8 Things No One Tells You About Climbing Nanga Parbat in Winter

At the moment, there are at least three teams on Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, with another on the way. All of them are attempting to achieve the first winter summit of that 8126 meter (26,660 ft) peak. Over the coming weeks, they'll endure incredibly challenging weather conditions, including temperatures that will drop well below freezing. High winds will buffet them as they climb to ever increasing heights, and heavy snows will make their lives miserable at every step of the way. In short, it is a brutal environment for anyone to climb in.

Few would know that better than Ian Overton, an American who joined two Hungarian climbers (David Klein and Zoltan Acs) to attempt a winter ascent on Nanga a few years back. Ian wrote a piece for Cracked.com last week that discussed his experience there, an expedition that he called "the most indisputably batshit thing I have ever attempted." In that article, Ian shares the wisdom he gained along the way by listing 8 things that nobody tells you when you about climbing a mountain.

As you can imagine, the list is filled with interesting insight on both Nanga Parbat and mountaineering in general. For instance, coming in at #8 on Ian's list is the fact that one in four climbers  never come back from the mountain. Yep, that's right. Nanga Parbat has a death rate of about 25%, which puts it right up there with K2 and Annapurna as one of the most deadly peaks in the world.

I won't spoil the entire list for you, as it is well worth reading the article on your own. But some of the other topics that Overton touches on include begging sponsors to help cover gear, falling into crevasses, surviving an avalanche, the effects of altitude, and much more. It is an interesting read, and  will provide some good insights into what kind of conditions the current teams on Nanga are dealing with. (Hint: It isn't a walk in the park.)

Ian's story not only includes text about his experiences, but plenty of images as well. They help to convey the challenges he faced even more fully. He also followed up the story with an interesting interview with ExWeb too, sharing his thoughts on writing the story, the current expeditions on Nanga and the challenges they face, as well as his own plans for the future.

Both articles are insightful and worth a look for anyone into mountaineering.

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Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Lonnie Descends on Denali, Progress on Nanga Parbat

With the winter climbing season now in full swing, teams are working hard Nanga Parbat, where several squads are hoping to complete the first winter ascent of that 8000-meter giant. While they gird themselves for the challenge ahead, another climber is already wrapping up his expedition on the tallest peak in North America.

We'll start with an update on Lonnie Dupre, who successfully completed the first solo ascent of Denali in January on Sunday. When I posted the news of his success yesterday, Lonnie had already returned from the summit to his high camp located at 17,200 feet (5242 meters). An update later in the day indicated that he only spent a few hours resting there before proceeding down to his camp at the West Buttress Ridge, which sits at 14,200 feet (4328 meters). He stopped there long enough to cache some of his supplies, and then was immediately proceeding further town to 11,200 feet (3413 meters) where he had hoped to rest for the night. That means he is almost safely off the mountain, and while he still has further to go before he gets to Base Camp, the most treacherous part of the climb is now behind him.

Lonnie's home team expects to hear more from him later today, including potentially more details on his summit push. As you can probably imagine, he is exhausted from his efforts and could use some rest, but the weather on Denali is fickle, and it is best that he get to the safest place possible before the winter weather returns.

Meanwhile, the Russian team of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval arrived in BC on Nanga Parbat last week, and have immediately gone to work. According to Russian Climb, the team has now shuttled gear up to their camp at 6000 meters (19,685 ft) on the Rupal Face, and have fixed ropes to that point, but were forced back down due to high winds. After four days of working the route, they have now returned to Base Camp to rest and gather their strength before proceeding up further.


Italian climber Danielle Nardi is back in BC on the Diamir Face as well. He reports that snow is in the forecast over the next few days, so he'll wait for the weather to pass before going back up the mountain. At that time, he hopes to finish establishing Camp 2, located at 5100 meters (16,732 ft). Danielle is hoping to make a solo-summit of Nanga, which means he'll have to be very patient, conserve his strength and energy, and hope that the weather turns in his favor.

