Archive for the ‘2008 International K2 Expedition’ Category
Unstable Weather
July 10th, 2008
July 10: Greetings! We’ve been sitting through many days of unstable weather, which is the norm on K2. We’ve been making forays up the hill to sleep a night or two at Camp I, but bad weather has kept us from getting much higher since our last report. Today, three climbers are hoping to sleep at C2 and another will stay at C1. Tomorrow, the rest of us will climb to C1 and then spend a couple of nights at C2. The goal right now is to acclimatize to Camp 2 altitude and sleep at Camp 3 over the next couple of weeks, which will prepare us for a summit attempt. Still a long time before any summit attempts from our team.
Most of the team helped re-establish the mess tent one morning. The ice melts out and you have to reset all tent platforms every couple of weeks. We moved lots of rock and the newly pitched tent is better organized and seems to be more spacious.
All other teams are waiting for good weather as well. We wander between the various Base Camps, checking on the weather reports and picking up bits of information. Patience is the key to this game, and we have a month left at K2 to get the job done.
Next time, I hope to have more action to report. The weather looks better for the next two days, so we’ll try to make good use of it.
Mike
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Camp II Reached
July 5th, 2008
July 5: We are experiencing a beautiful day, and all members are in Base Camp. We have established a tent at Camp I, and yesterday two members reached the site of Camp II and stashed a tent and other gear. It was too windy to do more, but they did a great job just getting there.
Today we plan to take a team photo (since all members are now here) and strategize for the upcoming days. Getting all members acclimatized and Camp I and II established with two tents each are the top goals. The weather forecast is decent but you never know on K2!
The whole team was assembled in BC, so we had a big planning session–quite productive. The trick is to get the right gear to the right camps at the right time, and to let everyone have plenty of time to acclimatize at the various camps. We now know our jobs the next few days, so there will be a lot of activity on the hill until the weather goes bad.
Please note that we can’t keep you posted on the exact movements of every climber every day. We agreed to function as a team–not individuals– so it really doesn’t matter who does what, as long as we continue to make progress. Everyone is healthy and motivated, though the goat stomach we had for lunch tested even the most grizzled veteran. It was actually quite nice smothered in chiles.
Mike
Here’s a photo of Tim at the site of Camp I (about 6100m or 20,200 ft). No level ground here! Photo © Chris Warner.
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Our Gear Arrives (and hopefully Paul too)
July 2nd, 2008
July 2: Our long-awaited cargo arrived yesterday. We had spent the past three days scanning the moraine below our camp for porters, much like sailors used to search for land from the crow’s nest of their ship. 4000m of rope, ice screws, snow stakes, pitons, and lots of other group food and equipment now crowd our mess tent.
We expect Paul and Kirsty to arrive this afternoon, so our team will finally be complete. Yesterday saw Eric, Chhiring, Fred, and Chris K. getting halfway to Camp 1 after sleeping in Advance Base Camp (ABC–get used to the acronyms!). Today, Fred and Chris K. are attempting to reach C1 and get a tent in place. Tim and Chris W. have carried gear to ABC in support of Fred and Chris K. and will stay the night in ABC. Tomorrow they will head up to C1. Mike will finally be able to organize his food etc. (much was in the cargo shipment) and will head up to ABC this afternoon and stay the night. Our short-term goal is to establish two tents at C1. The weather is predicted to be good for the next few days, after several days that saw alternating sun, clouds, and snow showers.
We have hopefully worked out the political issues that occur when multiple teams attempt the same route. A fuller account of this is best left for post-expedition discussion. These issues are a normal part of climbing a big and crowded mountain these days.
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At Base Camp
June 26th, 2008
Let’s get everyone up to date on the last few days of the expedtion…
June 21: The longest day of the trek leads from Paiju to Urdokas. We walk for 45 minutes and reach the snout of the Baltoro Glacier, which gives birth to the river which flows into the Indus. Most of the team is feeling the altitude, though Chris W. and Tim continue to lead the pack to the next campsite. Urdokas is a steep, grassy hillside with many granite boulders. Those who arrive early get to watch the slower walkers make the weary trudge up the last hill to camp.
