Two American climbers are missing after an attempt to climb one of the highest mountain peaks in northern Pakistan.
Kyle Dempster and Scott Adamson set out early August 21 to climb the north face of Ogre 2, near the Choktoi Glacier, authorities said.
The two men have not been seen since August 22, the day before a storm hit the mountain, according to a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for their rescue.
“Their initial plan included five days for the climb and descent,” the Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement. “When they did not return on the expected date, the base camp team informed us. We then started communication with all concerned local authorities and the climbers’ families.”
Dempster is from Salt Lake City, Utah, while Adamson lives in nearby Provo, Utah. The two friends tried to summit the treacherous north face of Ogre 2 last year but turned back after Adamson fell and broke his leg, according to CNN affiliate KUTV.
“It’s a remote area in Pakistan, not like you see with teams of people in the Himalayas,” said Jonathan Thesenga of Black Diamond Equipment, one of the climbers’ sponsors. “The cook is at the base camp now with two American climbers and four German-Austrian climbers that were on the same glacier and they are the rescue group.”
“It’s been a long ordeal,” Thesenga added. “There is a lot of anxiety, but optimism because of how strong and talented Scott and Kyle are. The longer this is drawn out, the more concerned they (the families) get.”
The 23,000-foot peak sees intense snowstorms and bad weather this time of the year, complicating search efforts.
“A very dense and heavy weather system has just parked over the area,” said Thesenga.
The government has not dispatched a rescue helicopter because of weather conditions, local official Muhammad Iqbal said.
Ogre 2 is one of the steepest peaks in the region and was ascended only three times between 1977 and 2012, said Ayaz Shigri of the Baltistan Tour Operator Association.
The online campaign to fund search efforts has raised more than $150,000 so far.