Heavy Snow Turns Back Slovenian Climbers at 6350m on K7 East Face

The Slovenian team attempting the East Face of K7 (6,934 m) in Pakistan's Charakusa Valley ended its main climbing attempt after reaching about 6,350 m, with heavy snowfall forcing a retreat on the fourth day.

The Charakusa 2026 expedition comprised Luka Krajnc, Luka Lindič, Martin Žumer and Gašper Pintar, with Krajnc leading the team. They left for Pakistan on 24 August, 2026 with the East Face of K7 as their main objective, while keeping their plans flexible depending on conditions on the mountain.

K7 (6934 m)

Drawn Back to Charakusa

For the Slovenian climbers, the attraction of Charakusa lay in its steep technical walls and the possibilities they offered for exploratory alpinism. Before departure, Krajnc explained that the idea of returning to the valley had come from Luka Lindič, who had climbed there previously. Describing what drew them to the region, he said:

“The main attraction is certainly the impressive steep walls in the valley, with many possibilities for routes of different lengths and difficulties.”

Krajnc also made clear that K7's East Face was an objective rather than a rigid plan: if conditions permitted, they would attempt a route on the face, while adapting their plans to the team's condition and the state of the mountain.

Four Days on K7

The team reached Base Camp in the Charakusa Valley on 29 August, 2026 and completed three acclimatisation climbs over the following weeks. Pintar subsequently decided to end his expedition after experiencing difficulties at altitude, leaving Krajnc, Lindič and Žumer waiting at Base Camp for suitable weather to attempt their main objective. 

The three eventually launched their attempt on K7's East Face. Despite demanding conditions, they climbed to approximately 6,350 m. On the fourth day, increasingly heavy snowfall forced them to abandon the attempt and descend.

In a message from the expedition published by the Alpine Association of Slovenia on 28 September, the climbers summed up their effort simply:

“We made a good attempt on our main objective.”

They reported reaching 6,350 m in difficult conditions before deciding to descend because of heavy snowfall. By the time the message was published, the three climbers were safely back in Skardu.

Luka Krajnc, Luka Lindič, Martin Žumer and Gašper Pintar

A Significant Year on K7

The Slovenian attempt follows another major climb on K7 earlier in the 2026 season. In June, Italian alpinists Matteo Della Bordella, Luca Ducoli, Mirco Grasso and Giacomo Mauri opened Rollercoaster, a new 1,600-metre line on the Southeast Face. They reached the Southwest Ridge at around 6,600 m before dangerous snow conditions and unstable cornices forced them to retreat below the main summit.

K7 has a distinguished history of technical alpinism. Its main summit was first reached by a Japanese expedition in 1984, while subsequent decades saw increasingly difficult climbs on its steep granite walls. Luka Lindič himself has previous experience on the massif, having taken part in the first repetition of the Anderson-House-Prezelj route on K7 West in 2008.

Expedition Summary

Expedition: Charakusa 2026
Peak: K7 Main
Altitude: 6,934 m
Location: Charakusa Valley, Karakoram, Pakistan
Objective: East Face of K7
Expedition Leader: Luka Krajnc
Team: Luka Krajnc, Luka Lindič, Martin Žumer and Gašper Pintar
Expedition Period: 24 August–3 October 2026
High Point: Approximately 6,350 m
Outcome: Main attempt concluded; climbers returned safely to Skardu

Climbing Record

1984: K7 Main received its first ascent by a Japanese expedition.

2004: Steve House completed a celebrated solo ascent of K7.

2008: Luka Lindič, Aleš Česen and Rok Blagus made the first repetition of the Anderson-House-Prezelj route on K7 West.

2012: Hayden Kennedy, Kyle Dempster and Urban Novak established a route on the East Face.

June 2026: Matteo Della Bordella, Luca Ducoli, Mirco Grasso and Giacomo Mauri opened Rollercoaster, a new 1,600 m route on the Southeast Face, reaching approximately 6,600 m before retreating below the summit.

September 2026: Luka Krajnc, Luka Lindič and Martin Žumer attempted the East Face, reaching approximately 6,350 m before heavy snowfall forced them to retreat on the fourth day.

Photo Courtesy: pzs.si