Elusive Winter Ascent of K2 Will Have to Wait Another Year | Climbers Turned Back this Weekend

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k2, winter ascent
28,250-foot K2.

A winter ascent of K2 will have to wait for another year as the world’s second-highest peak will go unclimbed this winter. Alex Txikon, Pasang Sherpa, and Cheppal Sherpa had hoped to reach K2’s peak over the weekend, though the weather was not cooperating. They made it as high as 23,130-feet, where they camped to wait out terrific winds that just never died down, reports Adventure Journal.

“The wind got just too high, we were freezing, in spite of the gorgeous blue sky,” Txikon radioed down the mountain at one point.

After waiting out the storm uncomfortably in their tent, but enjoying pristine views, Txikon and Pasang and Cheppal Sherpa decided to descend along the Abruzzi Spur, leaving K2’s winter climb for another party.

“The strong wind didn’t let us climb upwards,” Txikon wrote on Facebook. “Winter K2 resists, but we must respect it. You have to listen to the mountain. This winter has showed us that it is not the time yet. The mountain will always be there, waiting to show us the best winter view of the Karakorum. I will definitely return!”


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