The climbing season in Pakistan is now coming to a rapid end as it appears that all attempts on K2 have now been cancelled. Summit bids had originally been expected this weekend but poor conditions on the mountain have made it impossible for teams to move forward. Unfortunately, not all of the teams heeded the warning signs and turned back and now two climbers have paid the ultimate price on one of the most dangerous mountains on the planet.

Late last week almost every team on K2 turned back at Camp 2 when they discovered that more than seven feet  (2.1 meters) of snow was blocking the route. Not only would that snow make it extremely difficult to climb any higher but it was also making things very unstable. Avalanches could be seen taking place on the upper slopes and that was enough to force most of the climbers to go back down. But the father and son team of Marty and Denali Schmidt, fresh off a successful summit on Broad Peak, decided to continue up to Camp 3 where they hoped to find less snow and improved route conditions. That wasn't the case however and ExWeb is now reporting that the two men have been killed in an avalanche.

It seems that the Schmidts did indeed manage to reach C3 last Friday as expected and they radioed back to Base Camp indicating that they had settled in for the night. But sometime after their last radio check-in the entire camp was swept off the mountain by a powerful avalanche. This was discovered yesterday when a team of Sherpas climbed up to Camp 3 and discovered that it was completely destroyed. There was no trace of the father and son.

My condolences go out to Marty and Denali's friends and family for their loss. I'm sure this is even more shocking after their fantastic success on Broad Peak a few weeks back.

Even before the sad news of the loss of two of their companions the other teams on K2 had already decided to go home. It seems that when they climbed up to C2 last week most of them saw the writing on the wall and that successful summits weren't going to be in the cards this season. K2 is an incredibly difficult mountain to climb even under the best of circumstances. Throw in unstable conditions and a penchant for avalanches and it just didn't seem like a recipe for success. By Saturday most of the climbers had already started packing their gear and planning their trek back civilization. That will take a few days and they'll now go with heavy hearts for the loss of their companions.

Elsewhere in Pakistan most of the other climbing teams on other mountains are wrapping up their expeditions as well. It has been a season with some good success stories, particularly on the Gasherbrums, Broad Peak and a Nanga Parbat. But it has also been a season of incredible sadness and loss. 11 climbers lost their lives on Nanga Parbat when armed gunmen stormed the camp and killed them execution style. A few weeks later, Polish climbing legend Artur Hajzer was lost while descending Gasherbrum I and three Iranian climbers perished after opening a new route on BP. Just this past weekend we also received word that the search has ended for three missing Spanish climbers on GI as well. Add in the deaths on K2 and you have far too many climbers losing their lives in just a matter of a few weeks in Pakistan. This will be a season that will be long remembered, but unfortunately it will be for all of the wrong reasons.

The mountaineering community will mourn the loss of their friends for years to come. Lets hope we don't see another season like this in our lifetimes.

It was another very busy weekend in the mountains of Pakistan, where teams were on the move once again. The season is starting to wind down at last and some of the climbers were able to take advantage of a weather window to complete their summit bids. Meanwhile, on Broad Peak hope begins to fade as rescue operations continue for the Iranian team that has been stranded at altitude for nearly a week.

We'll start with the news from BP where search and rescue teams continue to look for the three missing Iranian climbers who topped out along a new route last week but ran into trouble on their descent. The three men, Aidin Bozorgi, Pouya Keivan and Mojtaba Jarahi, first spent three days above Camp 3 just trying to reach the summit and have now reportedly been stuck above 7800 meters (25,590 ft) since last Tuesday when they tried to descend along the normal route. Their teammates have gone up the mountain to try to deliver food and water before attempting to help the climbers down, but so far they have been unable to locate their missing friends.

News of the predicament has spread to other teams in the Karakoram and climbers have come from K2 and other mountains to try to lend a hand. Reportedly helicopters have also been dispatched to help in the search efforts too, but so far there has been no luck in locating the men. The situation is now quite desperate as they were already low on food and water when they called for help late last week. By now they are probably out of food and no longer have fuel to melt snow for water. They are also probably far too weak at this point to continue down themselves. Lets continue to keep these three men – as well as their friends and families – in our thoughts. Hopefully it is not too late to find them and safely get them off the mountain.

Elsewhere there were successful summit bids on several mountains. On Nanga Parbat, the sight of eleven brutal killings earlier in the season, the lone remaining team managed to top out. The Romanian squad, climbing along the Rupal face, put four climbers on the summit on Friday, bringing an end to a tough expedition which was made all the more difficult by lingering fears that another terrorist attack might occur. The team should now be back in Base Camp and preparing to depart for home today.

Meanwhile, over on the Gasherbrums teams have launched summit bids as well. Chris Jensen Burke and her team have left for the summit of GII on Saturday and if successful, they'll return to BC and then make an attempt on GI as well. Carlos Carranzo is attempt GII as well although his latest dispatch says that conditions have taken a turn for the worse there, so we'll have to wait and see how things play out. It may be that teams are already in retreat on that mountain. The Spanish team climbing there found success yesterday however, putting some of the climbers on top of Gasherbrum I, while others rethink their strategy and consider GII instead.

Finally, the schedule on K2 is finally starting to fall into place. It looks like a weather window is set to open on July 27 that will grant access to the summit for several days. In order to take advantage of this stable pattern, teams are now planning to set out from Base Camp on Wednesday of this week so that they can take advantage of this first, and possibly only, weather window of the season. K2 is notoriously tough to climb and the alpinists want to be in a good position to take advantage of any opportunity that they might get. More on that as they launch their summit bids in a few days.

