The weather has not improved much, but impatient climbers are heading off anyway. “People are tired of sitting in Base Camp, so off they go,” said Waldemar Kowalewski, currently on Gasherbrum II.
Because of unstable weather, Gasherbrum II climbers are simply hoping to reach at least Camp 3. If conditions allow, they may go for the top.
On Broad Peak, climbers are equally uncertain but will try to summit this weekend.
Broad Peak: Summit Saturday
Jean-Francois Descat of France reports on Livexplorer.com that he joined 20 to 30 people for a meeting in Base Camp yesterday.
“Consensus is to attempt the summit during the night of July 19-20,” Descat wrote.
He intends to set up Camp 2 tomorrow, spend the night there, move to Camp 3 in the morning, rest, and then set off for the summit that night. He will take two bottles of oxygen and a porter to at least Camp 3.
Climbers will have to be careful. Tom Kitta of Canada earlier reported a big avalanche along the normal route on Broad Peak. It did not hit him, but he had to help Donatella Barbera (climbing with an Italian team from CAI Biella). Barbera was partly buried but uninjured.
Kitta explained that avalanches release frequently, but they are usually small. “The fresh snow is very sticky but does not adhere to the sugar-snow layer beneath,” he explained.
Gasherbrum II: Camp 3 and then will see
Waldemar Kowalewski of Poland, who is with Seven Summits Climb, told the Alpymon blog that it is extremely hot at the glacier.
It’s also foggy, according to recent photos from Horia Colibasanu and Silviu Balan. The Romanians, who climb without oxygen or porters, are skiing across the tricky, heavily crevassed glacier to Camp 1. Located at 6,000, that camp marks the start of the mountain face.
Lukasz Supergan, also from Poland, shares the frustration of hearing good weather forecasts that never come true.
“Every night, we plan our ascent and the snowfall always prevents us from going,” he explained. He added that today, he joined a group to Camp 1. The plan is to continue at least to Camp 3.
Uta Ibrahimi is also attempting Gasherbrum II after aborting her expedition on Kangchenjunga earlier this year. This time, Ibraimi’s husband, Metodi Chilimanov, is with her.
Her tracker locates her on the South Gasherbrum Glacier on the way to Camp 1.
Uta Ibrahimi’s tracker on Gasherbrum II on July 17.
K2 has to wait
The current weather conditions will force a later summit push on K2. Many climbers are now gathering in Base Camp, including some recent Nanga Parbat summiters. The route must be ready to Camp 4 before a summit push is viable, but the weather is not cooperating. Climbers have gone only as far as Camp 2 to acclimatize in variable weather.
The steep Camp 2 on K2, covered in fresh snow. Photo: Sajjan Ghale
Several teams reported that a big avalanche fell down K2 yesterday. The slide began at the serac maze right below Camp 1 and fell down toward Base Camp. No one was injured.
