After dark in Pakistan, the situation of the climbers in trouble on Rakaposhi has improved from previous days, but they are still far from safe.
Earlier today, a helicopter managed to drop fresh supplies and ropes. Spurred on by the rescue team in Base Camp, Wajidullah Nagri of Pakistan and Jakub Vlcek and Peter Macek of the Czech Republic finally forced themselves to pack up and start moving down from 6,900m.
Today, they managed to lose 700 vertical metres. But at 6,200m, they refused to proceed further. They mentioned crevasses and worsening visibility. A helicopter has tried to bring them a new tent and dry clothes, but bad weather forced it back, Karim Shah Nizari told ExplorersWeb.
Worsening weather has prevented the helicopter pilots from dropping the stranded climbers dry clothes and a tent. Photo: Karim Shah Nizari
The three will have to overnight with whatever they brought with them from Camp 3, then continue further down tomorrow. They still need to pass the “Monk’s head” outcrop and then rappel down a steep 60-degree section of snow and ice between 6,200m and 5,800m.
If they manage that, their chances will improve significantly. That flatter area may allow helicopter pilots to pick them up. According to Karim Shah Nizari, the helicopter could even pick them up with a long line as low as 6,000m.
Meanwhile, Sajid Sadpara has joined the rest of the rescuers at the foot of Rakaposhi. Tomorrow, he will join forces with Abdul Joshi, Karim Hayat, and Wahab (surname not provided). If the climbers are too weak to descend further it will be their job to reach them. We won’t know till tomorrow, however, whether a helicopter will be able to give them a head start up the mountain.
