British Mountaineering Council Weighs In On K2 Controversy

Over the past several days I have written a couple of posts about the K2 controversy that first flared up when questions about Christian Stangl's alleged summit photo and report came to light in the climbing community. Then, the story took another turn yesterday when Stangl admitted that he faked the report and that the one summit photo was actually from Camp 3. Now, the British Mountaineering Council has weighed in on the topic, posting an overview of the whole story while taking a few shots at the current climate in the high altitude mountaineering world that puts a lot of pressure on climbers to succeed.

Stangl wasn't just climbing K2, he was also working on becoming the first person to climb the "Second Seven Summits," which are the second tallest mountains on each of the continents. This is believed to be a much more challenging goal to achieve, hence the reason it hasn't been done before. In their story, the BMC lays out the events as they went down on K2 to the best of what we know at the moment.

The story also says that Stangl's main sponsor, Mammut, has issued a statement disavowing any knowledge of the deception and that they don't support it in any way. They also quote the Austrian climber as saying that the pressure to succeed, and finally reach the summit of K2, came completely from within himself, and not from a sponsor or other outside source. After failing to reach the top on seven previous occasions, he finally wanted to show some results, and probably be done with the mountain that has haunted many mountaineers over the years.

In this day and age, professional climbing, or any other adventurous activity, is a competitive climate to say the least. Sponsorship dollars are tough to come by, and even if they're not putting pressure on an athlete to succeed, there can still be an internal pressure to deliver the goods for their partners. It sounds like that pressure caught up with Stangl and it all got the better of him. As I said in the comments yesterday, I do applaud him for coming clean instead of perpetuating the lies for years on end. That had to take a lot of courage to do, and although his reputation is now in tatters, he can at least begin to repair it, and perhaps get past this trying time. A successful, and well documented, climb of K2 will be the best way for him to do just that.

Thanks to Alan Arnette (via Twitter) for the tip on this one.

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K2 Controversy Update: Summit Photo A Fake!

Yesterday I posted a story about the controversy that flared up over Christian Stangl's K2 summit claims while I was away last week. As I mentioned when I wrote that piece, I wasn't the least bit surprised that there were questions over the validity of the climb considering the evidence that we had been given. Today, the issue is a moot point, as Stangl now admits he did not summit and that the photo was a fake all along.

ExWeb, as usual, has the full scoop on the story, which seems to get weirder and weirder even as the truth continues to emerge. ExWeb editors analyzed Stangl's alleged summit photo and compared it to previous shots from the top of K2, and were able to discern some differences that seemed to indicate the Austrian's photo was taken at a lower altitude. When they asked Stangl to comment one last time before they ran their latest article, which included the photo, he cracked, confessing to the faking the whole thing.

This is where things really start to get odd though, as Christian says that he "entered a trance-like state in which I really got convinced that I had reached the highest point" and that this confused state was brought on by "stress and fear of failure." He then went on to say that the summit photo was shot at Camp 3, although some are still wondering if that is the full truth or not, as none of the other climbers or Sherpas saw footprints above Camp 1. This begs the question as to if the photo was even taken this year, as Stangl has been on K2 before, and reportedly reached as high as 8300 meters later year.

I'm sure most of you aren't all that surprised by the revelation that the photo, and his elaborate story of the ascent, were all fake. There were questions about is claims almost from the time they were reported, and his very quick exit from Base Camp was also a bit on the odd side. I guess his confession and explanation today does clear up one thing however, as we all know that his spotting of a snow leopard had to have occurred while in this strange, confused state.

You have to hand it to him, Christian does have a vivid imagination!

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Controversy on K2

While I was away a controversy over Christian Stangl's K2 summit flared up and came to the forefront, when a number of climbers questioned whether or not the Austrian mountaineer actually did reach the top of the world's second tallest mountain. Considering Christian has only provided a single photo of an unidentifiable climber somewhere near the summit, and no other GPS data, I can't say I'm surprised that this issue has come up. Some commenters in the original story of the climb were already questioning its validity weeks ago when it was first reported, while I took a "wait and see" attitude, hoping that Stangl would provide more details upon his return home as promised.

ExWeb has a complete report of the affair which can be found here. Essentially, several climbers on K2, including Maxut Zhumayev and Gheorghe Dijmarescu, questioned Christian's claims as Sherpa reports say that no one was seen high on the mountain, and that it appeared as if no one has stayed in Camp 3 at all, as Christian had claimed. Furthermore, Stangl's ice axes were still in C3, and his tent was still stowed. They also reported that the snow up to C4 was waist deep, and there was no evidence that anyone had gone up the mountain.

