In May, Italians Davide Limongi, Enrico Mosetti, and Giovanni Zaccaria visited the Nangma Valley, where their target was the shapely Drifika (6,447m). The trio identified a new route on the right side of the south face.

The temperature was low as they set off, and Limongi and Mosetti decided to turn back, but Zaccaria continued alone, carrying skis. After nine hours of effort, he reached the summit, having followed the 2004 Slovenian route, White River, for the last 200m. Zaccaria downclimbed the final section (with powder snow over ice) to around 6,250m, then donned his skis and descended to the team’s high camp at 5,150m, with one rappel of 20m.

Previously, in early May, the team visited the Passu Glacier in the Batura Muztagh, where they all climbed the north side of Badshani or King’s Peak (5,497m). Zaccaria skied their ascent route from the top, while Limongi and Mosetti downclimbed and then skied from a col at around 5,300m. Badshani was first climbed in 1992 via its 1,400m north face, finishing up the northwest ridge, likely the same route climbed by the Italians.

— Lindsay Griffin, AAJ