Ascent via the Abruzzi route on K 2

“The weather is not the best,” Krzysztof Wielicki, leader of the Polish K2 winter expedition, writes on Facebook. “Full of clouds and wind.” Denis Urubko ascended via the Abruzzi Spur to an altitude of 6,500 meters to check the condition of the route. Some old ropes are to be replaced, says Wielicki. The Polish climbers  had abandoned “for reasons of safety” their original plan to climb the Basque route (also known as the Cesen route). Previously Adam Bielecki and Rafal Fronia had been injured by rockfall. While Bielecki is able to continue, Fronia had to cancel the expedition because of a broken forearm.

Txikon and Co. waiting in EBC

Alex Txikon in the Lhotse flank at the end of January

On Mount Everest, the Spaniard Alex Txikon, the Pakistani Muhammad Ali “Sadpara””and their Sherpa team are waiting for an opportunity for a summit attempt. “it seems that the weather does not work in our favor,” writes Alex. The climbers are well acclimatized. At the end of January, Txikon and Ali had scaled the 7,161-meter-high Pumori. A few days later, Alex and Co. had climbed on Everest up to an altitude of 7,850 meters, then the weather had turned.

First winter ascent of Gora Pobeda reported

Gora Pobeda in eastern Siberia

Meanwhile, Italian Simone Moro and his South Tyrolean team partner Tamara Lunger announced the first winter ascent of the 3,003-meter-high Gora Pobeda (also called Pik Pobeda) in the icy eastern part of Siberia. “”It snowed all day long, but there was good visibility,” the two climbers informed on Facebook.” It was extremely cold! How cold we do not know yet, we’ll check and tell you.” Gora Pobeda is located only about 140 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. Local reindeer herdsmen had accompanied Moro and Lunger from the last inhabited settlement to the base camp.