It has been sad to see that the last three campsites, which were developed just 5-6 years ago by aid money, are no longer being maintained. The solar light systems are broken, and more disturbingly, donkeys and horses are allowed to graze unchecked on the sparse vegetation. In a few years Paiju, Urdokas, and Jhula will be completely barren. The poor animals show evidence of malnutrition and unhealed wounds. Most of them are used to carry supplies for the military camps, but they are also used to supply trekking parties with bulk stores.
June 22: The walk from Urdokas to Goro II is on the glacier, which is usually rock-covered. We wind through some weird ice fins that jut out of the glacier. The campsite is merely a flat spot on the glacier and is renown for its lack of comfort. However, our staff take good care of us and keep us well-fed. A brilliant, cloud-free afternoon leads to much film being shot of Gasherbrum 4, the Trango group, and many other peaks.
June 23: After a very cold night, all are happy to get out of Goro II. The rock-covered glacier undulates up and down and we slowly gain altitude. After three hours we reach the glacier junction called Concordia and get our first few of K2, which is free of clouds. After an orgy of photography we sit down in chairs and eat lunch off a table under the sun, surrounded by some of the world’s most magnificent mountain scenery. The clouds roll in after lunch and we make the sometimes tricky crossing onto the Godwin-Austen Glacier. What we thought was a one-hour walk turned into three hours and we finally reached camp near Broad Peak Base Camp. Another cold, breezy night made us feel sorry for the porters, who camp with far less gear. They sing late into the night (presumably to stay warm).
June 24: Everyone-climbers, staff, and porters-was ready to trek the last two hours to Base Camp (BC). Mike and Deedar (cook) hoofed it to find a good BC site. We settled on a site above all other teams, but low enough to avoid the air blasts from avalanches. The usual scrum occurred: climbers looking for their gear, porters waiting for tips, and staff getting the first tent platforms made. Soon, camp was quiet and we were all searching for the prime real estate that our personal tents would occupy for the next seven weeks. Many rocks were moved and much gravel shoveled to get a level spot that was also insulated from the bare ice of the glacier. We don’t have to move tomorrow!
June 25: The sun hit our tents about 7 o’clock, instantly warming them (and us). We unzipped the tents to a cloudless sky and K2 soaring way, way above us. We spent the entire day getting camp organized, moving a ton or two of gravel to level out the mess tent floor, sorting gear, and getting sponsor banners tied up. Several impressive avalanches came down from both K2 and Broad Peak. These weren’t snow avalanches, but were bits of seracs (ice cliffs) breaking away. While the dust clouds crossed the track up to Advanced Base Camp, they really weren’t dangerous as they were all air and ice crystals. Somehow, the day drew to a close and we had a nice dinner before relaxing in our tent.
June 26: We awoke to another glorious day. Today we will continue to unpack and organize. We hope that our gear arrives in a couple of days. Paul is scheduled to arrived on June 30. Tomorrow we plan to make a light carry to Advanced Base Camp (ABC), which is within sight of BC.
Finally, there is a lot of stuff published on the web about the happenings on K2, and much of it is inaccurate. The only accurate place to find out information about our team is this site (and the sister blogs listed here). We will try to keep you informed every 2-3 days.
The photo was taken June 26 at Base Camp, looking up at K2. Our route lies behind the right-hand skyline ridge of K2.
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On the Trail
June 25th, 2008
Greetings! If you’re reading this, our technology is working, at least in part. We are in Paiju, at 3300m just below the snout of the Baltoro Glacier. Today (Friday, June 20) is a rest day. This may seem silly since we’ve only been walking two days, but in reality we’ve been traveling for several days (first by plane, then jeep, then by foot).
The trek has been uneventful so far. The first days are always dusty- the valley is full of dust and sand that is formed as the glacier grinds up rock. Luckily it rained the first night on the trail, and yesterday the dust was minimal. The sun can be brutal, so an early start paid off yesterday.
Paiju is a campsite on a hillside with some trees. The tents are pitched on a series of terraces. This rest day is used to prepare for the trek up the glacier, and many goats have met their end as they are slaughtered to provide meet for the porters.
