KATHMANDU, JULY 28
A Japanese woman climber has set the world record for the most successful ascents on K2 as she scaled the second world's highest peak for the third time this morning.
According to Chhang Dawa Sherpa, Expedition Director at Seven Summit treks, Naoko Watanabe from Japan along with other climbers stood atop K2 today at around 9:00 am local time becoming the first woman climber to have scaled K2 for the third time.
"Earlier, Naoko had scaled K2 in 2018 and 2023," Sherpa, who is now at the base camp, told THT. Naoko had already scaled 13 peaks above 8,000 m.
Likewise, Mingtemba Sherpa, a renowned Nepal climber, stood atop the world's second highest peak this morning. "Mingtemba reached the summit point of K2 for the fourth time while he played a leading role in fixing ropes from the bottleneck to summit," Sherpa said.
From SST, Valeriy Babanov, Jorge Egocheaga Rodriguez, Ngo Hai Son, Mingma Norbu Sherpa and Nurbu Sherpa also scaled K2, according to Sherpa.
Sharing details about the rope fixing, Chhang Dawa said that the Italian team expertly fixed ropes from Base Camp to Camp 1 while Seven Summit Treks took on the challenge from Camp 1 to 150m below Camp. Imagine Nepal Treks team skillfully continued from 150m below Camp 3 and managed to fix the ropes up to Camp 3. Seven Summit Treks fixed the ropes from Camp 3 to the Lower Camp 4.
From lower Camp 4 to the Bottleneck, there was a combined effort from Madison, 8K, Imagine Nepal, Glacier Himalayan, and Seven Summit Treks, he added. "From the Bottleneck to the summit, a mixed team led by Mingtemba Sherpa from Seven Summit Treks took charge."
The climbers are now descending to lower camps, Sherpa said.