Thins are pretty active in Pakistan at the moment. More news in the days ahead and keep your fingers crossed for the missing Iranians.

We're at a crucial stage of the summer climbing season in Pakistan. Most of the teams have now been on their respective mountains for a number of weeks and many have now wrapped up their acclimatization and are making summit bids. That includes an Iranian team on Broad Peak, which has already successfully topped out but is now facing serious problems on their descent.

ExWeb has all of the details on the Iranian team's climb, which began on July 10 with a five man team setting off for the summit along a new route on BP's Southwest Face. The ascent went mostly as planned up to Camp 3 but above that point things started to get extremely difficult. Poor conditions and a rocky route slowed progress to a crawl and the climbers were forced to bivouac for three consecutive nights. On Tuesday, July 16, three members of the team (Aidin Bozorgi, Pouya Keivan and Mojtaba Jarahi) reached the summit and then attempted to their descend along the normal route. That is when things took a turn for the worse.

It turns out there were complications with going down along the established route and the three climbers ended up bivouacking above C3 for an additional two nights. Yesterday the climbers called their support team and told them that their tent had been shredded and that they were in desperate need of food and water. Worse yet, one of the members of the team is in poor shape and having problems descending. That prompted the team to spring into action and today a rescue mission is underway with a number of climbers moving up to try to help get the three Iranians down safely. Lets keep our fingers crossed that all goes well. We've lost enough climbers in the mountains already this year.

Broad Peak hasn't been particularly accommodating to climbers this summer as it has also been reported that four Polish climbers have suffered frostbite on their summit bid earlier this week. It isn't clear how bad the frostbite is but it is enough that a helicopter was expected to arrive in Base Camp today to evacuate the four men. That would indicate to me that at least one of them has fairly severe injuries but hopefully they'll all make a full recovery.

Over on Nanga Parbat, the Romanian team climbing the Rupal Face has reached 7500 meters (24,606 ft) and established their High Camp there. If conditions continue to hold out they should make their final summit push this weekend. After the murders that took place in BC on the Diamir Face, this is the only team that remains on the mountain this summer. It would be good to see them successfully top out.

Teams are now on the move on both Gasherbrum I and II with climbers hoping to summit the next few days. The big news on these peaks at the moment is the burial of Polish climbing legend Artur Hajzer, who died on GI back on July 7. Hajzer fell to his death on the Japanese Couloir and his family determined that he would have wanted to be buried on the mountain. That took place a few days ago with the help from a few of his friends. Rest in peace Artur.

According to Jon Kedrowski, four members of his team, all of whom are from Belgium, are now making summit bids on Gasherbrum I. There is a narrow weather window open and while Jon and his guide are waiting for a better opportunity, these four climbers decided to give it a go. If they are successful, they should top out early next week.

Similarly, Chris Jensen Burke has completed her acclimatization on GII and should now be back in BC waiting for a weather window of her own. No word yet on when that might come, but a shift in weater was expected to take place late this week which could provide the opening she and her team needs.

Finally, over on K2 teams have now gone as high as Camp 3 and acclimatizations are proceeding as expected. Most are starting to look at the weather forecasts to see if a five-day window will be coming soon. That's how long they'll need to travel from BC to the summit and then begin their descent back down. Right now, there doesn't appear to be such a window on the horizon, but summits on the "Savage Mountain" often come in late July or early August. Expect more teams to start arriving on the mountain soon however as some will attempt K2 after warming up on one of the other big peaks in the region.

That's all for now. Expect more updates next week following possible summits in the next few days.

While I was away on my own adventure, the climbing season in Pakistan has continued apace. Bad weather caused some delays over the past week and a half, but things are starting to improve now and teams are back on the move. It continues to be a very rough year in the mountaineering community however as another big name perishes in the Karakoram.

A few days ago the sad news was posted to Facebook that Polish mountaineering legend Artur Hajzer died on his descent of Gasherbrum I. There are very few details of what happened but he apparently passed away near Camp 2. His family is still deciding if they want to bring his body home or have it buried on the mountain. Artur was a real trailblazer in terms of climbing in the big mountains and he has been a leader of the climbing scene in Poland for a number of years. He will certainly be missed.

With that sad news out of the way we do get the positive update that the first summit of the summer season in Pakistan has been claimed on Broad Peak. According to Karakoram Climber News, Marty and Denali Schmidt topped out on that mountain yesterday, which was expected to be a big day on BP. No word yet if any other team on the mountain managed to reach the summit as well, but it seems likely that others took advantage of the weather window as well. The father and son team will now turn their attention to K2 with the hopes of a summit on that mountain as well.

Speaking of K2, the mountain is living up to its reputation as being one of the tougher peaks in the world to climb. Poor weather has made it a challenge for everyone so far this summer, but that is typically case in mid-July. Summits don't usually come until early August, so there is still time for progress to be made. Several teams have established Camp 2 on the mountain and with improved weather they are making their way up to C3 this week. More teams will be arriving their soon as they wrap up their efforts on Broad Peak and other peaks used in acclimatization.

The lone remaining team on Nanga Parbat is the Romanian squad on the Rupal Face. They have launched their summit bid as well and depending on conditions could top out as early as tomorrow. Thursday or Friday seems more likely however, so look for this expedition to wrap up within the next few days.

As I get back on my regular posting schedule I'll provide more detailed updates on the progress of the teams. Things are starting to come together now in Pakistan, so we should see more summits in the next week or so. After that, it's on to K2, the crown jewel of the region, if not all of mountaineering.