Tomek Mackiewicz and Elisabeth Revol are sharing BC with Danielle, and are bit further along in their acclimatization efforts. They have reportedly climbed up to Camp 3 at 6600 meters (21,653 ft), and are planning on going as high as 7200 meters (23,622 ft) before turning back. They report that the weather is holding at the moment, but the route is extremely difficult, with very cold temperatures.

As you probably already know, Nanga Parbat is just one of two 8000-meter peaks that remain unclimbed in the winter. K2 is the other mountain to hold that distinction, and an attempt on that peak was shut down this year when the Chinese refused to issue a permit to climb from the north side. With all of these climbers concentrating on Nanga, it seems that there is a good shot of someone reaching the top this year. But as always, the weather will dictate if that proves to be true.

The season is truly just getting underway. Stay tuned for more updates soon.

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Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Teams Gathering in Pakistan

Just a quick update on the winter climbing expeditions that are either now underway, or are preparing to begin. With the new season just over a week old at this point, most of the teams are still making their way to the mountains following the holiday season last week. While they are in transit, the climbers are mentally and physically preparing themselves for the challenges ahead on what will likely be the most difficult expedition of their careers.

As mentioned last week, the planned attempt on the North Side of K2 has been scrubbed following the denial of a climbing permit by the Chinese government. This has left Denis Urubko, Adam Bielecki and Alex Txikon on the sidelines this season after they had been planning their expedition for months. As you can imagine, the team is disappointed by this turn of events, but they have vowed to try again in the future. Chinese officials cancelled the permit after terrorist activity in the region picked up in November. They have already invited the climbers to reapply for a permit when conditions improve and it is once again safe for foreign visitors to travel in the Xinjiang region.

With K2 now off the table for this winter, all attention will now turn toward Nanga Parbat, the only other 8000 meter peak that remains unclimbed in the winter. There are no fewer than three teams attempting that mountain, including Daniele Nardi, who arrived in Pakistan on Saturday and is now making his way out to Base Camp. He'll climb with Elisabeth Revol on the Diamir Face, and now expects to be in BC by January 1.


That duo will be sharing Base Camp with Tomek Mackiewicz, who spent a few weeks acclimatizing in the Rupal Valley before the arrival of winter. Tomek should already be in BC at this point, where the is scouting the route and already preparing to make his solo attempt on the mountain.

The Russian team of Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval arrived in Pakistan in time for Christmas, and wasted no time in getting to work. They were in and out of Islamabad as quickly as possible, and arrived in Base Camp on December 27, where they report that all is okay. After a few days of getting settled, they will begin the first preliminary steps of heading up the mountain, while they begin to acclimatize to the altitude and cold weather.

Finally, we leave the Karakoram behind to check in with Lonnie Dupre on Denali. He is busy preparing for his attempt to summit the tallest mountain in North America in January, and has already been very busy establishing some of his higher camps. He has already climbed up to 11,200 feet (3413 meters) where he has started to get a taste of the weather that the mountain is so well known for. Wind speeds have already been in excess of 50 mph (80 km/h), and temperatures are well below zero. Still, he is happy with his progress thus far, and will take a rest day today before continuing to shuttle gear up the slope. Once January 1 arrives, the expedition will be officially under way, with Lonnie hoping to become just the 4th person to stand on the summit during the coldest, darkest, windiest month of the year on Denali.

That's all for today. I'll post more updates as the teams start to progress.

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Winter Climbs 2014-2015: No K2 Expedition This Season After All

The ongoing saga of Denis Urubko's planned expedition to K2 took another strange turn today with the news that the entire expedition has been cancelled. Yesterday, Urubko and his teammates, which included Alam Bielecki of Poland and Alex Txikon of Spain, received word that the Chinese government would not issue them a permit to climb due to a high terrorist threat in the region they would be passing through. This was their second attempt at obtaining a permit, but this time the rejection has brought an end to their efforts.

