The summit push on GII was aborted due to bad conditions, and the expectations for Broad Peak and K2 are equally discouraging.
However, a few stubborn climbers are willing to wait for a possible weather window at the end of July.
No one wants to surrender first
“The expeditions will officially end on August 2, but our teams on K2 and Broad Peak are [already nearly finished], as the situation seems not so good,” Lakpa Sherpa of 8K told ExplorersWeb.
Nepal-based blog Everest Chronicle stated that Elite Exped has called off its expedition, and leader Mingma David Sherpa will have to wait another year to break his own record by summiting the mountain for the seventh time. As Lukas Supergan wrote on Saturday, no outfitter wants to be the first to call the expedition off.
“Several Sherpas have sustained climbing-related injuries, but their agencies are not discussing this publicly,” the Polish climber added.
K2 climbers need at least acceptable conditions for the Sherpa guides to fix ropes and set higher camps, but the weather is not cooperating. Conditions have been bad all season. Already, one Pakistani climber has died.
Heavy monsoon rains are hitting northern Pakistan, wreaking havoc at several places in Gilgit-Baltistan. As we posted last week, a hanging bridge at Shigar collapsed, cutting off the route back to Skardu. Even if climbers leave, they may have difficulty getting out.
K2
“It’s 3 degrees at Base Camp at 8:30 am,” no-oxygen Everest summiter Lenka Polackova of Slovakia reported.
She adds that water continues to drip at 6,200m, and she has experienced rockfall even near 7,000, the highest she’s reached.
However, most climbers believe that better weather is coming at the end of the month, after the current snowy spell. But will conditions on K2 be stable enough, and will the climbers — stuck in Base Camp for so long — be prepared?
Good weather and colder temperatures could stabilize K2. Then, perhaps, some very strong climbers could launch a last-minute summit push if they manage to pitch a couple of tents on Camp 3 and head up right behind the rope fixers. But it’s a long way from Camp 3 at 7,000m to the 8,611m summit. Climbers planning to proceed without oxygen have a nearly impossible mission ahead, especially if they are not acclimatized enough.
Gasherbrum II
On Gasherbrum II, Imagine Nepal launched a summit push from Camp 2 on Saturday night, but eventually retreated because of deep snow. They safely returned to Base Camp today, and leader Mingma G bluntly stated: “Gasherbrum II will remain unclimbed in 2025.”
Nirmal Purja of Elite Exped is also on Gasherbrum, but the company has not yet spoken of its plans.
Meanwhile, Selena Khawaja of Pakistan, just 16 years old, is aiming to climb Gasherbrums I and II with her father. The young Khawaja has been attempting 8,000’ers — and raising concerns because of her young age — since she showed up on Broad Peak in 2021 at age 13.
Last year, the Khawajas attempted Nanga Parbat. This year, before heading for the Gasherbrums, Selena and her father climbed Khosar Gang, a 6,004m peak near Skardu. They arrived at Base Camp on Friday after dealing with tough conditions due to heavy rains during the trek up the Baltoro.
Broad Peak
On Broad Peak, Madison Mountaineering’s sole client and its Sherpa team are still in Base Camp waiting for a weather window. They will need better conditions and a more collaborative atmosphere amid growing tensions between climbers and outfitters on the mountain.
A somber Broad Peak in bad weather. Photo: Lukasz Supergan
“Opening a route to the summit requires crossing deep snow above Camp 3,” Lukas Supergan wrote on Saturday. “This could be achieved by a large, combined team from agencies and independent climbers working together, but such cooperation is not there. Leaders keep their plans secret; groups set out despite obviously bad forecasts and return exhausted and resigned. Each agency wants to be the one at the top, but by acting alone, it reduces its chances. Joint action has been replaced by a lack of communication.”
Wrote Vibeke Andrea Sefland: “It is getting warmer and it is melting more day by day. On top of this, we have had several days with heavy snowfall up high, and rain below 6,000m, giving us hip-deep snow to break trail through.”
The Norwegian climber and her group said they are going to wait a little longer, but the situation is complex. “I will do my best, but in these conditions, the only way to manage is [for] all of us to get together in a good team effort.”