Just a quick update from Pakistan today to keep everyone posted on the progress there. The teams are on the move once again and after the travel disruption of last week, things appear to be returning to normal now. There are numerous climbers now making their way to Base Camps across the region, particularly on K2 and the Gasherbrums, as well as some of the smaller peaks throughout the area. They'll have to get to work as soon as possible if they hope to make up some of the time they missed while waiting for the government to reopen travel to Skardu, but provided the weather remains cooperative they should still have an opportunity to achieve their goals this summer.

The biggest news at the moment is of a pair of summit bids. First, we knew the German team on Broad Peak was preparing to begin their final push and they should be on their way to the top of that mountain today. The weather was expected to improve as the week went along and if those forecasts turn out to be accurate, we should receive word on successful summits in the next day or two.

The other team that should be close to launching their summit bid is the Romanian squad on Nanga Parbat. The team is on the Rupal Face and wasn't anywhere near the Diamir camp, which is where the brutal murders took place last week. The last report had the Romnians wrapping up their acclimatization efforts a few days back and they're just waiting for a weather window to open so they can proceed up.

Elsewhere, Mike Horn and his climbing mates have arrived in Base Camp on K2. They'll soon start working their way up as they acclimatize and build their higher camps. They hope to not only summit the extremely tough mountain this year but also paraglide from the summit.

Base Camp on Gasherbrum I and II have started to welcome more teams as well as those who have been trekking for a few days are now starting to arrive. Jon Kedrowski is one of those making that trek and while he's been on he trail for several days, he still has about 40 miles (64 km) to go before he arrives. Also on that same trek is Chris Jensen Burke who has her sights set on a Gasherbrum summit as well.

We're in a strange place at the moment. We have a couple of teams about to attempt the summit and then wrap up their expeditions and we have a host of others who are still making their way to Base Camp. Traditionally K2 summits take place in the first week of August however, so the climbers still have plenty time to get everything together before the season wraps up.

Stay tuned for more.

A week removed from the heinous crimes that took place in Base Camp on Nanga Parbat and there is a sense of normalcy starting to return to the mountains in Pakistan. That awful scene isn't forgotten, but the teams have certainly gotten back to work and are now planning the phases of their expeditions.

No where is that more evident than on Broad Peak where the German team is now preparing for a summit bid. The weather hasn't been all that cooperative the past few days and there has been plenty of snow falling in BC, but conditions are expected to slowly improve over the next few days, so the team expects to move up to Camp 2 tomorrow, followed by Camp 3 on Wednesday. That would put them in position to make a summit bid on Thursday provided everything goes as planned. The Germans are joining forces with an Austrian team for the final push, which will see 22 climbers from the combiend squads as well as seven climbers from Pakistan. It'll be a big push getting underway in just a few days and hopefully everyone gets up and down safely.

Things are progressing on Gasherbrum I and II where there are only a couple of small teams who are enjoying relative solitude this summer. More teams are on the way however, so Base Camp is likely to get a bit more crowded in the days ahead. The Polish team that includes Artur Hajzer reports that they have now climbed as high as 7000 meters (22,965 ft), fixing new ropes as they go. Weather has been challenging and at the moment they're back in BC waiting for an opportunity to go back up, but so far they're happy with their steady progress. The plan is to climb both GI and GII in the weeks ahead, while also scouting for a possible return for winter ascents on those peaks.

Over on K2 there is a sense of expectation as things haven't really started to ramp up too much there just yet. There are a number of teams heading to that mountain this summer, but several of them were delayed getting out of Islamabad last week due to the travel restrictions imposed in the aftermath of the Nanga Parbat massacre. They are mostly all on the trail to BC now after flying to Skardu and driving to Askole at the end of last week. Now they'll be trekking in to Base Camp which will take the better part of a week to complete. I would expect to see some of those teams arriving on K2 by next weekend.

Finally, the Romanian team that is the only group still on Nanga Parbat are continuing their expedition despite the fact that everyone else has gone home. This squad is climbing on the Rupal Face of course and not the Diamir route, which is where the attacks occurred. The team was in BC at the end of last week but as the weather improves they will be heading back up in the next day or two as well.

Good luck to everyone as they all prepare for the next phase of their climbs. Stay safe!

Following the tragic events that took place in Base Camp on Nanga Parbat earlier this week there has been a lot of uncertainty amongst the climbers in Pakistan. The government and military there were quick to take action to try to maintain security while also investigating exactly what happened when gunmen stormed BC and killed nearly a dozen people, most of whom were foreign climbers. In the wake of those events, the Karakoram Highway was closed down for awhile and flights into Skardu were cancelled, keeping many of the climbers stuck in Islamabad while they waited for an opportunity to travel to their ultimate destinations. Thankfully the traffic has started moving at last and numerous climbers who were stuck in the capital are now on the move at last.

Amongst those climbers is Adrian Hayes who has his sights set on K2 this summer. Adrian updated his blog this morning with news that he has left Islamabad and arrived by air to Skardu where he reports a warm welcome by the locals. Next, he and the rest of his team, will head to Askole where they'll start the week long trek to Base Camp, but at this point they're just happy to be on the move.

Similarly, Mike Horn and his climbing mates have checked in from Skardu as well and are happy to be on the move at last. They're also heading to K2 as well and if all goes according to plan, they'll be paragliding off the summit. There is a lot of work to be done before then however, all of which starts with simply just getting into camp.

