Carlos Garranzo – K2 Updates
Carlos Garranzo was once again on K2 this summer.
We kept track of his progress with this Diary with many of the updates coming from Victoria back home and passing on messages…
23rd July
“Carlos is retiring from ‘8,000metres’, he will not attack in K2, he is no longer “comfortable” in these mountains.
“He will dedicate himself to peaks that he can climb with friends.
“When the season is over, we will also leave social networks.”
16th July
“So it has dawned at K2 today, 1st day that is clear of clouds. I finally have Wifi to post something from here I want to wish luck to the climbers who are attacking the Broad Peak and Gasherbrum 2!
9th July
“I don’t know for sure, but it is very likely that this will be my last expedition. I am not quite comfortable, K2 is very demanding and I no longer find the desire to suffer so much. Right now I do not know if I will try to reach the top or I will only do what has brought me here. But it’s me, it’s not the mountain. She doesn’t even ask us to come disturb her. We are the ones who come again and again fascinated by her incredible beauty.”
6th July
“Concordia’s SCOM antenna has broken down and will take several days to fix.
“Carlos is in Advanced Base Camp with Taqi . They left this morning to sleep there and tomorrow they start early to climb C1 . His intention is to continue in the following days (4-5) to C2 and if he can, more. He will listen to his body and what it is saying to him. At the moment he is very well, he has been in BC for several days recharging his strength and it shows.”
“Yesterday there was a meeting of all the teams that are in the BC to discuss the issue of setting the route. They have reached an agreement and everyone is going to collaborate.
“He enjoyed talking to Garrett Madison, Lakpa Sherpa plus others whom he met in Kan Tengri.
“Today the rope fixing team was in the high altitude camps. They will try to progress on the route.”
3rd July
“Carlos is in a fantastic mood. After a few months in which he seemed like a “shadow”, not sad, rather absent, even from the audios I notice his smile.
“When he calls, it has been snowing up to 5 minutes ago, but this year he does not care. He is doing very well, in fact he says “better than ever, no digestive discomfort, no sleep problems, no headache… I’m eating like an animal!” , and most importantly “I am at peace” . And here I leave it and tell you the news .
“As you already know, the days when the weather is bad are days of visits, of getting to know each other, of updating their social networks, reading, ordering their things that the stores end up being like leoneras. And so it has been. Akbar (Lela Peak) , has set up a very comfortable dome for meetings, and all day people have been coming and going.
“Both yesterday and today climbers from Broad Peak have gone to see them , including Victor Sans , who will then go to K2. In addition, the large groups have arrived from Alpomanía (Ukraine) with the Nepalese Sherpas from Pionner , and Madison Mountaineering (USA, with 20 climbers including the 8 Nepalese Sherpas and clients from the United States, Great Britain and Ukraine). By the way, Monica Witkowska , in her travel diary, has reported that Madison’s team brings the youngest climber, 19 years old!
“When the Alpomania team arrived to greet them , they were with Nastya and Israfil , the Russians with whom they trekked and who stayed at Broad Peak; they have had a good time chatting to each other in their language.
“I’m not going to talk normally about Jordi Tosas, because I know that he doesn’t like it very much, unless necessary. He is really at work leading the Karakorum Expedition rope fixing team while completing his guide training and is a key figure this K2 season. But today Carlos has spoken to me with great enthusiasm about him, he has always felt great admiration for Jordi, both for his unquestionable quality as a climber and for his way of being, with “zero ego”.
“Despite the bad weather, this morning the fixing team went up to C1 , then almost everyone went down again. Carlos tells me “it’s incredible, he just arrived and do you know how long it took? … 6 hours !, 4 to go up and 2 to go down, and that from here he has almost left in sneakers, no very footwear technical. Incredible “
“When he descended, he crossed paths with him and Mirza Ali and they have been talking. He has asked him that, since most likely they are the ones who will open the route, they are attentive in case they see an object and that they lower it or mark it for him so that he can inspect it in case it belongs to his friends. He has answered that of course, whatever it takes. Jordi is very big.
“The next 4-5 days of weather are expected to be unstable. However, if it is moderately good, they want to continue progressing on the route to C2 and if possible to C3 , at least to the Black Pyramid .
“Unless the weather is very bad, I want to go out tomorrow with Taqi to sleep on ABC and the next day go up to C1 to sleep there. At the moment I am slow, I am surrounded by very young and very strong people, so I will go at my own pace to acclimatize well, although I will share the tents in the upper fields with Oswald and thus we divide the work “.
“He has spoken with Sajid , who has also already arrived in BC. It is not yet a firm decision, but in principle, they believe that it is better to do the ceremony for the K2winter companions at the end of the expedition. This way they give Juan Pablo Mohr’s family time to get to Base Camp and they do it all together.
“I hope that everything continues as before, in peace, with the support of his new colleagues Oswald , Anne and Hugo with whom he gets along very well and that of the colleagues who will always be with him wherever he goes. “
2nd July
“We have been together in BC for a very short time, but there has already been a bit of everything, talking about how the ropes are going to be fixed, progress on the route, falling into a crevice, bad weather, washing, … but the important thing is that everything goes good and morale is very high.”
29th June
“Carlos has arrived at K2 Base Camp.”
“He has not been above 3000m since Winter but the more altitude he gains the better he gets.”
“Base camp is almost empty with most staying at Broad Peak”
“He will get up early and move to Camp 1, sleep there for the night, maybe go to Camp 2 then return to base.”
28th June
“Currently at Broad Peak Base Camp.
“Some of the team will continue to K2 Base Camp tomorrow. Most will stay here for now.”
24th June
“Carlos has arrived at #Payu Camp (3394 m), the entrance to the Baltoro Glacier, which he enters tomorrow. In 3-4 more days, depending on how he is adapting to altitude, he hopes to reach K2 Base Camp.
So far, all good.”
