First winter ascent of K2

Alan Arnette has the news on his blog today. I have been following this for a couple of weeks now. Really great to see that it was a group of ten Nepali and sherpa climbers who made the summit. Two different teams co-operated on the push, and they all grouped a little below the actual summit so they could climb up to it together: classy.

K2 is a hard enough climb in the summer season - to do it in winter is phenomenal. Kudos to the climbers who achieved this.
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Comments

  • I've been following this too and it's a great achievement they made it up.  Let's hope they now get back down safely.
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  • mikeyrob73mikeyrob73 Frets: 4663
    I too have been following this Nimsdai is just a machine of a man. 

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  • droflufdrofluf Frets: 3614
    I've been following this too and it's a great achievement they made it up.  Let's hope they now get back down safely.
    This. 

    Reminds me of a quote that I heard at a climbing talk. The speaker put it more eloquently but, paraphrasing, was something like:

    ”The objective is not to reach the summit, it’s to come home safely from the summit.”
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  • HAL9000HAL9000 Frets: 9551
    Himalayan three peaks challenge next?
    I play guitar because I enjoy it rather than because I’m any good at it
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  • SassafrasSassafras Frets: 30273
    It's a publicity run-up to an upcoming reality TV show.
    Minor celebrities climbing dangerous mountains in flip flops.
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  • This is a really remarkable achievement. Almost 70 years separating the first ascent and this first winter ascent. Tells us all we need to know. Hard and dangerous at the best of times - but in the depths of winter - might as well be the moon.

    I know a guy from my climbing club who has climbed three 8000ers in summer (Everest, K2 and Gasherbrum II). He told me he'd happily go back to Everest but never wants to set foot on K2 again.

    All mountains are dangerous but it doesn't get much more dangerous than a big Himalayan peak in winter. This same weekend it was sad to learn of the death of Sergi Mingote on K2, who apparently fell somewhere between camp 1 and advanced base camp.
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  • MoominpapaMoominpapa Frets: 1649
    Nirmal Purja has posted that "The full team are now back at basecamp. All safe and sound." - which is very good news. The danger of what they faced was brought home by the sad loss of Sergi Mingote. Looks like a climber is missing on Broad Peak, too.
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  • RedlesterRedlester Frets: 1072
    This is an incredible achievement. It has to be right up there with the greatest mountaineering feats of all time. 


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