A determined Polish team is gearing up to take on Nanga Parbat in the coming weeks. With the shifting climate affecting traditional climbing seasons, they’ve decided to climb at an unconventional time. Their hope is to find more favorable conditions and to avoid the typical crowds that usually swarm the mountain in early summer.
This skilled team features experienced climbers Artur Malek, Marek Chmielarski, Marek Olczak, Pawel Michalski, Rafal Fronia, and Wojtek Flaczynski, each ready to embrace the challenge ahead.
Embracing the Shifts in Our Changing Climate
“We need to adapt and evolve in the mountains, just as the world is changing,” Fronia wrote on social media. Climate change is transforming the mountains, causing them to melt and break apart. This makes them incredibly dangerous, especially in the summer when loose rocks can easily tumble down.”
Fronia also lamented the shift in Himalayan climbing during what he calls the “golden era” of commercial expeditions. The higher camps are now overcrowded, with little space for tents, and the once serene peak season has lost its quiet charm.
A Past Off-Season Attempt Didn’t Go as Planned
The Polish climbers will enjoy the solitude of Nanga Parbat and have the mountain all to themselves. However, good conditions are not guaranteed. Climbing Nanga Parbat in the autumn is not a new idea, and previous attempts have faced challenges.
In August 2022, Mingma G of Imagine Nepal also tried to tackle Nanga Parbat in the off-season. Unfortunately, their climb didn’t go as planned. On the Kinshoffer route, rockfall below Camp 2 forced them to turn back. They then switched to the Messner route, but persistent avalanches prevented any serious summit attempts, leading Mingma G to eventually call off the expedition.
The Polish team is set to reach Base Camp later than Imagine Nepal did in 2022. They’re hopeful they might encounter better conditions.
