Climbing across the Karakorum is underway with the first summits of this 2024 summer season on Nanga Parbat. Ropes are nearing the high camps on K2.
The Pakistani Newspaper Dawn reports that the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department has issued over 1,700 permits to foreign climbers, of which 175 permits have been issued to scale K2.
A notable person in the Karakorum this season is Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of Mohammad Ali Sadpara, who perished on K2 a few years ago and will attempt a no Os climb of K2 in addition to Broad Peak.
K2
Poor weather has stalled K2 teams, which is usual for this peak. Most K2 summits occur at the end of July, so while the delay annoys the teams, it doesn’t pose a big problem. The larger issue is the mountain’s condition, with low snowfall and an increased risk of fatal rockfall.
Seven Summits Treks reports that their six-person rope team has the ropes to 7,320 meters or near Camp 3 on the Abruzzi route. They noted the challenge: “During the fixing process, local companies also helped by delivering ropes to higher camps. A violent blizzard kept the fixing team from reaching C3, but they’ll carry on in the next window.”
Of note, the high-profile Pakistani female climber, Samina Baig, was flown by helicopter from K2 Base Camp, suffering from severe breathing problems.
And the Other 8000ers
While K2 gets disproportionate attention, the other four deserve equal coverage. The Nepali outfit Seven Summits Treks, aka SST, has commercialized all fourteen of the 8000ers and usually does the route finding and rope fixing.
Nanga Parbat
Nanga is more southern than Pakistan’s four other 8000ers. It’s in the Himalaya Range, whereas the other Pakistani giants lie in the Karakoram Range. Poor weather discouraged many teams, some leaving the peak but a few sticking around for success. NP usually sees the first summit each year, and 2024 was no different. SST reports four summits with a 1:1 ratio of support for their two Pakistani clients climbing via Nanga Parbat’s Diamir Face. They have a team ready to summit tomorrow.
Famous German Alpinist David Göttler has ended his attempt on the Rupla Face in Alpine Style, his fourth attempt at this challenging climb.
Gasherbrum I/II
SST notes that the rope team has the route set to Camp1 on GI and Banana Ridge on GII.
Broad Peak
Again, SST said Karakorum Expeditions has the ropes to Camp 3. However, an ExWeb reports that Candian climber Tom Kitta said, “We have a problem with ropes on Broad Peak, as they were fixed by a small team from Shimshal, [which has] done a very poor job. They just went up with spools of rope and, at some point, dropped them down with 200 meters or more between anchor points. The rope is not climbing rope, and it is already showing wear. It is unsafe.”
Pakistan Unclimbed Peak
Maddison Mountaineering is attempting a nondisclosed first ascent. However, they are climbing based out of the K2 base camp, so if that gives us any ideas, They hope to submit around July 12th.
The Last Problem Solved
The highest unclimbed peak in the world has been summited. A three-person Czech team summited Muchu Chhish (7,453m). Zdenek Hak, Radoslav Groh, and Jaroslav Bansky. They gave this update via WhatsApp: “We climbed via the south ridge to the main ridge and continued westward to the summit. We stood on top on July 5 at 10:20 am and took one more day for the descent. [We] finally re-entered Base Camp on July 6 at 6 pm.”
Deaths on Spantik
Spantik (7,027 m) has a reputation as an “easy” climb in the Karakoram; however, not so for three Japanese climbers who, according to the Pakistani publication Dawn, Ryuseki Hiraoka and Atsushi Taguchi, attempted the ascent of Spantik in alpine style and without porters. They reached camp 2 (5,300 m) and continued towards the summit but went missing. Another climber died earlier. Japanese Onishi Hiroshi (65 years old) summited but fell into a crevasse on the descent.
A Mountain Gives A Body Back
An American mountaineer, William Stampfl, 59, body has been found 22 years after he went missing while climbing Peru’s Huascaran mountain.
And it’s Over on Denali
The season is over on North America’s highest, Denali, in Alaska. Better weather than in 2023 upped the summit success from 31% last year to 52% in 2024, or 511 out of 974 registered climbers made the top, still low compared to recent years. The season ended tough for 38 climbers who had to spend an additional week at the Kahiltna Basecamp due to unflyable weather conditions. They flew out to Talkeetna on July 8th.
Climb On!
Alan
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One thought on “K2 2024 Coverage: Climbing Begins”
The name of Benjamin Vedrines did not appeart on K2. No interest to follow an exceptional attemp of k2 without O in less tah 24 hours and flying back to base camp in paragliding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?