News is scarce today, as climbers were busy heading up to higher camps. According to their trackers and a few reports, here is a summary of their locations:
Base Camp: Carlos Garranzo, still recovering from a stomach bug/altitude issues, remained in BC. Josette Vallton and Sandro Gromen-Hayes are also there. Magdalena Gorzkowska is also likely in BC after returning from (lower) Camp 2 with her Sherpa team and Oswald Rodrigo Pereira. Nineteen-year-old Adriana Brownlee spent last night in Camp 1 and returned to BC today on her first rotation, which she is using to train for Everest in spring.
Mingma G is also at BC after working hard to fix the route. Today he has posted this video, which illustrates what it means to climb K2 in winter and try to keep warm in a tent full of frost. It looks either like spindrift has snaked into the tent from outside or else they brought their pot of water to a rolling boil, which creates great billows of steam in a frigid tent. The steam condenses into frost, which coats the inner walls of the tent and everything else.
Camp 1: Currently the most populated camp. Alex Gavan and Tamara Lunger, Colin O’Brady and Jon Kedrowski, Sergi Mingote, Juan Pablo Mohr, and Antonios Sikarys. Mattia Conte is at the “lower” Camp 1. Atanas Skatov left today for Camp 1, not clear which one.
Camp 2: Again, tents are divided into two locations. John Snorri and the Sadparas (who climbed all the way from BC today) reached lower Camp 2 at 6,510m. Snorri reported the climb had been tough and he was unclear about tomorrow. At least two of the Seven Summit Treks Sherpas are also in Camp 2.
No word yet from Nirmal Purja and his team, who set off yesterday for higher camps.
Whatever happens tomorrow, the immediate overall strategy is still to set and supply Camp 3. If all goes well, the rope fixers will then press on toward Camp 4. Summit plans are only expected after January 10, according to SST leader Dawa Sherpa.
