British climber Adriana Brownlee, who wants to become the youngest mountaineer to scale 14 peaks higher than 8,000m, has decided to postpone the scheduled plan to attempt Gasherbrum I and II for this season citing safety concerns. 

“We are a little late for G I & II this time,” said her climbing companion and guide Gelje Sherpa from Skardu in a WhatsApp message to Everest Chronicle. “There is a small window to attempt these peaks, but this is not without its risk. It is getting warmer, and we have to walk through widening crevasses in the mountain without a fixed rope”, he said. 

Gelje attributed this delay in their GI and GII attempt to a longer than usual climbing time in Nanga Parbat. It usually takes 10 to 15 days to wrap up its summit, but this time it took a month, said Gelje. 

Gelje, who represents young generation of Nepal’s bold and ambitious mountaineers, is best known for breaking routes to 8,000 m peaks even in adverse conditions. He had exhibited his skill in breaking a route through a ridge at 6,800m in Annapurna while assisting Nirmal Purja aka Nimsdai during his Project Possible mission. The ridge is now named after Gelje. He was in the forefront fixing rope to the summit of K2 during the record-breaking winter ascent of the mountain by 10 Nepali climbers last year.

Gelje, who has climbed 13 of 14 peaks above 8,000-meter, hardly goes wrong in his assessment of the mountain. He stressed that “safety is first” while speaking with Everest Chronicle.

“At Camp 3 of K2, both of us were thinking that we were ready for a rest from the mountains after we summit K2. G1 and G2 are easier mountains but there is one big risk, the icefall before camp I. We knew that we were not strong enough to go through this mentally. It was a hard yet easy decision. Next year we will be back to tackle them both. The mountains will always be there, our own health is more important,” said Adriana in her message to Everest Chronicle.

21-year-old Adriana is a rising star in mountaineering. With summit of K2 (8,611m) on July 28, Adriana is the youngest mountaineer to summit 10 peaks above 8,000m. She climbed five 8000er peaks in spring with Gelje – Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu—before heading to Pakistan, with aim of climbing all 5 of its 8000ers.

She will be heading home now. She plans to come back to Nepal in October to summit Cho Oyu.

Pakistan’s Shehroze Kashif, who is a year younger than Adriana, is currently in Gasherbrum base camp attempting to climb both GI and GII. He has so far summited eight 8000ers. If he succeeds, he will be clinching the record of youngest mountaineer to summit 10 of 14 highest peaks above 8,000.

Norwegian Kristin Harila, Taiwanese Tseng Ko-Erh aka Grace Tseng, Japanese Naoko Watanabe along with historical record making Nepali guide Sanu Sherpa, Nepali female climber Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita are some of the climbers currently at Gasherbrum base camp.