Winter K2 Update: Manaslu Challenges

K2 climbers continue to stay at Base Camp stalled by the weather meanwhile the five or so climbers on Nepal’s Manaslu found a huge open crevasse that will require route-finding skills to navigate. Some of the Nepali K2 10 will join the Manaslu effort. The search ends for Alex Goldfarb.

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Big Picture

The big news is not on K2 but that some of the Nepali 10 who summited K2 12 days ago will join the Manaslu team. Vinayak Jaya Malla made a post and showed a video (see below) of the large crevasse that stopped progress on Manaslu and made the comment, “… will team up with some of the Nepali legends who recently conquered K2.”

Nirmal Purja’s guide company managed the logistics for Vinayak and Tenji Sherpa thus it makes sense that Nirmal Purja himself may join them. The guys have spoken positively about him during their expedition. If so, then Nirmal Purja now may be on a quest to summit all 14 of the 8000er in winter, since he has a winter K2 under his harness. He would solidify an already impressive climbing record. It’s reported that Mingma David Sherpa and Mingma G. Sherpa will also join the Manaslu effort.

Back to K2, the hoped-for break around February 3/4 now looks to be measured in hours, not days, but we’ll. Some members took a stroll to ABC from BC today.

Also, the search for Alex Goldfarb has officially ended according to the team spokesperson László Pintér:

Just a final update on our tragically ended Broad Peak Expedition. As you might have followed the dispatches, after localizing Alex Goldfarb’s body, his family made efforts to organize a retrieval mission. A 4-men team of strong Pakistani climbers was put together for a ground mission. The Pakistani government was generous to offer a free flight for them to Concordia, from there they arrived on foot to Broad Peak Base Camp. They have tried to reach the spot more times but failed. It is in a very dangerous place, not really suitable for a ground recovery.

Since the time of the expedition was up, base camp was dismantled today and the ground team together with the 2-person staff and the Hungarian climber Zoltan Szlanko have started their trek back on the Baltoro. Thereby, the expedition is officially over.

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Snorri & Team – At BC

John Snorri Sigurjonsson with Muhammad Ali Sadpara and Muhammad’s 20-year-old son Sajid Ali are in Base Camp looking at the next weather window in early February.

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. However, with this large of a team and the wide range of experience, I’ll never be surprised to see a few climbers get ahead of the pack.

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Manaslu – Crevasse Issues

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. Simone gave this update:

We made it up to 6200 m. but a giant crevasse blocked our way, it’s the same crevasse encountered in 2019 with Mingma. Even with ladders and ropes you can’t get through it. In addition there are others above. So we descended back to C1 and now we have to change routes and we identified it. Alex and three Sherpas stayed to sleep at C1 and will descend tomorrow after

Alex added:

Schedule change. A huge crack impossible to overcome even with 9 ladders, it brought Cheppal, Kalden, Namja and me back to C1; the others went back to BC. We have to find another way and we are already working on a new strategy. Today there was a strong snowstorm so if the wind gives us a respite tomorrow we will start working to equip the route along the tongue you see furthest to the right. We are super motivated and very strong

Vinayak posted and suggest some of the K2 Nepali 10 will join them on Manaslu:

Once the winds calmed earlier in the week we moved to Camp 1. Following the impassable crevasse on our approach to Camp 2, we returned to Camp 1 Wednesday afternoon. Subsequently we descended to Basecamp Thursday afternoon.

Though disappointed to have to change our original approach, we have decided to wait here at Base Camp and will team up with some of the Nepali legends who recently conquered K2.

He posted this amazing video:

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