The team had been preparing for an early January departure for China, where they had intended to climb the mountain from the North Side. Their original plan had been to set out for K2 – the second tallest mountain in the world – last week, with the intention of being in Base Camp by the start of the winter season on December 21. But just days before they were to fly out, Denis received word that their permit has not been approved. Undaunted, he, Adam, and Alex shifted to another logistics company with the hope that they could still get a permit. They seemed fairly confident that that would happen, but were forced to shift their plans by a few weeks.

Denis broke the news of the second rejection on his Facebook page where he posted the email note he had received from the team's logistical support crew in China. It indicated that the permit was cancelled due to terrorist activity in the Xinjiang region of China, an area that the team would pass through on their way to K2, but would not be spending any significant amount of time in. Back in November, a terrorist attack killed 15 people in the region, and wounded another 14. That has put the area on high alert, with a great deal of tension permeating the mostly-Muslim population there.

With the news that the K2 winter expedition is over, the mountain will remain unclimbed for another year. It is one of only two 8000-meter peaks that have yet to be summited during the winter, with the other being Nanga Parbat. That mountain will see no less than three teams attempting to climb it this year, while Urubko's squad was the only one heading to K2.

I'm sure the news of the cancellation of the permit was a crushing blow to Denis, Adam, and Alex. They had been planning this expedition for months, and were set to embark on what was surely going to be a difficult and demanding journey. Now, they'll be back home for the winter, and wondering what their next adventure will be.

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Winter Climbs 2014-2015: Chinese Deny Urubko and Company Climbing Permit for K2

The winter climbing season is set to officially get underway in just a few days, and as I write this, the teams that are planning major expeditions this year are busy putting the finishing touches on their plans. But one squad received bad news yesterday when they learned that the Chinese have denied them a permit to climb on K2 on the eve of their departure. Now, they are left wondering what they can do to salvage an expedition they have been planning for months.

One of the most interesting expeditions that was set to take place this winter was the attempt to complete the first ascent of K2 from the North Side of the mountain. The very experienced team of Denis Urubko, Adam Bilecki, and Alex Txikon were preparing to depart for China this week with the hopes that they could be in Base Camp shortly after the official start of winter. But yesterday Denis posted an update to his Facebook page sharing the news that they had been denied their permit, and as you can imagine, that was a devastating blow.

With no permit, it is difficult to say what the team will do now. They still have a few days before their flight to try to sort through the bureaucracy that prevented them from getting the permit in the first place, but it is hard to know why the Chinese denied their request to climb from the North Side. Perhaps the expedition can still be salvaged provided the communications from Chinese government is forthcoming with their demands.

The other alternative would be to attempt to jump to the Pakistani side of the mountain, although that doesn't seem likely either. This entire expedition hinged on a specific route that Denis had planned from the North Side. The small team was hoping to climb along a new route that would potentially shield them from some of the worst weather that K2 will throw at them in the weeks ahead. The trio of climbers was not training or preparing for the more exposed route along the "normal" path to the summit in Pakistan, which of course has not yielded much success during the winter in the past.

For now, we'll have to just wait to see what will happen. Clearly the team is heartbroken by this news, but hopefully they'll still be able to get something organized for this winter. Time is running short however, and the Chinese bureaucrats are not well known for being flexible. I'll post an update as soon as we know more.

Meanwhile, elsewhere teams are preparing to travel to Nanga Parbat for the first winter ascent of that mountain as well. Expect updates soon. And of course, Lonnie Dupre is already in Alaska, and waiting for the weather to clear so he can travel to Denali in preparation for his attempt at a January ascent of that mountain. The season is just about to really get going, so expect more updates soon.

