The winds are too high on K2 for climbers and paragliders, but not for glider pilots Sebastian Kawa and Sebastian Lampart. The two Polish aviators took off from Skardu and soared over K2 and Masherbrum yesterday.
The pair were on board a two-seater Schleicher ASH 25 glider, equipped with oxygen and a small emergency engine that they didn’t need. A car pulled them with a rope until they were airborne, Wspinanie.pl reported. They then flew over the Karakoram and around K2, as Kawa’s tracker shows:
Track of the Polish glider’s flight around Masherbrum and K2. Map: Wspinanie.pl
The expedition had to face many obstacles besides the high altitude. It took time and much effort to get the necessary permits, since flights of all kinds are heavily restricted in Pakistan. The Polish gliders hope their feat will promote gliding in the country.
The summit of K2 peers through the clouds, seen from the glider’s cockpit. Photo: Sebastian Kawa
Kawa had to transport the glider in a trailer all the way from Poland to Pakistan, assisted by a friend. The post below shows the trailer crossing Iran.
