Quebec K2 Expedition: Heavy Snows Force Wait Game

Quebec climber Nathalie Fortin, Benoît Lamoureux, Serge Dessureault and Maurice Beauséjour have reached camp one on K2 at 6,100 metres and report that the mountain is covered in fresh snow.

The four Canadian climbers are hoping to make history as the first Quebec climbers to reach the summimt of the world’s second highest peak.

The new snow has forced them back to base camp instead of heading up House Chimney at 6,500 metres.

On social media, they wrote, “Last night it snowed a foot and the weather is calling for a lot more snow, but we will stay at base camp and wait it out.

“K2 is far too loaded with unstable snow and is too dangerous. It looks like a time bomb for climbers right now.

“Yesterday, we counted seven avalanches and today, Friday, there have been six so far. The ground vibrates with each one.

“We will have to wait for a number of days for the fresh snow to clear out. For now, it’s a waiting game.”

Watch an avalanche from 2016 in a video taken by Ngaa Tenji Sherpa.