K2 survivors shed some light on accident

Frostbitten survivors of last week's accident on K2 say it may have been high winds--not an avalanche--that swept six climbers to their deaths.

Alison Hargreaves of Scotland, Rob Slater of Boulder, Bruce Grant of New Zealand, and three Spanish climbers--Javier Escartin, Lorenzo Ortiz Monson, and Javier Olivar--died August 13 shortly after summiting the 28,251-foot peak. Calgary climber Jeff Lakes, who abandoned the summit bid, died that night after fighting his way down to a lower camp.

On Sunday, Lorenzo Ortas Pont and Jose Pepe Garces, the two surviving members of the Spanish team, spoke briefly to the Associated Press in Islamabad after being evacuated by helicopter from K2 base camp.

Pont and Garces, described by AP as weary, distraught, and severely frostbitten, spoke of high winds and a sudden blizzard as likely factors in the accident. "Reaching the summit of K2, there was a terrible wind," they said, according to AP.

Early last week, immediately after the accident, there were conflicting accounts of the accident and its cause. On Thursday, the Associated Press, quoting Pakistani government officials, said the six climbers had been swept by an avalanche.

But on Wednesday morning, a climber from another expedition had told Outside Online that the victims had most likely been killed when a sudden storm hammered the mountain with a blizzard and winds in excess of 100 mph.

Pont and Garces also confirmed earlier reports that Hargreaves' body had been located on the mountain. According to several accounts, the climbers had been able to identify Hargreaves by her gear and clothing.

This story compiled by the Outside Online staff