Christian countered with a detailed explanation of his own, explaining the route that he took to the top, and stating that he had indeed slept at C3, but had re-stowed his tent before he left so that others could use on a later attempt, which never came by the way. He said he also left his ice axes behind, as they weren't needed from that point forward.

When pressed to provide more concrete evidence of his successful summit, Stangl bristled some, and lashed out at the "climbing community" by saying he doesn't want to be a part of such a community that calls his character into question in such a manner. He also says that Dijmarescu has his own personal agenda, and has hinted at some threats and blackmail attempts that have been aimed his way. For his part, Stangl believes that he has closed the book on the subject, saying that he climbs only for himself, doesn't need to be on any lists, and that he alone knows the truth of his climb.

As for what I think, I have to agree with ExWeb in that Christian has never been at the heart of a controversy like this ever before, and that I generally believe innocent until proven guilty. But on the other hand, I can't help but wonder why the Austrian climber doesn't just provide more evidence, and put an end to the chatter once and for all.

I guess we may never know for certain what happened up there.

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Pakistan Needs Help From The Mountaineering Community

Explorers Web has a good post this afternoon reminding us that even though the Karakorum climbing season is over for the year, we shouldn't forget about the people living in Pakistan who are continuing to suffer thanks to the ongoing flooding there. This year the monsoon has been especially bad, and the entire region, including Nepal, China, India, and others, has been inundated with rain, but Pakistan seems to be getting the worst of it, with current estimates saying that more than 17 million people have been affected by the floods, and the waters continue to rise.

According to this story from the BBC, more than 1.2 million homes have been destroyed, leaving 5 million people homeless at the moment, and while these immediate needs have to be addressed, the long term outlook is not good either. With nearly 8 million acres of farm land already under water the country could be facing a foot shortage in the weeks ahead, and with that much standing water, the threat of disease such as malaria, is on the rise too.

International aid is arriving in Pakistan, and aid workers are doing their best to get everything distributed properly, but as if they didn't have enough to worry about, the Taliban has made threats against the workers as well. While these efforts will continue in the days ahead, many Pakistani's are fleeing to the southern portion of the country to escape the devastating floods.

The Field Touring Alpine Blog posted a number of updates on the situation last week, and has recommended that the climbing community offer up any support they can to the flood victims. They also posted a link with a number of great organizations that are accepting donations and lending aid to the people of Pakistan as well. You can find that list by clicking here.

FTA operates several climbs in Pakistan each year, most recently sending teams to Broad Peak and K2, so applaud them for helping to spread the word about what is going on there. From the sound of most reports, this has been an incredibly crippling disaster that could take years to recover from. It has been a very trying couple of months in the central Asian country, lets hope that the Monsoon will now move on, and allow things to begin to get back to normal there.

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Karakorum 2010: Christian Stangl Gives Details on K2 Summit

As usual, Explorers Web has some details on Christian Stangl's K2 summit last week. As was reported on Friday, the Austrian mountaineer claimed the only successful climb of the mountain this season following a 70-hour alpine style solo push to the top. At the time, we didn't know much other than that Christian has summitted, with a promise of more info to come. Turns out it was quite the ordeal.

According to ExWeb, Christian initially set out at 5 PM local time on Tuesday, going up the Abruzzi Spur. He pushed on until he reached Camp 3, where he reports that the weather cleared as forecasts had predicted. On the route up it had snowed for most of the time, and falling rocks made things difficult, but the clear weather gave him incentive to push forward.

At 10 AM on Thursday Stangl finally reached the top of K2, a mountain that he says that he has spent four and a half months on over the past three years, and has seen only one good day. That day came last week when he topped out. After staying just long enough to get some photos and take in the view, he immediately turned around and started back down, with the weather already starting to change. Christian says that the visibility wasn't very good on his descent.

He continued his descent all through the day on Thursday and well into the night, finally stopping for rest beneath a large rock at around mid-night. He slept for about four hours, and awoke to see a large cat standing in front of him. The climber could barely believe his eyes, but when he reported the sighting back in BC, they told him it was likely a snow leopard. In my opinion, that makes him twice blessed, he reached the summit of K2, and caught a glimpse of the exceedingly rare snow leopard too!

After he woke up, Christian continued his descent, getting back to Base Camp on Friday morning. He then proceeded to sleep for 12-hours straight, before packing up and heading out of BC. He's now trekking back to Skardu and hopes to head home as soon as possible. He says that he also intends to make a more detailed report of the climb upon his return home, but that it was one of the most difficult things that he has ever done, and that if all mountains were like this one, he'd stop climbing immediately.

Check out the ExWeb article for more details, but it sounds like it was an incredibly challenging and lonely climb for Stangl. It took all of his stamina to summit, and now he just wants to put K2 behind him. I don't think he'll be planning on making a repeat performance any time soon.

