Pakistan wrap-up: Roby and Marco in blizzard high up on GII: K2climb.net

(K2Climb.net) Focus is on Roby Piantoni and Marco Astory, high up on GII after a snow storm forced them back just meters shy from the summit.

Climbers on K2 retreated back to BC and diplomacy is ahead enroute to Distaghil Sar.

Gasherbrums: Storm thwarts the Italians' summit bid on GII

Sunday, Roby Piantoni and Marco Astori summited G1 and went straight for GII. They checked in Monday from C2 (6,400m) on Gasherbrum La, the col connecting both peaks. "We are resting, eating and drinking, weather is so-so." Roby reported.

Yesterday, in his latest call, Piantoni stated they were at 7,200 meters on GII's East ridge. "I don't like how the weather looks," Roby said. "Let's see what happens."

Later that day, Marco's website said the climbers had climbed further up, until sudden high winds and whiteout forced them back, apparently not far from the top. At 3:00 pm, local time, Roby and Marco were back at 7,300m, crouched behind a rock outcrop to shelter from the wind.

Slovaks Dodo and Vlado are packing up in BC and will move to K2's BC as fast as possible.

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