bad weather in the region.

Fredrik Ericsson posted a new update over the weekend with the news that he and his teammate Trey Cook have gone up to Camp 1, and had actually been planning on making the acclimatization trek up to C2, but weather conditions turned for the worse, so the pair have now made the descent, by ski no less, back to BC. They reported high winds and blowing snow, and thought better of pushing it up to C2 at this point.

Meanwhile, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner called her home team today to let them know that she is well into her trek to K2 BC. She, and her team, are expected to reach the Baltoro Glacier tomorrow, and will most likely be in camp on Friday. If everything goes as expected, and she makes a successful summit on this very temperamental mountain, Gerlinde would become the first woman to climb all of the 8000 meter peaks without supplemental oxygen.

The Field Touring Alpine Team is hoping to pull off a Karakorum double-header, nabbing both Broad Peak and K2. The team managed to fix the ropes up to C2 on Broad Peak over the weekend, and they are now in the midst of their acclimatization process, with everyone taking a turn at sleeping in Camp 1. The team is being led by Fabrizio Zangrilli, and counts Meagan McGrath as part of the team, as well as Brian Block, who is sending out audio dispatches to his blog. Brian is the owner of Ames Adventure Outfitters and a former Iowa Boy like myself.

Finally, Mike Horn and Kobi Reichen were making attempt on Broad Peak today, but were turned back due to heavy snow. The pair went has high as Camp 3 before resting, and then were prepared to make their summit bid, but got just another 200 meters up the mountain before they decided to turn back. Reportedly they were wading through waist deep snow and new that, at least for today, the summit was out of reach. They have now returned to Base Camp, and will await better conditions. 

Karakorum 2010: The Girls of K2

It looks like K2 is the mountain of choice for the ladies headed to the Karakorum this season. ExWeb is reporting that a number of female climbers have set their sights on the world's second highest peak, including Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, who is hoping to top out, sans oxygen, and become the third woman to climb all of the 8000-meter peaks. The first without oxygen however.

Joining Gerlinde on K2 will be Polish climber Kinga Baranowska, as well as Leila Esfandiari, who is leading her Iranian team. A British climber named Katrina is on the team with the Field Touring Alpine group, and Canadian Meagan McGrath is also setting her sights on K2. You may recall that Meagan started the year off with a successful solo ski to the South Pole as well.

Elsewhere in the Karakorum, a number of teams are still arriving at their respective mountains. The Basque Team on Broad Peak have reached BC, but their porters are still arriving. The supply train was slowed greatly by the snow that continues to fall around that mountain. Similarly, the Altitude Junkies Team, which is hoping to climb the Gasherbrums, began their trek to base camp yesterday and are hoping to arrive by Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Polish Team on Nanga Parbet has been plenty busy already. The team has fixed the ropes up to Camp 3, but the weather conditions have been extremely cold, and that has not made the experience a pleasant one thus far. They're back in BC now, resting up before proceeding higher on the mountain.

More to come soon. The Karakorum is just now starting to heat up.

Karakorum 2010: A Quiet Season in Pakistan?

As I mentioned last week, the climbing season is about to get underway in the Karakorum Range, where a few climbers are already making their way to mountains such as K2, the Gasherbrums, and Broad Peak.

According to ExWeb it may be a very quiet year in that part of the world, because as of now, only 25 climbing permits have been issued for the entire region, and that includes all of the 6000, 7000, and 8000 meter peaks. My hunch is that the economy is keeping some climbers from traveling to the Karakorum and even sponsorship dollars are still at a premium. The 2009 season was considered a quiet year as well, but even then 70 permits were issued. Guide Fabrizio Zangrilli, who has just arrived in Islamabad ahead of his attempt on Broad Peak, believes that economy, as well as recent flooding in the area, may be helping to keep the traffic down.

Meanwhile, a number of climbers are already in Pakistan and are either en route to their mountain of choice or are already there. Fredrik Ericsson is in Skardu and still making plans for the trek to K2 Base Camp, where he hopes to ski down the mountain. Keep an eye out for updates from Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, who should be arriving in Pakistan soon too. She has just K2 left on her list before she becomes the first woman to summit all 8000 meter peaks sans oxygen. Explorer Mike Horn is also trekking in the region right now as he continues his Pangaea Expedition. On Nanga Parbat, the Polish Team climbing there has worked it's way up to Camp 2, while the Altitude Junkies haven't even gone home from Kathmandu from their Everest climb, and will instead head straight to Islamabad.

