Winter K2: Climbers to Approach Higher Camps Tomorrow
As the weather brightened up at the K2 Base Camp (5100m) after 10 days, climbers anticipate a more stable window to resume the expedition, that formerly claimed many lives or ended in catastrophe whenever attempted in Winter. Italian alpinist Tamara Lunger posted a video of a minor avalanche at the Base Camp, taken place today in the morning at 8.15pm. Besides, Mingma G, who leads a Sherpa-only Nepalese team consisting of three members, is concerned that their Camp-2 which they set up right below the Black Pyramid, might be disrupted. If so, he is afraid that he might as well have to go home with two of his teammates as most of their equipment was stored inside it. Meanwhile, 2 members of Nirmal Purja’s team has gone up to Camp-2 to check if their equipment survived the average 120kmph wind speed for the past week. A while ago, confirming their arrival at Camp-2, Purja reported, "It was a wreckage site. We found that both our tents and all equipments that we had left here for the summit plan are all destroyed and swept away by the wind. We have lost everything including all our kits; sleeping bags, mattresses, heated shoe insoles, summit gloves/mittens, summit base layers, paragliding equipment , cooking equipment etc. I am devastated to be breaking this news. Now, I have to reassess and replan everything." His team is now back to the Base Camp.
Now that the weather is clearing up with a heavy destruction taken place at higher camps, will the jam-packed Base Camp, at last, witness a Winter summit or force the lingering climbers to leave empty-handed?
Such are the concerns, at present, distressing the mountaineers whose actions are, thoroughly, to be screened by the climbing fraternity. In an exclusive interaction with Dream Wanderlust, Mingma ‘David’ Sherpa expressed how the persistent austerity of harsh wind and snow disrupted their expedition. Yet he remains hopeful, “This year our team is really strong.” As most teams are planning to resume rotations tomorrow, SST representatives from the Base Camp, informed that they're bidding for the window between 14th to 16th January, 2021 for summit push.
On 31st December, after John Snorri’s team (including Muhammad Ali Sadpara, and his son Sajid) tackled the lower base of rope-fixing, Nirmal Purja and Mingma G, joined their respective forces to fix the ropes until 7300m, near Camp-3. Since then, all four major teams (of Mingma Gyalje+2, Nirmal Purja+7, John Snorri+2, Seven Summits+49) have gone on a handful of rotations until 6th January despite bad weather kicked in on New Year’s Day.
Since the first summit on the ‘Savage Mountain’ in 1954, by the Italian alpinists Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, the Abruzzi Ridge remains climbers’ favourite, named after Prince Luigi Amedeo, the Duke of the Abruzzi back then, who attempted the peak in 1909. Mingma David, who garnered the limelight in 2019 through Nims Purja’s ‘Project Possible’, confirms that he and his 6-member team intend to ascend through the same South East spur.
Since the first Winter attempt on K2 in 1987-88, led by Andrzej Zawada, 2020-21 is the first Winter in the Karakorams, which is currently accommodating more than 60 seasoned alpinists, guides, Sherpas, and tourist-climbers in the workforce. In times gone by, it was only by Denis Urubko, Marcin Kaczkan, and Piotr Morawski in Winter 2002-03, that K2 was climbed up to 7560m which remains the highest altitude one has ever reached.
Historically, K2, the highest mountain in the Karakorams, has recorded more deaths than its Himalayan counterpart, Everest. According to recent statistics, the ratio between the numbers of successful summits on K2 per death is 5.5:1; whereas on Everest, it is 33:1. Many haven’t shied away from pointing out - now that the awaiting multitude is nearing a stable window, chances are high that all their individual summit push, at the same time, may end up causing a commotion, as the yet-unachieved summit is the one last esteemed feat to be accomplished in the history of 8000m.
Howbeit, the ones closely observing these Winter attempts are also eyeing on the presence of heavyweight alpinists such as Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja, Sergi Mingote, Alex Gavan, and Tamara Lunger. Yet many have conveyed their point of concerns – “Will the rapid influx of ‘clients’ perturb the possibilities of adept Sherpas and alpinists to, at last, set foot on the 8611m mountain in Winter?”
Up till now, Mingma, the youngest in the world to have climbed all 14 8000ers, remains optimistic about his team and its previously proven track record during Nims Purja’s ‘Project Possible’. While they fight a staggering -60C average temperature with wind at 150kmph, Mingma is still hopeful that the route which is fixed up to a lower Camp-3, right below the Black Pyramid, can be roped above that, in days to come. Thanks to the weather, starting to brighten up.
His exclusive interview with Dream Wanderlust, right from the K2 Base Camp is as noted below:
Interview with Mingma David Sherpa
DW: “K2 Winter" is presently the "biggest" prize left in the history of 8000ers. Does this factor influence your choice or are you treating this as just another climb? Especially given the fact that iconic climbers have failed to do it still, what will it ultimately take for a team to be successful this time?
Mingma David: Yes, climbers are trying Winter K2 for several years now. Yet I would say, this year, it looks promising as the team is really strong this time.
DW: Which window are you aiming for at this moment?
Mingma David: We don’t know it yet. We are acclimatizing at present. We don’t have any summit plan, yet.
DW: What’s the altitude the ropes have been fixed up to?
Mingma David: It is done up to 7300m, near Camp-3.
DW: All previous attempts were done without the use of supplemental oxygen. Will your team be doing the same?
Mingma David: No, we are using supplemental oxygen this time.
DW: On K2, eleven routes have been totally climbed, yet never in Winter. Denis Urubko has suggested that the East Face may be feasible in Winter due to the stable snow conditions; though previous winter attempts were made through the Abruzzi Ridge. Which route are you taking and do you have a fallback plan-B route if the first choice does not go?
Mingma David: We are aiming for the Abruzzi route right now. But it is not an issue. It is only the wind speed and the temperature that majorly impacted the expedition until now. From Camp-4 onwards, our route is the same for Abruzzi and Cesen anyway.
DW: All previous attempts were stopped by the harsh weather. Wind speed in excess of 128kmph near the summit, still air temperature less than -40C, and wind-chill approaching at -73C defines K2 in winter. How do you fix Schedules for trail-breaking in deep snow, fixing ropes, carrying loads, and the tedious house-keeping at camps?
Mingma David: It all depends on the weather now. We can’t do anything about it but we have a really strong team this time. So we are hopeful.
DW: Other than a clear weather window, successful climbs always require acclimatization, teamwork, and speed. Do you plan to do it at the Base Camp or possibly pre-acclimatise at Camp-4 on Broad Peak or use altitude-tents for it?
Mingma David: I have been acclimatizing at the Base Camp, here. I aim to climb up to Camp-2 and back, once the weather gets better.
DW: What is the composition of your team and support staff? Who else are you with; other than Nirmal Purja?
Mingma David: In total, there are six members on our team. As I said, we are at Base Camp, now. All other K2 expedition teams are here. It has been ten days; we are stuck here since the weather has been awful.
DW: High camp on the Abruzzi at around 7600m to summit and back, usually entails a 24-hour round trip. Since you and your team are known for speed-climbing on 8000ers, would you do the same this time?
Mingma David: No, we are climbing at a standard pace this Winter.
DW: Which calendar are you considering – Meteorological Winter till 28th February or Astronomical Winter till 20th March?
Mingma David: We are considering the Meteorological Winter till 28th February.
DW: We would remain grateful for the interview and wish for you fair weather and firm snows, and may you have a great and safe climb!
Photo Credits: SST
