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Alpinists Cory Richards, Simone Moro and Denis Urubko have completed the first winter ascent of Pakistan's Gasherbrum II, according to . At 26,362 feet, Gasherbrum II is the thirteenth highest mountain in the world and only the fifth 8,000-meter (26,247-foot) peak to be climbed during the winter.
The trio established a base camp on January 11 and reached the summit at 11:30 A.M. local time today, February 2. After reaching the summit, the climbers descended through a severe storm to their highest camp and will continue down to base camp tomorrow.
Gasherbrum II is part of the Karakoram Range in Northern Pakistan, northwest of Tibetan Himalaya. Although the Himalaya receives more moisture (snowfall in the winter) because of its proximity to the Bay of Bengal, the farther inland Karakoram experiences colder winter temperatures and contains glaciers far larger than anything in Tibetan Himalaya.
To read more about the team's ascent of Gasherbrum II visit The North Face's , and check out our of the trio's preparation to summit the peak.
–Will Grant