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Karakorum 2010: Christian Stangl Says Not So Fast! Summits K2! (Updated!)

Update: Check out the Summit Photo of Christian that I added below, courtesy of Mammut. Thanks to K2Kyle for sharing!

In my post earlier this morning I lamented the fact that we had gone another season on K2 without a summit, but I barely had that story written and posted, when ExWeb updated with the news that Austrian climber Christian Stangl has just arrived back in BC after a 70-hour push to the summit of the mountain.

According to the story, Christian reached the top yesterday at around 10 AM local time. He took a few photos from the summit, but the batteries were dead on his satellite phone, so he was unable to check in with the support team and let them know that he had completed the climb. 

The descent was no less dramatic, as Christian reports that darkness caught him on the way down, and he stopped and rested under a rock for awhile. He fell asleep there, but doesn't know for how long, and after his nap he proceeded down the mountain, where he is reportedly "exhausted – but happy!"

Expect more details on the climb once Christian has had a chance to rest. It sounds like this was a solo, alpine style assault on the summit, so it'll be interesting to hear how it all went down. The Austrian now has the claim to the only summit on K2 in 2010. 

Well done Christian!

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Karakorum 2010: It's Over on K2

I mentioned a few days back that most of the climbers had now abandoned K2 Base Camp and were beginning the long trek back to Skardu. At the time though, two climbers were up in Camp 3 and hoping to make a summit bid this weekend. Now, according to ExWeb, they to have given up their climb, and it looks like the season is finally over in the Karakorum.

Kazakh climbers Maxut Zhumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov were hoping to be in Camp 4 today and go to the summit tonight, but forecasts now show a storm headed towards K2, and the two very talented and experienced climbers elected to go back down to BC. There is still a chance however that they may give it one more shot, although conditions have gotten so bad on the mountain that it is unlikely that they'll do so. K2 is the final 8000 meter peak for these two men.

As expected, the Field Touring Alpine squad picked-up camp and left K2 yesterday. Their leader, Fabrizio Zangrilli, says that the fresh snow and ice that helped keep the mountain safe is now gone, and it has been replaced with dangerous, old ice, and loose rock everywhere. This has made the routes very unstable, and usually is the signal to the end of the season. It looks like K2 will go another year without a summit. When you contrast that to the 500+ that reached the top of Everest this year, you begin to understand just how difficult this mountain is to climb.

It has been a sad season on K2. The loss of Fredrik Ericsson has weighed heavily on everyone. I think they all now turn for home with heavy hearts. Maybe next year they can stand on top and honor their friend.

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Karakorum 2010: Kazakhs Making Summit Bid on K2

While most of the climbers have now abandoned their efforts to summit K2 this season, two very talented Kazakh climbers are giving it another go in hopes of finishing their final 8000 meter peak.

According to ExWeb, Maxut Zhumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov, two well known names in the climbing community, have launched their summit bid and are hoping to reach the top on Saturday. It hasn't been an easy climb so far however, as it reportedly took them 3 hours longer than normal just to reach Camp 2, and the fixed ropes are said to be in tatters from all the rock falls. They are currently in Camp 3 with plans to go up to C4 tomorrow, and then make the final push, weather and other conditions permitting on the 14th. Those conditions may not be the best however, as climbers report that the weather is simply "acceptable" at the moment, but of bigger concern is the continued rock falls, which are quite dangerous as the day goes on and the mountain warms up. Hopefully Max and Vassiliy will reach the top, otherwise, K2 will have pitched a shut-out for another year.

Meanwhile, Fredrik Ericsson's website has been updated with a bit more info. David Schipper of OutdoorLabs.com posted a quick note to let us all know that Fredrik's climbing partner made a harrowing descent of the mountain, but returned to BC safe and sound. That occurred a few days back, when a memorial service was held for Fredrik as well. David also indicated that weather in BC has taken a turn for the worse, with more raining hitting the area. With Pakistan already being hit with biblical level floods, this doesn't speak well for the climbers' ability to get home in a timely fashion. Travel delays have been very common due to the numerous washouts of the road.

The Field Touring Alpine Blog offered more insights as to what is happening on K2 today as well. They indicated that the climbers are physically still willing, and able, to go up the mountain, but the conditions are just to unsafe, so most are packing and heading for home. FTA will close up shop tomorrow, and begin the trek back to civilization, with their operations in the Karakorum done for another year. In fact, a number of the climbers have already departed for Islamabad, and it's just house keeping in BC that still needs to be done. The FTA crew will now turn their attention to efforts in the Himalaya, and elsewhere, this fall, with expeditions scheduled for Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Everest BC, Island Peak, Aconcagua and Ecuador Volcanes.

