![Maksut Zhumayev. ©National Geographic/Darek Zaluski](/userdata/news_en/2011/news_3871/thumb_b/photo_8094.jpg)
Chinese and Kyrgyz visas of participants of the expedition to K2 have expired. This makes further attempts to ascend Chogori formally illegal, Kazakhstan alpinist Maksut Zhumayev told Tengrinews.kz. “Two months have passed since we started the expedition in Almaty. The ascent is a bit longer than scheduled and our visas have expired. The work on their prolongation is currently underway. We haven’t yet reached the top of K2, but we already have to think about how we are going to go back,” Zhumayev said. The alpinists are alreadt setting off on the fifth and final ascnt to Chogori. “Good weather will start on 20th or 21st. Despite of the fact that it is snowing with rain right now and it most probably won't last long, tomorrow we will set off to the first camp. The date of the final trip is still unknown. Everything will depend on the condition of the route and how difficult it will be to get to the forth camp at 8,000 meters,” the alpinist said on August 16. According to Zhumayev, the most difficult part of the fifth trip will be the route from the first camp to the second one. The heights difference is 1,300 meters there and it is important to pass this section of the route in one day: “After than the ascent will be less difficult. There the route lies along the crest and there are rocks which make the route easier. It is very important to save energy for the last part of the ascent.” Getting to the top of Chogori is not the most difficult task, according to the Kazakh climber. “We need not only to ascend the mount, but also go down from it, considering that we will be dragging all tents and equipment. Our backpacks will be very heavy and we will be tired. In such condition we will have to stay focused, so that we don’t make any mistakes and get down safely,” Kazakhstan sportsman said. The alpinists will have no second chance to ascend Chogori. A caravan of camels will arrive to the lower base camp on August 23 to pick up sportsmen and their equipment. Thus, there are 7 days left to the end of expedition. The international expedition to K2 includes Maksut Zhumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov from Kazakhstan, Gerlinda Kaltenbrunner from Austria, Ralf Dujmovits from Germany, Darek Zaluski from Poland and Tommy Heinrich from Argentina. Chogori is located in the Karakorum mountain system in Kashmir province at the territory of Pakistan. Its height is 8,611 meters.
Chinese and Kyrgyz visas of participants of the expedition to K2 have expired. This makes further attempts to ascend Chogori formally illegal, Kazakhstan alpinist Maksut Zhumayev told Tengrinews.kz.
“Two months have passed since we started the expedition in Almaty. The ascent is a bit longer than scheduled and our visas have expired. The work on their prolongation is currently underway. We haven’t yet reached the top of K2, but we already have to think about how we are going to go back,” Zhumayev said.
The alpinists are alreadt setting off on the fifth and final ascnt to Chogori. “Good weather will start on 20th or 21st. Despite of the fact that it is snowing with rain right now and it most probably won't last long, tomorrow we will set off to the first camp. The date of the final trip is still unknown. Everything will depend on the condition of the route and how difficult it will be to get to the forth camp at 8,000 meters,” the alpinist said on August 16.
According to Zhumayev, the most difficult part of the fifth trip will be the route from the first camp to the second one. The heights difference is 1,300 meters there and it is important to pass this section of the route in one day: “After than the ascent will be less difficult. There the route lies along the crest and there are rocks which make the route easier. It is very important to save energy for the last part of the ascent.”
Getting to the top of Chogori is not the most difficult task, according to the Kazakh climber. “We need not only to ascend the mount, but also go down from it, considering that we will be dragging all tents and equipment. Our backpacks will be very heavy and we will be tired. In such condition we will have to stay focused, so that we don’t make any mistakes and get down safely,” Kazakhstan sportsman said.
The alpinists will have no second chance to ascend Chogori. A caravan of camels will arrive to the lower base camp on August 23 to pick up sportsmen and their equipment. Thus, there are 7 days left to the end of expedition.
The international expedition to K2 includes Maksut Zhumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov from Kazakhstan, Gerlinda Kaltenbrunner from Austria, Ralf Dujmovits from Germany, Darek Zaluski from Poland and Tommy Heinrich from Argentina.
Chogori is located in the Karakorum mountain system in Kashmir province at the territory of Pakistan. Its height is 8,611 meters.