Zimmerman and Welsted to tackle K2 West Ridge
Graham Zimmerman and Ian Welsted will tackle K2 this summer and attempt it alpine style via the West Ridge.
Graham announced the challenge via his Social Media channels this morning.
“The Karakoram is the mountain range that I find most inspiring. It is where I have seen some of my biggest success as an alpinist, and it is where I have learned some of my most important lessons.
“There is one peak in the Karakoram that literally stands above the rest, a peak that I have seen on the horizon from several different summits and has always attracted my attention, the majestic and steep 8611m Chogori, or K2.
“For many years now, it has been a dream of mine to take the lessons learned on lower peaks and apply them to the highest peak in the Karakoram. This summer, along with Ian Welsted, I am going to give it a try.
“We will not be taking on the traditional routes to the summit. Instead, we’ll be trying the West Ridge in a lightweight and modern alpine style.
“I am delighted to share that the team at @tincupwhiskey is coming along for this journey. I am joining their #PartnerInAdventure team and they are supporting Ian’s and my endeavors on K2.
“We leave in a couple of weeks and during that time, I will be sharing some of the planning going into the trip, from climbing gear to food to Covid protocols. Then we’ll drop off the radar for the summer.
“I am very excited.”
“I’ve been focused on climbing 6 & 7000m peaks for several years now and have become very curious about how my body would perform on the highest peaks. With this in mind, I have been researching objectives on those highest hills (8k+) that are compelling and relatively safe.
“Since most of my big mountain experience has been in the Pakistani Karakoram, it was an obvious choice to look at objectives in that range since I have so much more experience with conditions, weather, and logistics.
“This left me with 5 choices, and I scoured them for new routes or old routes that could be redefined, that fit the parameters I was looking for.
“The West Ridge is stunning. It’s not super hard while still being technical. If conditions are right, it will be safe (i.e., no big seracs), and it has an unclimbed direct finish that looks pretty sweet.
“So, that’s what we’re going to attempt.”
The pairing are well known for their historic climbs of K6 West, among many others, and if they complete this one as they aim it is sure to be another epic feat.
View this post on Instagram