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Karakorum 2010: K2 Base Camp Grieves For Fredrik Ericsson

It was a very difficult weekend on K2, where the climbers continue to mourn the loss of their friend Fredrik Ericsson who fell to his death last week while attempting the summit in less than ideal conditions. Nearly all of the climbers who have posted their thoughts on the subject have noted how well liked the Swedish skier was and what a big personality he was in Base Camp. It seems his spirit is missed greatly at the moment.

Fredrik, along with his climbing partner Trey Cook, were the first team in K2 BC this year, arriving to make a bold attempt to not only climb the mountain, but make a ski descent of its scary slopes. Last Friday, at around 8 or 9 AM local time, while climbing in high winds and low visibility, Fredrik was attempting to fix ropes to the higher slopes of the mountain, above the Bottleneck, when it appears that he slipped while trying to clip in. He then plummeted 1000 meters (3280 feet) to his death, while Gerlinde Kalenbrunner, the only other climber with him at the time, looked on. His body would be discovered some time later in the day.

According to the Field Touring Alpine Blog, it was quite an emotional time in Base Camp on Saturday when all the climbers finally made it down to BC. The report says that rock slides and avalanches have been taking their toll on the fixed lines and camps, with Camp 3 being all but destroyed and a number of the ropes being cut by the constant flow of rocks. What this means for any further attempts this year is anyone's guess, as it sounds like a lot of work needs to be done to go back up the mountain, and the dangers of avalanches are running high. On top of that, the Karakorum season is quickly coming to an end, so more weather windows may be out of the question. If no one summits, it'll be the second year in a row without anyone standing on top of K2, and we all know what happened back in 2008, when 11 climbers were killed.

For now, it appears most teams are in BC and weighing their options on going for the summit one last time vs. going home, which won't be easy either considering the high amounts of rainfall that have hit the area in recent weeks and the devastating flooding that has been affecting the region as well. I'm sure for some, they'd like nothing more than to get out of Base Camp and head home, but that isn't going to be as simple as it sounds either.

Lets hope no matter which path they take, everyone gets home safe.

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Karakorum 2010: Climbers Turned Back on K2 - UPDATE: Fredrik Lost on K2

Update: Sad news is just starting to trickle in from K2. Very shortly after I posted the story below, I saw several foreign language reports coming through that Fredrik Ericsson has fallen on the mountain. Details remain a bit sketchy at the moment, but it appears that he has tragically lost his life trying to scale K2. I'll post more as it becomes known.

Update 2: More information on the death of Fredrik Ericsson. It appears that he, Trey Cook and Gerlinde were all proceeding up towards the summit on schedule this morning, hoping that the weather would clear. At some point, Trey turned around, but Fredrik and Gerlinde continued onward.

As the climb unfolded, the whiteout conditions continued, and it seems that Fredrik fell while placing an anchor, sliding passed Gerlinde and plummeting 1000 meters to his death. Gerlinde immeditely down climbed, where she, and several other climbers, found Fredrik's body in the snow. They obviously aborted their attempt to climb the mountain, and Gerlinde is now reportedly back in Camp 2, where a broken cable is preventing her from descending further for now. She plans to rest and then proceed down to BC later, when the cold of the evening solidifies the rock slides that have been prominent in recent days.

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There isn't a whole lot of information coming out of the Karakorum today, but we have received word that most of the climbers have turned back on K2 due to high winds and very low visibility on the higher slopes of the mountain. The weather forecasts had predicted excellent conditions for the day, but that hasn't materialized as expected.

The Field Touring Alpine Blog has been updated with the news that their leader, Fabrizio Zangrilli, is amongst the climbers who have turned around. Fabrizio is now in Camp 3 where he reports that visibility on the mountain is "near zero" which is making for very slow going, both up and down the mountain. Reportedly, he'll now wait in C3 to assess the situation tomorrow, and see if there is a possibility of going for the summit one more time.

Meanwhile, ExWeb is reporting that no climbers on the Abruzzi Route reached Camp 4, although there are still some making the attempt along the Cesen Route, although most of them have returned to high camp as well. ExWeb does say that as of their last update, both Gerlinde Kaldenbrunner and Fredrik Ericsson were still hoping to summit, despite the conditions.

Lets keep our fingers crossed that both Gerlinde and Fredrik get down safe, especially if they do summit in those high winds and low visibility. Fredrik has been planning a ski descent of the mountain, which may not be the best thing to attempt if he can't see very far ahead.

Stay tuned for more updates and news on possible further attempts tomorrow.

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Karakorum 2010: K2 Climbers In C4, On Top Tomorrow?

