K2 Could Be Worst Mountainering Disaster In Himalayan History, Spanish Reports: “An Avalanche In The Top of K-2 (8,611 meters) Claimed On Friday The Lives of Eleven Climbers–Three Koreans, Two Pakistanis, Two Nepalese, One Serb, One Dutch and One Norwegian — While Six Others Are Still Missing.”

This quote is coming from the Spanish news site Gara.com and represents some of our worst fears.  The tragedy on K2 could be one of the world’s deadliest mountaineering disasters ever, even surpasing the tragic 1996 disaster on Mt. Everest.

I am having a very hard time confirming these foreign reports, however.  EverestNews and ExplorersWeb are both staying quiet until climbers reach the area and can investigate, but these reports are pretty wide-spread in the foreign press.

Some climbers are talking to their country’s press about this tragedy and most agree that at least 6 people have died, while at least 11 others are missing, and there are more that are in severe danger of dying from injuries suffered after an ice serec dislodged and caused an avalanche.

I do not have a list of names, other than those thought missing that I have already put up–

Hope still remains that many of these climbers could be alive.  At this point, if there are that many that have died, their bodies are unaccounted for and no official news has been handed down.  Ongoing Search and rescue efforts persist, but the longer this takes, the less likely there is that there might be a good out come.  This is a dire, dire situation for everyone involved.

I do have to add that heading in to the third day of this tragedy, things are starting to look quite grim.  One night above 20,000 feet is an amazing accomplishment in mountaineering.  Three nights at that altitude is –to be quite frank–unheard of.  I don’t know if it has ever happened before with survivors.

Earlier reports from yesterday, after Wilco was discovered alive, are showing that many of the climbers are already suffering some severe damage due to frostbite at the higher elevations.  You just can’t survive at that altitude for days on end.

I can’t put my finger on it, but something just does not seem right with the reports coming out, leading in to day three.  Either the foreign press have got the story majorly wrong, or the American Press is playing down news of the tragedy until more information is known–there is definately some discrepency.

ExplorersWeb confirms one death, while Spanish media claims up to 11 have died–This may be an effort to keep hope alive and motivate those climbers still involved in the rescue process.  It just doesn’t feel right.  I don’t think any of us are going to like the outcome when things are finally made official-

The Spanish News report mirrors reports in dutch, norwegian, and swiss newspapers, and a report from REUTERS, one of the world’s largest news gathering associations, that this situation is way more tragic than what is currently being played out in the United States Press.  Climbers that were and are on K2 are being quoted in these publications, which lead me to believe that the worst is already known, but just awaiting the details.

However this situation turns out, let’s remember that all of these climbers have family and friends and everyone should be in our thoughts and prayers.  There have been miracles in mountaineering before and we should not lose site of hope-