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All within the Karokoram.

Broad Peak
Nanga Parbat
K2

Not to get technical, but Nanga Parbat isn't in the Karakoram. It's in the Himalaya. :D

Three other team members disappeared the same day.

Wow, what an accomplishment.

Barry Raven wrote:

Three other team members disappeared the same day.

Wow, what an accomplishment.

Every man for himself! But they all got winter 8000M snowflakes, so it's cool.

That is pretty sweet they got up Gash 1. I hadn't heard of sucess on that peak yet.

Call me pesimistic but I don't think k2 will ever sucessfully be climbed in winter. My knowledge is a little sketchy and I am still a complete novice but as far as I know no one has come close. Winters are harsher there than in the Himalaya and with K2's crazy steep slopes that are all avalanch prone in "normal" climbing season conditions I can't imagine someone succesfully climbing it in winter unless for whatever reason there is an extremly dry one.

kushrocks wrote:Call me pesimistic but I don't think k2 will ever sucessfully be climbed in winter.

Don't bet on that. Or if you do, bet with me.

It's only a matter of time.

jasayrevt wrote:Matt,

+ 1.

That is definitely the game they are playing on the difficult 8000m peaks in winter.

You know teams will continue to push for k2 in winter. Dhauligiri south face is where I wonder if anybody can ever do a straight-line ascent. Messner called it suicide.

+1 on that. IMO Gasherbrum IV as well. If anyone can pull that off in winter . . .DAMN!!!

I believe K2 will eventually be conquered in the winter. But I bet there are many more fatalities to come on it before it happens.

Climbing a peak doesn't equate to "conquering" it ...

just sayin'

mountaingoat-G wrote:Climbing a peak doesn't equate to "conquering" it ...

just sayin'

con·quer - Successfully overcome.

Here is the definition of conquer. To successfully overcome. I'd say if you stood on K2 in the middle of winter and being the first person to do so, I'd say that would qualify as successfully overcoming the mountain. If that doesn't qualify please let me know how you would successfully overcome it.

letourneau41 wrote:

mountaingoat-G wrote:Climbing a peak doesn't equate to "conquering" it ...

just sayin'

con·quer - Successfully overcome.

Here is the definition of conquer. To successfully overcome. I'd say if you stood on K2 in the middle of winter and being the first person to do so, I'd say that would qualify as successfully overcoming the mountain. If that doesn't qualify please let me know how you would successfully overcome it.

I think he's meaning that "conquer" has certain vibes, like you've beaten the mountain into submission. The vast number of reports I've read on K2 is that in the summer it nearly beats its climbers into submission, and then allows them to linger on its summit for a few minutes. Hardly conquering.

[quote="kushrocks"
Call me pesimistic but I don't think k2 will ever sucessfully be climbed in winter. My knowledge is a little sketchy and I am still a complete novice but as far as I know no one has come close. Winters are harsher there than in the Himalaya and with K2's crazy steep slopes that are all avalanch prone in "normal" climbing season conditions I can't imagine someone succesfully climbing it in winter unless for whatever reason there is an extremly dry one.[/quote]

The story was not unnoticed for us mountain nerds, in fact much talked about. And K2 will be climbed in the winter. There are many foolish people in the world and a few lucky ones. I suspect the Russians will pull it off within the next 3 winters. At the cost of a few lives.

I suspect the Russians will pull it off within the next 3 winters. At the cost of a few lives.

I'm with Viesturs. I think it will be the Poles rather than the Russians. We should get a poll (not Pole) going. Three years may be too soon, but possibly within a decade.

Could make an interesting long term poll.