K2, we go home: the expedition of Mingma G. Sherpa is closed

They had only arrived at K2 base camp on January 22, today the announcement of the renunciation. We all return home, the maximum altitude reached 6600 meters, just before the Camino Bill, the first complicated passage on the via dello Sperone degli Abruzzi.

And so ends the expedition of Mingma G. Sherpa, who has already flown with the helicopter together with John Snorri, Tomaz Rotar, Gao Li and one of the three Sherpas in Skardu. The rest of the group, two Sherpas and Pakistani guide Sarbaz Khan will return on foot along the Baltoro glacier.

An expected ending

Are we surprised by this epilogue? no. Some doubts about the success of this winter expedition to K2 had already been raised by looking at the mountaineering curriculum of the various team members: different experiences on the 8000, but unprepared for what to face in the thin air during the cold season. Quite different from the summer.
And the doubts had become even more substantial by reading the statements of Mingma G. Sherpa, who arrived at the base camp, raised his nose towards the frightening K2 lashed by winds over 100 km / h and with the cold, the real one, which froze everything is let slip on social: “K2 in winter is not as expected“. A phrase that in its banality exudes total unconsciousness towards what they had embarked on.

And say that John Snorri and Tomaz Rotar also tried to climb, working on the road, almost always alone, reaching up to 6600 meters, having fixed only C1. But you can’t climb K2 alone in winter (unless you’re Denis Urubko). And so, the Icelandic mountaineer had to surrender to the evidence: “The summit of K2 in winter is a formidable effort that requires that all team members are fully prepared, mentally and physically, to face the challenge. Mingma G. and Gao Li both said that they did not feel prepared to make the planned attempt for personal reasons. In view of this, after many reflections, we have decided that the expedition has ended“.

K2 will remain clean for now, the hope is that Denis Urubko will be able to conquer Broad Peak on Friday and that he will be able to stretch his hand even on the last 8000 clean sheets in winter.