I guess one good thing about this season will be that with so few teams, at least it should be fairly easy to keep track of everyone.

Karakorum 2010: A Season on the Brink

It seems like things are still quieting down in the Himalaya, and already the Karakorum is beginning to see signs of life for the 2010 season. ExWeb is reporting that teams have already begun to arrive in Pakistan, and are now making their plans for the weeks ahead.

One of the teams currently en route to the region consists of Alberto Iñurrategi, Juan Vallejo and Mikel Zabalza. This very experienced Basque team is hoping to make a complete traverse of the 26,414-foot tall Broad Peak. That mountain gets it's name from the fact that the main summit is more than a mile in length, and there are actually three summits to conquer on the traverse itself. The team will go in alpine style, carrying all of their gear with them on a single push, after they have properly acclimatized of course.

Meanwhile, Swedish climber/skier Fredrik Ericsson has returned to the Karakorum, and is on his way to K2, where he hopes to become the first person to ski the three highest mountains in the world. He's already knocked off Everest and Kangchenjunga, and now has just this mountain left to finish his quest. Of course, K2 is more than just any mountain however, and it will be quite treacherous to climb and ski. He, and his partner Trey Cook, an American climber/journalist, are reportedly already in Skardu, and will begin the trek to BC soon. This will be a bittersweet return for Fredrik however, as he had hoped to climb and ski the mountain last year, but his friend Michele Fait fell to his death while skiing down the mountain from Camp 2 following an acclimatization climb.

Finally, ExWeb is also reporting that an Italian team by EV KK2 CNR has arrived in the region and will be conducting two expeditions to clean-up both K2 and the Baltoro Valley. They'll first hike through the valley, collecting garbage and other solid waste, and later they'll head to K2 and do a sweep of the high camps, bring down refuse from there as well.

Personally, I always appreciate these stories of teams cleaning up the mountain. Both K2 and Everest have a lot of junk on them, and these efforts from a number of teams and organizations to help clean them up is always good news, especially for future climbers who hope to visit these places.

Karakorum 2009: Getting Organized on Latok I

ExWeb has some good updates today from the Karakorum, where things are mostly winding down, as teams depart and begin preparations for the fall season in the Himalaya.

The biggest piece of news is that climbers are still getting organized on Latok I in an attempt to go up the mountain and look for Oscar Perez, who has been stranded above 6500m for six days now, and there hasn't been any contact with him at all since the weekend. At this point, his home team has no idea what his condition is, and everyone is just hoping for the best. ExWeb says that five other Spanish climbers have left their home country and are headed for Pakistan to try to help out, but considering the remote nature of the mountain, time in transit, and so on, they won't be in a real position to assist for some time yet.

Fabrizio Zangrilli is already on the scene however, and a fly over of the campsite resulted in no visual confirmation of Oscar's condition. Fabrizio will attempt to climb up to Oscar's position tomorrow, and assess the situation and possibly aid in bringing him down. Once again, lets all keep our fingers crossed for a happy ending here.

Meanwhile, in other news, the Arash Mountaineers team that has been working a new route on Broad Peak reportedly has abandoned the route after running out of supplies and time. They had established the route up to Camp 3, but now say that they'll have to return to give it another go in the future. They do, however, plan to make a summit bid along the normal route before coming home.

And finally, fresh off of her 13th 8000m peak, Korean climber Eun-Sun Oh is expected to return home tomorrow, where she'll take a much deserved break before returning to the Himalaya in September. At that time, she'll set her sights on Annapurna, her final obstacle before becoming the first woman to complete all of the 8000m mountains. She is firmly in the driver seat now to claim that honor, as this story from National Geographic Adventure points out, but Annapurna won't yield up its summit easily. In fact, many consider it to be the second toughest 8000m peak to climb, behind only K2. But the other contenders, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, Edurne Pasabán, and Nives Meroi have all hit snags in their bids to be the first woman to join the elite list of men to have topped out on the 8-thousanders. Miss Oh has come out of no where to knock off four of those mountains his year, and seems poised to claim her fifth in a few months.

Update: Mountaineer and author Clyde Soles has posted more info on the Oscar Perez story. Seems that the Spanish climber is actually on Latok II not I and that he is suffering from a broken arm and leg, which is why he is stranded at high camp. A radio malfunction or dead batteries might account for the lack of contact as well, so there is reason to believe that he is hanging on and waiting for a rescue. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow.