Mortenson

A little summary on K2 so far...

The only expedition left on K2 is the Korean expedition lead by Lim Hyeng Chil. The other climbers have all just left the mountain. I just talked to an assistant cook who was on the National Geographic Base Camp film team at K2 that just came off the mountain, and he helped me with this summary.

"The Koreans are on the Spanish Route...It's pitched about 60°; there are two pitches above 75°—a rather difficult route..."

The Koreans are on the Spanish Route, which is on the southeast face. This route was first explored by the Spanish team in 1987 who climbed to 8350 meters. The team was Ricardo Tortilla, Juan San Sebastian, Martin Zabeleta, and a local Balti climber named "Little Karim" from Hushe Village. The route goes up the right rib of the southeast face. It's pitched about 60°; there are two pitches above 75°—a rather difficult route.

So far the Koreans have been up to the High Camp of 7,600 meters, which is just beneath the shoulder, and they're going for one more summit attempt. We've had about four days of bad weather. There's snow up on the Ghondoghoro. I'm waiting a day to go over. So they're probably down at Base Camp waiting for their final summit bid.

Another team that left was the Japanese expedition that was lead by Takuo Fujiwara. They were on the West Ridge which was first ascended by Ohtani and Nazir Sabir in 1978. This is a route that I was on in 1993. It has less hazards, but it's an extremely long route and exposed to wind on the west ridge. It's about a Grade IV climb and the highest angle's about 55°.

The team left after Takuo Fujiwara reached Camp IV at about 7650 meters and got frostbite. Unfortunately also, their Hunza assistant cook passed away from high altitude sickness in Base Camp.

"So far the Koreans have been up to the High Camp of 7,600 meters, which is just beneath the shoulder, and they're going for one more summit attempt..."

The rest of the teams were on the Abruzzi Ridge, which is on the southeast rib—a Grade III climb with a maximum angle of about 50°. It was first ascended by the Italian expedition in 1954 lead by Ardito Desio, and the summiters were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni.

On that climb, the highest reach this year was by a German expedition. Hans Kammerlander reached about 8400 meters, up to the Bottleneck wading through about thigh-deep snow, and came back down. With him were Eta Guggemoss and Dieter Porchin.

The Italian Focus Expedition...unfortunately a tragic death resulted, and they left camp early. So basically there's just one team left on K2 this year.

In closing, perhaps I can read a little quote here that I have in my journal from a book called K2—Challenging the Sky by Kurt Diemberger:

'There is perhaps a lesson to be learned from all this. A mountain as large and difficult as K2: at its height of 8611 meters, its unusually steep faces, and its absolute atmospheric raribility, is a full stage higher than other 8000 meter peaks. Even though it cannot match Everest for its height, K2 is far more dangerous. Here even the very best climbers are tested to the limit. The mask climbing which is now common on most of the 8000 meter peaks and the classic Everest route, has no place on Quotir, 'the Big Mountain,' otherwise the death toll could only increase.'

"'Even though it cannot match Everest for its height, K2 is far more dangerous. Here even the very best climbers are tested to the limit...'"

And just a note of comparison, about 10% of the climbers on K2 use oxygen in comparison to 90% of the climbers on Everest and K2 is only about two ropelengths less than Everest.

It looks like the climbing season is kind of closing up. I'll try to do a little synopsis on Broad Peak, GI, GII in a couple days, and another, probably one of the most unheralded climbs in the Karakoram this year, is a group on Gasherbrum IV, 7925 meters, lead by Steve Swenson. They fixed a High Camp at about 7200 meters and have come down, back to Base Camp. Hopefully, I'll get a report from porters who are coming out and will meet up with Steve in the next week when he makes his summit bid.

Thanks, it's Greg out from the Karakoram. Bye.

— Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent