It was the last eight-thousanders' unsolved ”problem”: to climb the ”Savage Mountain”, K2 (8,611m / 28,251 ft), on winter.

The ten strong Nepali team of climbers and sherpas solved this ”problem” last Saturday. It was an extraordinary display of strength and unity.

"The whole team waited 10 meters below the summit to form a group”, told one of the leaders, Nimsdai Purja, ”then stepped onto the summit together whilst singing our Nepalese National Anthem."

Chhang Dawa Sherpa, the leader of the Seven Summit Treks expedition, posted on his social media account a short VIDEO with this moment of pause taken in order to wait and therefore have the whole Nepali team at once on the peak.

This Nepali triumph was overshadowed few hours later by the news of an accident of the elite Sergi Mingote (1971-2021)Spanish climber, Sergi Mingote , from another team. There were some information that he died on his descent to Base Camp, after he had spent with other climbers three days at Camp 1 and Camp 2 for acclimatisation.

Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Seven Summit TreksChhang Dawa Sherpa , a good friend of Sergi, was the one to confirm the tragic news:

Unfortunately we lost Sergi ! Best climber and very good friend of us. While descending from C1 to Basecamp he suddenly fell down to Advance Basecamp. Alex Gavan, Tamara and two other polish climber gave him help in ABC, we sent medical team from Basecamp but unfortunately could not save him anymore. We where informed by unexpected movement on his gps tracker and could see he made a big fall, members at the site quickly confirmed the accident, but couldn’t do much to help him anymore.

Chhang Dawa Sherpa

Sergi Minhote and his Chilean expedition partner Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto had joined their forces with the Romanian-Italian team of Alex Gavan and Tamara Lunger who set off last Christmas for the daring adventure of summiting K2 in winter without bottled oxygen.

During this acclimatisation rotation, Mingote and Mohr managed to reach Camp 3 without supplemental oxygen, while Alex and Tamara chose to spend their second night on Camp 2. All of them descended last Saturday to the Base Camp.

Italian Tamara Lunger and Romanian Alex Gavan attempt to climb K2 in winter with no supplemental oxygen. Photo Courtesy of Alex Glavan

Romanian Alex Gavan had explained in an inverview for Asia Times his choise not to use supplemental oxygen:

It is my deep belief that mountains are to be climbed not only with ice tools and crampons, which we all can have, but above everything else, with humbleness. (...) To me, K2 is a great teacher and a great master which I revere, not some gigantic pile of rock to just be desecrated by a Victorian mindset of conquest.

Alex Gavan

The mood in Base Camp is sober now.

Tamara Lunger recalled this VIDEO she had recorded with Sergi and Mohr just before they had left together for the acclimatisation rotation.

”This video makes me cry so much. (...)
These are really bad days here! Sad and heavy! At least we are and are all close and able to support each other in this grief for Sergi. We did everything we could, but unfortunately there was just no hope. At least we were close to him.
Thank you Sergi! For our dances even at camp 1, for our laughter, for your nivea for men! (...)
Who knows where this adventure will take us, but we know for sure you will be with us!

Tamara Lunger

Part of Karakoram range (northwest of Himalaya mountains), with 8,611 metres / 28,251 ft, K2 is the second highest peak in the world. Its climbing is more difficult and dangerous than of the Everest, and K2 has earned the fame of being the ”Savage Mountain”.

Pictures curtesy to Alex Gavan

Alex Gavan, 2019 accession of Gasherbrum 2, 8035m, July 18th 2019. It was his 7th 8,000+ summit without oxygen or high altitude porters.