K2 attempt: Russian climber dies in Skardu base camp

[Omar1984]

K2 attempt: Russian climber dies in Skardu base camp

Expedition team was expecting to make summit attempt by mid-March. PHOTO: MAJID HUSSAIN


SKARDU: A Russian climber, who had lost his fingers earlier due to frostbite on the world’s second highest peak, died due to breathing difficulties on Tuesday.

“Vitaliy Gorelik died in the base camp,” Sakhi Hassan, a mountaineer, told The Express Tribune on Tuesday.

Gorelik was part of the 15-member winter mountaineering team that abandoned the attempt to climb K2 after the tragedy. According to climbers, the temperature on K2 drops to minus 50 degrees Celsius in winters, which is why the peak still has not been conquered during winters so far.

The expedition team was on K2 since late December and was expecting to make a summit attempt by mid March.

With a height of 8,611 metres, K2 is part of the Karakoram Range and is located on the border between Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. The 8,611 metre-high K2, known as the Savage Mountain because of the danger it poses to climbers, has the second highest fatality rate among the “eight thousanders”.

According to reports, Gorelik couldn’t be flown to Skardu town from the base camp due to bad weather.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 8th, 2012


K2 attempt: Russian climber dies in Skardu base camp – The Express Tribune

 

[Armstrong]

'To God we belong and to him we return'...but seriously WTF would anyone want to climb a mountain or do all sorts of crazy things that we usually do ?

 

[Pakistanisage]

RIP my adventorous friend.

 

[Omar1984]

'To God we belong and to him we return'...but seriously WTF would anyone want to climb a mountain or do all sorts of crazy things that we usually do ?

K2 and all these other majestic montains of Pakistan brings a lot of tourism to Pakistan:

So let them come and bring their money to Pakistan.

 

[saiyan0321]

ok this is k2 not everest this mountain cant be climbed in winter none has ever been able to do it why would he want to this is what happens if you climb k2 in winter RIP dude RIP

So let them come and bring their money to Pakistan.

and we can keep sending back the bodies its not gonna happen in winter

 

[lama]

sad ...rip

 

[Omar1984]

and we can keep sending back the bodies its not gonna happen in winter

Adults can decide whats good for them. However, Pakistan should advise them its very dangerous especially in winter, but after they arrive in Pakistan so they can travel in other parts of Pakistan and help our economy

 

[Donatello]

very sad!

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

no wonder K2 has the title of one of world's dangerous peaks !!!
One can climb even everest easily, but not K2, its fraught with unpredictability and difficulties !!!
RIP and may ur generations long last say ur name !!!

 

[boris]

Rest In Peace brave climber.

 

[Safriz]

thats sad.....
but an attempt in winters was a step too far....
K2 unlike everest is not an easy mountain and in winters its at the worst...
Polar temperature..hurricane force winds..unpredictable weather and the mountain itself...
no wonder K2 has never been conquered in winters...
its sad he made it to the base camp and then died..
PA does provide air lift in situations like these..but may be the weather was too bad.

 

[Leader]

Rest in Peace Dreamer....

 

[KRAIT]

Rest in Peace....considered to be most toughest mountain in the world to climb on.

 

[nomi007]

sad incident

 

[Icarus]

RIP.........