Mountain events and news

Information from K2 Base camp:

Meteorologist Karl Gabl sent his first weather forecast. The temperature at the summit is -51C. It will be decreased in next days.

This winter Karl supplies with the forecasts all Karakorum expeditions: K2, two expeditions to Gasherbrum and two ones to Nanga Parbat.

In 2007 his weather forecasts helped our alpinists on the West wall of K2. Nowadays the weather is 23C at the Base camp (5000 meters), -29C at the altitude of 5900 meters.

But there is some place at the Base camp where the temperature is above 0. It is big winter three-layered tent. It was made special for this expedition. There is a stove in it. The firewood burns in the stove that makes it possible to support the comfortable microclimate. It is +3-+5 in the tent and -23C outside. This gives the possibility to be weakened and have a rest. Ice which gives water for cooking in the Base camp is so solid that two iceaxe were broken.

Life is adjusted in Base Camp of K2.

All participants of the expedition and expedition load are in the Base Camp and higher. Nikolai Cherniy is sitting in the wardroom and supporting the fire in the stove.

Nikolay Totmianin and Valery Shamalo fixed ropes higher than First Camp (C1), spent a night there and went down to Base Camp today.

Ilyas Tukhvatullin and Vadim Popovich are spending their night in C1. Tomorrow they are going to ascend higher and planning to organize Camp 2(C2).
There are 21 ropes have already fixed from the beginning of the route to C1 and 16 ropes have been fixed higher than Camp 2 (C2).

We wish good luck to Nikolai and all team!!!