You can also add Jon Kedrowski to your list of climbers that have arrived in Skardu too. He is enjoying some downtime in his hotel today, with an excellent view I might add, while he waits to continue on to Askole as well. He notes that Skardu is a quiet, peaceful town where the locals seldom even bother to lock their doors. Geographically speaking it isn't all that far from Nanga Parbat, but it is isolated by a wall of massive peaks that also makes NP a world away.

There was good news for the Romanian team that remained on Nanga Parbat following the massacre there. The attack occurred on the Diamir Face where most of the teams were climbing and in the aftermath of the killings, Pakistani officials cleared BC and for the most part the teams are now heading home. But there was a lone Romanian squad on the Rupal Face that was awaiting word of their fate. They were afraid that they would also be asked to abandon their expedition and head home, but they learned yesterday that that will not be the case. They will be allowed to stay and continue their climb.

In related news, Pakistani officials say they have identified the attackers and are searching for them now. They say they remain at large but are confined to the Diamer district, where they are being pursued at this time. Identification was made after 30-40 suspects were taken into custody and interrogated over the past few days. I'm sure those "interrogations" were probably not a lot of fun for those involved, but hopefully those responsible for this heinous act will be brought to justice soon.

This is good news all around. It seems that the situation is starting to return to normal in Pakistan and the government has taken measures to ensure security is maintained. Earlier in the week we learned that there were soldiers in Concordia, a key crossroads on the trek to K2 and Broad Peak, so it seems that the threat of these militants is being taken very seriously. Hopefully now everyone can concentrate on climbing and not worry about another attack.

Be safe everyone!

The tragic events that occurred on Nanga Parbat this week have left the climbers in Pakistan stunned and saddened. It has been a difficult couple of days, even on the peaks that are nowhere near the site of the murders and fear and uncertainty have taken hold to an extent. But these teams are there for a reason and work has continued across the Himalaya and Karakoram despite the unexpected challenges that have arisen.

It should come as no surprise that the teams have all but abandoned Nanga Parbat altogether. Many climbers avoided the massacre simply because they were in Camp 1 and 2 when the gunmen attacked Base Camp on the Diamir Face. Those men and women were escorted safely off the mountain as soon as the Pakistani military could get onsite. A lone Romanian team remains on the Rupal Face where they await word if they will be forced to leave as well. The climbers have expressed that they would prefer to stay and attempt to climb the mountain, but the Pakistani government may ask them to depart in order to maintain safety.

Elsewhere, things are much quieter. The German team climbing Broad Peak has now gone up to Camp 3 as part of their acclimatization process and only learned of the events on Nanga Parbat upon their return to BC. They indicate that Pakistani military has moved into the area and have secured the trail to Concordia, a cross roads for those trekking to BP or nearby K2. The Germans say that the weather has been perfect for the past two weeks, although there are indications that a storm could bring snowfall before the end of the week. After that, they'll start eyeing the summit and hope to have an opportunity to make their push starting as early as this weekend.

Over on the Gasherbrums the Polish team is now in Base Camp and beginning their acclimatization rounds. Artur Hajzer is part of this squad that hopes to bag both GI and GII in the same season. They're also scouting the area for a possible return in the winter. We all know how much the Poles enjoy their winter climbs in Pakistan.

Al Hancock and Adrian Hayes have their sights set on K2 this summer, but at the moment they can't even get out of Islamabad. Adrian reports that the Pakistani government has halted travel for foreigners into the mountains for the time being while they sort out the situation and look to secure the area. As a result, a number of teams (and trekkers) are currently stuck waiting for an opportunity to leave the capital and get on with their adventures. There is no indication as to when that might happen, so for now they sit and wait. He does note that things are absolutely safe in Islamabad and that his team has heard from a number of Pakistanis who have expressed outrage and sympathy over the Nanga Parbat murders.

These stories give you an indication of where things are at in Pakistan at the moment. Some of the teams are waiting their opportunity to move out of Islamabad while others are either already on their mountain or in transit now. Those that were on Nanga Parbat are mostly back in the capital now and are preparing to head home. I can only imagine how they must feel.

I'll post more news as it comes in.

The mountaineering community continues to be stunned by the events that took place in Base Camp on Nanga Parbat this past weekend. Late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning a group of armed militants stormed the camp, grabbed several foreign climbers, tied them up and shot them in the back of the head, execution style. This left 11 dead, including a Pakistani guide and a cook. The names of the fallen are as follows.

Ukrainian Victims:
Igor Svergun
Kashaev Magomedovich Badawi
Konyaev Dmitry Sergeyevich

Chinese Victims:

Rao Jianfeng
Yang Chunfeng
Honglu Chen (held dual US/China citizenship)

Lithuanian Victim:

Ernestas Marksaitis (ExWeb says he was the only member of his team in BC, the rest were in Camp 1)

Slovakian Victims:

Anton Dobes
Peter Sperka

Nepali Victim: 

Sona Sherpa

There have been some reports that Base Camp has been shut down on the Diamir Face while the authorities in Pakistan investigate the incident. Yesterday the military was even turning back climbers traveling to the mountain. There is no word yet if the camp will be shut down for the season and as you can imagine there is still a lot of shock and grief that people there are dealing with. 

It has been a strange year for mountaineering news. During the Everest season we were all shocked over the conflict that erupted between the climbers from Europe and the local Sherpas, which could have cost some people their lives. This situation isn't at all like that one and the senseless violence is even more alarming. Pakistan has always been a safe place for trekkers and mountaineers, but that may no longer be the case. Lets just hope this is an isolated incident and not the start of some awful new trend. 

I continue to offer my condolences to the friends and families of these victims. 

