GILGIT: As the weather is normally bright, two teams of mountaineers are preparing to make another attempt to scale K2 by Feb 5.
In the recent past, a three-member expedition party consisting of Iceland’s John Snorri and Pakistani mountaineer Mohammad Ali Sadpara and his son Sajid Sadpara had to return to the base camp from the higher points three times due to high-speed winds, according to a tour organiser, Asghar Ali Porik. They’re going to launch another attempt on Feb 4 or 5 to scale K2, he said.
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Mr. Porik said the climbers were currently waiting for good weather at the base camp to launch another summit push.
Separately, an international SST K2 winter expedition of 28 participants plans to launch their trek on Tuesday (today) and reach the summit on Feb 5.
On Monday, a team comprising eight Sherpas went up from the base camp to recheck all the equipment left in higher camps, fix the ropes, and, according to a press release, deposit oxygen bottles there.
Meanwhile, along with crew members, including two local high altitude climbers, Fazal Ali and Jalal, the international award winning Canadian filmmaker Elia Saikaly is currently at the K2 base camp, filming the climbers’ courageous acts to make a documentary on their amazing accomplishments, and also narrating the difficulties he is currently facing in shooting the video.
The noted Pakistani mountaineer, Praising Mohammad Ali Sadpara, said he was among the best mountaineers of ‘our days’ as he has a tremendous history of climbing peaks and mountains of 8,000 metres and beyond, both in summer and winter. His first winter climb of Nanga Parbat was a legendary achievement.
“I sat with Sadpara and listened to him as he told me incredible stories of fighting winter temperatures of minus 60 Celsius while trying and succeeding over the years at peaks of 8,000 metres,” explained Elia Saikaly.
Elia Saikaly said the repetitive tales of having frostbite were particularly impressive because of the incredibly harsh environment, given that he (Sadpara) only had 10 fingers and 10 toes.
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He (Mohammad Sadpara) recalled how he came home with frostbite on his fingertips one year after a particularly rough winter expedition and used a sheep’s stomach to recover his limbs in combination with adequately warmed water.
Elia Saikaly, describing the difficulties at K2, said that over the past 30 days it had been a fairly crazy journey. “I’m going to lie if I say I’m not nervous, because one mistake can cost you your life.”
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