Mountaineers facing communication woes on K2 expedition

GILGIT: The Italian Alpine Club’s “K2-70 Expedition” is currently mired in communication troubles as the team grapples with persistent issues using Thuraya satellite modems.

The Italian Alpine Club’s K2-70 project features an Italy-Pakistan all-woman climbers team aiming to summit the world’s second-highest peak, K2, in honour of the platinum jubilee of the first ascent of the 8,611-meter-high mountain.

They secured two modems from UAE’s satellite internet provider Thuraya for communication.

However, “despite substantial investments in securing reliable communication services,” the mountaineers report significant disruptions hampering their operations and financial arrangements with local tourism agencies.

The K2 Expedition team has accused Thuraya of failing to deliver on its service promises despite receiving full payment. “We are experiencing severe communication problems since the start of the expedition,” said Arif Hussain Arif, a spokesperson for EvK2CNR Pakistan, the co-organizer of the expedition. “Thuraya’s promises have not been kept, and this is impacting our ability to manage logistics and maintain safety on the mountain.”

Mountaineering expeditions, like the one on K2, depend heavily on robust communication systems to coordinate with service providers in Gilgit-Baltistan. The lack of reliable connectivity is not only a logistical hurdle but also poses safety risks in the treacherous terrain of the Karakoram Range.

The expedition team has further alleged that Thuraya’s issues stem from overbooking internet bandwidth. “Thuraya collects substantial fees for their services, but it seems they have oversold their bandwidth, leading to these service disruptions,” the spokesperson added.

In an effort to resolve the situation, the expedition team has written twice to Thuraya, seeking explanations and immediate remediation. Copies of these letters have been provided to HUM News English, highlighting the urgency and gravity of the matter.

The Special Communication Organization (SCO), the sole internet provider in the region, has also provided internet at Concordia and K2 base camp.

When asked about the service provided by SCO, the spokesperson said, “Well, the internet provided by SCO at Concordia, given the challenges faced, is at least working to establish contact; however, it can be improved a lot. It does work during the daytime, but in the afternoons and evenings, it works intermittently.”

HUM News English contacted Thuraya for a comment but has yet to receive a response.

Initially, the expedition team included four Pakistani climbers—Samina Baig, Amina Shigri, Nadeema Sahar, and Samana Rahim—and four Italian climbers—Federica Mingolla, Silvia Loreggian, Anna Torretta, and Cristina Piolini.

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However, two Pakistani climbers, Samina Baig and Amina Shigri, abandoned the expedition due to health issues earlier this month. Samina Baig was transported via horse from the base camp to Shigar, from where she was airlifted to CMH Skardu before being transported to Rawalpindi.

The team is currently rotating on K2 and waiting for a weather window for the summit. However, the weather conditions in the Karakoram remain persistently harsh