First ascent of this Hispar peak by Simon Anthamatten, Hansjorg and Matthias Auer, who climbed the mixed 2700m southwest face, with difficulties that Anthamattten rationalized were M4/5 at 7000m.*
First ascent of this previously-attempted peak west of the Ogre by Ondra Mandula and Jiri Pliska from the Czech Republic. The pair climbed the west pillar with two bivouacs, naming their 1600m climb, At the Right Time in the Right Place (6b 70 degrees M5 A1), due to finding perfect conditions on the wall and enjoying good weather throughout.
Uli Biaho (6109m)
Eugeny Bashkirtsov and Denis Veretenin from Russia climbed a new route, alpine style, on the east pillar to the right of the 1979 American line, then descended the south face in a total of seven days. Russian Roulette (1900m 6c+ A2) mostly follows wide cracks and would have been psychologically easier had the team carried more than one large cam. Seven (hand-drilled) bolts were placed, mainly on anchors.
First ascent of the south pillar by Italians Matteo Della Bordella and Luca Schiera, and the Swiss Silvan Schupbach. After a long couloir approach (50-70/75 degrees) the three climbed the 500m pillar (first attempted almost 40 years ago) with one bivouac; Speck (350m, 6b A0, followed by 150m of snow/mixed to 70 degrees). Schiera and Schupbach also climbed Trango Tower and Great Trango during the same trip, making them the first to summit the three major towers above the Trango Glacier.
Great Trango Tower (6,286m), not to main summit
From July 31 – August 19 Marek Raganowicz and Marcin Tomaszewski from Poland put up a new route on the right side of the northwest face of Great Trango Tower. The first 38 of this 45-pitch route were independent. The pair climbed capsule style with four portaledge camps, reaching the top of the southwest ridge leading towards the 6,237m southwest summit. Twenty-one belay bolts and eight rivets were hand-drilled: Bushido (ca 1,950m, US VII- A4 UIAA VII+).
Partial new route on the west face by Iranians Aidin Bozorgi, Mojtaba Jarahi, and Pouya Keivan. The three climbed the Normal route to Camp 3 at 7,000m, then traversed right onto the west face, slanting across ice, snow and rocky ground to reach the upper south ridge, which they followed back to the main summit. The new ground was climbed in alpine style. Tragically, exhausted in the summit area, the three became disorientated, lost the descent, and eventually perished.
Rafael Slawinski and Ian Welsted made the first ascent of K6 West via the northwest face and west ridge in five days from the Charakusa Glacier. A further day was needed for descent. Above a complex glacier approach the route gave 1,800m of technical climbing up to WI4+ M6+. Prior to their ascent the line had been attempted almost to the ridge by Japanese.
Kapura (6,544m), not to summit
First ascent of the southwest ridge by Portuguese Paulo Roxo and Daniela Teixeira. Approaching via the Nangma Valley they made two bivouacs, one on the ascent and one on the descent, naming their route Never Ending Dreams (1,300m, M4 70 degrees). They reached a small sub-summit of at least 6,350m at the end of the southwest ridge of Kapura South Peak.