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Video: The First Ascent of K6 West

This remarkable short film takes us on a journey into the Karakoram of Pakistan, where a team of climbers sets out to climb K6 from the Western Route. The video, which is 20 minutes in length, follows mountaineers Raphael Slawinski, Ian Welstead, and Jesse Huey's 2012 expedition, during which they learn about the now-infamous massacre of 10 climbers in Nanga Parbat Base Camp. This gives them pause for their own expedition, with Jesse electing to return home. But Raphael and Ian Proceed, eventually reaching the summit of the 7040 meter (23,097 ft) mountain, which until that point had been unclimbed. If you're a fan of mountaineering on the big peaks, you'll definitely want to watch this.

K6 West from Latitude Photography on Vimeo.

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Winter Climbs 2014: Denis Urubko Talks K2 in Winter Prior to Departure to China

In just a couple of short weeks the 2014-2015 winter climbing season will get underway in the Himalaya, Karakoram, and beyond. This year, we know that there will be teams on both Nanga Parbat and K2, as climbers attempt to complete the first winter ascents of both of those mountains. Kazakh mountaineer Denis Urubko, a veteran of winter climbing on big peaks, will lead his team – which includes Adam Bilecki of Poland and Alex Txikon of Spain – to the North Face of K2, the toughest mountain in the world no matter the season. Prior to setting out, he sat down for a two-part interview with Medium.com that offers some insight into what the team has planned.

In the first part of the interview, Denis talks the logistics of K2 in winter, saying it will certainly be amongst his toughest projects while comparing it to the new routes he opened on Broad Peak in 2005 and Cho Oyu in 2009. He says that some of the biggest challenges of this expedition will be to stay healthy and patient, while waiting for the perfect weather window to give the climbers a shot at the summit. Urubko goes on to talk about why he wants to climb K2 in the winter, how he keeps these dangerous expeditions to the big peaks in perspective, and the minimalist approach the climbers will take above Base Camp.

In one interesting segment of the interview, Denis is pressed about the limits of his climbing abilities, to which he replies that he feels he is capable of climbing to 9500 meters (31,167 ft) of altitude without the use of supplemental oxygen. Of course, there isn't a mountain on the planet that reaches that high, so he is essentially saying that he can go up any mountain in the world without using O2. He adds that when he was younger, that limit was closer to 8600 meters (28,215 ft).

In the second part of the interview, the Russian climber talks about the mountaineers he admires (Vlad Smirnov, Eric Shipton, Reinhold Messner, etc.), the importance of every piece of gear that you have with you at altitude, and the importance of meeting the needs of sponsors in the modern age of exploration. He calls climbing on an 8000 meter peak in the summer months "a kind of tourism," and when asked who is the best mountaineer in the world today, he artfully dodges the question by saying you would first have to define the style of climbing, with great athletes attempting very different things.

All in all, both parts of the interview are very interesting and insightful to read. If you have an interest in the upcoming K2 expedition, I'd highly recommend them both.

Denis, Adam and Alex will depart for China on December 16. Once there, they'll sort their gear, work out the logistics and paperwork, and then proceed to the mountain. Winter officially begins on December 21, and they should arrive in Base Camp shortly there after. Stay tuned for plenty of updates on their climb.

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ExWeb Hosts Mountaineering Tech Round Table

ExWeb has posted a fascinating interview with some true luminaries from the world of mountaineering. Recently, the group got together in discuss the most crucial gear that they carry with them when they head out on an expedition, with the some really interesting insights into the technology that allows them to function in the Himalaya and beyond. What they shared will no doubt be of interest to other climbers, but also those of us back home who follow their exploits.

The panel consisted of Italian mountaineer Simone Moro, climbing documentary cameraman Elia Saikaly from Canada, Canadian mountaineer Louis Rousseau, wingsuit pilot Joby Ogwyn, American climber Alan Arnette, who runs a popular climbing blog often referenced here, climber and polar explorer Ryan Waters, Caroline Blaikie from Adventure Consultants, and Everest Base Camp manager Tim Robertson. The panel was moderated by Tom Sjogren from Explorers Web, who has also summited Everest, and skied to both the North and South Pole.