I'm sure by now many of you have heard the tragic news that came out of Pakistan this weekend where a group of gunmen stormed Base Camp on Nanga Parbat and killed 10 climbers there. The incident took place in BC on the Diamir Face at approximately 10 PM on Saturday evening when the gunman stormed the camp, tied up the climbers and proceeded to shoot them. The dead include three Ukrainians, two Chinese, two Slovakians, one Chinese-American, one Lithuanian and one Nepali. The killers also shot and killed a Pakistani guide.

A branch of the Pakistani Taliban has taken responsibility for the action which is the first of its kind against mountaineers. They say that the killings were in retaliation for an American drone strike that killed one of their leaders.

Nanga Parbat, much like the other 8000-meter peaks in Pakistan, is located in a very remote region of the country. It takes days of travel just to get to BC and it is far from any major cities or towns. Regional police have moved into the area now however and have closed it off to travelers. There have even been reports that some climbers who were still in transit have been turned back for now. Alan Arnette estimates that there are more than 50 climbers still on Nanga Parbat and he says that eight Sherpas were fixing lines higher up the mountain when the attack happened. There is no word yet if the teams will be allowed to stay or if they'll be forced to leave BC. There have been no reports of violence on any of the other big peaks in the country at this time.

While everyone who travels to Pakistan knows that the country has some dangerous areas the mountains have always been safe to climbers. Most visitors say that the capital of Islamabad can be challenging, but once you've left the city behind and head out into the countryside, it is a safe place to be. There are militant factions throughout the country, but for the most part they have left the mountaineers alone. It is too early to say if this will become a trend and climbers will begin to think twice before traveling there, but it certainly is unsettling news.

My condolences go out to the friends and families of those who were senselessly murdered. They traveled to Pakistan thinking they were going on an adventure and their lives were taken by violent men seeking revenge against a group of people who had nothing to do with the drone strike that sparked this incident.

It is all such a waste.

The summer Pakistani climbing season is starting to get a bit busier as more teams are now arriving in their respective base camps and have started the acclimatization process. After spending days trekking to their start positions, most are only now getting settled and turning their attention to the task at hand. Much like climbing Everest, or one of the other big Himalayan peaks in Nepal or Tibet, they'll now proceed to build a series of high camps and stock them with gear in preparation for an eventual summit pushes. But we're a long way from that and there is still a lot of work to be done.

Of course, the crown jewel of climbing in Pakistan – if not the world – is K2 and as usual there are a number of talented teams who will be testing themselves on what is arguably the toughest mountain in the world to climb. Amongst them is the three-man squad of Mike Horn, Fred Roux and Kobi Reichen who intend to climb in alpine style and without bottled oxygen. Weather permitting, Mike and Fred also hope to paraglide from the summit, but that remains a pipe dream at point. The three men arrived in Islamabad a week ago and there has been little word on their progress thus far. Presumably they are on their way to Base Camp at the moment along with a slew of other teams.

Also returning to K2 this year is Canadian climber Al Hancock who is on the same expedition as Adrian Hayes. Al attempted K2 last year but was forced to turn back due to bad weather. He's hoping his fortunes will be better this time out. The team will gather in Pakistan this Friday and intend to depart for Skardu on Sunday.

Basque climber Alex Txikon will be joined by his climbing partners Ferran Latorre and Felix Garcia on K2 this summer as well. They arrived in Pakistan this past weekend and are now en route to BC. They're being followed closely by an 8-person, all-Japanese team that is led by 46-year old Kitamura Seiichi. An international squad, consisting mostly of climbers from Australia and New Zealand are also headed to the mountain. Elsewhere, the teams have already started working their routes. For instance, the German team on Broad Peak arrived in BC last week and has slowly watched a small tent-city spring up around them as other teams arrive. Base Camp is located at 4800 meters (15,748 ft) and the team has already established Camp 1 at 5700 meters (18,700 ft). At the moment they're focused on shuttling gear to Camp 2, where they'll also acclimatize for a few nights. Once they've finished that process, they'll already have climbed as high as 6400 meters (20,997 ft). 

A team of Polish climbers is en route to Broad Peak after arriving in Pakistan over the weekend. Their objective is not to climb to the summit necessarily but instead they hope to recover the bodies of their fallen comrades –Maciej Berbeka and Tomasz Kowalski – who died while making the first winter ascent of the mountain. This expedition will be a difficult one for all involved, even if they don't go to the summit. Maciej's brother Jacek is on the team and he will no doubt wrestle with a lot of emotions while on the mountain. 

Over on Nanga Parbat, poor weather has made for tough going so far. A Romanian team has established Advanced Base Camp and climbed to C1 last week on the Rupal Face. But heavy snow has put a halt to their efforts for now. Other teams on the Diamir route have faced similar weather conditions, which has made it very difficult to fix ropes for those climbing on that side of the mountain.

Teams are now approaching Base Camp on the Gasherbrums too, with several squads targeting either GI, GII or both mountains. Amongst them is the Polish team of Artur Hajzer and Marcin Kaczkan who are still making their way to the massif. They will be attempting the double-summit this summer for sure. Also, it seems paragliding may be the new craze in mountaineering, as ExWeb has an interview with Sofie Lenaerts who hopes to make a slol flight from GII later in the season. 

More news to come in the days ahead. The Pakistani climbing season is still ramping up and it should prove quite interesting as we get deeper into it. 

