ISLAMABAD, Jan 16 (APP): A 10-member strong Nepalese climbing outfit wrote history when they completed the first winter ascent of K2 on Saturday.
“The climbers made it to the top of the world’s second-highest peak at around 5:00 pm,” Karrar Haidri, secretary Alpine Club of Pakistan told APP.
Until today, the 8,611m peak was the only one of world’s above 8000 mountains that had never been climbed in winter.
The successful summit team included Nirmal Purja, Gelje Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma G, Sona Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa and Dawa Tenjing Sherpa.
According to Haidri, previously the highest altitude achieved on K2 in the winter season was 7750m by Denis Urubko and Marcin Kaczkan in 2002-03.
“This is a greatest achievement in the history of mountaineering, this is a good example of teamwork,” Chhang Dawa, one of the expedition leaders.
“What a journey. I’m humbled to say that as a team, we have summited the magnificent K2 in extreme winter conditions,” said Nirmal Purja, who last year broke the world record for climbing the 14 tallest peaks in the shortest time.
Four teams with around 48 mountaineers – 43 male and five female have kicked off the winter ascend of K2 on December 19, 2020. The expedition will conclude in February.
Meanwhile, Sergio Mingote Moreno, a Spanish climber who was part of a winter expedition team lost his life. “On Saturday at about 1545 hrs he fell down in crevasse from Camp 1 while coming back to Base Camp and lost his life,” Haidri said.
He said Sergio had reached K-2 Base Camp on December 19, 2020.
