Yesterday, Denis Urubko launched a surprise summit attempt on Broad Peak, despite the ongoing storm. He set off from Base Camp and climbed all the way to Camp 3 at 7,100m in a nine-hour push. His goal was to attempt the summit today, but the plan didn’t work.
“There was nobody on the mountain but him, and he climbed in difficult conditions: storms and winds at 90kph,” Urubko’s social media team reported.
This morning, he set off for the summit but turned around at 7,900m when the weather was just too bad. He is currently in C3 and will descend to Base Camp as quickly as possible.
Also attempted Gasherbrum II
Urubko moved from Gasherbrum II to Broad Peak earlier this week. On GII, he also climbed on his own to 6,700m but didn’t summit.
Urubko has no satphone with him and only checks in when he can get a cell connection, which is rare. He has not stated why he decided to launch an attempt at this time.
The weather is expected to improve, beginning Sunday, but the new snow on the mountains will need time to settle. And Urubko’s options to be alone on the slopes will also be over. Soon, both K2 and Broad Peak will be hubs of activity, as all the climbers who have been stranded in Base Camp for over a week make their move.