As you can see, this panel was filled with people who truly know their business. The group featured top climbers, explorers, extreme outdoor athletes, and guides. Collectively, and individually, this group has a great deal of experience in the Himalaya, the Karakoram, and a host of other mountain ranges across the world.

As mentioned, much of the discussion on the panel was about the technology that these adventurers take with them when they head into the mountains. Now days, in addition to satellite phones and GPS devices, mountaineers also carry laptops, tablets, smartphones, and a variety of other gadgets on their expeditions. Some of the discussion involved the technology that Ogwyn had planned to use to broadcast his wingsuit jump from the summit of Everest on live television, as well as touching on the tragedy that occurred on the South Side of the mountain in Nepal this past spring. Saikaly was one of the cameramen on that expedition, and was on the mountain when the avalanche claimed the lives of the Sherpas shuttling gear up to Camp 1. That topic also broached the topic of the use of avalanche airbags on the mountains.

From there, the discussion moves on to satellite phones, and the strategies for their use, as well as the implementation of satellite trackers such as the DeLorme InReach. Some of the panelists talked about their experience with the new Thuraya Satsleeve as well, as well as the Iridium Go.

There is a lot of information here for those thinking about a big expedition of their own and looking for some advice. Each of these panel members has years of experience in the field, and they have all worked out good strategies for the use of this type of gear. If you've ever wondered how they operate while in the field, this will certainly provide some solid insights.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this panel, when the same group will discuss their use of video on expeditions as well.

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ExWeb Interviews Denis Urubko on Winter K2 Climb

Last week, Explorers Web posted an interesting interview with Denis Urubko, one of the climbers heading to K2 to attempt a winter ascent of that mountain. As you probably already know, K2 and Nanga Parbat are the only 8000 meter peaks that remain unclimbed during the winter, and this year, both peaks will see ambitious teams attempting to summit them once again. Urubko will lead an all-star squad of mountaineers to K2, where they'll attempt the North Face of the mountain from the Chinese side. Joining him will be Adam Bielecki and Alex Txikon, two very experienced climbers, as well as Artiom Braun and Dmitry Siniew.

In the interview, Denis discusses why they chose this route – he feels it offers better protection from the elements – and what conditions he expects to find there during the winter. There has been some discussion that this side of the mountain will be darker and colder than the South Side, but Denis disputes that, saying that they'll be climbing along a route that faces to the east, which should providing good morning sun, and when they climb out of the mountain's shadow they'll find plenty of light to help guide them on their way. He also says that while he expects the mountain to protect them from the harshest of weather conditions, they anticipate they could face -50ºC/-58ºF temperatures and 100 km/h (62 mph) winds. They hope to go to the summit when temperatures are at -40ºC/F, and with winds in a more manageable 50 km/h (31 mph).

Other portions of the interview touch on snow conditions on K2 during the winter, obstacles that the team will face on the route, and their approach to fixing ropes versus just climbing as light as possible. The team hopes to use snow caves at higher altitudes for their camps, and as shelter from the weather, and they plan on making an alpine style push once they are acclimatized and the conditions are right.

As you can imagine, Denis also touches on some important aspects of the climb that he is most concerned about as well, including an icefall that looks like it could be a very dangerous section of the climb, as well as knife edge ridge at 7500 meters (24,606 ft), and a rockfall at 8000 meters (26,246 ft) right below he summit. If the team hopes to reach the top, they'll need to overcome those challenges along the way.

The team will leave for China in just a couple of weeks, and will begin their winter attempt on the toughest mountain on the planet not long after that. I will, of course, be following this expedition very closely in the weeks ahead.

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Winter Mountaineering 2014: K2 and Nanga Parbat Take Center Stage

Earlier this week we turned out the light on the 2014 fall Himalayan climbing season by wrapping up the last couple of expeditions that were still ongoing. Now, there will be a bit of a respite on the big mountains, while most of the attention turns to the spring climbing season on Everest. But before that occurs, the winter climbing season awaits, and in just over a month's time, teams will begin heading to some of the most difficult peaks on the planet in an attempt to summit during the coldest, most demanding season of all.

