K2: Why aren't climbers coming in the winter this year?

Climbers from all over the world go to Pakistan to climb high peaks but this winter no climber came to climb these peaks.

Gilgit-Baltistan the northern region of Pakistan has five other high mountains including the world's second highest peak which climbers used to climb not only in summer but also in winter but this time it is not seen.

Five of the world's 1428-metre ( ft) high peaks are located in the Karakoram Range of Pakistan including K Nanga Parbat Geshbram-I Geshbram II and Broadpack.

Climbers from all over the world go to Pakistan to climb these high peaks but this winter no climber came to climb these peaks.

In this regard some experts believe that the deteriorating law and order situation may be one of the reasons while some think that these peaks have been climbed so now the climbers are no longer fond of winter.

K28251's height is 102021 feet and according to climbers it is the most difficult thing to climb in the cold. In   Nepalese mountaineers set a record for climbing K in winter and in the same year Pakistani mountaineer Mohammad Ali Sadpara and his two companions John Sanori and Jon Pablo made K their eternal abode during the same expedition.

In 2021 more than 40 climbers came to climb K10 in winter including  climbers from Nepal who scaled K this season for the first time in history.

The winter climbing time of other highest peaks including K2 starts in November and lasts till February.

In 2021 K was first summited in the winter month of January but this year no climber has come to scale the highest peak in Pakistan.

Independent Urdu spoke to mountaineering experts and some tour operators in Gilgit to know the reasons for the climbers not coming.

The Alpine Club is a non-governmental organization founded in 1974 and supports the promotion of mountaineering.

Karar Haideri head of the Alpine Club told Independent Urdu that one of the reasons for the absence of climbers in the winter this year is the political situation in the country.

He said "Tourism is related to peace and when there is no peace tourists will not come while the second reason is that the climbers faced difficulties regarding visas due to which climbers have not come." 

However Imran Haider Theme who tracks the history of five of the world's highest peaks located in the Karakoram Range does not agree that climbing the highest peaks in winter cannot be commercialized.

Imran Haider said that about 2000 climbers came in the summer last year and last year in the winter some two teams came including five to six sherpas but no one came other than him.

He said: "K2021 was conquered by Nepal's Sherpa in  so now it is not interested and there is no sense of success because it has become head. 

Imran Haider said that in 2013 11 climbers were killed by militants on Nanga Parbat and six to seven months after this incident an Italian climber came in the cold.

According to Imran Haider he replied "Every step and every moment of mountaineering has to take risks then how will there be fear of terrorism and that is why I have come to head." 

He said that the change of government took place in April last year and the teams started arriving at the same time so was the law and order situation not bad when more than 2000 climbers came?

Imran Haider said: "When climbers come beyond fear they are not afraid of law and order or extremists and I think there is no visa issue. 

Regarding climbing peaks in winter Imran Haider said that from 2010 to 2016 the highest number of expeditions were carried out in Pakistan because at that time all the peaks above 28 feet in Pakistan were not climbed.

He added: "After that all the peaks started to climb one by one and K2021O Nanga Parbat was also climbed in  and then the feeling of success ended. 

What do tour operators say?

Ghulam Mohammad is the owner of the Blue Sky Tour Group in Gilgit and serves international climbers every year to climb k2 and other peaks.

Ghulam Mohammad told Independent Urdu that this year no climber has come to climb K2 in the winter season.

When asked the reason Ghulam Mohammad said that the visa system for climbers has been made difficult so security clearance now takes time and this could possibly be one of the reasons.

"On the other hand the government has increased the permit fee three times i.e. earlier it used to be $ 900 per climber but now this fee has been increased to $  and it will also affect the climbers because tour operators charge this fee from climbers" he said. 

Ghulam Mohammad said that more climbers come in the summer but this time it seems that due to the increase in fees the number of climbers will also decrease in the summer because if earlier a climber's expedition used to cost $ 2025 then due to the increase in fees now this cost will increase to  and there is inflation in the country and expenses of hotels etc. have also increased.

Independent Urdu contacted Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan to know the reason for not a single climber coming in the winter but there was no response from him.