Team says, they couldn’t identify the correct summit.
There is more to the Nanga Parbat summits story. Expedition leader Mingma Gyalje Sherpa wrote in a Facebook post that they were definitely on summit ridge but cannot confirm if they actually reached the true summit. Climbing up the summit trapezoid, they followed a wrong gulley towards summit ridge. It was a fine attempt, nonetheless. The team climbed the mountain in less than two weeks – well before anyone else could reach high camps.
Meanwhile, it’s the time for Mazeno Ridge summit-push. The duo has already reached 5600m. Elsewhere, first of Karakoram teams have reached Base Camps and are starting the acclimatization.
Nanga Parbat Summit Push Debrief
“We started our summit climb from C3 at 10pm on June 10th. We had Pakistani climber, Ali Reza who ascended Nanga Parbat in 2005.” Mingma Sherpa’s posted summit attempt debrief. As per Nepalese climbers situation turned adverse at the bottom of summit trapezoid. “We were supposed to climb through left gulley from around 7400m but he led us through right gulley which made our climb harder and longer. Reaching at one ridge’s summit, he mentioned we reached the summit. But that place didn’t look like Summit which I had figured out to be snow and two snow bars.”
“We didn’t agree him and climbed 2 other summit points but still we didn’t find the place. By then we already climbed for 20 hours and it was already getting dark and our members were running out of oxygen. We tried to take advantage of full moon time but we couldn’t go further to another last summit point because of less oxygen and returned back.”
“I am still in dilemma about our summit,” says the Nepalese climber who has claimed 10 eight-thousanders so far. “Since we are doing 14 peaks, we prefer to get same summit pictures as others have done so my Chinese members and I plan to go back and check it again in future. We don’t want to be part of controversy.”
Mingma suffered minor frostbite during attempt, but is well enough to attempt K2 later this season. He has already climbed K2 in 2014.
Mazeno Ridge Attempt
Alberto Zerain and Mariano Galvan have launched the summit attempt on Mazeno Ridge. They estimate the traverse to take around a week, perhaps a few more days if weather deteriorates. The two climbers made a deposit at the start of route couple of days ago and now carry all food and gear for further ascent.
Alberto Zerain and Mariano Galvan reached Nanga Parbat Diamir BC (4200m) last week. They wanted to camp near the start of ridge Mazeno Ridge, however, security officials instructed them otherwise. It’s roughly 6 hours walk from the beginning of the route.
The duo left BC on June 19th and are currently at 5600m where it’s snowing right now.
Nanga Parbat Other Teams
Multiple teams on Kinshofer route are aiming to reach the summit on June 24th. Having just reached BC a week ago, they spent multiple nights in C1 and C2 for acclimatization. The route has already been fixed by first summit-push team. Climbers on Kinshofer route this season include Kim Hong Bin, Luo Jin, Aydin Irmak, Naoko Watanabe, Nikolaus Gruber and Benjamin Gruber.
Karakoram Teams
First Karakoram teams reached Base Camps, last week. Spaniard trio Juan Vallejo, Mikel Zabalza and Alberto Inurrategi arrived at Gasherbrums BC on June 15th. Furtenbach Adventures expedition reached Broad Peak on 17th. They are already on the mountain for acclimatization. Majority of other teams are still trekking towards Base Camps.