As of now, there are just two 8000 meter peaks that remain unclimbed in winter, They are K2 and Nanga Parbat. This winter, teams have targeted both peaks in an attempt to knock off one, or both, of these incredibly difficult mountains.

While most of the winter climbing expeditions are heading to Nanga, the team that we'll be watching the closest will no doubt be on K2. As previously announced, a team consisting of climbing all-stars Denis Urubko, Adam Bielecki and Alex Txikon, who will be joined by Artiom Braun and Dmitry Siniew, has set its sights on a new route on the toughest mountain on the planet. The team will climb from the Chinese side of K2, up the North Face, along the Northeast Ridge. According to ExWeb, the squad will depart for the Karakoram on December 16.


Of course, this team has a great deal of experience climbing during the winter. Urubko was part of the team that put up the first winter ascent of Gasherbrum II a few years back, and Bielecki has two first ascents during the season under his belt as well – Gasherbrum I and Broad Peak. They'll need all of that skill, experience, and determination if they hope to reach the summit of K2 in a few months.

Meanwhile, ExWeb is also offering solid details on the plans for Nanga Parbat as well. They claim that Tomek Mackiewicz, Daniele Nardi, Elisabeth Revol and Roberto Delle Monache will all share Base Camp on that mountain, although beyond that point Tomek intends to make a solo summit bid. That will be a bold expedition to follow as well, as he attempts to go up the Mummery Rib. The group is expected to depart for Pakistan on December 20.

According to Russian Climb, Nickolay Totmjanin, Valery Shamalo, Serguey Kondrashkin and Victor Koval are also attempting Nanga this winter. They are planning on setting off for Pakistan on December 22 for their own winter 8000-meter expedition.

Finally, Simone Moro is up to something in the Himalaya this winter, but we're not sure exactly what yet. He has promised his wife he would not attempt K2, so he won't join his friend Denis Urubko on that expedition, and he has also ruled out Nanga Parbat. Apparently, the expedition is still coming together, and he isn't quite ready to reveal plans just yet. Hopefully we'll hear more about what he has in store in the days ahead. As usual with Simone, he generally has some big idea. Perhaps he'll bring his friend Ueli Steck along for the ride as well.

That's all for now. These expeditions will begin to take center stage in about a month, but until then, the mountaineering world will be a bit quiet. It is certainly shaping up to be an interesting winter in the big mountains though. Stay tuned for updates.

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Trio of Climbers Announce Winter K2 Attempt

A trio of very experienced climbers has announced their bid to summit the toughest mountain in the world during the coldest, harshest season of them all. Kazakh climber Denis Urubko is joining forces with Polish mountaineer Adam Bielecki and Spaniard Alex Txikon to attempt the North Face of K2 in the winter, as the team attempts to become the first to climb that mountain during that brutally cold time of year. 

Of all of the 8000-meter peaks, just two remain unclimbed during the winter – K2 and Nanga Parbat. Of those, Nanga has seen the most action in recent years, with several teams trying to reach its summit last winter alone. No team has attempted K2 during that season since 2011-2012, when a Russian squad last made the attempt. They abandoned the expedition when a team member named Vitaly Gorelik died in Base Camp after suffering severe frostbite while shuttling gear to the higher camps. He was awaiting evacuation at the time of his death, but due to the extremely poor weather conditions, a rescue was impossible.

Those are the kinds of conditions that Urubko, Bielecki, and Txikon will face on K2 during the winter. The mountain is extremely difficult under the best of conditions, and during the winter months the cold, snow, and winds are unrelenting. The team will need all of their skill and experience – not to mention a healthy dose of luck – if they are to have any hope of reaching the top during the winter. 

Of the three climbers, Urubko has the most experience on 8000-meter peaks in the winter. He teamed with Simone Moro and Cory Richards on Gasherbrum II back in 2011, as they made the first winter ascent of that mountain. Moro and Urubko often climb together, but Simone has promised his wife that he would not attempt K2 after she dreamed that he died on that mountain. 

