Winter Climbs 2018: Poles Make a Change on K2, Summit in Siberia

While it has only been a couple of days since I posted my last update on the major winter expeditions that we've been following so far this year. There has been a steady stream of news over the weekend that makes it worth of yet another update. Things are happening quickly right now, and the fate of these climbs is hanging in the balance.

On K2, the Polish Ice Warriors team has made the jump from the Česen Route over to the Abruzzi after yet another climber suffered an injury, this time serious enough to send him home. Last week, you'll recall, Adam Bielecki was struck by a falling rock, breaking his nose and opening a cut that required six stitches to heal. Over the weekend, Rafael Fronia also was hit be a falling rock, this time breaking his arm. This was enough of an injury to send him packing for home, and convince the team to switch to what they hope will be a safer route.

While conditions have been cold and windy on K2, there hasn't been a lot of snowfall, making rockslides much more common. Frozen snow and ice helps to keep that kind of debris in place, but a lack of it has created unsafe conditions. The hope is that the longer, less-steep climb up the Abruzzi will help mitigate some of these issues.

Meanwhile, the team has had some internal problems it seems as well. Denis Urubko posted some blistering thoughts about the progress so far, blasting his teammates to a degree. Urubko took umbrage with the fact that he was the only one installing ropes at higher altitude, and was critical of the other climbers for not staying hydrated and using their cooking stoves inside tents that aren't ventilated properly. Are these messages signs of discontent amongst the group or just his frustration on the lack of progress thus far? We'll have to wait to see, but perhaps the change of route will be good for morale all around.

Over on Everest, the Alex Txikon, Ali Sadpara, and the rest of the team continue to wait out the winds. Conditions high on the mountain are expected to improve early this week and they are tentatively planning a summit push once the forecast indicates better weather. For now though, there isn't much to do but rest, watch the skies, and prepare for the work yet to come. With 5 weeks of winter still on the calendar, they can afford to be patient.

Finally, there is new of a successful summit in Siberia. Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger have reached the top of Pik Pobeda, a remote mountain located in the Chersky Range. The peak is just 3003 meters (9852 ft) in height, but it is located an a bitterly cold location. Last week, prior to launching their summit bid, temperatures were hovering around -40ºC/F, with winds making it feel even colder than that. Despite those conditions however, the duo were able to top out over the weekend, logging the first winter ascent of this mountain.

That's all for now. More updates soon.

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Winter Climbs 2018: Moro and Lunger Head to Siberia

The winter climbing season is barely underway, and so far our attention has mostly been focused on Alex Txikon's no-O's attempt on Everest and the Polish team currently en route to K2. But there are some other interesting climbs to keep an eye on as well, including the latest expedition for Simone Moro and Tamara Lunger, which promises to be as cold as any of them. 

The duo, who spent most of last year climbing on Nanga Parbat together, are now heading to the Chersky Range in Siberia to take on what promises to be an interesting challenge. They've set their sights on Peak Pobeda, a 3003 meter (9852 ft) mountain that punishes climbers with its extreme cold rather than altitude. 

In fact, Moro has called this the "coldest climb in history, on the coldest mountain on the planet." Just how cold will it be? According to ExWeb, the average temperature in this part of Siberia during the winter is roughly -43ºC/-45ºF, with the coldest temperature ever recorded in the area coming in at -71ºC/-95ºF. As if that weren't chilling enough, the mountain itself promises to be even colder. 

The expedition team will include Moro and Lunger of course, but they'll also be joined by photographer Matteo Zanaga and a local mountain guide who is familiar with Peak Pobeda itself. They'll first travel to Russia, then out to Siberia, where they'll make a 3 hour ride on snowmobiles to get to their starting point. From there, they'll use cross country skis to approach the mountain, where they'll set up Base Camp and prepare for the climb. 

Obviously there won't be much need for acclimatization on this expedition, but the extreme cold will still pose some serious challenges. High winds could limit access to the summit and the amount of snow on the mountain will also dictate the route and level of safety. Avalanches could be an issue as they make plans for an eventual summit bid. There are also some technical sections that will need to be overcome as well, which is never easy in bone-chilling temperatures. 

We'll keep an eye on the progress of the team and report any updates as we get them. It should be another interesting winter expedition to follow.

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