As I mentioned yesterday, the climbers on K2 are in the midst of a big summit push and according to various reports, they are now into Camp 4, at the Shoulder, high on the mountain. If everything stays according to plan, they'll make their final climb to the top beginning early Friday morning, starting at around 1 AM local time.

The Field Touring Alpine Blog has been updated with more news today, and they are reporting that their leader, Fabrizio Zangrilli, has called in from 8000 meters with an update on the days events. Fabrizio says that it was a very difficult climb today, with high winds and snows in the early morning and plenty of rock fall as the day went on. Because of the warm temperatures, the snow has melted away, which is causing the rocks to come loose, and as they move up, they are dislodging the rocks and showering the climbers below them. Because of this, they moved very slowly on the steep sections today. As of now though, all of the summit hopefuls are in C4 and preparing for the final push.

Two notable climbers have elected to come down the mountain and return to Base Camp. Ralf Dujmovits, the husband and climbing partner of Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, and Meagan McGrath, who was climbing with FTA, both decided to come down the mountain because they weren't feeling well. They are back in BC now and are said to be doing just fine, and their illness was likely just the result of the altitude.

So, now the stage is truly set for tomorrow to be a big day on K2. The climbers will catch a very brief nap today before they begin the summit bids in the early hours of Friday. Lets keep our fingers crossed that they all get up, and back down, in one piece.

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Karakorum 2010: K2 Summit Push On, Teams Above C2

As expected, a new weather window has opened over K2, where the teams who have been patient, are finally getting another chance at the summit. Most set out on Monday, and as of updates yesterday, they were safely into Camp 2 and keeping their fingers crossed for good conditions ahead.

According to updates on Fredrik Ericsson's website, he and Trey Cook have begun their ascent, with Trey setting out a day early in order to gain a rest day in Camp 3. As of yesterday, Trey was already in C3 and waiting for his teammate to join him. Frederik called in from Camp 2, where he reported good weather with clear skies and low winds. The forecast for today was for a few more clouds, but nothing too serious. The boys are eying a summit on Friday, when the weather is expected to be perfect. If they do summit, they'll then attempt a ski descent of the mountain, which means getting down won't be any less scary than going up, although it will be faster.

Gerlinde and Ralf are also eying an August 6th summit, and a brief update to her website yesterday indicated that they had begun their second summit bid as well. The note said that they are feeling "positive and strong", which is a good attitude to have on this mountain. While every climber there hopes to see the summit, Gerlinde is probably especially looking forward to it, as it would be her final 8000 meter peak sans oxygen.

Meanwhile, the Field Touring Alpine Blog reports that guide Fabrizio Zangrilli and climber Meagan McGrath reached C2 yesterday as well amidst very warm weather. They noted that the climb to Camp 2 was a challenging one thanks to the loose rock in the lower portion of the mountain, but that it got easier as they went higher. They also said that the warm conditions have melted much of the snow from the face, meaning that they'll have good climbing up to the Shoulder, where they'll camp tomorrow night before making the summit bid. They're hoping that the lack of snow continues up on the higher portions of the mountain, as a number of climbers turned around last week due to the massive amounts of snow they encountered.

Finally, a number of climbers from the other mountains in the region, including Broad Peak and the Gasherbrums have already finished their expeditions and are now back in Skardu where they have been stranded for several days. Severe flooding in Pakistan has made it impossible for them to begin the journey overland back to Islamabad, and now they're waiting for transport by air. Talk about extending the expedition! I know when I'm done and ready to come home, that these kind of delays would cause frustration.

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Karakorum 2010: Playing the Waiting Game on K2

It has been a few days since we checked in on the action in the Karakorum, but really there hasn't been much to report. Early last week a group of very strong climbers, including Fredrik Ericsson and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, were hoping to complete their summit bids, but high winds and extremely deep snow conspired to send them back down the mountain. Now, they all wait in Base Camp, hoping for an opportunity to give it one more try.

There haven't been a lot of updates from the mountains in the past few days, although the Field Touring Alpine Blog was updated on Saturday with the news that another weather window is expected to open tomorrow and run through Friday, possibly granting access to the summit once again. The FTA team has remained patient after getting turned back on Broad Peak, and while some of their mates have had to go home, others, such as Meagan McGrath and Brian Block are still in BC and hoping to top out soon.

Both Fredrik and Gerlinde are keeping a close eye on the things as well, each hoping to get their shot at the mountain once again. In the case of Ericsson, he hopes to make a ski descent of the mountain, and has suffered much here in the past two years, losing a climbing partner to K2 last season.

