After a single weekend on Broad Peak in Pakistan, one ski mountaineer completed a first descent from the summit of 26,414 ft Broad Peak and one ski mountaineer has gone missing.
While Andrzej Bargiel was completing the first ski descent from the summit of the Pakistani peak, fellow ski mountaineer Piotr Snigorski was looking for his partner Olek Ostrowski, who is thought to have fallen into a crevasse. However, turbulent weather has prevented a rescue operation and in the meantime, rescue officials are waiting for the weather to clear.
According to ACP Press Secretary Karrar Haidri,
“On Saturday, July 25, the two climbers were descending from camp II to camp I on skis when Olek Ostrowski possibly fell into a crevasse. Piotr Snigorski, however, safely made it back to the base camp.”
Another polish mountaineer, Kinga Baranowska and three Sherpas left base camp on Sunday to search for the missing ski mountaineer.
Andrzej Bargiel is the only person to summit the peak this season due to a deep snowpack and unruly weather patterns. After completing the first descent, it took Bargiel three hours to ski down to basecamp. He is the first person to ever ski off the summit.
Broad Peak Stats
- 8,051 m (26,414 ft)
- 12th Highest Mountain in the World
- 1957 First Ascent by Team of Austrian Mountaineers
- On March 5, 2013, a Team of Polish Mountaineers completes the first winter ascent
- Called “Broad Peak” for its 1.5km long summit