Winter K2 Update: Climber Recognition and Reward

Pakistan said it will sponsor and reward climbers. Seems everyone is at K2 Base Camp after high winds stopped a recent attempt. Several weather forecasts agree that winds will remain high for the next ten days with this Friday as a break, but it’s too short for a summit push as Snorri and Team demonstrated.

Big Picture

OK, another high wind time so the climbers will stay at Base Camp and monitor every weather update. The experienced, and committed will understand this gauntlet, the fresh will ask ‘Why” and soon leave.  A similar scenario is playing on Nepal’s Manaslu. There is a break around February 3/4 so some may try.

Snorri – At BC

John Snorri Sigurjonsson with Muhammad Ali Sadpara and Muhammad’s 20-year-old son Sajid Ali are back in Base Camp looking at the next weather window in early February. John told me these details about their attempt. Thye did reach “lower Camp 3” which is just below House Chimney. Traditional C3 is above, maybe 200-feet higher:

We reached 6800m lower camp 3. When we came there the weather was already bad. And we got new weather report and it was showing 65 wind. So we stayed over the night and took our camp together and deposit our things there. And came straight to be. We where about 16 hours from bc to c3

Sponsorship and Rewards for the Ali Sadpara’s

Pakistan has finally figured out they have some mountaineering rockstars and it’s in everyone’s best interest to help them. We have seen promises like this before and I hope they follow through.

The Twitter account The Northener tweeted, “Tourism Minister for Gilgit-Baltistan Raja Nasir Ali Khan has announced cash prizes and commitment for sponsoring him for remaining 6x8000ers including Everest for Ali Satpara.”

While unclear and there is no independent verification, it suggests that the Pakistan Ministry will pay for Muhammad Ali Sadpara expense, and cash bonus to complete the fourteen 8000ers thus completing his 8000ers quest. Also, they will support his son to climb with his father to Everest.

Raja Nasir Ali Khan, Minister for Tourism, Sports, Culture & Archeology, and Youth Affairs Gilgit-Baltistan tweeted:

Discussed with the CM @AbdulKhalidPTI and decided to give a lucrative cash awards to @Alisadparaa and his son @SajidSadpara as a token of appreciation as soon as they return from #K2winter expedition, regardless of success. Will always encourage our heroes.

This suggests their reward their K2 conquest.

Muhammad Ali Sadpara, born in the village, Sadpara, on the outskirts of Skardu is by far one of the strongest climbers at K2 this winter. He has eight summits of 8000ers, including four on Nanga Parbat, the first winter summit of Nanga with Simone Moro and Alex Txikon in 2016. He attempted Everest along with Alex Txikon, in January 2018 but conditions stopped them. They were trying a no Os summit.

• Gasherbrum II (Pakistan) in 2006,
• Spantik Peak (Pakistan) in 2006,
• Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) in 2008,
• Muztagh Ata (China) in 2008,
• Nanga Parbat (Pakistan) in 2009,
• Gasherbrum I (Pakistan) in 2010,
• Nanga Parbat First Winter Ascent (Pakistan) in 2016,
• Broad Peak (Pakistan) in 2017,
• Nanga Parbat First Autumn Ascent (Pakistan) in 2017,
• Pumori Peak First Winter Ascent (Nepal) in 2017,
• K2 (Pakistan) in 2018,
• Lhotse (Nepal) in 2019,
• Makalu (Nepal) in 2019,
• Manaslu (Nepal) in 2019.

His 20-year-old son Sajid Ali summited K2 in 2018 and would be the first father-son team to summit K2 if successful this season.

Muhammad posted on his social:

Seven Summits Treks – Climbing will continue if there is good weather

Seven Summits Trek’s has their team at base camp. By my count, there are 17 members (perhaps fewer) and about 20 Sherpas still left. Lynne Hanna posted on behalf of her husband Noel:

Up close with Noel K2 update for a new week weather at base camp is not good and the long range forecast for next 7 days bad A team went for summit at the weekend but had to turn back above camp 2 as winds increased and the temperatures dropped to minus 50 degrees they are all safe back in Base Camp .

Manaslu – Ready to Go Up

Simone Moro, Alex Txikon, and Iñaki Alvarez are at Manaslu Base Camp. Tenji Sherpa and Vinayak Jaya Malla are also at Manaslu Base Camp ready to move higher when winds allow. Alex gave this update:

Getting ready at BC. Tomorrow we start with the second rotation at high altitude with the aim of advancing as far as the weather allows us. Having Ringi, Cheppal, Gelum, Namja, Vinayak and Kalden in the team is vital, without them it would be very complicated … Eskerrik asko! I will keep you updated if the connection allows it

Tenji and Vinayak continue to clarify their ambitions. They have gone to C1 but don’t consider that redefined their goal to climb in pure alpine style. When the times comes they will leave BC with a tent and attempt the summit in one push, in other words not return to BC and then try again similar to “siege” style

K2 First Winter Summit Video:

Finally for today, the summit video from the Mingma G summit team:

Repost @nimsdai Brother to brother, shoulder to shoulder, we walked together to the summit whilst singing the Nepali national anthem. We all stopped around 10m before reaching the summit to huddle and make our final steps together as a team to mark this historical feat, the first ascent of K2 in winter.

No individual agendas, no individual greed but only solidarity and joint force of Team Nepal 🇳🇵with a shared vision. Super proud of all the team members for earning this for Nepal and humanity through hardship, selfless effort, and most importantly UNITY proving that Nothing is Impossible ! We are honoured to be sharing this moment with communities all across the world.

Global warming and climate change is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing right now. The human race needs to unite to face era’s most threatening looming crisis. If we unite we can make anything possible !

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Resources:

• Share your opinion on the reader polls
• A 30-minute documentary of Alan’s 2014 K2 Summit
• Known GPS Trackers:
  • Atanas Skatov
  • John Snorri Sigurjonsson
  • Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto
  • Magdalena Gorzkowska
• The traditional K2 Camp locations are:
  • • Base Camp: 17,500ft/5334m
    • Advanced Base Camp: 18,650ft/5650m
    • Camp 1: 19,965’/6050m
    • Camp 2: 22,110’/6700m
    • Camp 3: 23,760’/7200m
    • Camp 4: 25,080’/7600m
    • Summit: 28,251”/8611