As I mentioned a few days ago, the 2013 climbing season is now officially open and teams are now arriving in Base Camps across the Himalaya and Karakoram in Pakistan. Most are just starting to get settled in and are launching their first round of acclimatization rotations as they prepare for the challenges that are ahead. While there won't be nearly as many teams in the region as there are in Nepal and Tibet in the spring, the next six weeks or so will be very busy on a number of big mountains.

The 8000-meter peaks in Pakistan have a reputation for being incredibly difficult to climb with all five of them offering its own unique challenge. Chief amongst them is K2, perhaps the toughest mountain in the world. Despite the challenges of climbing that beast, the second tallest mountain on the planet will see plenty of visitors this summer. One of them is explorer Mike Horn, who fresh off his Pangaea Expedition is not returning to the mountains. He'll be joined by his teammates Fred Roux and Köbe Reichen, who he has climbed in Pakistan with in the past. The men left for Islamabad yesterday and aren't like to arrive in BC until sometime next week, when they'll begin their climb. Interestingly enough, both Mike and Fred are carrying paragliders with them and hope to sail off the summit should they reach that point.

Also departing for K2 next week is Adrian Hayes, who in the past has visited the Three Poles – North Pole, South Pole and Everest. He says he's been planning this expedition for three years and training extremely hard for the past six months, so now he's ready to take on the challenge too. He'll leave for Pakistan in a week and share his experiences at every step of the way.

A Japanese team is currently trekking to K2 BC and a second team made up of international climbers is expected in country this weekend. Considering it takes a few days to organize gear once they reach Islamabad, then fly or drive to Skardu, before proceeding on to Askole by 4x4, followed by a 7-8 day trek, it'll be a little while before Base Camp really starts to bustle.
The Broad Peak Team led by Michael Haselsteiner and Reinhard Auzinger is still trekking to Base Camp but should arrive by today. There has been little word from the group since they set out from Askole last week, but they should be close to their destination by now. Hopefully they'll be settled into BC soon and begin sharing progress reports.

Over on Nanga Parbat, things are starting to get interesting. A Ukrainian team arrived in Base Camp there on Sunday and started their first rotation up to Camp 1 yesterday. They likely spent the night there and should be on their way back to BC today. Meanwhile, Polish climber Artur Hajzer is now en route to Skardu before he head s to Nanga as well.

Finally, ExWeb is reporting that a German team is headed for the Gasherbrums to climb both GI and GII. They should have arrived in Skardu today before proceeding on from there. ExWeb also says that Spaniard Patxi Goni and Oscar Cadiach are teaming to take on Hidden Peak this summer as well.

Stay tuned for more in the days ahead. The Pakistani climbing season is just ramping up and we'll have plenty of more news to come in the weeks ahead.

As I mentioned last week, now that the spring climbing season in Nepal and Tibet is wrapped up, many climbers are now headed to Pakistan to take on the massive peaks that exist in that country. Those mountains include Nanga Parbat, the Gasherbrums, Broad Peak and of course K2. Teams have now begun to arrive in Islamabad and some have even started their journeys toward their respective mountains, most of which are located in such remote areas that it'll take them days just to get to Base Camp.

As usual, it appears there will be a number of expeditions heading to each of the 8000-meter Pakistani peaks this spring. Some are going with a single specific goal in mind, such as Tunc Findik's efforts to summit Nanga Parbat. He arrived in country this past weekend and is now getting ready to depart the capital for BC. Tunc hopes to summit the mountain without the use of supplemental oxygen. His team obviously won't be the only one on the mountain this summer, as it is actually expected to be quite crowded in Base Camp there, particularly with a large international team that is said to include nearly 20 climbers. One team, consisting of Pakistani climbers Karim Hayyat, Naseer Uddin and Sher Khan is actually already in BC.

Broad Peak will once again be a point of focus with some teams using the mountain as a warm-up before taking on K2. One of the more high profile climbs will be led by Jacek Berbeka, the brother of Maciej Berbeka, who perished on the mountain along with Tomasz Kowalski this past winter. The two men bagged the first winter summit of BP but died upon the descent .Jacek hopes to scale the mountain where he hopes to bring the body of his brother and his friend down to Base Camp or give them a proper burial on the mountain. That should be an emotional expedition to follow indeed.

Also on BP will be the German team led by Michael Haselsteiner and Reinhard Auzinger. The group has been in Pakistan for a few days now and have already begun their trek to Base Camp. On Friday the team left Askole, the final populated village before hitting the trail and they have been on the March ever since. The plan is to arrive in BC on Wednesday of this week and then get started with the acclimatization process.

On the Gasherbrums perhaps the most audacious climb will be the attempt by Polish alpinists Artur Hajzer and Marcin Kaczkan to summit both GI and GII without oxygen. They arrived in Islamabad yesterday and will spend a few days there organizing gear before departing for the mountains.

K2 will have at least two teams attempting to climb it this year. One is Japanese squad and the other is a mixed international team organized by Lela Peak. As always, those teams will have one of the toughest challenges in all of mountaineering ahead of them as the "Savage Peak" is relentless and unforgiving.

Stay tuned for more updates as the season begins to ramp up more fully. I'll add new teams to my watch list as their websites become known. It should be another interesting summer in Pakistan.

As I mentioned last week, now that the the spring climbing season in the Himalaya is over, the mountaineering community is turning its attention elsewhere. A considerable amount of that attention is currently focused on Denali in Alaska, but the summer climbing season in Pakistan is also starting to gain momentum. While the country doesn't have the number of 8000 meter peaks that Nepal has, it certainly is home to some of the more difficult climbs around. Over the next two months, some of the top alpinists in the world will surely be testing their skills on those mountains.

