Comparison of Environmental Conditions on Summits of Mount Everest and K2 in Climbing and Midwinter Seasons

Szymczak, Robert K.; Pyka, Michał K; Grzywacz, Tomasz; Marosz, Michał; Naczyk, Marta; Sawicka, Magdalena

doi:10.3390/ijerph18063040

Cited by 7 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(90 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This result suggests that in winter Karakoram's latitude 8 • further north has a greater effect on Temp than the 400 m altitude difference between 8K peaks. This result accords with the lower average midwinter Temp on K2's summit, the highest in the Karakoram range, than on the 237 m higher Everest further south (Szymczak et al, 2021).…”

Section: Thermal Stresssupporting

confidence: 83%

“…This study provides the first complete assessment of the environmental factors that climbers have experienced in the most extreme successful ascents of 8K peaks. It develops the findings of our previous report (Szymczak et al, 2021), where we analyzed the weather extremes on the summits of Everest and K2 in the climbing and the winter season using monthly means between 1979 and 2019. This analysis extends the current knowledge of combined weather extremes in the Death Zone and should help future expeditions prepare for the environmental extremes they will encounter on 8K summits.…”

Section: Limitations and Strengthssupporting

confidence: 70%

“…The NCEP Reanalysis is one of the earliest meteorological datasets with a 10-timeslower spatial resolution of 2.5 × 2.5 degrees of latitude and longitude (Kalnay et al, 1996) compared with the 0.25 × 0.25 degree resolution of the ERA5 dataset (Hersbach et al, 2020). Everest's summit BP calculated from ERA5 and corrected with in situ measurements from automatic weather stations installed on the mountain's South Col (7945 m) and Balcony (8430 m) as described by Matthews et al (2020b) differed by about 1 hPa from results based on ERA5 alone as reported in our earlier article (Szymczak et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

“…The most extreme mean BP of 326 ± 3 hPa that we recorded was experienced in oxygen-aided ascents of Everest in winter. Most (86%) of those ascents were in December, so the similarity of the calculated mean BP to Everest summit’s average December values of 326 hPa ( Matthews et al, 2020b ) and 327 hPa ( Szymczak et al, 2021 ) could be expected. However, the lowest BP recorded in our study of 320 hPa, experienced with oxygen support on the summit of Everest in February, was below the summit’s previously reported February mean of 323 hPa ( Matthews et al, 2020b ) and 324 hPa ( Szymczak et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Everest’s average climbing-season WCT is –45°C, FFT is 7 min; in midwinter WCT is close to –65°C and FFT is less than 1 min ( Moore and Semple, 2011 ). In a previous article ( Szymczak et al, 2021 ) we analyzed the weather extremes on the summits of Everest and K2 in the climbing and the winter seasons using monthly means between 1979 and 2019.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Death Zone Weather Extremes Mountaineers Have Experienced in Successful Ascents

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundFew data are available on mountaineers’ survival prospects in extreme weather above 8000 m (the Death Zone). We aimed to assess Death Zone weather extremes experienced in climbing-season ascents of Everest and K2, all winter ascents of 8000 m peaks (8K) in the Himalayas and Karakoram, environmental records of human survival, and weather extremes experienced with and without oxygen support.Materials and MethodsWe analyzed 528 ascents of 8K peaks: 423 non-winter ascents without supplemental oxygen (Everest–210, K2–213), 76 ascents in winter without oxygen, and 29 in winter with oxygen. We assessed environmental conditions using the ERA5 dataset (1978–2021): barometric pressure (BP), temperature (Temp), wind speed (Wind), wind chill equivalent temperature (WCT), and facial frostbite time (FFT).ResultsThe most extreme conditions that climbers have experienced with and without supplemental oxygen were: BP 320 hPa (winter Everest) vs. 329 hPa (non-winter Everest); Temp –41°C (winter Everest) vs. –45°C (winter Nanga Parbat); Wind 46 m⋅s–1 (winter Everest) vs. 48 m⋅s–1 (winter Kangchenjunga). The most extreme combined conditions of BP ≤ 333 hPa, Temp ≤ −30°C, Wind ≥ 25 m⋅s–1, WCT ≤ −54°C and FFT ≤ 3 min were encountered in 14 ascents of Everest, two without oxygen (late autumn and winter) and 12 oxygen-supported in winter. The average extreme conditions experienced in ascents with and without oxygen were: BP 326 ± 3 hPa (winter Everest) vs. 335 ± 2 hPa (non-winter Everest); Temp −40 ± 0°C (winter K2) vs. −38 ± 5°C (winter low Karakoram 8K peaks); Wind 36 ± 7 m⋅s–1 (winter Everest) vs. 41 ± 9 m⋅s–1 (winter high Himalayan 8K peaks).Conclusions1.The most extreme combined environmental BP, Temp and Wind were experienced in winter and off-season ascents of Everest.2.Mountaineers using supplemental oxygen endured more extreme conditions than climbers without oxygen.3.Climbing-season weather extremes in the Death Zone were more severe on Everest than on K2.4.Extreme wind speed characterized winter ascents of Himalayan peaks, but severely low temperatures marked winter climbs in Karakoram.

show abstract

Section: Thermal Stresssupporting

confidence: 83%

Section: Limitations and Strengthssupporting

confidence: 70%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Death Zone Weather Extremes Mountaineers Have Experienced in Successful Ascents

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Weather on K2 during historic first winter ascent

Matthews

Perry

Aryal

et al. 2021

Weather

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simulations of the human heat balance during Mount Everest summit attempts in spring and winter

Błażejczyk,

Havenith,

Szymczak

2023

Int J Biometeorol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The majority of research dealing with the impacts of the Himalayan climate on human physiology focuses on low air temperature, high wind speed, and low air pressure and oxygen content, potentially leading to hypothermia and hypoxia. Only a few studies describe the influence of the weather conditions in the Himalayas on the body’s ability to maintain thermal balance. The aim of the present research is to trace the heat exchange between humans and their surroundings during a typical, 6-day summit attempt of Mount Everest in the spring and winter seasons. Additionally, an emergency night outdoors without tent protection is considered. Daily variation of the heat balance components were calculated by the MENEX_HA model using meteorological data collected at automatic weather stations installed during a National Geographic expedition in 2019–2020. The data represent the hourly values of the measured meteorological parameters. The research shows that in spite of extreme environmental conditions in the sub-summit zone of Mount Everest during the spring weather window, it is possible to keep heat equilibrium of the climbers’ body. This can be achieved by the use of appropriate clothing and by regulating activity level. In winter, extreme environmental conditions in the sub-summit zone make it impossible to maintain heat equilibrium and lead to hypothermia. The emergency night in the sub-peak zone leads to gradual cooling of the body which in winter can cause severe hypothermia of the climber’s body. At altitudes < 7000 m, climbers should consider using clothing that allows variation of insulation and active regulation of their fit around the body.

show abstract

Comparison of Environmental Conditions on Summits of Mount Everest and K2 in Climbing and Midwinter Seasons

Cited by 7 publications

References 38 publications

Death Zone Weather Extremes Mountaineers Have Experienced in Successful Ascents

Death Zone Weather Extremes Mountaineers Have Experienced in Successful Ascents

Weather on K2 during historic first winter ascent

Simulations of the human heat balance during Mount Everest summit attempts in spring and winter

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About