Pritam Bhattarai
Kathmandu, Jan 17: The Nepali mountaineering industry has observed January 16 as the day when Nepali climbers made history by making first winter ascent of K2.
On January 16, 2021, 10 Nepali mountaineers (Nine Sherpas and one Magar) stood atop the world’s second highest peak (8,611 metres), a rare feat achieved by Nepali climbers, setting a world record.
K2, described by Reinhold Messner as the Mountaineer’s Mountain, is notoriously known for being the toughest and deadliest mountain on the planet. It is reported that approximately one person dies on the mountain for every four who reach the summit.
It has a higher fatality rate for climbers than Mount Everest, earning it the nickname “Savage Mountain.”
K2 was the last 8,000er to be scaled in winter after Nanga Parbat was climbed in 2016. The mountain is considered almost impossible to climb in winter due to challenges posed by technical and weather challenges. The peak is generally attempted in July or August when the temperature is warner. There were six winter attempts on the mountain since the first attempt in late 1987/88, but none of them successful.
“The achievement was historic as a team of only Nepali Sherpa made it to the top of K2 in winter,” said Chang Dawa Sherpa, the director for Seven Summit Treks, a Kathmandu-based trekking and expedition company, who parallelly led the winter K2 expedition alongside other operators. The expedition had lasted more than a month. The climbers who achieved the feat were Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Nirmal Purja, GeljeSherpa, Mingma David Sherpa, Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, Dawa Temba Sherpa, Pem Chhiri Sherpa, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Dawa Tenjing Sherpa, and Sona Sherpa.
Meanwhile, recalling the historic moment, SST has extended congratulations and appreciations to the entire expedition team, including those who played a role in fixing the route from Base Camp to higher camps, basecamp support staff, and others.
“We are proud of this expedition as a collective achievement for the Nepali Mountaineering and its mountaineers,” it said.
