Two foreign expeditions to climb K2 for first time in winters

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ISLAMABAD: Two foreign expeditions have set out to climb K2 – the only peak above 8,000m that has not been scaled in the winter season.

The climbers, who are from Spain, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Poland, left for the K2 base camp from Askole, the last village in Shagar district of Skardu.

One of the groups is led by Alex Txikon of Spain, who with his compatriot Felix Criado and a team of eight Sherpas aims to scale the second-highest mountain on earth.

Earlier in 2013, Txikon and Criado had tried to scale the mountain in summer but failed to climb the 8,611 metres high K2 due to bad weather.

In 2016, Txikon along with the Italian Simone Moro and Pakistan’s Muhammad Ali “Sadpara” succeeded in ascending Nanga Parbat and set a world record for climbing the “Killer Mountain” in winter for the very first time.

The other team led by Vassiliy Pivtsov of Kazakhstan comprises five Russians, four Kazakhs and two Kyrgyz.

The 42-year-old Pivtsov has scaled all 14 eight-thousanders.

In 2011, he completed his collection on K2 – along with his compatriot Maxut Zhumayev, the Polish Darek Zaluski and the Austrian Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner Pivtsov’s team is looking to make the first winter ascent of K2 without bottled oxygen.