No One Summited K2 This Year, Capping a Brutal Season in the Karakoram

An unsuccessful climbing year in the Karakoram mountain range of Pakistan has finally come to an end. The 2026 climbing season will forever be scarred by the July 30 Broad Peak avalanche, which devastatingly claimed the lives of 10 mountaineers, including Nirmal Purja — a globally famous Nepalese climber who gained notoriety by setting a speed record in 2019 when he summited all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in just over six months.

• Related: Nims Dai Purja Confirmed Dead Following Broad Peak Avalanche in Pakistan

Beyond the tragedy, 2026 was certainly a disappointing year in the high mountains of northern Pakistan. The Karakoram saw unseasonably heavy snowfall through much of July, making early-season rope-fixing on routs such as K2’s (8,611m/28,251ft) Abruzzi Spur incredibly challenging. The summer accumulation also loaded slopes with unstable layers of snow, creating treacherous conditions that halted many expeditions.

The Broad Peak avalanche occurred during one of the season’s few favorable weather windows. As skies cleared after several consecutive days of snow, many expeditions were gearing up for summit pushes on nearby 8,000-meter peaks when they got word of the tragedy that had struck climbers on Broad Peak. Many groups immediately abandoned their climbing aspirations to aid in search-and-rescue efforts at the avalanche site.

At K2’s Camp 3, an expedition led by Mingma G, a renowned Nepali Sherpa and director of Imagine Nepal climbing company, received word of the tragedy via satellite messenger at around 9 p.m. on July 30. The group immediately abandoned its summit aspirations and descended the following morning, en route to search for the fallen climbers on Broad Peak.

After a short weather window brought few attempts, and even fewer summits, climbing across the region ground to a near-complete halt. Conditions then began to deteriorate further. Early August brought unusually hot temperatures, especially at lower elevations. This warming further destabilized the already weak snowpack, heightening avalanche danger. Rockfall risk also rose significantly, as the snow and ice that normally holds loose rock in place began to melt at an alarming rate.

Given the summer-long challenging conditions and search-and-rescue efforts halting expeditions, the high peaks of the Karakoram saw very few summits this season. According to Dawn News, K2 — the second-highest mountain in the world and by far the most famous peak in the region — did not see a single successful expedition reach the summit. By comparison, 2025, a relatively strong year, saw 41 individuals reach K2’s summit. Gasherbrum I (8,080m/26,509ft), the Karakoram’s second-highest mountain, also went the entire season without a group reaching its summit, while Broad Peak (8,047m/26,401ft) and Gasherbrum II (8,035m/26,362ft) combined for just four successful expeditions.

• Related: Record Mount Everest Rush Sees 2 Climbers Die After Summit Push

Thus far, 2026 has seen over 200 attempts on the Karakoram’s 8,000-meter peaks, and only four successful summits. In a region already known for its unpredictable and often treacherous nature, this season stands out as one that will be remembered not only for tragedy, but also for an overall lack of success.