The first climbers summited K2 last night, including a 19-year-old Pakistani. Others groups will follow on Wednesday.
Once again, the first to the top were Sherpa climbers working for commercial expeditions. Pioneer Adventure’s Sanu Sherpa and Chiring Namgel Sherpa broke trail to the summit. An hour later, Lhakpa Sherpa and Mingma Dorchi Sherpa, leading their Russian and Ukrainian clients, followed them up.
Remarkably, Ukrainian Dmytro Semerenko summited without supplementary O2. His teammate, Irina Galay, became the first Ukrainian woman to summit K2.
Dmytro Semerenko, some days ago in Base Camp. Photo: Dmytro Semerenko
From the Alpomania team, Valentyn Sypavin and Pavel Sidorenko from Ukraine and Olga Koroleva, Aleksander Logachev, Kirill Semeshkin, and Vladimir Belkovich from Russia summited. (Names confirmed by RussianClimb’s Elena Laletina).
In addition to the four Sherpa guides mentioned above, the two Pioneer Adventure teams included Pemba Rita Sherpa, Lakpa Gyalzen Sherpa, a second Mingma Dorchi Sherpa, Pemba Dorchee Sherpa, and Tashi Sherpa.
Pakistani climbers
While exact times will have to wait, among the first to reach the summit was 19-year-old Shehroze Kashif of Pakistan. Kashif becomes the youngest climber ever to summit K2. He climbed with Muhammad Sharif. Shortly after, the Pakistani team from Hushe, led by Ali Durani and including Muhammad Hassan Hushe, Mushtaq Ahmad, and Usuf Meeri, also topped out.
Shehroze Kashif at Camp 3. Photo: Shehroze Kashif
Pushed back on Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I
Akhbar Syed of Lela peak reports that high winds and problems with the ropes forced climbers on Broad Peak back to Camp 3. On Gasherbrum I, an exposed gully and high avalanche risk from loads of fresh snow stopped Marco Confortola at 7,700m.
