K2 Russian West Face expedition climbs new route

On 21 August a highly experienced Russian team successfully summited K2 via a direct line up the West Face.

Making the most of the predicted weather window, Andrew Mariev and Vadim Popovich summited circa 12.50 local time, having departed from Camp 7 at 8400m that morning. The next day, nine other Russian mountaineers topped out after having endured over two months on the wall. All are now back in base camp and the expedition has ended safely.

Led by Victor Kozlov, the Russians adopted much the same tactics used on their successful new route up the North Face of Everest in 2004: climbing in rotating groups of four, they established seven camps, fixed ropes along almost the entire line and climbed without supplementary oxygen, and.

The importance of this new route should not be understimated: the American magazine Climbing states this is the first independent new route up K2 since 1986.

Ability, determination perseverance and teamwork proved eventually to be the winning factors in an undertaking which, regardless of the style, is always uncertain and wrought with immense danger in the Himalayas and above all on K2. Congratulations.