Mingma G said that he would climb K2 for himself, his country, and his Sherpa community. So far, he has kept his promise, and his hard work has paid dividends: Mingma G has become the first-ever to reach Camp 4 on K2 in winter. From this point, the final period of the ultimate winter games begins.
Three Mingmas made it to Camp 4 at 7,800m (slightly slower than the usual location) at 3:30 pm: Mingma G, along with Mingma Tenzing and Mingma David, both members of Nirmal Purja’s group. Sona Sherpa, the only member of the Seven Summit Treks team who set off this morning toward C4, turned back shortly before reaching it when he ran out of fixing ropes.
By the way, Mingma, like most Sherpa/Tibetan first names, refers to the day of the week that the person was born. So we know that all three men were born on Tuesday.
Breaking: Mingote and Mohr reach Camp 3 without O2
It’s already dark on K2, so no other climbers are expected to reach Camp 4. Nirmal Purja has just stated (boasted?) on IG that early tomorrow morning Pakistan time he will “lead” the fixing team to the summit. However, we don’t whether he is now in C4, how he will coordinate with Mingma G, who will accompany Purja, or whether he or any of those with him will try without supplemental O2.
As for the rest, Sergi Mingote, Juan Pablo Mohr, Tamara Lunger, and Alex Gavan spent the previous night at Camp 2. This afternoon, Mingote and Mohr reached Camp 3 and pitched their tiny, one-layer tent at 7,002m, above the Black Pyramid, a RaceTracker spokesperson told ExplorersWeb. They are tired but feeling great and are well-acclimatized. Remarkably, neither of them is using supplementary oxygen!
The tents at Camp 3 may be scattered throughout a large area above the Black Pyramid, on a mix of steep and flatter terrain, where seracs may offer some shelter from the wind.
Mingote, Lunger, and Mohr’s tent at C3 at 7,000m. Photo: Sergi Mingote, courtesy of RaceTracker
“Tamara Lunger and Alex Gavan have chosen to remain at the higher Camp 2,” Mingote said. He also mentioned that Sajid Sadpara joined them today, to carry a load for John Snorri. Sadpara then rejoined his father and Snorri at lower Camp 2, where they had remained all day.
These subtly lower and higher camps are a little confusing, but the point is that the climbers at the various Camp 2s are out of sight of one another.
Finally, Mingote mentioned that yesterday’s strong wind remained nasty today but the climbers endured it in order to complete their present rotation.
Mingote says that if the weather remains tolerable, the two powerful teams at Camp 4 (both using bottled O2) may attempt a summit bid tomorrow. As for Mingote and Mohr: “Yes, it has crossed our minds to continue to C4 and give it a try…but we will not fool ourselves: We are climbing too heavily loaded, and without supplemental O2, the wind and cold hit us harder.”
