4 Nepalese sherpas reach record winter altitude at K2
Islamabad/Kathmandu, Jan 15 (efe-epa).- Four Nepalese sherpas on Friday reached the highest point reached during winter on K2, the world’s second highest peak with an altitude of 8,611 meters (28,251 feet) and situated in the border of Pakistan and China.
The sherpas managed to reach camp 4 at an altitude of 7,800 meters above sea level, and during the night a team of 10 climbers will try to scale the peak, which has never been scaled before during winter.
“Sona Sherpa, Mingma David, Mingma Tenzi, and Mingma G reached Camp 4 at 7,800 meters above sea level. They have broken the previous winter record of 7,750 meters,” Pakistan Alpine Club spokesperson Karrar Haidri told EFE.
The previous record was held by the climbers Denis Urubko (Russian-Polish) and Marcin Kaczkan (Polish), since 2002.
The K2, with an almost perfect pyramid shape, is the last of the 14 peaks with a height of over 8 thousand meters that has not been scaled in winter, something that is considered the last great challenge for mountaineers.
The four sherpas are a part of a 49-member expedition promoted by the Nepalese company Seven Summit Treks, and jointly led by Nepal’s Chhang Dawa and the Spaniard Sergi Mingote.
Mingma Sherpa, the head of Seven Summit Treks, explained to EFE that on the night between Friday and Saturday a team of 10 members will begin climbing to the top, after the four Sherpas returned to Camp 3 from Camp 4, as the weather forecasts are good.
“They are close to making history,” said Sherpa.
The 10 climbers taking part in the final ascent are Nirmal Purja, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzing Sherpa, Geljen Sherpa, Pem Chiri Sherpa, Dawa Tempba Sherpa, Mingma G, Dawa Tenjin Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa and Sona Sherpa.
So far there have only been seven attempts made to climb K2 during winter, and only once have the climbers been able go beyond Camp 3.
The biggest challenges of climbing K2 during winter are rough winds that can reach up to 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour) and temperatures as low as -50 degrees centigrade. EFE-EPA
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