K2 second Aug 1 update: climbers stuck above Bottleneck
03:59 pm CDT Aug 01, 2008
(K2Climb.net/story updated 5.50 pm EST) Dutch K2 Norit expedition webmaster Maarten van Eck reports that a big chunk of ice has fallen below the summit, taking a large part of the fixed lines with it. About 12 people, including possibly Wilco, Gerard, Marco and Korean climbers are stuck before either the traverse or the Bottleneck. Cas and Pemba down climbed to C4 without fixed ropes.
Dutch Norit Base Camp manager Roeland is in the Korean expedition tent organizing a joint rescue effort. Early this morning at dawn a group of at least six climbers with all the ropes they can find will climb towards the Bottleneck. Radio contact is difficult due to the topo of the route.
This is a serious situation and all resources available on the mountain should be put towards it. Several international teams of climbers were reported on summit push lower on the peak last night, along with a number of HAP's and Sherpas. Good news is that previous fatal accidents on K2 were more often results of avalanches, sudden storms or disorientation before actual deterioriation.
The affected climbers are sitting put and weather at present seems to be on their side. A descent over the steep, icy sections of the Traverse and the Bottleneck is possible but poses a great risk as the mountaineers have now spent almost 30 hours on K2's upper slopes, probably without oxygen support. Time is of essence in the rescue efforts.
Recap August 1 descent
Dutch K2 Norit expedition webmaster Maarten van Eck has done a huge job over the past 24 hours to keep everyone informed.
The Norit expedition website has now been updated with a check list of K2 climbers whereabouts on the mountain. It's 3 am in the morning local time, and with the 8 pm summits climbers are still descending to high camp.
The Norwegians and French Hugues d’Aubarade reportedly summited before the Dutch (it's unclear yet who used supplementary oxygen) and were coming down at the time of the Dutch summit.
Cas, Gerard, Pemba and Wilco are still descending. Their headlights were seen from BC at the start of descent. Marco Confortola was reportedly behind Wilco at summit time. Mark Sheen is in C4 considering a summit bid tonight.
Weather is still holding albeit with a slight increase in winds forecasted for this morning.
Serbian Expedition followers can be updated on the official website below. Check in on the Norit website for further updates through the night.
Links to K2 teams in Pakistan:
Wilco van Rooijen's Norit K2 expedition
Serbian Vojvodinean expedition
Gerard McDonnell's dispatches
Marco Confortola's updates
Singapore expedition
Cecilie Skog's updates
Nick Rice's dispatches
Mike Farris expedition's website
Hugues d'Aubarede
|
|
Top Feature Stories |
|
Latest News |
more news |
|
StatCrunch, take 2: 8000er national ranking
Full Story
|
|
Halloween special: haunted Everest and spooky footprints
Full Story
|
|
StatCrunch: 8000er mountaineers with 6 summits or more, updated
Full Story
|
|
Tom Holzel's latest on Mallory & Irvine: The final time line
Full Story
|
|
Renaissance explorers: ExWeb interview with Simone Moro about Cho Oyu SW face new route attempt
Full Story
|
|
ExWeb interview with Oh Eun-sun: "Annapurna will decide"
Full Story
|
|
Book Review: David Falt on Steve House's "Beyond the Mountain"
Full Story
|
|
ExWeb Interview with Nives Meroi: “Romano comes first, whatever happens”
Full Story
|
|
|
|
ExWeb interview with Ryan Waters and Cecilie Skog, “The mental part was the most difficult part” Jan 22, 2010
|
|
Slam-dunk: Cecilie and Ryan bag polar history Jan 21, 2010
|
|
Antarctic wrap-up: Cecilie Skog and Ryan Waters did it! The first unassisted and unsupported expedition across Antarctica! Jan 21, 2010
|
|
Game over on Kwangde; climbing push on Tawoche Jan 21, 2010
|
|
Antarctic wrap-up: Cecilie and Ryan through the big drop, ice falls and crevasses; seeing the finish at the Ross Sea Jan 20, 2010
|
|
1960-2010: Dhaulagiri 50 years anniversary special Jan 20, 2010
|
|
9 out of 10 climbers use Thuraya in Himalaya: check out the price cut at HumanEdgeTech! Jan 20, 2010
|
|
Himalaya shakedown, continued: what’s the worth of a summit certificate? Jan 19, 2010
|
|
Himalaya shakedown, continued: what’s the worth of a summit certificate? Jan 19, 2010
|
|
Antarctic wrap-up: Meagan McGrath at the South Pole Jan 18, 2010
|
|
Winter Kwangde Lho update: The Russian B-plan Jan 18, 2010
|
|
ExplorersWeb Week in Review Jan 15, 2010 Jan 15, 2010
|
|
|
