Ok and Onward to K2

Just a quick update this afternoon to let everyone know that Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates are okay after the accident on K2 this weekend. The first reports were unsubstantiated, and it appears that it will take a few days to sort out the toll of a serac fall that took out fixed ropes high on the mountain, stranding climbers (>info here). Our condolences go out to the teammates, friends, and families of the climbers lost on K2 over the weekend, and we’re wishing safe passage for those still on and around the mountain.

During the accident, the K2 Tall Mountain Team was still in the Broad Peak area, getting ready to move over to K2. They didn’t get the summit, but the K2 Tall Mountain Team has deemed their time on Broad Peak a success. As they sort through the situation on K2, they will assess further plans. Here’s what they had to say on the blog yesterday:

Excerpt from K2 Tall Mountain:
The team is finished with the Broad Peak ‘warm up’ climb. Overall, the team is having a good experience all around. Andy reached a new personal high altitude record, and Dave had some good skiing from an altitude of 7500 meters. The team is a bit disappointed that they didn’t get the summit, but they are comfortable that they made the right decisions to turn around when they did. They have worked out the details of what they need to do as a team of three and are a cohesive team ready for the challenge of K2…

There is more snow on K2 and there are routes on the mountain with fixed ropes. The team will assess the route options more closely once they are in base camp and can get information from other expeditions. Dave would like to climb the route that he is planning to ski so he can get a preview of the terrain and conditions. We will provide more information about the tragedy that occurred on K2 this weekend when the facts can be substantiated.

For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.