As for Gerlinde, her story is well known by now. She's been turned back by the "Savage Mountain" twice now, but she's been hoping that third time is the charm. If she does top out, she'll become just the third woman to claim all 8000-meter peaks, but the first to do so without the use of bottled oxygen.

Stay tuned for more updates in the next few days. We'll see if anyone reaches the summit this year, but it's beginning to look like we could have a repeat of 2009.

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Karakorum 2010: Summit Push Canceled On K2

Yesterday the news from K2 was that a weather window was opening, and a number of teams were in place and preparing to make their summit bids today. But what a difference a day can make, as ExWeb is now reporting that all summit attempts have been canceled, and all of the teams are now retreating from Camp 4.

Apparently the climbers encountered high winds and incredibly unstable snow as they went higher on the mountain yesterday, and considering the difficulty of climbing K2, discretion was certainly the better part of valor. With time running out, the mountaineers, who were mostly working together, elected to head down and wait for a better opportunity to summit. When that opportunity will come is still up in the air, as winds have reportedly continued to increase, and the dangers of avalanches remain high.

Multiple teams, including Fredrik Ericsson, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, and the Field Touring Alpine squad, have all posted updates that give insights into what the conditions were like, and needless to say, with these strong climbers leading the way, they must have been very challenging indeed. The climbers have now returned to Base Camp, where they will rest, regain their strength, and look for the next weather window. Patience is the key on K2, and they'll need plenty of it if they intend to stand on top.

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Karakorum 2010: The Stage Is Set On K2

It was a very busy weekend on the world's second highest peak as teams scrambled up the slopes on K2 to put themselves into a position to summit tomorrow. A predicted weather window looks like it should arrive on schedule, and the mountaineers are now poised to stand on top of "the Savage Mountain."

Perhaps the two men most looking forward to reaching the summit are Fredrik Ericsson and his partner Trey Cook. They were the first to arrive in Base Camp, and have been diligently working away at the mountain ever since. According to their latest update, which was sent yesterday, the boys were above 7100 meters and safely into Camp 3, with the home team reporting that they sounded strong and anxious to get on with the climb. If everything went as expected, they should be in C4 now, and setting off shortly for the summit. Remember, they also hope to ski back down the mountain, which sounds like a crazy endeavor to me.

Also in Camp 4 today is Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and climbing partner/husband Ralf Dujmovits. They're preparing to make the final push to the summit as well, and if they are successful in their push, Gerlinde will become the first woman to summit all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen. This isn't her first go around on this mountain however, so you can bet she is eager to scratch it off her list as well.

The Field Touring Alpine squad is on K2 now as well, and while most of them are hunkered down in Camp 2, and waiting their turn on the next weather window, team leader Fabrizio Zangrilli is up in Camp 4 and working cooperatively with Ralf, Gerlinde, and others to set the route to the summit. Fabrizio hopes to reach the top of the mountain along with the rest of the lead teams tomorrow. He'll then return with the FTA team next week sometime. The entire team is fit and in good spirits, and ready to go after acclimatizing on Broad Peak.

The K2 climb is over before it ever started for Mike Horn and Kobi Reichen, who topped out on Broad Peak last week, but due to all the time they spent there waiting out the weather, they have given up their attempt to bag a second peak in the Karakorum this summer. Horn will now continue his Pangea Expedition.

Stay tuned for big news from Pakistan in the next 24 hours, and keep your fingers crossed that everything goes okay up there, and everyone gets down safe.

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Karakorum 2010: Weather Delays On K2

It has been a busy week throughout the Karakorum range, where climbers have topped out on a number of mountains, but all eyes are now turning towards K2, as teams there prepare to make their summit bids, with a new weather window expected to open early next week.

According to ExWeb, a new weather forecast has now moved the K2 summit window to Tuesday of next week, and teams are adjusting their schedule appropriately. A number of climbers are planning on setting off tomorrow, with an eye on hitting the summit on schedule with the new weather window. Amongst them are Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner who is hoping to become the first woman to climb all fourteen 8000 meter peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Fredrik Ericsson and Trey Cook are also hoping to go up tomorrow, with the eventual goal of making a ski descent of the mountain. On their blog, Trey has posted a story that explains how it is possible that Bulgarian cimber Petar Unzhiev died earlier this week while in Camp 2 on the mountain, without anyone knowing. It seems that Petar arrived at BC, but proceeded up the mountain far too quickly, skipping past ABC and moving on to Camp 1. After spending the night there, he would have normally gone back down the mountain to recover, but instead, he and his high altitude porter, chose to move up to Camp 2 instead. Other climbers heard Petar in his tent with very labored breathing, but they assumed that his porter was watching out for him. As it turns out, the porter had gone down to BC without alerting anyone, and it seems that Unzhiev developed and succumbed to HACE in the process. A very sad story that should provide a number of lessons for high altitude mountaineers. 


