The Karakoram weather is currently unstable, so climbers are either waiting for better conditions or have given up and are heading home. It is not clear if climbing has ended on the Gasherbrums.
Gasherbrums
After EliteExped and Imagine Nepal’s team fixed the route to the top on July 21, at least two other people summited — Felix Berg of Germany and Abid Baig of Pakistan, both without supplementary oxygen.
However, the status of the Seven Summit Treks team is unclear. The Nepalese and a group of independent climbers attempted the summit before Mingma G and Nirmal Purja’s group. They eventually turned around due to unstable conditions, and according to Horia Colibasanu, a lack of ropes. Colibasanu then aborted his expedition. We haven’t heard whether the Sherpa team or other climbers will try again.
Martin Ramos and Jorge Egocheaga of Spain, aiming for Gasherbrum I, also aborted their climb on July 21 due to a high avalanche risk. They later called off their expedition.
Imagine Nepal and EliteExped were reportedly willing to attempt Gasherbrum I after GII. We are awaiting updates.
First ascent of Dost Peak
A South Korean team led by Cho Baek Lai has made the first ascent of a previously unclimbed 6,000’er in the Thalay Valley of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Koreans, most of them quite young, first acclimatized on Khosar Gang, which they summited on July 8. After resting for a couple of days, they moved to the Thalay Valley to attempt an unclimbed 6,015m peak. They succeeded in a day, on July 18.
The Koreans on the summit ridge of Dost Peak. Photo: Summit Karakoram
The Koreans asked outfitter Sakhawat Hussain of Summit Karakoram to choose a name for the peak. He opted for Dost, the Urdu word for “friend.” Hussain told ExplorersWeb that he is preparing the required documents to officially register the peak. He hopes that such climbs of virgin mountains may attract more mountaineers to Pakistan.
The Korean team on the summit of Dost Peak. Photo: Summit Karakoram
