Pakistani climbers have retrieved the body of Muhammad Hassan from above the Bottleneck on K2. Hassan died on the upper slopes last year, as dozens of climbers stepped over the Pakistani high altitude worker on their way to the summit.
Naila Kiani coordinated the retrieval as a humanitarian project during her cleanup expedition to K2. According to Kiani, Hassan’s family approached her for help in bringing down the man’s body. They took advantage of the weather window of the last few days and managed to lower it to Camp 4. Yesterday, they brought it all the way down to Advanced Base Camp.
From here, Kiani says they need the Pakistan Army’s support for a helicopter evacuation to prevent the body’s decomposition in the high temperatures. This helicopter flight back to Hassan’s village may already have occurred.
“Hassan’s death highlighted the need for better training, equipment, and ethical standards in mountaineering,” said Kiani. “This mission aims to give Hassan a respectful burial and showcase the skills and dedication of Pakistani high-altitude workers.”
In addition to Kiani, those involved in the retrieval were Dilawar Sadpara, Akbar Hussein Sadpara, Zakir Hussein Sadpara, Mohammed Murad Sadpara, Ali Mohammed Sadpara, Imran Ali, and Wali Ullah Fallahi.
K2 season wrapping up
Several teams are packing up and leaving K2 Base Camp after their summits last weekend. Among them are Australian Allie Pepper and her sherpa guide Mikel. Pepper says that this time, she used supplemental oxygen to reach the top. She still aims, however, to summit all 14 8,000’ers without bottled oxygen.
“At 8,320m, I made the decision to use it and continue,” she wrote. “Otherwise, I would have to turn back due to the time and how slow I was going. K2, we will see you again. What a beast of a mountain.”
Mikel Sherpa and Allie Pepper on the summit of K2. Photo: Allie Pepper Adventures