Also headed to K2 are the Field Touring Alpine Team, who have finished their acclimatization on Broad Peak, and are now moving to K2 Base Camp. While the team didn't summit on BP, they are now hoping to take advantage of their experience on that mountain to knock of K2 instead. They are eying the weather window for early next week as well, but are also considering a second window which is in the forecast for the 30th of the month, so it seems they are in no rush to scramble up the mountain. 


A few days back there was quite a bit of action on the Gasherbrums where Colombian climber Felipe Ossa became the first person this season to scale GI. Next door, on GII, the Altitude Junkies put several of their climbers on the summit, while the Czech team of Petr Masek, Radek Jaros, and Libor Uher also topped out, but are still only halfway to their goal. That team of strong climbers hopes to knock off GI yet this season as well, claiming a Karakorum double-header on the Gasherbrums.

It seems the teams on K2 are the ones gearing up for action now. This weekend will likely be spent heading up the mountain and waiting for the weather window to appear on Tuesday. Lets hope everything goes well, and everyone climbs very safely. We all know what this mountain is capable of.

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Karakorum 2010: Mixed Results and Tragedy on K2

It was a bit of a mixed bag for teams across the Karakorum this weekend. While the weather window opened as expected, copious amounts of snow high on the mountains prevented many from reaching their goals. Still, there were some successful summits and word of a death on K2.

ExWeb is reporting this morning that Bulgarian climber Petar Georgiev Unzhiev passed away on K2 this weekend, succumbing to altitude sickness at Camp 2. He was climbing as part of the Adventure Tours Pakistan team, and other than receiving word from his family to bury him at C2, not much else is known about the situation. My condolences go out to Petar's friends and family. 


Staying on K2, we received word over the weekend that Christian Stangl has returned to the mountain to make another attempt at a speed record. The Austrian climber turned back last year 316 meters beneath the summit, and he's hoping that he can finish the job this year. ExWeb says that now that he's set the speed record for completing all of the Seven Summits, he's going for the "Second Seven", or the second highest mountain on each of the seven continents. Next up, he'll return to Antarctica and go for Mount Tyree.


Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, the Basque BAT Team hoped to complete their traverse of the mountain's three summits this weekend, and they were successful after a couple of very long days in the mountains. They also managed to establish a new route in the process, marking the first new route by a Basque team on an 8000-meter peak. Check out their video below for more. 


Also on Broad Peak, explorer Mike Horn and climbing partner Kobi Reichen reached the summit over the weekend as well. The duo climbed without the use of supplemental oxygen, topping out at 2 AM local time. The long climb followed nearly three weeks of waiting patiently for the weather to clear and for the massive amounts of snow on the summit to come down in the form of avalanches. 


The Field Touring Alpine squad weren't so lucky with their ascent. They called off their planned summit bid just below the Col on BP due to heavy amounts of snow along their route. On Saturday they were all back in C3 and in good health and spirits, and there has been no word yet if they'll have another go at the summit or if they'll just proceed to K2 now. 


On the Gasherbrums it was success for one team while another turned back. The Czech team on GII topped out on Saturday and was back in BC safe and sound yesterday afternoon. Don Bowie and Alexey Bolotov didn't have the same luck on GI however. The boys were forced back down the mountain due to chest deep snow. They're back in BC now too, with no word on another attempt for now.


A second weather window is expected this week and some of the climbers, such as Gerlinde and Ralf, were taking advantage of one more acclimatization rotation this weekend. They're likely to make their summit bids on K2 this week if the weather holds as expected. The next few days could be very interesting once again. 

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Photos Show Effects of Climate Change on Everest

According to this story, from the BBC, recent photos of Everest are once again shining the spotlight on the impact of global climate change on the Himalaya, especially when they are compared to a similar photos taken back in 1921.

This past spring filmmaker and mountaineer David Breashears traveled to the North Side of Everest and took a photograph of the mountain standing in the exact same spot that George Mallory had when he took a similar photo 89 years earlier. The differences are startling, especially when you examine the health of the Rongbuk Glacier, which has retreated far up the valley.


These photos are especially worrisome for those living in the region, as the Himalaya are home to the largest sub-polar ice reserves in the world. They are also the source of water for the people who are indigenous to the area, who have seen this withering of the glaciers directly effect their daily lives. There is no indication that the trend will reverse anytime soon either.


Breashears has been traveling throughout Nepal, Tibet and Pakistan, taking similar photographs, and no matter were he goes, the story is the same. The glaciers are in retreat, and the impact is significant. If anything can be done about it is an entirely different issue.


