01:45 pm CDT Aug 02, 2008
(K2Climb.net) At past midnight local time, stranded climbers are spending their 3d night in the death zone of K2. Numbers of perished are stated as high as 7 in various international media, however only one fatal accident has so far been confirmed.
Marco Confortola has been located in camp 4, where he is cared for by high altitude staff. Today, a climber in an orange suit has reportedly been spotted moving slowly between C4 and C3 on the Cesen route. Cas and Pemba are moving down from C4 and will try to catch up with him.
A satphone call made yesterday from the peak by Wilco was tracked via a GPS position acquired from Thuraya. The position put Wilco's call to between camp 4 and camp 3 on the mountain.
The Norit website crashed but a mirror site has been set up for updates. The stranded climbers are too high up for an aerial rescue. Helicopter rescues can be made of climbers from camp 2 and below, and an aerial sweep of the mountain could help as well. Teams are coordinating such efforts with the local tour operators.
Unlocated at this point are Dutch Wilco, Irish Gerard, French Hugues, Norwegian Rolf Bae, several un-named Koreans and high altitude porters. A group of unknown climbers are still reported stuck in the bottleneck. In position for a rescue attempt (camp 4 and above) in the Bottleneck are reportedly Korean climbers and a number of high altitude staff.
Confirmed dead: Serb climber Dren Mandic (Vojvodjanska Expedition) in a fall on the Bottleneck during the August 1 summit push.
Latest tentative location details compiled from several international reports and the Dutch Norit home team:
Bottleneck: 6 climbers were spotted motionless in the area yesterday. 2 high altitude porters were reportedly headed up to the group, who appeared to have suffered an injury to one of the climbers. Identities of these climbers in the section is unknown, but they are likely some of the yet unlocated Gerard, Hugues, Rolf Bae, Korean climbers and high altitude porters.
In camp 4: Marco Confortola. Un-named Sherpas and Pakistan high-altitude porters, possibly second Korean climbing team.
Between camp 4 and camp 3, descending: Unknown climber in orange suit, Cas and Pemba.
Between Camp 3 to BC, in camps or descending on both routes: Cecilie Skog and two Norwegians, Singapore expedition, Mike Farris-led international team, Serbian Vojvodjanska Expedition, Mark Sheen, Jelle, Sunny Expeditions (Gheorghe Dijmarescu).
Wrap-up of events
On August 1 at 1 am local time, Norwegian, Dutch, French, Italian, Serbian, Korean, Pakistan and Nepali climbers started their summit push from camp 4. Going well ahead of schedule, a few hours into the ascent a Serbian accident held the Dutch up somewhat.
The Norwegians and French Hugues d’Aubarade reportedly summited before the Dutch and Irish Gerard (it's unclear yet who used supplementary oxygen) and were coming down at the time of the Dutch summit at around 8 pm. Italian Marco Confortola was reportedly behind Wilco at summit time.
On descent, a big chunk of ice fell from the serac below the summit, taking a large part of the fixed lines with it. About 12 people, including Wilco, Gerard, Marco and Korean climbers got stuck either above the traverse or above the Bottleneck.
Rescue efforts
Cas and Pemba Sherpa downclimbed to C4 without fixed ropes, where Mark Sheen was holding for a summit bid.
Dutch Norit Base Camp manager Roeland hurried to the Korean expedition tent organizing a joint rescue effort. A group of at least six climbers were supposed to climb towards the Bottleneck with rope.
K2 BC could see 5 people climbing down the Bottleneck and 2 above. Wilco and Marco were located in a bivouac above the serac at 8300 meters above the Bottleneck, which they left at around 11 am local time. The group of people descending the Bottleneck came to a halt, reportedly due to an injury suffered by one of the climbers. Two HAP's were sent up to assist from camp 4.
Cas - who descended without fixed ropes with Pemba earlier - intended to move back up with Mark Sheen and two Americans, but the climbers were forced to descend.
The missing mountaineers are very seasoned, most are Everest summiteers (Wilco, a skilled polar explorer did Everest without oxygen) and this was their second, even third attempt on the mountaineers' mountain.
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