Posted: Jul 10, 2009 10:28 am EDT
(K2Climb.net/updated 10.52am) Joao Garcia bagged his 13th 8000er by summiting Nanga Parbat today together with climbing mates Amin and Ali; Joao's home team reported four other climbers succeeding, a Nepalese climber with the Korean team topped-out as well.

Update: Giuseppe Pompili and Ariano del Cin turned back, meeting Miss Oh about one hour into their descent. The Korean lady was still going up at that point, but very slowly Pompili reported. Miss Go summited on supplementary O2 according to the climber.

Gerfried Göschl's group, climbing a new route, hope to follow tomorrow. Meanwhile, Don Bowie's team is heading towards GIII summit, also via a new line on the peak's NW side.

Check in at ExWeb through the weekend for news on the current pushes.

Nanga Parbat: summits!

"Joao García is safely back in C4 after summiting Nanga Parbat around noon today in high wind conditions," Aurelio Faria just told ExplorersWeb. "He was the third climber to top-out today, after a "Korean" Sherpa and Pakistani Ali. Joao's mate Amin Ulal also summited."

"The climbers are sleeping in C4 - they'll return back to BC tomorrow," Aurelio added. Joao has thus bagged his 13th 8000er - last in line for Garcia is Annapurna, which he plans to climb in Spring, 2010.

News are expected from a large Austrian team. They all departed C4 around midnight today towards the summit via the Kinshoffer route.

Gerfried Göschl's group, on a new route, hope to follow tomorrow. Climbing alpine style, they set up a fouth camp today, hoping for the wind to decrease before heading towards the top tonight.

Read more in a breaking news story published earlier today.

Gasherbrum III: summit push on a new route

"Don, Bruce, Billy and Guy are at 7300m on a new route on G3 from the Cwm situated at 7000 m between G4 and G3," David Fält reported from Islamabad earlier today. "They will go for the summit at midnight today, climbing via a new line on GIII's NW flank. The forecast is lookig good. Should they succeed, it would be GIII's third or fourth ascent, and only the second route ever climbed up the mountain."

"The team set off from BC on July 5th, so this is day 5 in the alpine style attempt on G3."

David was injured in a crevasse fall and airlifted from BC earlier this week. "I'd like to thank the Helicopter crew: the 'Fearless Five' of the Pakistany Army for their swift and great performance - they brought me out so fast," David remarked. "I truly think the guys are among the finest high altitude helicopter pilots in the world!"

K2

Jorge Egocheaga and Martin Ramos are back in BC after spending one night in C1 and two in C2. “There was plenty of room to pitch the tent – there was no one else there yet,” Martin said. “I’m not as well acclimatized as Jorge, so yesterday I remained in C2 while my mate broke trail up to C3’s location.”

“Everyone is back in BC (most team members have been acclimatizing in C2),” FTA’s home team reported. “Fabrizio plans to head back up tomorrow and get the route fully in to C3.”

Maxut Zhumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov flew yesterday from Islamabad to Skardu. They’re stocking up on high-altitud food in town, before kicking off the approaching trek to K2. Arrival in BC is expected for July 22-24th.

“While in the car trip to Islamabad airport, we passed through several check-points,” Max wrote to his home team. “At one of them the officer asked me whether I was from Kazakhstan, and then if I was a muslim. I firmly replied: ’yes, I am!’. There were no further questions after that.”

Broad Peak

“Chris called in and he was sounding very satisfied (and very tired!) from a long day back down from C3 at 7100m where he had just spent the night with Jim, Taqui and Paul R,” FTA’s home team reported yesterday. “The team has now established the route to C3 and set up tents.”

Links to climbing teams on Nanga Parbat

Gerfried Göschl
Louis Rousseau
Giuseppe PompiliJoao Garcia

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