Thanks to Daniel for sending this my way. Much appreciated my friend!

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Karakorum 2010: Summit Push Begins!

It seems that the projected weather windows in the Karakorum are opening as expected, and a number of teams, on a variety of mountains, including K2, are now preparing to begin their summit push.

Starting on K2, Fredrik Ericsson is preparing to make his ascent, and hopefully ski descent, of the mountain, with the latest update on his progress coming today. Fredrik and his partner Trey Cook hope to head up the mountain for one more acclimatization run, but the whole expedition could be in jeopardy thanks to severe frostbite on Trey's fingers. He's been treating them with Amoxicilline for the past few days, and he's going to give them one last chance on the climb, but if they continue to be a problem, he'll abort his attempt, and possibly prevent Fredrik from summitting as well. He has already been advised by other climbers that he should give up and head home, but Cook seems determined to climb, even at the expense of his fingertips. 


Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and Ralf Dujmovits have already climbed up to Camp 3 on K2, and found that their acclimatization on Everest this past spring is still serving them well in the Karakorum. The husband and wife team are now back in BC, where they are watching the weather, and preparing to make their big push. If successful, Gerlinde will be the first woman to claim the fourteen 8000 meter peaks without oxygen. 


Over on Broad Peak, the Filed Touring Alpine team is preparing to make a run at the summit as well. The team is currently in Camp 2 and high winds have been blasting the summit today, but they are expected to subside over the next day or two, giving access to the summit at last. A number of other teams have already tried, and been turned back by heavy snow, so hopefully they'll get a crack at the top while the weather is good. From there, they'll move over to K2 to make an assault on that mountain as well. 


Similarly, the BAT Basque Team has begun their second climb on Broad Peak as well, leaving BC earlier today. They hope to be in position to complete a new route, in alpine style, by Saturday, and if the weather holds, they'll continue on to complete a traverse of the BP's three summits before descending back to Base Camp.


On Gasherbrum I, Don Bowie and Alexey Bolotov have begun their summit push too. They've reached Camp 2 on that mountain, and will be planning on head up tomorrow. They hope to successfully summit in the next few days as well, and will then evaluate conditions on the other Gasherbrum peaks to determine if they'll continue to climb later in the season.


It's beginning to shape up like a busy weekend in the Karakorum with a number of climbers in place to make summit bids Saturday or Sunday, which is when the weather is suppose to be at its best. Another window is expected next week too, so those that aren't ready to go now will get another chance. 


Stay tuned!

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Karakorum Update: Summits On Nanga Parbet, K2 Climbers Push Higher

Even though this is the quietest season in the Karakorum for some time, the teams that are there continue to make progress and push towards their summits. Such was the case this weekend, when teams tried to take advantage of improved weather, some with more success than others.

On Nanga Parbet, the ninth highest mountain on the planet at 26,660 feet, there were summits by the Iranian, Nepali, and Korean teams, who, according to ExWeb, reached the top on Saturday. The Korean team reported back that the weather was bitter cold with high winds, but they still managed to put three of their climbers on top of the mountain.

The Basque BAT Team making an alpine style attempt on Broad Peak weren't so lucky however, as poor weather did prevent them from completing their expedition. While the team did reach the summit of BP's north peak on Friday, they were unable to continue on with their planned traverse that would have seen them crossing all three of Broad Peak's summits. Undaunted however, the boys have returned to Base Camp where they are waiting for the weather to improve once again, before making another attempt at the traverse.

Similarly, Mike Horn and Kobi Reichen abandoned their attempt on Broad Peak at 7900 meters (25,918 feet) on Friday due to heavy snow and high winds as well. No word on what Mike and Kobi's plans are for another attempt just yet.

On K2, the world's second tallest mountain, the teams have now established Camp 3, and ExWeb is reporting that Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner  has spent the night at 7000 meters as she continues to acclimatize. She and other members of her team, most notably husband Ralf Dujmovits, hope to climb as high as Camp 3 today, where they'll spend the night, then head back to BC before a round of bad weather is forecasted to hit tomorrow.

Finally, over on the Gasherbrums, a number of teams are focused on making progress as well. For instance, the Altitude Junkies established Camp 1 over the weekend, and even had the odd experience of seeing a glowing glacier while making the trek up from BC in the evening. High winds at the summit were preventing other teams from making their bids over the weekend however, so much like the rest of the region, they're all holding their breath and crossing their fingers for good weather. This includes Don Bowie and climbing partner Alexey Bolotov, who aborted an attempt on the summit of G1 at 7500 meters when conditions worsened as the winds picked up.

Lets hope weather across the Karakorum improves this week so the teams working hard on the mountains can finally get a crack at the summits.

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