Nepali climbers make history by becoming first to scale K2 peak in winter

K2 is the second highest mountain in the world.

Nepalese mountaineer Sona Sherpa posing with the banner of Seven Summit Treks on the top of Mt. K2, located in Pakistan's Karakoram range along the Chinese border that leads into the Himalayas on January 16.

Pakistan on Sunday felicitated a team of 10 Nepali climbers for making history by becoming the first to scale in winter the world's second highest mountain K2, considered as the world's most dangerous and challenging peak.

K2 with its daunting 8,611 meters height is located in Gilgit-Baltistan side of the Karakoram range. It was the only one among 8,000-meter high peaks that was never scaled in winter.

The history was made on Saturday by a group of 10 Nepali climbers. The achievement was the result of a collaborative effort between the climbers affiliated with multiple teams: one led by Nirmal Purja and the other by Mingma Gyalje Sherpa.

"The impossible is made possible! K2winter – history made for mankind, history made for Nepal,” Nirmal Purja wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

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Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri wished the climbers a safe return from the peak, calling the expedition as one of the "most coveted" achievements in mountaineering.

"Pakistan: The ultimate destination of mountaineering,” Mr. Chaudhri tweeted.

Before the maiden winter success by the Nepalese team, 367 climbers in summer have completed the ascent of K2, which is called a Savage Mountain.

So far, 86 climbers have lost lives during attempts to climb the peak between the first ascent of K2 on July 31, 1954. It has the second-highest fatality rate among the 14 tallest peaks and for every four reaching the summit, around one climber never returns from the mountain.

Keeping its savage reputation, the peak took another life on Saturday when a Spanish climber identified as Sergio Mingote Moreno, who was part of the SST international winter expedition team, lost his life while returning to base camp when he fell into the crevasse from Camp 1.

Alpine Club of Pakistan said Moreno fell down in cravess while coming back from Camp 1 (20,179 ft) to base camp.

"He stayed at Camp-1 for 2 days. He fell into crevasse and died due to severe injuries," said the Club, adding that his body was flown to Skardu by an army helicopter on Sunday.