BURSTVeteran alpinist Colin Haley recently spent time in the Karakoram, an area that’s had hotter than normal temps over the past few years. After his trip, he wrote on social media, “The past two to three winters have been particularly dry in the Karakoram, and this summer has been particularly hot. The result was getting mosquito bites above 5000m, and incredibly melted conditions.”
Climbers have been facing heightened risks due to unprecedented temperatures in the Western Himalaya and Karakoram this summer. On July 5, Polish climber Łukasz Supergan, who had been attempting Broad Peak, shared this on social media: “The weather this year is strange. Since I arrived, hardly any snow has fallen. There was hardly any precipitation in spring either. This means that parts of the route I would normally take through snow are now rocky and very unstable. Climbing there is unpleasant and risky.”
The region endured a severe heatwave in June, affecting Northern India and Pakistan. Gilgit-Baltistan recorded extreme temperatures, with Chilas district hitting 48.5°C on July 5, breaking a 28-year record. June’s dry conditions prompted heat warnings in Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. Hospitals in Pakistan’s Punjab province reported an influx of heatstroke cases.
Authorities have warned that the heat could accelerate snow and glacier melting, raising concerns about flash flooding in valleys below. The combination of minimal precipitation and soaring temperatures has altered climbing routes. As climbers deal with worsening conditions, the risks in the Karakoram continue to grow, challenging even the most experienced alpinist.
The post Dry Summer and Mosquito Bites in Karakoram appeared first on Gripped Magazine.