K2 2021 Summer Coverage: Death and Trouble on Broad Peak

Scattered reports are coming in of serious trouble and death from Sunday’s summits on Broad Peak as the peaks are now being hit by bad weather.

The news agency, Yonhao News Agency, reported that Korean climber Kim Hong Bin, 57, is missing and presumed dead. Also, I received a text from a climber on Broad Peak who said “a Russin woman” had fallen into the same crevasse and was rescued. It’s believed to be Anastasia Runova. The text added, that climbers were descending with severe frostbite. Finally one of the climbers with Karakorum Expeditions had not arrived at Camp 3 after the summit, and helicopters were being dispatched for rescue. But with the poor weather, it’s doubtful the choppers will fly.

Антон Пуговкин posted some details on Facebook that described a 15-meter slip into a crevasse and that Vitaly Lazoleft with teammate, Thomas Lone, tried to render aid but were unsuccessful

Kim had lost all ten fingers to frostbite in 1991 while climbing Denali. Broad Peak was the last of his 8000ers. He was climbing with Blue Sky Tours who posted these climbers summited on Sunday:

1) Mr.Hongbin Kim
2) Mis. Sofie Lenaerts
3) Mr.Stef Maginelle
4) Mr.Yousuf
5) Mr.Imtiyaz
6) Mr. Mehdi
7) Mr.Hussian (Rope Fixing leader)

The area between Camp 3 and the saddle is known to have multiple crevasses. Almost every year, a climber or two falls in and occasionally it results in a death.

My deep condolences to Mr. Bin’s family, teammates, and friends.

Alan
Memories are Everything

Teams and Trackers (partial list)

• Broad Peak, K2
  • Madison Mountaineering: 9 climbers (USA, UK & Ukrain), 10 Nepal Sherpas, 4 Pakistani high altitude porters, and 10 Pakistani base camp staff.  TrackerKenton Cool with a client. TrackerJon Gupta with a client
  • Karakorum Expeditions: 11 members supported by 22 Pakistani climbers. Trackers: Fotis Theocharis and Carlos Garranzo
  • Graham Zimmerman and Ian Welsted: West Ridge – No Public Tracker Known
• K2 Only
  • Ukrainian-Nepalese K2 Expedition 2021: 3 Ukrainians and 3 Nepal’s Pioneer Adventure Sherpas
  • Ukraine team Alpomania supported by 6 Sherpas from Nepal’s Pioneer Adventure
  • Sajid Ali Sadpara: searching for evidence of his father, Muhammad Ali Sadpara. Team of 3 with BC support. Tracker
  • Jeff Spelman and Niels Jespers Tracker
• Broad Peak only
  • Victor Sans
  • Don Bowie with Lotta Hintsa 
• Gasherbrum I
  • Blue Sky Czech Republic & Slovakia
  • Lluis Cortadellas
• Gasherbrum II
  • Poland’s Beskid Expedition with Piotr Krzyzowski’s tracker
  • Czech-Slovak  tracker
  • The Altitude Team with Lluis Cortadellas’ tracker
  • Pakistan’s Sirbaz Khan’s tracker
•  Broad Peak, GI, and GII
  • Serge Hardy
• Nanga Parbat – Over
  • 5 person Spanish Team lead by Manuel ‘Lolo’ González. tracker

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

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