First, we had a surprise summit on Broad Peak today. Over on GII and K2, multiple teams have left base camp, targeting to summit in a few days. Overall, the weather forecast has improved, with the occasional wind spike in the forecast.

Big Picture – The Summit Push

Teams are touting excellent cooperation at K2. Seven Summits Treks said, “The collaboration between all major operators in K2 is adorable, we hope to set an example of teamwork.” They expect this summit window to be open through July 25.

K2 – Pushing for the Summit on July 22

Chris Tomer of Tomer Weather solutions tells me he expects a spike in the winds on July 20 but otherwise a fairly large weather window. This is excellent, with so many people on K2 this week. 8K Expeditions said their client, Kristin Harila, who is focused on setting a record for climbing all of the 8000ers, will climb with the rope team. They listed the teams staffing the eight-person team from

It appears the timeline is a bit fluid this year, with some teams skipping Camp1 while others will skip Camp 3

• July 18: C1
• July 19: C1 – C2
• July 20: C2 – C3
• July 21: C3 – C4
• July 22: C4 – Summit – C3
• July 23: C3- BC

The following teams have reported to left base camp to begin their push:

• 8K Expeditions (Nepal)
• Elite Expeditions (Nepal)
• Madison Mountaineering (US)
• Mingma G’s Imagine Nepal (Nepal)
• Pioneer Adventure (Nepal)
• Seven Summits Treks (Nepal)

With these teams either waiting  or not providing updates as to their current position or plans:

• Furtenbach Adventures (Austria)
• Adventure Tours Pakistan (Pakistan)
• Alpine Adventure Guide (Pakistan)
• Lela Peak Expedition (Pakistan)
• Summit Karakoram (Pakistan)
• Karakorum Expeditions (Pakistan)

Broad Peak – Quiet Summit

I’m told a team summited Broad Peak today but prefers to remain quiet with no publicity. But, Hunza Guides Pakistan reported, “Broad Peak 07/18/2022. The season of nice weather begins—five of the team participants trying to reach the summit tonight. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Wish them the best of luck!”

And this just in from Summit Karakoram, ”

How’s that for ‘news?” 🙂

Gasherbrum II – On the Summit Push

The teams are on their summit push today, going carefully and steadily higher in challenging conditions. Jagged Globe notes a team of eight people is at Camp 1:

The team has decided to spend an extra day at Camp 1 to allow snow conditions on the mountain to stabilise. The route to Camp 2 has been opened this morning by another group and our team are planning to move up to Camp 2 tomorrow morning. Weather conditions are forecast to be warm and sunny for the next few days.

All 4 members of the climbing team together with 4 local staff left BC at 0100hrs this morning (17 July) to begin their summit push. Conditions on the lower part of the icefall were easier than expected, but the more level upper part was challenging due to deep fresh snow. Most of the trip was accomplished in the cool early morning temperatures, but the final hour was subject to hot sunshine. The team reached Camp 1 at 0900hrs and found the 4 tents in good condition. If the warm conditions stablise the slopes leading to camp 2 the team intend to move up early tomorrow morning.

Mont Blanc Problems

Montagna.tv describes serious condition issues on Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak. In an interview with the President of the Society of Alpine Guides of Courmayeur, Alex Campedelli, he describes the overall conditions:

from Sunday 17 June the normal Italian route from the Gonella Refuge is strongly discouraged , both because the refuge closes due to lack of water and because the glacier is no longer in good condition. After a dry winter like last year, we were even more pessimistic at the beginning of the season. But then a great deal of tracing work was done which made it possible to identify the safest points and to follow the itinerary up to these days. The heat did the rest. There is therefore only one way up to the roof of the Alps, the one on which we also take our customers, that is the path of the Gouter.

Also noted that the popular route from Aiguille du Midi and the Cosmiques refuge:

We haven’t been there for a few years already because the Tacul seracs are too dangerous and unpredictable to bring us customers. Not to mention that the exit on the Col du Mont Maudit is becoming more and more complex. No, that is a path that I strongly advise against.

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