ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday felicitated the team of climbers from Nepal who become the first mountaineers to successfully complete a winter attempt on the summit of K2, the world’s second tallest peak.
Located on the Pakistan-China border, K2 is the only mountain over 8,000 metres that had not been summitted in the winter.
The group of sherpas had paused at a point 70 metres short of the 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) peak to wait for each other before climbing into the world’s history books together at 4:56 pm (IST).
Calling the expedition as “one of the most coveted achievements in mountaineering,” FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri wished the climbers a safe return from the peak.
Heartiest congratulations to team of #Nepali mountaineers on first-ever winter ascent of #K2 🇵🇰, world’s second-highest mountain — one of the most coveted achievements in mountaineering. We wish them a safe return.
🇵🇰: the ultimate destination for mountaineering. #K2winter2021 pic.twitter.com/rF8XmTkrsD
— Spokesperson 🇵🇰 MoFA (@ForeignOfficePk) January 17, 2021
“Pakistan: The ultimate destination of mountaineering,” Chaudhri said on Twitter.
The group were named as Nirmal Purja, Gelje Sherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma G, Sona Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa, and Dawa Tenjing Sherpa.
“The impossible is made possible! #K2winter – history made for mankind, history made for Nepal,” Purja said on Twitter on Saturday.
THE IMPOSSIBLE IS MADE POSSIBLE ! #K2winter – History made for mankind, History made for Nepal !🇳🇵🙏🏼🙌🏼#K2winter #K2winter2021https://t.co/dGCLFBOxB7
— Nirmal Purja MBE (@nimsdai) January 16, 2021
The previous highest altitude achieved on K2 in winter was 7,750 meters by Denis Urubko and Marcin Kaczkan, set nearly two decades ago.
The news of the team successfully ascending the peak was reported a day ago by a trekking company leading one of the expeditions.
Their success was marred by the death on the mountain of renowned Spanish climber Sergio Mingote, who fell down a crevasse as he attempted to make his way down to Base Camp, Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, told Reuters.
First climbed in 1954 by Italian Achille Compagnoni, K2 is notorious for its steep slopes and high winds, and in winter its surface becomes slick ice.
Of the 367 people that had completed its ascent by 2018, 86 had died. Pakistan Army is regularly called in to rescue climbers using helicopters, but the weather often makes that difficult.
The coronavirus pandemic had meant restrictions on travel severely impacted the traditional summer mountaineering season in the Karakoram range and Pakistan in particular, which is home to five of the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 metres.
