Renowned American alpinist Colin Haley, accompanied by climbing partners Americ Clouet and Damien Tomasi, recently returned from Pakistan’s Charakusa Valley after an unsuccessful attempt to summit the formidable 6,934m K7 peak. Their expedition joins a growing list of thwarted climbs in the Karakoram this season, where persistent poor conditions have dashed the hopes of multiple international teams.
Despite keeping their expedition relatively low-profile, Haley later revealed the harsh environmental challenges they faced, primarily linked to the intensifying effects of climate change.
Unusual Conditions at Extreme Altitude
Haley described the alarming shift in mountain conditions due to a combination of unseasonably dry winters and soaring summer temperatures, “We were getting mosquito bites at over 5,000 meters,” he wrote—an almost surreal scenario in what should be a frozen, inhospitable zone.
But the presence of mosquitoes wasn’t the real danger. According to Haley, the high-altitude heat had severely melted away ice that traditionally held mountain terrain together. What were once solid, glaciated routes had turned into unstable rockfields, riddled with constant rockfall and posing extreme climbing hazards. “Couloirs and slopes that are permanently ice-clad in old photographs were now nothing but piles of precarious rock,” he added. The team was surrounded by falling stones day and night, with rockfall occurring nearly every 15 minutes.
Another Year, Another Setback on K7
This is not the first failed attempt on K7. In 2023, Clouet, along with Charles Dubouloz and others, also faced defeat. The 2024 season proved equally frustrating—Dubouloz attempted Gasherbrum IV this year while Clouet made another bid for K7. A Spanish team also attempted to summit K7 but had to abandon their climb due to the same treacherous conditions.
Reflections on a Changing Era of Alpinism
Haley, a veteran of numerous alpine-style ascents worldwide, including many in Patagonia, expressed concern about the future of mountaineering in a warming world. “I still love the challenge of climbing big mountains, and I don’t regret my path. But I can’t deny that many of my experiences over the past decade have left me feeling that being an alpinist in the 21st century is often a disheartening pursuit.”
Despite the lack of a summit, the team safely returned home, maintaining strong bonds of friendship in the face of disappointment—a rare but valuable takeaway in a season marked by danger and tragedy.
A Grim Season for the Karakoram
This year’s unpredictable conditions have proven fatal in some cases. Just last week, German climber Laura Dahlmeier tragically lost her life on Laila Peak after a rockfall, highlighting the heightened risks in the mountains of Pakistan amid shifting climate patterns.