Image From MountEverest.net

BREAKING:  Many people in the Alpine community have their eyes set on K2 tonight where tragedy has struck two climbers and 12 others have become trapped while on their summit push.  K2 is the second highest peak in the world and claimed to be the world’s toughest to summit.

Over the past few days many teams have been preparing for their final push to the summit of K2.  A slight weather window was to open up today, allowing many teams a one chance shot for the coveted summit.  Earlier in the day, news began to break that summits were taking place on K2.

From K2climb.net:

At 6 am August 1 local time, Norit reported that Pemba was already high up in the bottleneck where Wilco, Jelle, Gerard and Cas had just arrived. Complaining about cold feet, the climbers were in fact ahead of schedule by two hours, expedition webmaster Maarten van Eck stated. 3 hours later, Maarten wrote that Wilco, Cas, Gerard and Pemba were way above the bottleneck and in the traverse. Jelle turned back due to exhaustion.

Unfortunately, an accident possibly involving a Serbian climber reportedly took place in the Bottleneck soon after, holding up the Norit K2 team who tried to assist.

At 4 pm local time, Cas was reportedly last in line of about 17 climbers with 400 meters left to go for the summit, and Wilco in front. Other climbers were Gerard, one or two Italians, French Hugues and two Norwegians. The weather was reported perfect.

Last year, summiteers reached the top between 3.30 and 5 pm local time. This year, summiteers reached the top at around 8 pm local time.

These teams are way behind their recommended scheduled times.  This makes the descent all the more treacherous, especially on one of the world’s toughest peaks–in the dark.

From Everest News:

The Dutch team summited: Cas, Gerard and Pemba, and Wilco… It was Wilco’s third attempt.

Norwegians and Hugues, the Frenchman, summited

The Italian climber was still going up very late….

At 8.30 pm local time, 3 headlights were seen going down up around the shoulder… Unclear where everyone is at right now…

Gerard has become the 1st the FIRST Irishman to become a K2-summiteer.

After the successful summits, while the climbers were descending,  events started to unfold that has the whole climbing community watching and awaiting news.

First News–ExplorersWeb:

Dutch K2 Norit expedition webmaster Maarten van Eck reports that a big chunk of ice has fallen below the summit, taking a large part of the fixed lines with it. About 12 people, including possibly Wilco, Gerard, Marco and Korean climbers are stuck before either the traverse or the Bottleneck. Cas and Pemba down climbed to C4 without fixed ropes.

Dutch Norit Base Camp manager Roeland is in the Korean expedition tent organizing a joint rescue effort. Early this morning at dawn a group of at least six climbers with all the ropes they can find will climb towards the Bottleneck. Radio contact is difficult due to the topo of the route.

This is a serious situation and all resources available on the mountain should be put towards it. Several international teams of climbers were reported on summit push lower on the peak last night, along with a number of HAP’s and Sherpas. Good news is that previous fatal accidents on K2 were more often results of avalanches, sudden storms or disorientation before actual deterioriation.

The affected climbers are sitting put and weather at present seems to be on their side. A descent over the steep, icy sections of the Traverse and the Bottleneck is possible but poses a great risk as the mountaineers have now spent almost 30 hours on K2’s upper slopes, probably without oxygen support. Time is of essence in the rescue efforts.

There is a major effort currently underway to attempt to rescue these 12 climbers.  As noted, these climbers are trapped in a very precarious situation below the summit–the altitude of where these climbers are trapped is considered  the Death Zone.  Time is of essence in reaching these climbers.  Their bodies are weak from a treacherous summit attempt, and the altitude continues to hamper and eat away at their energy levels.

In the first report from K2climb.net, it was mentioned that a Serbian climber may have died on K2.  I now have more information on that.

It has been confirmed that Serbian climber Dren Mandic, a member of the Serbian K2 Expedition, has tragically been killed after suffering a fall near the bottleneck.  He was heading for the summit when the fall occured around 8,200 meters.

Dren Mandic’s teammates are currently being mentioned as being in Camp IV, and will head down to Camp III in the morning.

Let’s keep all the climbers in our thoughts tonight and hope for a successful rescue.  i wil have more information as it becomes available.

THERE HAS BEEN A NEW UPDATE TO THE K2 RESCUE EFFORTS>>PLEASE CLICK HERE! posted 3:46 am  August 2, 2008

THERE HAS BEEN A SECOND UPDATE TO THE K2 RESCUE EFFORTS>>PLEASE CLICK HERE posted 11:41 am August 2, 2008  More Deaths, climbers missing, and injuries abound.  Tragic situation.  Let’s kep everyone on K2 in our thoughts and prayers, along with their families and friends.

THERE HAS BEEN A THIRD UPDATE TO THE K2 RESCUE EFFORTS>>PLEASE CLICK HERE Posted 10:22 pm on August 2, 2008  Wilco van Rooijens and Marco Confortola found alive, Others still trapped and missing heading in to the third day of events on K2.  Read the complete run down of today’s rescue efforts, as well as who is still missing or trapped near the summit of K2.

THERE HAS BEEN A FOURTH UPDATE TO THE K2 TRAGEDY>>>PLEASE CLICK HERE Posted 3:38 am August 4, 2008.  Eight climbers confirmed dead, four others missing.  Rescue efforts have been scaled back as hope for survival fades…read more

THERE HAS BEEN A FIFTH UPDATE TO THE K2 TRAGEDY>>>PLEASE CLICK HERE Posted 1:19 pm August 4, 2008.  11 Climbers confirmed dead in one of Mountaineerings most deadly accidents.  Official list of names of those missing plus report of ongoing rescue efforts for Marco Confortola.

THERE HAS BEEN A SIXTH UPDATE TO THE K2 TRAGEDY>>>PLEASE CLICK HERE Posted 11:15 pm August 4, 2008.  Wilco van Rooijens talks to the media over his recent ordeal and survival on K2

CLICK HERE TO POST YOUR THOUGHTS AND PAYERS IN REGARDS TO THE TRAGEDY ON K2

Sources:  ExplorersWeb, EverestNews, MountEverest.net, K2climb.net, Serbian K2 Expedition Website.

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