Nanga Parbat search for Daniele Nardi and Tom Ballard continues

Even today the most important news combing from Nanga Parbat seems to be the immense efforts that are being carried out to search the mountain, with drones and on foot, by Alex Txikon and his team. As reported yesterday, the team of rescuers - composed not only of Txikon but also of Ignacio De Zuloaga, Felix Criado, Josep Sanchis and Rahmat Ullah Baig - was transported to the Diamir flank where they joined up with Pakistan’s Ali Sadpara. Without wasting a second, during the approach flight, the two Pakistani military helicopters made a first reconnaissance of the area around the Kinshofer route and then moved along the Mummery Rib, where Tom Ballard and Daniele Nardi had been climbing.

They then landed to prepare an "operations camp" between Camp 1 and 2. From here, as reported this morning on the FB page of Daniele Nardi: "Txikon and Criado then continued towards Camp 3 for a few hundred meters, but due to the lateness of the hour, the snow conditions and avalanche danger - increased due to the lack of wind and aspect of the slopes - made them decide to return. After a couple of hours they reached their camp. During this reconnaissance they started using drones to explore the surrounding area, but no traces of Daniele and Tom were found. Visual observations were also made using Alex Txikon’s powerful telescope, in particular along the upper section of the Rib, to see signs of the tent at Camp 4, but to no avail."

This morning the operations continued. The team coordinated by Alex Txikon: "reached the plateau of seracs above camp 2, 300 meters as the crow flies from Camp 3. They had drones with which they tried everything possible to locate traces of Daniele and Tom. They managed to fly a drone up to an altitude of 6500 meters. Another drone was lost during the reconnaissance. Unfortunately they saw nothing, not even Camp 3. Extremely low temperatures on the Diaper face and the high risk of avalanches prohibited the team from ascending to Camp 3. For these reasons this afternoon they decided to stop searching and return to base camp, which they reached in the afternoon."

Tomorrow the search operations continue and one continues to hope for the best... The plan is: "a further reconnaissance tomorrow with the main objective being to explore the area along the Kinshofer route."