David before the summit attempt (© The North Face)

The excitement is increasing. Will there be the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat this weekend or even another failed summit attempt in the long list of unsuccessful winter climbs on this eight-thousander. A new rope team of two climbers has been formed that wants to go up to the highest point at 8125 meters on Saturday. Tomacz called “Tomek” Mackiewicz from Poland and David Goettler from Germany are spending the night in their new Camp 4 at 7000 meters. It was cold with a bit of wind, reported the Italian Emilio Previtali, who is keeping contact with the climbers by radio from basecamp. He is no longer alone there. His compatriot Simone Moro, who has climbed three eight-thousanders firstly in winter, has returned. “He feels okay, but has some stomach trouble,” Emilio writes on Twitter. “Not the right conditions to go up the mountain and be exposed to altitude for days.”

Relatively calm weather

Tomek on Nanga Parbat in 2013

David is feeling good, writes Previtali. For the 35-year-old German it is the first winter expedition at all. He has already climbed five 8000ers, lately Makalu in May 2013. Tomek Mackiewicz doesn’t let up from Nanga Parbat. The fourth winter in a row, he is trying to climb it. Last year he reached – also ascending from the Rupal side via the Schell route, in his last attempt solo – a height of 7400 meters.
On Saturday temperatures from minus 35 to 40 degrees Celsius are expected on the summit. The wind speed should be about 40 kilometers per hour, decreasing during the second half of the day. Also for Sunday relatively calm weather is predicted. However, then it should start snowing again. Keep your fingers crossed!