Chief amongst the Pakistani big peaks is K2 of course. Standing just 237 meters (777 ft) shorter than Everest, it is the second tallest mountain on the planet. It just might be the toughest to climb however. Due to its myriad of technical and logistical challenges, not to mention unpredictable weather, K2 has earned itself a reputation for being the "mountaineer's mountain." Its harsh and unrelenting challenges, which has resulted in the second highest fatality-to-summit rate (behind Annapurna), has also earned it the nickname of the "Savage Mountain." Successful summits are few and far between on this peak, although there will no doubt be several teams trying it again this year.

Other 8000 meter peaks in Pakistan include Broad Peak (8051 m/26,414 ft), Gasherbrum I (8080 m/26,444 ft) and II (8034 m/26,358 ft) and Nanga Parbat (8126 m/26,660 ft). Each of those mountains presents its own unique challenges that sets them apart from each other and the Himalayan peaks that are typically climbed in Nepal and Tibet. Nanga Parbat for instance is known for its incredibly difficult technical challenges while BP requires a great deal of endurance to summit. The Gasherbrums happen to be quite remote, even by the standards of these big mountains, which presents some difficulties just getting to Base Camp.

Throughout June and July we'll get updates from these, and likely other mountains in Pakistan. Some teams will go to acclimatize on Broad Peak then attempt K2. Others will be satisfied with taking on just one of these mountains. And while it won't be nearly as active as the Himalayan climbing season, there will still be plenty of news to report and interesting stories to tell. Hopefully I can do my best to help share some of them with you.

Stay tuned for more updates in the days ahead. Climbers are just now arriving in Islamabad and the Pakistani climbing season is just about to get underway.

The 2013 Piolets d’Or (Golden Axe) nominees were announced yesterday, spotlighting some of the biggest and boldest mountaineering feats of last year. Six expeditions were given the nod, including a couple of climbs that we followed closely as they unfolded throughout 2012. Each of the six nominees climbed peaks of at least 6000 meters (19,685 ft) in height. Three of the climbs took place in Pakistan, two in India and one in Nepal.

The six nominees include the following expeditions:

• South Face of the Ogre in Pakistan by Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, and Josh Wharton
• Complete Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat in Pakistan by Sandy Allan and Rick Allen
• Northeast Spur of Muztagh Tower in Pakistan by Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange, and Sergey Nilov
• Southwest Face of Kamet in India by Sébastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sébastien Moatti, and Sébastien Ratel
• Northeast Ridge of Shiva in India by Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden
• South Pillar of Kyashar in Nepal by Tatsuya Aoki, Yasuhiro Hanatani and Hiroyoshi Manome

The winners of this years awards will be announced at a mountain festival to be held in Chamonix, France and Courmayeur, Italy from April 3-6. The selection will be made by an all-star jury that consists of British climbing legend Stephen Venables; Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, the first woman to climb all the 8,000-meter peaks without supplementary oxygen; Slovenian climber Silvo Karo; and Japanese mountaineer Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama.

Each of these expeditions is worthy of gaining recognition, but I am completely biased in favor of the Mazeno Ridge ascent. What Sandy Allan and Rick Allen accomplished over 18-days on that climb is simply amazing and for my money is one of the boldest mountaineering expeditions in a half-century. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they earn a little recognition for their climb.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated and good luck!

Reports out of Pakistan are starting to sound a bit like a broken record. The entire region is stuck in a bad weather pattern and it is keeping the climbers locked in place while they wait and watch the skies. The forecast doesn't look particularly good over the next few days, which means that one team will remain in Base Camp waiting for an opportunity to go up, while another waits to discover what has become of a lost climber.

On Broad Peak there is little news from the Polish team that is hoping to make the first ascent of that 8051-meter (26,414 ft) mountain. They were forced back from the summit early last week and have been in BC ever since. They are still hoping that conditions will improve and give them a shot at completing their climb, but the forecasts indicate that bad weather will remain over their position late into this week. If that holds true, they'll be unable to move up for another couple of days and they'll have to hope that their high camps remain in position when they start their next summit bids. One thing is for sure, they'll certainly be rested and ready to give it another go if a weather window does actually open.

The weather report on Nanga Parbat isn't any better as that mountain is expecting heavy snows throughout the week. Considering nearly everyone has left Nanga for the season, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. But search and rescue teams remain on the Rupal Face where they have been searching for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski and the poor weather conditions are not helping their cause any.

Wischnewski set off on a solo summit bid nearly three weeks ago and hasn't been heard from since. The SAR team has gone has high as Camp 2, which was his launching point on February 6, but there has been no sign of the climber. Since he was traveling in alpine style there is little gear to be found and because the weather has been so awful, no one has been able to go above C2 in their search. It could be another three or four days before they'll have the opportunity to go up, but at this point we have to wonder if they'll ever find anything at point.

I've tried to remain optimistic about Joel's wellbeing over the past 2+ weeks, but it seems the writing is on the wall. It seems nearly impossible that he could still be alive and healthy after this long on the mountain. At this point it seems the search teams are simply looking for his remains to try to figure out exactly what happened to him. I no longer believe that this story will have a happy ending.

My condolences to Joel's friends and family. It must be awful to simply sit and wait for news. Stay strong.

Just a couple of short updates from Pakistan this morning as we head into the weekend. Not much has changed in the past few days, but I wanted to share what little information we have at the  moment.

