Anyone following the winter action on K2?

[Candace66]

Waldemar Kowalewski, on his second winter attempt of K2, noted that this time has been much colder. “In Base Camp at 5,000m, the thermometer in my tent dropped from -33º to -37ºC [-27 F to -34 F],” he said. “Two winters ago, I registered from -22º to -26ºC [-7 F to -15 F].” Kowalewski spent this New Year’s Eve in Camp 1 at -40ºC [-40 F].

For the next few days, K2 climbers will struggle to keep themselves warm in Base Camp while waiting for the next good weather window around January 10. After a first rotation to higher camps, all have experienced how hard winter in the Karakorum can get. Now, stuck in their wind-battered tents as temperatures drop to -50ºC [-58 F], they’ll have to try to avoid wondering, “What am I doing here?”

Anymore, I'm dying at 32 F! But that's what happens after you've lived in Las Vegas for a few years.

[Scott P]

I know Mountain Forecast isn't always accurate, but the K2 forecast looks brutal.

In the next seven days, the warmest windchill is forecasted to be -56 while the coldest forecasted temperature is -108, with several days in the -90s and -100s:

https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks ... casts/8612

[justiner]

Well, that doesn't sound too promising,

https://rockandice.com/climbing-news/al ... -jeopardy/

[weakenedwarrior]

Well, that doesn't sound too promising,

https://rockandice.com/climbing-news/al ... -jeopardy/

In the update that he published on his blog yesterday, Alan Arnette was saying that some teams had yet to assess the damage from camp 2 being destroyed but no team is calling off their effort yet and Nim's group and some climbers on the SST team had resumed climbing. Supposedly Colin O'Brady and Jon Kedrowski were going from BC to Camp 1 but got turned around by rock fall. I felt that might have some of you here chuckle.

[justiner]

This s**t is too serious and dangerous for me to armchair schadenfreude through a failed K2 I may be on the side of opinion that thinking one can siege this mountain in Winter with a large team and perhaps misplaced confidence is a bad move. I really think you need to be a small, fast, light and most importantly: an elite team.

Hope decisions are made with clear heads. If they fail, hopefully they'll because conditions just stop them from even starting, rather than unfortunate events near 8,000.

[cottonmountaineering]

This s**t is too serious and dangerous for me to armchair schadenfreude through a failed K2 attempt on K2 tbh. I may be on the side of opinion that thinking one can siege this mountain in Winter with a large team and perhaps misplaced confidence is a bad move. I really think you need to be a small, fast, light and most importantly: elite team.

Hope decisions are made with clear heads. If they fail, hopefully they'll because conditions just stop them from even starting, rather than unfortunate events near 8,000'.

yeah im not sure what their plan is with a commercial expedition there, and only a few people having done a winter climb in the himalayas

[cottonmountaineering]

I know Mountain Forecast isn't always accurate, but the K2 forecast looks brutal.

In the next seven days, the warmest windchill is forecasted to be -56 while the coldest forecasted temperature is -108, with several days in the -90s and -100s:

https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks ... casts/8612

thats gonna be a no for me dawg

[SkaredShtles]

From that R&I article: "Goodwin-Austin Glacier"

Really, R&I?

[HikerGuy]

yeah im not sure what their plan is with a commercial expedition there, and only a few people having done a winter climb in the himalayas

Resume boosting for their ego and to increase speaking fees. Nims Purja is the only one that has/had a serious chance, as you mentioned, the climbing resumes for most everyone else are seriously thin.

[spiderman]

I know Mountain Forecast isn't always accurate, but the K2 forecast looks brutal.

In the next seven days, the warmest windchill is forecasted to be -56 while the coldest forecasted temperature is -108, with several days in the -90s and -100s:

https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks ... casts/8612

Agreed about the skepticism for Mountain Forecast for these big mountains. The -56F windchill sounds quite reasonable. That is not atypical for Denali or Everest during May climbing season.

[Scott P]

From that R&I article: "Goodwin-Austin Glacier"

Really, R&I?

Maybe they wrote it on they're phone using auto-correct?

[Scott P]

the climbing resumes for most everyone else are seriously thin.

Except for Dr. Jon of course. He's so experienced that doesn't have to summit to claim a successful summit because he knows K2 can be done in winter.