Dwindling Hope as Weather Hampers Search Effort on K2

Due to inclement weather on K2, a Pakistani Army helicopter could only complete one flight yesterday searching for mountaineers John Snorri Sigurjónsson, from Iceland, Ali Sadpara, from Pakistan, and Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto, from Chile, Morgunblaðið reports. The three have been missing since Saturday on K2 - the world’s second highest mountain.

The weather forecast for the next few days is bad, so it remains uncertain when the search will be able to continue.

John Snorri’s family issued a statement yesterday, saying that the hope that they’ll be found alive is dwindling. The family thanked Icelandic authorities and several state agencies for their invaluable support and professionalism during the search. They thanked Pakistani authorities and everyone who has participated in the search.

The three mountaineers were last seen Friday morning, when Ali Sadpara’s son, Sajid, was forced to leave the group at the so-called Bottleneck when his oxygen regulator failed.

Muhammad Ali Sadpara is a national hero in Pakistan, being the only Pakistani to have conquered eight out of the world’s 14 highest mountains.

Extreme cold in the area has made search efforts difficult. Every effort has been made to keep the search team safe under these dangerous conditions. According to gripped.com, winter winds on K2 can blow at more than 200 km/hour and temperatures can drop to minus 60°C (76° below zero on F).