Explorersweb

Nanga Parbat: Second Summit Push is now Happening

Posted: Mar 09, 2015 07:35 am EDT

(By Raheel Adnan) Wait is over. Having defied bad weather and depleting resources at BC, Nanga Parbat climbers are on the way to summit once again. Their first attempt at the end of February was thwarted by a dangerous section of route between C1 and C2. After that climb, Iranian team abandoned their expedition. Alex Txikon, Ali Sadpara, Muhammad Khan and Daniele Nardi stayed at BC and are going up again.

Second Push

The climbers returned to Base Camp on February 28th after first summit attempt failed. Their endurance level was tested by continuous snow and depleting resources as porters couldn't reach BC. However, conditions improved at the end of last week. The team communicated on Friday, “at last, we see the light!”

As mountain received heavy snow during week long bad weather, climbers decided to wait till conditions became stable. “They could leave BC next Sunday –8th of March–, and so, summit push day would be the 12th of March.” Igone Mariezkurrena wrote from BC.

Hard work to C1

Alex Txikon, Ali Sadpara, Daniele Nardi and Muhammad Khan left BC at 0930 hrs, yesterday. They were hoping to reach C1 within six or seven hours, but it took 10 hours in actual. Alex Txikon's home team wrote, “But the way was harder and the snow deeper than expected and besides, difficulties did not finish once they arrived in C1. They needed more than two hours for removing snow from the deposit and setting down the tents.”

Towards C2

The climbers were expected to leave for C2 this morning at 09:00 hrs. They will be negotiating the most delicate section of the ascent (from C1 to C2) today. It was the portion that thwarted first summit push and wasn’t looking good as observed from BC couple of days ago.

“[T]he corridor above C1 looks more complicated and dangerous; in fact, looks quite similar to how it looked the day they decided to give up last try.

But seems that some sunny days are coming and higher temperatures can make avalanches fall down and remove the snow accumulated these days on slops. In fact, it is already happening: yesterday we could see how a big serac on the left of our route broke - cleaning the corridor between C1 and Kinshoffer Wall, same that Alex Txikon and co. had fixed during first rotation.” Alex Txikon’s team communicated on March 6th.

If successful in reaching C2, the team will try to ascend to C3 and C4 in next two days, and will go for summit on March 12th. However, these days will be extremely challenging as Mountain-Forecast predicts strong wind, moderate snow and cloudy conditions.

Based in Pakistan, mountaineering enthusiast Raheel Adnan is a reporter for Explorersweb's mountaineering sections. He shares regular updates on Twitter and runs his own blog at Altitude Pakistan posting initiated climbing news from Himalaya and Karakoram.

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