This summer, climbing in Pakistan is more focused on alpinists attempting new routes on lesser peaks than on the 8,000’ers. Two Japanese have joined the Italians on K7, and a strong Czech team approaches its preliminary goal.
Storm foils Italians at 6,000m
Matteo della Bordella, Mirco Grasso, Luca Ducoli, and Giacomo Mauri climbed up to 6,000m on a completely new route on the southeast face of K7, before a storm pushed them back to Base Camp. Della Bordella described the mixed terrain as completely vertical.
“It’s a huge dream, but we feel we’re touching it with our fingertips,” he wrote. The climbers are using capsule style — a style in Himalayan climbing where climbers rappel down to portaledges at the end of the day, then jumar up fixed ropes the following morning to where they left off.
Della Bordella told Lo Scarpone CAI (the news bulletin by the Italian Alpine Club) that they need at least four days of good weather to summit. They planned to remain in Pakistan until July 6, but might be able to extend their stay for another week.
Japanese making a 2nd attempt on the SW ridge
While patiently waiting for better weather, the Italians welcomed a second team in base camp: Genki Narumi and Katsutaka Yokoyama of Japan, on their second attempt to climb the southwest ridge of K7. On a first try in 2022, Narumi and Yokoyama surmounted a large, rocky section they called The Fortress, before bad weather forced them down below the main summit. Narumi was part of the team that opened the route on the east face of Hasho II in the Karakoram last September.
Katsutaka Yokoyama in a bivy tent during the team’s first attempt on the southwest ridge of K7 in 2022. Photo: Genki Narumi/AAJ
Still more alpinists
Zdenek Hak, Radoslav Groh, and Jaroslav Bansky of Czechia are already in Pakistan on their way to Biarchedi, which they will climb and descend on skis before tackling their main goal: Masherbrum, south of Baltoro. We are also waiting for news from Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Siebe Vanhee, Pete Whittaker, and Symon Welfringer on Tahu Rutum. Lukas Woerle and Ales Cesen will wait until July to attempt a traverse of Gasherbrum I.
Nanga, Broad Peak quieter than usual
There’s little info about the 8,000’ers. Seven Summit Treks and 8K Expeditions are already in Base Camp on Nanga Parbat, and they will have to fix the route themselves. Karakorum Expeditions will not fix ropes as originally promised, as they are heading for Broad Peak instead. There is also a Polish team on Nanga Parbat, featuring Dariusz Lipski and Jarek Lukaszewski, outfitted by Pakistan’s Lela Peak Expeditions.
Lucaszewski is carrying a small memorial plaque to his late friend Pawel Copec, who died on the mountain in 2023 during a chaotic summit push in which several climbers got into trouble. Some of them climbed without oxygen and ran out of energy on the way down, in very cold temperatures. Kopec passed away in his tent, meters from other climbers.
Finally, just today, skier Andrzej Bargiel reached Nanga Parbat Base Camp. The Pole intends to ski down Nanga Parbat. This would be the 8th 8,000m peak that Bargiel has skied.
A few climbers are on their way to Broad Peak in the Karakoram, including David Klein of Hungary.
