Monday, July 26, 2010

K2 2010 - summit bid update - C4 established!

From stu in the usa office
July 26, 2010

K2 summit bid update, 9pm local time: C4 Reached in waist deep snow!


Fabrizio and the group of climbers trying to push the Cesen route through to the shoulder have succeeded in very deep snow! Late in the day, well after 4pm they managed to plow their way up to 7950m and establish the traditional high camp on the Shoulder. It sounds as if the effort was very serious and took a toll on the climbers. As well with conditions so challenging it may be beyond the the ability of the climbers to make their way across the Shoulder, through the Bottleneck, across the traverse, to the summit and return safely. The morning may perhaps see an effort to extend the hard won ground, but it appears likely that they may be satisfied with the effort and return to BC to rest and await more consolidation of the snow high up.

Fabrizio, Gerlinde and others are no strangers to these conditions and last year managed to push quite far up the route in similar deep snow! We’ll see what the morning brings and let you know the very latest when we have it!

Chris has recorded a new audio dispatch with the latest on the summit push and you can listen in for yourself below!



Field Touring Alpine Audio Dispatches at Gabcast





C4 on the Shoulder © fabrizio zangrilli



View to the Bottleneck from C4 on the Shoulder © fabrizio zangrilli

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