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Alex Txikon
At base camp, Txikon shows his team a map of the mountain and discusses plans to set up fixed ropes and camps along the main route, known as the Abruzzi Ridge.
So far, the teams have reported that the weather has good although strong winds remain a factor.
A member of Txikon's team surveys the tents set up at Camp 2. The expeditions must summit by March 20, the end of the astronomical winter, to be considered the first to successfully climb K2 in winter.
Txikon's team built three large igloos, which stay 10 to 15 degrees warmer than winter tents, and offer greater shelter from the maddening noise of the incessant winds. Mountaineers have long relied on building snow caves for bivouacs during ascents, but the use of igloos in a winter basecamp is a novel approach.
Txikon's team was able to set up Camp 2 at 22,000 feet after just two days of climbing. The team is building advanced camps like these at various altitudes along the route and stocking them with gear and food.