This K2 2019 Winter Expedition has 12 Mountaineers

The fifth winter attempt to climb K2 will take place in January 2019 by a team of 12 strong mountaineers with a lot of experience up high. There might be up to three teams attempting the peak this winter.

K2 (8,611 m) is the second highest peak and has remained far from climbers reach in winters, despite four expeditions since the 1980s.

As russianclimb.com reports, the first attempt was a Polish expedition (1987-1988), the second attempt was a Polish expedition (2002-2003), the third attempt was a Russian expedition (2011-2012) and the fourth attempt was a Polish expedition (2017 -2018).

3 international teams are coming to Pakistan to summit K2 and Nanga Parbat this winter. Permits have been issued to a five-member Spanish team and a 10-member Russian team for K2. Whereas an Italian team being led by Daniel Nardi will attempt the killer mountain. The permits for his team are in process. Of all fourteen 8000ers, K2 is the only peak that is yet to see a summit in winters despite being attempted 5 times in the past. Let's see what 2019 brings for the king of the mountains! #K2_2019 #TheKarakoramClub #climbingnews #mountainnews #K2 #NangaParbat #alpinejournal #natgeo #8000er #WinterClimbing #climbing #NangaParbat2019 #summit #alpine #Pakistan #karakoram #himgeo #himalayas #extremeearth #instagram #k2dlapolakow #wildernessnation #russianclimb #extraordinary #flashh_pakistan #wu_pakistan #islamic_republic_of_pakistan #expedition #extreme #ig_world Source: Dawn.com Picture: Polish climbers with their Pakistani staff members at the base of K2 for their winter 2018 attempt. (File photo – Natgeo)

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The 2019 team are a strong and skilled group of mountaineers from Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan who are preparing themselves for the climb.

The challenges that this expedition have to face are extreme height with thin air, technical complexities of the route, weather especially the wind approximately 200 km/h and avalanche danger, rock fall and extreme cold of -40 Celsius.

Keeping in view the preparations, the skills and strengths of the team members there are bright chances of success. The team leader Vassily Pivtsov from Kazakhstan has climbed all 8000ers in world without any supplement oxygen, and the rest of the team members have experience above 7,000 metres

Team members include Vassily Pivtsov (Kazakhstan), Artem Brown (Russia), Roman Abildaev (Russia), Vitaly Akimov (Russia), Tursunali Aubakirov (Kazakhstan), Mikhail Danichkin (Kyrgyzia), Ildar Gabbasov (Kazakhstan), Eugeny Glazunov (Russia), Dmitry Muraviov (Kazakhstan), Pavel Vorobjov (Russia), Dmitry Muraviov (Kazakhstan) and Pavel Vorobjov from Russia.