On Nanga Parbat the search continues for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski. After being forced down by poor weather earlier in the week, the team of high altitude porters who have gone looking for him had hoped to climb back up to Camp 2 yesterday and possibly go higher. There has been absolutely no sign of Wischnewski who now hasn't been heard from in more than two weeks. Because he was climbing in alpine style however, there are no fixed camps to search for. He had all of his gear with him when he set out for his summit push on February 6. That means he could be stuck in a tent, high on the mountain and currently out of reach. If that is the case, he has to be running low on food and fuel by now, regardless of his health.

I'm sure friends, family and the mountaineering community that has been following his climb are still hoping for a miracle, but the chances of him coming down safely now seems incredibly small. Over the past two weeks the weather hasn't been good on Nanga and he would have had to endure that at altitude. Not impossible of course, but highly unlikely during the bitterly cold winter. I think everyone should be preparing themselves for bad news at this point.

Over on Broad Peak the Polish team continues to sit and wait in Base Camp. After being turned back on a summit bid last weekend, they'll now rest and prepare for another window that could give them access to the top of the mountain once again. The problem is, the weather forecast indicates that high winds have now settled over BP and are expected to remain there well into next week. That means it could be the first March before the Poles get another shot at going up. And this being winter in Pakistan, that next weather window may never come. Still, they'll wait it out until the bitter end, hoping to nab the first winter ascent of the mountain and with a month to go until spring arrives, they should get at least one more chance. For now, we all wait and watch the skies.

That's all for today. Hopefully there will be some more news next week.

It has been another difficult year for the winter climbers in Pakistan where the weather conditions have once again been extremely difficult to overcome. But the season isn't over just yet and one team has found success by putting up the first winter ascent of a mountain in the Karakoram.

ExWeb is reporting that Alex Txikon and Jose Fernandez were successful in their bid to climb Laila Peak, topping out on Monday,  February 18. The 6096 meter (20,000 ft) mountain located in the Hushe Valley didn't make it easy on them however. The two men battled high winds and snow that was chest deep at times just to reach the summit. Their final push took ten hours to complete, with the descent requiring another four.

Alex and Jose say that wind speeds on the final push were in excess of 60 km/h (37 mph) and temperatures were hovering around -35ºC/-31ºF before taking into account the windchill. Exhausted from their efforts, the climbers spent the night in Camp 2 with two teammates who turned back earlier in the day due to injuries. All four have since descended to Base Camp where they are resting and preparing to head home.

Congrats to Alex and Jose on a job well done.

On Nanga Parbat search and rescue teams continued to look for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski. It has been two weeks since we last heard anything from him as he started a summit push up the Rupal face that was expected to take three days to complete. The SAR team reached Camp 2 yesterday but still found no trace of the man. The rescue effort had to be halted however as bad weather prevented them from going any higher. Heavy snow and high winds are now expected over the next few days, so it will likely be the weekend before they can even think of proceeding higher.

After so long on the mountain without word, it is getting increasingly more difficult to see a happy ending on this one. Supplies would have to be running very low at this point and if he was capable of coming back down, he probably would have by now. I'm still hoping for the best, but reality is setting in.

Finally, the Polish team on Broad Peak has returned to BC to wait for another weather window. They had made a summit push over the weekend and into the first part of the week, reaching as high as 7800 meters (25,590 ft), but once again it was the poor weather that turned them back. The team has posted a recap of that "attack" on the summit, which you can read here.

For now, the entire squad will rest and watch the forecasts closely. They still have a few more weeks of winter left and with most of the work done, they simply wait for an opportunity to go up. All of their ropes are fixed, they're acclimatized to the weather and altitude and they're regaining their strength for another push. Lets hope they get the opportunity to have another go.

Daniele Nardi and Elisabeth Revol have just returned home from their attempt at a winter ascent of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan and now have shared another video from the mountain. The duo were attempting to climb the Mummery Face but like everyone else, were turned back by high winds, deep snow and bitterly cold temperatures. In the video, they spend the first minute and half explaining their route using a photo from a book. After that footage from the climb takes over giving us an idea of just how difficult the climb really was. It is some very impressive footage from the peak and indicates what the climbers were dealing with there the past few months.

Nanga Parbat Winter - videonews 07 - Mummery attempt 2 from Daniele Nardi on Vimeo.

More news from Pakistan this morning where weather has once again put a temporary halt to a summit attempt and the search continues for a missing climber who hasn't been heard from in two weeks.

Yesterday I posted that the Polish team on Broad Peak was in the middle of a summit push as they strove to take advantage of an open weather window. It turns out that window didn't last as high winds moved over the summit of the mountain. Two climbers got as high as 7820 meters (25,656 ft) before turning back as visibility decreased and the already frigid temperatures began to drop further.

Two other  two-man squads were standing by to make their attempts but as conditions worsened, the entire team decided to return to Base Camp. All are safely in BC now and will wait to make another attempt as the forecast permits. There is no word yet as to when that might possibly happen.

Meanwhile, the search continues on Nanga Parbat for missing French snowboarder Joel Wischnewski. According to ExWeb, the SAR team has now climbed as high as Camp 1 but they still haven't seen any signs of Joel. They reached that point yesterday and hoped to climb higher today, although the weather forecasts indicate heavy snows moving into the region over the next three days.

The last we heard from Wischnewski he was climbing above Camp 2 in an attempt to make the summit in a three-day push. That was on February 6. Unfortunately, that doesn't bode well for the man who was climbing solo and already quite sick before he set out. Hopes have to be growing dim at this point, but he was well supplied and it is possible he is still holed up somewhere without any way to communicate. That seems increasingly unlikely to me at this point, but it isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Hopefully we'll know more soon.