ISLAMABAD: Two foreign expeditions have set out to climb K2 – the only peak above 8,000m that has not been scaled in the winter season. The climbers, who are from Spain, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Poland, left for the K2 base camp from Askole, the last village in Shagar district of Skardu. Earlier in 2013, Txikon and Criado had tried to scale the mountain in summer but failed to climb the 8,611 metres high K2 due to bad weather. The other team led by Vassiliy Pivtsov of Kazakhstan comprises five Russians, four Kazakhs and two Kyrgyz. In 2011, he completed his collection on K2 – along with his compatriot Maxut Zhumayev, the Polish Darek Zaluski and the Austrian Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner Pivtsov’s team is looking to make the first winter ascent of K2 without bottled oxygen.

Source: Pakistan Today January 09, 2019 08:48 UTC