The team is in generally good health. We have the usual collection of sore throats, sniffles, and the occasional person with diarrhea. Hopefully today will allow us to rehydrate and rest.
All of our air cargo is in Pakistan and will arrive a couple of days after we get to Base Camp. This, along with various technology issues, have been the biggest headaches so far. Mike’s brand-new Thuraya satellite phone seems to have quit working, and his computer battery is also erratic.
We should arrive in Base Camp on June 23 or 24, and we’ll post a new dispatch then. If you want to see photos of the trek (from previous years), visit the links on the expedition web page (www.TheAltitudeExperience.com/k2). And don’t forget to visit the other blogs listed here for more details. Mike
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On to Base Camp
June 25th, 2008
Note: this post is now a couple of days old. We'll be in BC tomorrow. All are well, more soon... Greetings! If you're reading this, our technology is working, at least in part. We are in Paiju, at 3300m just below the snout of the Baltoro Glacier. Today (Friday, June 20) is a rest day. This may seem silly since we've only been walking two days, but in reality we've been traveling for several days (first by plane, then jeep, then by foot). The trek has been uneventful so far. The first days are always dusty- the valley is full of dust and sand that is formed as the glacier grinds up rock. Luckily it rained the first night on the trail, and yesterday the dust was minimal. The sun can be brutal, so an early start paid off yesterday. Paiju is a campsite on a hillside with some trees. The tents are pitched on a series of terraces. This rest day is used to prepare for the trek up the glacier, and many goats have met their end as they are slaughtered to provide meet for the porters. The team is in generally good health. We have the usual collection of sore throats, sniffles, and the occasional person with diarrhea. Hopefully today will allow us to rehydrate and rest. All of our air cargo is in Pakistan and will arrive a couple of days after we get to Base Camp. This, along with various technology issues, have been the biggest headaches so far. Mike's brand-new Thuraya satellite phone seems to have quit working, and his computer battery is also erratic. We should arrive in Base Camp on June 23 or 24, and we'll post a new dispatch then. If you want to see photos of the trek (from previous years), visit the links on the expedition web page (www.TheAltitudeExperience.com/k2). And don't forget to visit the other blogs listed here for more details. Mike
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Leaving for Askole
June 16th, 2008
We plan to do the 8 hour jeep ride to Askole tomorrow, Tuesday the 17th. We flew to Skardu on Saturday and the weather has been hot and sunny. Today (Monday) we packed our loads for the trek and did our last minute shopping. Some of the guys went for a swim in the river below the Masherbrum Hotel on Sunday.
It may be over a week until our next post. It depends on the weather in Paiju, where we take our first rest day. We’ll try to get a photo or two posted. Your humble author (Mike) has been way too busy to work on that yet.
We’re in good spirits and good health so far. Things will get more interesting soon, though a cow was standing outside the Internet Cafe a few minutes ago. Now I’m off to get a haircut and shave.
Mike
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Leaving for Skardu
June 13th, 2008
On Saturday (June 14) we hope to depart Islamabad after several days of preparations. Members began arriving on Monday and Chhiring will arrive from Nepal late Friday night. Paul Walters will be coming in about 10 days after us,
While the weather in Islamabad has been typically hot, we have kept our cool through the generous support of Warid Telecom. They have placed their guest house and staff at our disposal, and we have been expertly cared for by all members of the staff. Many thanks to Shahzad Rauf for arranging the generous support of Warid Telecom.
Ashraf, Niaknam, and the rest of Adventure Tours Pakistan staff have worked with their usual diligence to ensure that we get from airport to Base Camp with our luggage and our sanity.
We haven’t really spent any time sightseeing, as we’ve been too busy with last minute purchases and the typical technology difficulties faced by modern expeditions. However, Chris Warner and Mike Farris had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant in the hills overlooking Islamabad. Our Liaison Officer, Lt. Commander Temur Pirzada, hosted the dinner. We already see how lucky we are to have Temur as our L.O.
From this post, I hope you see that these expeditions cannot succeed without the efforts of many people. Much joy comes from the friendships we make during our travels.
We will post again after we’ve spent a couple of days Skardu. Mike
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