ISLAMABAD – Thirty-one mountaineers have ascended K2, the world’s secondhighest and most dangerous peak.
According to sources on the base camp, two Pakistanis, including MuhammadAli Sadpara, are among the team of mountaineers.
The team includes mountaineers from China, Japan, Ireland, Mexico,Switzerland and Nepal among other countries, the sources said.
“The team started the ascent from Camp 4 and will start descendingtonight,” the sources said.
According to Thaneswar Guragai, Manager at Seven Summit Treks, at least 24climbers from the Seven Summit Treks/14 Peak Expedition successfullyclimbed the mountain via the Abruzzi Ridge, The Hindu reported.
Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, Chhiji Norbu Sherpa, Dawa Gyaljen Sherpa, Lhakpa TembaSherpa, Krishna Thapa Magar, Pemba Thinduk Sherpa, Ngima Thenduk Sherpa,Ngima Dorchi Sherpa, Dawa Sangay Sherpa, Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa, PastembaSherpa, Mingma Tenjen Sherpa and Furba Ongdi Sherpa among other foreignclimbers from SST expedition made it to the top of K2, Guragai quotedexpedition leader Chhang Dawa Sherpa as saying from the high camp.
According to him, Jianjonh Li (China), Noel Hanna (Ireland), GangaamaaBadamgarav (Mongolia), Sophie Lavaud (Switzerland), Muhammad Ali Sadpara(Pakistan), Viridiana Alvarez Chavez (Mexico), Yoshiharu Nakamura (Japan),Paul Hegge (Belgium), Changjuan He (China), Intesh (Pakistan) and NaokoWatanabe (Japan) also climbed the mountain.
K2 is the world’s second highest peak and looms over the Karakoram range onthe China-Pakistan border.
Also known as the “Savage Mountain”, it is often deemed a more challengingclimb than the highest peak, Mount Everest.
It was first summited in 1954. Since then, just 306 people have made it tothe top, while 80 have died trying, according to the 8000ers website.