Bielecki is no stranger to winter climbing however, as he has made two first winter ascents as well. The Polish mountaineer was a member of teams that summited Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I in winter. He also successfully climbed K2 in 2012 during the summer. 

This expedition won't launch for a couple of months yet. The team will probably depart for Pakistan in early December, and arrive on the mountain just as winter officially sets in. We'll have to wait to see what kind of schedule they set for themselves however, as some teams wait until after the holidays to launch their winter climbs. Either way, you can bet that I'll be following along with the action. 

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Video: Paragliding the Karakoram Highway

The Karakoram Highway holds the distinction of being the highest paved international road in the entire world. It also provides access into one of the most remote and rugged places on the planet. In the video below, a trio of paragliders travels to this famous road, located in Northern Pakistan, to explore the mountains from the air, and set some new records in the process. The 41-minute short film provides an intriguing look at this part of the world, as well as some breathtaking footage that will leave you spellbound. Make some time to watch this. It is worth it.

KARAKORAM HIGHWAY from SEARCH Projects on Vimeo.

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Must Read For Mountaineering Fans: Alan Arnette Shares K2 Summit Recap

If you still haven't gotten your fill of news from K2 this summer, I've got one more great story for you to read. Our friend, Alan Arnette, has posted a very personal account of his summit push on the Savage Mountain, sharing some incredible insights into the physical and mental challenges he had to overcome to reach the top of the toughest mountain on the planet. To do so, he had to battle back his own fears and insecurities, and overcome a case of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, a condition that can prove fatal if a climber doesn't descend in a timely fashion.

If you followed Allan's expedition, you probably read his dispatches about his travels to Pakistan, the journey to Skardu and Askole, before beginning the trek to Base Camp, and his acclimatization process on the mountain. You've probably even read his pre- and post-summit updates, which shared a bit about his preparation, conditioning, and mental state on the climb. Following his successful summit, Alan even touched on the challenges he faced on the way up, and back down. But those dispatches only hinted at the hurdles that he had to overcome along the way. This report takes us through the very long, and grueling, battle he had with K2 – and more importantly, himself – when he pressed toward the summit back on July 27.

Alan talks about the deep, and overwhelming, fatigue that set in as he climbed above Camp 4, approaching 25,500 feet (7772 meters). It was at that point that he was ready to just stop, sit down, and stay right where he was, not caring to move forward or back. It was a crucial moment of the climb. He felt like he was dying, and there wasn't any energy left to fight on.

But then he remembered why he was there. Climbing to raise funds and awareness for the fight against Alzheimer's, he drew strength from the thought of all the people who were supporting him, and those who suffered from that terrible disease. And at that moment, he found a new source of energy that helped to propel him forward. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to finish the ascent.

As I said, this is a very personal account of Alan's climb, and what I've written about in this post is just the beginning, and one small part of what he shares. It is a lengthy read, but also very inspiring. It is also a great account of high altitude mountaineering on a peak that remains incredibly demanding and dangerous, even when conditions are at there very best.

The title of this post says it all. If you're a mountaineer, either actual or armchair, you need to read this story. It will give you a new found respect for the climbers who topped out on K2 this summer, and the challenges that they faced along the way. Read it in its entirety here.

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Pakistan 2014: Final Thoughts on K2

The climbing season in the Karakoram of Pakistan has come and gone, and by now we should be starting to look ahead to the fall climbing season in the Himalaya. But this year's historic performance on K2 is one that is worth reflecting on, and there is still much that can be learned from the climbers who spent weeks on the mountain. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on climbing the "Savage Mountain" directly from some of the climbers who were there.

