Final Report of Pakistan 2007 Mountaineering Expeditions

(25.10.2007)

(K2Climb.net) Pakistan's 2007 summer climbing season has finally ended. Out of 799 climbers in Pakistan this year; 201 topped out. Out of 22 peaks; 7 were summited. 5 climbers lost their lives, all on the 8000ers.

Here goes the final season's report courtesy of ExWeb's Karrar Haidri and Mr. Saad Tariq Siddiqi, Secretary of Alpine Club Pakistan.

91 expedition applications

This year 91 expedition applications were filed for climbing permits in Pakistan. 83 were granted including 14 double-headers, one triple-header and one permit to climb 4 peaks. As such overall 102 attempts were made by 799 members of 83 expeditions, to climb 22 peaks, out of which 201 climbers including 13 from Pakistan, were successful

2 expeditions were denied permits to climb peaks situated close to the Siachen Glacier war zone. 6 expeditions withdrew their applications.

Broad Peak (8047 m) Golden Jubilee

Broad Peak was first climbed on June 9, 1957 by four Austrian climbers. To commemorate the 50 year anniversary, a 26 member Austrian party led by Gerfried Göschl arrived in Pakistan on June 18, 2007. 8 climbers of the expedition including the leader reached the summit on July 20 and July 31.

Overall 25 expeditions tried their luck on Broad Peak this year, out of which 19 put 77 members (including 6 Pakistani climbers) on the summit. Only 6 expeditions were un-successful.

Choghori K2 (8611m)

Unlike last year, 2007 was a successful year on K2. 130 climbers of 16 expeditions tried to summit and 29 (from 8 expeditions) were successful. A Russian Expedition led by Nickolay Totmjanin created a new route on the West Wall. 11 of the expedition members including the leader successfully climbed K2 through this new route on August 21 and 22, 2007. On their return from the mountains they were greeted by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and later in the evening were awarded summit certificates by Mr. Saad Tariq Siddiqi, the Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.

Gasherbrum II (8035 m)

2007 was a bad climbing year for GII. 14 Expeditions were granted permit to climb the peak, out of which only one was successful in putting its 4 members on the summit. All remaining 13 expeditions returned without success after a bad avalanche took the lives of two climbers. (Ed note: Karl Unterkircher and Daniele Bernasconi climbed the North Face from the Chinese side.)

Gasherbrum I (8068 m)

2007 was a successful climbing year for GI. 96 members of 10 expeditions tried to summit the peak; 27 climbers (including 3 Pakistani climbers) of 6 expeditions made it. 4 expeditions were unsuccessful. The Chinese Olympic torch team lead by Sam Drug was among the summiteers. (Ed note: The climbers claim that G1 finished their 14, 8000ers quest - however the climbers' Broad Peak main summit is controversial, as the team's summit pictures show the rocky fore-summit.)

Nanga Parbat (8125 m)

2007 was an unusually successful year on Nanga Parbat. All 5 expeditions were successful in putting 17 out of 32 climbers on Nanga Parbat's top without any casualties.

Spantik (7027 m)

11 expeditions attempted Spantik and 10 were successful, putting 44 climbers (including 4 Pakistani) on the Summit. Only 1 the Austrian expedition led by Hannes Nieder Seer was reported unsuccessful.

K7 West Face

Only one team, an American Expedition led by Steve House, attempted the unclimbed West Face of K7 this year. All 3 members topped out.

Other Peaks

Expeditions to the remaining16 peaks, i.e. Gasherbrum III & V, K-6, Latok I, Kunyang Chish Main & East, Pamir Sar, Masherbrum, Shisper, Diran, Ultar Sar, Raka Poshi, Bekka Brakai, Kampir Dior and Yashkuk all failed. An American expedition on Pumari Chish led Mr. Steve Su is still ongoing.

Italian Winter Expedition on Nanga Parbat 2007

Italian climber Simone La Terra will arrive Pakistan around 15 December 2007 in an attempt to climb Nanga Parbat solo during the winter season 2007-2008.

Total Number of Summiteers

In all 201 mountaineers of 50 expeditions were successful in reaching the summit of above-mentioned 7 mountains. Details as below:

(Peak/No. of Expeditions/No. of members/No. of Successful Exp/No. of Summiteers):

1. K-2 Choghori 16 130 08 29
2. Nanga Parbat 05 32 05 17
3. Broad Peak 25 261 19 77
4. Gasherbrum-I 10 96 06 27
5. Gasherbrum-II 14 132 01 04
6. Spantik 11 72 10 44
7. K-7 01 03 01 03
8. K-6 01 04 -- --
9. Gasherbrum-V 01 08 -- --
10. Latok-I 02 05 -- --
11. Kunyang Chish Main 02 04 -- --
12. Kunyang Chish East 01 02 -- --
13. Beka Brak 01 02 -- --
14. Ultar Sar 01 02 -- --
15. Masherbrum 02 10 -- --
16. Gasherbrum-III 01 05 -- --
17. Shisper 01 02 -- --
18. Diran 02 08 -- --
19. Pamir Sar 01 02 -- --
20. Raka Poshi 01 01 -- --
21. Pumari Chish 01 02 Result Awaited
22. Kampir Dior 01 07 -- --
23. Yashkuk 01 08 -- --
Total 102 799 50 201


24. Nanga Parbat Winter Exp 01 01 Arriving in December 07

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