K2 teams are approaching Base Camp and bad weather is hampering Don Bowie and Lotta Hintsa on Broad Peak, but the most interesting news this week should come from Biarchedi I. Here, Ralf Dujmovits and Nancy Hansen are in full summit push.
Hansen and Dujmovits left Base Camp on Friday. They estimate it will take them seven to eight days to reach the summit and return. They are the first to attempt this unclimbed peak. Most of the route, including a long section out of sight of Base Camp, is completely unknown.
As in the good old days, neither will update their social media while on the mountain. However, Dujmovits’s assistant in Germany confirmed that the pair had reached Camp 1 on Friday in unsettled weather.
K2
Breakfast with a view for Samina Baig. Sunday morning was great in K2 BC, although the weather might have worsened since then, judging from reports of climbers on other Karakorum peaks. Photo: Samina Baig
Karakorum Adventure’s advanced group, including Samina Baig, reached Base Camp on Friday. A larger group of Abruzzi climbers, plus West Face aspirants Graham Zimmerman and Ian Welsted, checked in from Concordia on Sunday. They are about to reach Base Camp. Mirza Ali’s second group of high-altitude porters and climbers reached Jhula Camp today.
The other two K2 commercial teams — Madison Mountaineering and Pioneer Adventure — arrived in Skardu on Sunday. Pioneer Adventure told ExplorersWeb that the nine Sherpa guides will be leading a group of international clients. They are working with Alpomania, a Ukrainian tour operator. Pioneer Adventure also collaborated with them on Everest recently.
Pioneer Adventure team in Skardu on Sunday.
Broad Peak
Don Bowie and Lotta Hinsta remain alone on Broad Peak. They are having a rough time because of three weeks of bad weather. Loads of fresh snow on the route have resulted in some brushes with avalanches and two failed attempts to set up Camp 2.
“We have managed to break trail toward Camp 2 on two occasions and have stayed in Camp 1 for five nights,” Bowie said. Tonight will be six…Today we managed to stash some gear and rope on the way to Camp 2, slogging at times through 40-50cm of snow [over unstable slopes].”
Lotta Hintsa in Broad Peak’s tiny, exposed Camp 1. Photo: Don Bowie