ExWeb has posted an interview with Adrian Hayes in which he shares his thoughts on his successful summit of K2. Adrian was a part of the first summit push, which topped out on July 26. He notes that that round of summiteers were fortunate that the weather was so good, because they often had to wait for extended periods of time for the fixed ropes to be installed. Adrian remarks that if the temperature were a few degrees colder, or the winds were a bit stronger, that not all of the 32 people who summited that day would have been successful.

When asked if K2 has been "tamed," Adrian has a direct and pointed answer. He says that "K2 will never be tamed," and he points to the lack of summit success from the Pakistan side of the mountain from 2009 - 2011, and again in 2013, as an example. This year was an aberration. It had the best weather that has possibly ever been seen on K2, and as a result, the level of success was also unprecedented.

Adrian goes on to discuss how he managed his fear while climbing such a difficult mountain, his thoughts on approaching Camp 3, where friends Marty and Denali Schmidt passed away in 2013, his thoughts on strategies for climbing the mountain (hint: get there early, bring strong Sherpas), and much more. Since he was on K2 in 2013, when no one was able to summit, Adrian has some good thoughts on comparing the two very different seasons.

He wasn't the only one sharing his insights on the 2014 K2 season. Alan Arnette has also posted an article to his website that includes some broad thoughts on his climb as well. He touches on some of the logistics of the climb, discussing the organization of his team, which was led by Garret Madison of Madison Mountaineering. Alan indicated that while it may have appeared that the team was using the usual "siege" tactics that are common in the Himalaya, they were actually a small, focused squad that almost went in alpine style instead. The Sherpas led the way of course, doing much of the shuttling of gear to high camp, but the rest of the team was well prepared, and climbed well together too.


Alan also touches on the almost unbelievably good weather, his own preparation for the climb, and the incredible Sherpa support the team had. He also mentions that while he was more than physically prepared for the challenges of K2, it was the mental challenges that he truly had to prepare for. Since summiting Everest a few years back, Alan has worked on improving his mental toughness, and it paid off for him in the Karakoram this summer. When he needed to dig deep, and push on to the top, he found reserves that he didn't even know he had. As a result, he was able to summit the toughest mountain on the planet.

Alan's post contains a lot of insights on his personal experience on K2, but the comments section has become an ongoing Q&A session as well. Readers have been posting their questions about the climb, and Alan has been personally answering each of them. Those questions have been far reaching, and they will help anyone to further understand what goes into a climb of this type. The article, and the comments that follow, are a great resource of information on climbing K2 specifically, and 8000 meter peaks in general.

Finally, Chris Jansen Burke became the first Australian woman to summit K2 when she topped out on July 26 as well. She shared her personal story in a two part recap of the season as well. Part 1 can be found here, while the second part is here. Initially, Chris traveled to Pakistan to attempt Broad Peak, which was to serve as an acclimatization climb before heading over to the real prize – K2. She did indeed acclimatize on BP, but the summit remained elusive, so after spending several weeks on that mountain, she jumped over to K2 Base Camp to take advantage of the weather window that was predicted to open there. Her lengthy, detailed account of the climb is a good read, with lots of personal insights as well. Chris is a strong climber, with lots of experience on 8000 meter peaks, so her thoughts are always interesting to read.

In addition to her personal account of the climb, she has also posted a brief Q&A blog post in which she answers some of the more common questions that have come her way post-climb. She talks about how having more teams on the mountain helped to make it a more successful season, who was responsible for fixing the ropes at each phase of the climb, whether or not she ever thought about turning back on summit day, and much, much more. Again, it is a very insightful post, with great information on K2, and Chris' personal experience on the mountain.

That about wraps it up for the K2 coverage this season. I'm not sure how much more there is to say about. It has been several weeks since the successful summit push, and most of the climbers have shared their thoughts on what a great year it was on the mountain. Soon, the mountaineering world will turn its attention on the fall Himalayan climbing season, and our focus will shift elsewhere. But 2014 will be seen as a historic year on K2, when conditions were just right for success. Whether or not that same level of success can be replicated in the future remains to be seen. But for this one year, K2 was very welcoming indeed.

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