Everyone in the Karakoram is taking advantage of the good weather to head up the Gasherbrums and Broad Peak. Summits should come this weekend. Meanwhile, the rope fixing is speeding up on K2.
Temperatures are high but not unbearable. The good weather should last until July 21.
Gasherbrums
Climbers on Gasherbrum II are advancing according to plan. When they arrived at Camp 1, they found the tents semi-buried in fresh snow, but they managed to dig them out and then dry their gear in the sun.
Feeling good: Colibasanu in Camp 3. Photo: Horia Colibasanu
Today, they moved further up. Horia Colibasanu, climbing without bottled oxygen, reports that he has reached Camp 2 and later, Camp 3. He is feeling good and eager to continue.
The commercial climbers outfitted by Seven Summit Treks, 14 Peaks Expedition, and Imagine Nepal are also there, with their Sherpa teams fixing the way. Imagine Nepal confirms they reached Camp 3 today and will head for the summit tonight. Guides Phur Galzen Sherpa and Angdu Sherpa are leading Wang Zhong of China and Valentyn Sypavin of Ukraine.
Seven Summit Treks confirms that once they fix to the top of GII, the rope team will move to Gasherbrum I.
On Broad Peak, the Karakorum Expeditions team reached Camp 1 yesterday. According to previous plans, they should be positioned to attempt the summit by Sunday or Monday.
K2
Seven Summit Treks’ fixing team was expected to reach Camp 3 today. They are not alone in the task. Fellow Nepalese Mingma G, who reached Base Camp last weekend, led his team up to Camp 1 on a first rotation and returned yesterday. After leaving their (mainly Chinese) clients safely at the base, Imagine Nepal’s Sherpa staff quickly headed up to help with the rope fixing.
“After the route to Camp 3 is complete, we will be fully prepared to launch our summit push,” says Mingma G.
The Nepalese leader didn’t share a particular date, but Karakorum Expeditions noted that the year’s first K2 summits might occur on July 20-22.
