Colin Haley of the U.S. quietly traveled to Pakistan last month with Americ Clouet and Damien Tomasi to attempt 6,934m K7 in the Charakusa Valley. Unsurprisingly, they encountered the bad conditions plaguing all the peaks of western Pakistan this summer. They are back empty-handed, having experienced — as so many others have this season — the hardships of being an alpinist in the age of global warming.
“The past two to three winters have been particularly dry in the Karakoram, and this summer has been particularly hot. The result was getting mosquito bites above 5,000m, and incredibly melted conditions,” Haley wrote.
Increased danger
As he explained, the problem is not so much the high temperatures, but their effect on mountain conditions: “Terrain that was historically covered in ice 99% of the time becomes extremely hazardous when all that ice is gone. Slopes and couloirs that are white in any photo you can find were instead just teetering piles of loose rock, with outrageous rockfall hazard.”
During the last days of their expedition, the climbers heard rocks falling every 15 minutes or so, day and night.
As with Charles Dubouloz and Symon Welfringer’s failed attempt on Gasherbrum IV, Haley admits they didn’t get very far, and that they experienced setback after setback. Dubouloz, Americ Clouet, and two other partners attempted K7 unsuccessfully in 2023. Weather again. In 2024, a Spanish team couldn’t summit K7 either. This year, Clouet tried K7 again while Dubouloz went for Gasherbrum IV.
A bad time for alpinists
“I really love climbing challenging mountains, and I have no regrets about the path I have followed in my life, but I must admit that a lot of experiences during the past decade have made me feel that the 21st century is a depressing era in which to be an alpinist,” wrote Haley.
The good news is that the three climbers have returned safe and sound, and are still good friends despite the disappointing results.
During the expedition. Photo: Colin Haley
The constant rockfall in the Pakistan mountains this year is a serious hazard that last week took the life of young Laura Dahlmeier while she was climbing Laila Peak.
Colin Haley is a professional mountain guide and a full-time climber who advocates an alpine-style approach. He has opened routes around the world but is probably best known for his ascents in Patagonia.
