Karakoram Diaries – 4th July
A round-up of today’s events on the mountains of the Karakoram.
“Very satisfying!!!
K2 rope fixing team in very challenging weather conditions have fixed rope till camp 2. The team started at 8am this morning, despite heavy fresh snow, from Camp 1. The team continued the hard job and by 4pm they fixed rope to camp 2!
“It’s truly remarkable job done in this very extremely bad weather conditions .
The lead climbers
1. Jalal Uddin (team leader)
2. Eid Muhammad (deputy lead)
3. Ahmed Baig (budding beast of Karakorum)
4. Faryad Karim (brilliant)
While supported by
5. Inayat
6. Abbass
7. Basharat
“The Karakoram Expeditions team are working independently on both mountains and on Broad Peak the team established Camp 2 and are back to base camp!
“As leader of the joint Pakistan-international expedition feeling very proud of the work these young guys did and looking forward to a great season!”
Garrett Madison (K2 and Broad Peak)
“The Madison Mountaineering K2 – Broad Peak team of 9 climbers (USA, UK & Ukraine), 10 Nepal Sherpas, 4 Pakistani high altitude porters, and 10 Pakistani base camp staff arrived yesterday after our 100 km / 70 mile trek in.
“We’re settling into base camp and glad to be here! All of us are on climbing permits for both peaks, fingers crossed for good weather and route conditions!”
“Today, we retraced our own footsteps to gain some altitude and to further the story we are telling. We hiked up to 5300m and ended up filming a spontaneous moment where Sajid played a video of a song called ‘Pharong Ki Qasam’, a tribute to Ali Sadpara, written and performed by Ali Zafar.
As the snow fell from the sky, Sajid’s eyes did all the talking as he listed and sang the words of the famous Pakistani song.
“It’s a privilege to be here, living this journey with Sajid, Pasang, Fazal, Aziz, Mosin and the rest of the staff. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day, snowflakes and all, at the base of the second highest mountain on Earth.
Spirits are high here at K2 basecamp and it feels as though Ali and John’s spirits are with us in our camp, just as we left it last February.
Eternally grateful. The journey continues.”
“We are already in the base camp of the second highest peak in the World – Mount K2. Height 8611 meters. In terms of the combination of difficult and dangerous sections, combined with the height, this mountain is considered the most difficult in the world. Yes, the mountain is really impressive. Big, harsh, snowy… The weather does not indulge us here either… There are a few teams, the ropes are still fixed only to Camp 1.”
CumbriaToK2 – (Broad Peak and K2)
Now folk that know Pete and I will know we are not great at sitting still, not great and just “chilling out” so on rest days and bad weather days we find it exceptionally difficult. We hate doing nothing.
Sadly, today we are again waiting for a weather window to get back onto the mountain, we are waiting to ensure the avalanche risk is as low as possible. We have had to maintain back at Basecamp since we turned back from Camp 2.
“At K2 Base Camp with my brothers. After so many days of bad weather we finally can see sunshine.”
Jeff Spelmans (K2 and Broad Peak)
“The concept of rest day does not exist here. There’s always work at base camp…
Tidying, sorting, washing and loading material in an ever changing weather. Not to mention we’re still 5000 m away and even going to the bathroom takes you an effort.. But the view is incredible..
“A big reco crossing the glacier too because next time we cross it at night to attack the slopes of the Broad Peak safe (avalanche).
Up at midnight for what will be mission-related. We need to go lay camps 2 (6100 m) and 3 (7100 m) and sleep there.
Our bags weigh around 15 kg / 20 kg.”
Niels Jespers (K2 and Broad Peak)
“In a few hours we leave for further acclimatization on Broad Peak. We have food for 5 days. Let’s see how high we get.”
“The power of nature weighs overwhelmingly and the fact that we are tolerated here at best makes everything else in life that we believe is important to be, very small and insignificant. It’s one of those days again, that show me how weak, small and worthless we are in our being.
…and no, I’m not afraid of the mountain, as always, I just have a lot of respect, I have probably never faced such a huge challenge in terms of nature, nature will decide as always… and there is just no fear the burden of irreversible finality, which as a human being I cannot influence. Perceived so clearly and immovably with my eyes and all my senses, as seldom before in my life.”
“Nice to be back at K2 and to climb with two legendary guys in Garrett Madison and Kenton Cool.”
“Rest day at base camp today, the plan for tomorrow is to go to camp 1 Broad Peak and sleep, then Camp 2 on the next day and sleep, then come back to base camp.”
The Altitude Team (Gasherbrum I)
“We haven’t made it to C1 tonight. The mountain is very heavy with snow and bad weather days are coming. So we stayed in Base Camp recovering our strength and waiting for a window of good weather to return to the top!”
Marco Confortola (Gasherbrum II)
“Marco and his team returned to C1, the climb to C2 was interrupted by a snowstorm and poor visibility. They will spend the night at C1 and tomorrow morning according to the conditions they will decide whether to continue tracing towards C2 or go down to BC.”
Fars Mountaineering Team (Gasherbrum II)
“The mountaineering and sport climbing team of Fars province, after setting up Camp 1 “Gasherbrum 2″ and spending the night at an altitude of 5,900 meters, intended to stabilize the route to Camp 2, but due to unfavorable weather conditions, returned to base camp this morning, July 4, 1400. In the coming days, as the weather improves, the team will climb higher camps and stabilize its route.”
“We spent two nights at the basecamp under Sang-E-Marmar (Marble mountain) in 4200m. Today we are heading on 5days acclimatisation at 6000m. We are planning to move to basecamp of Muchu Chhish somewhere around 11 July.”
Summer Season in the Karakoram – 2021
Main Photo Credit: The Altitude Team – Gasherbrums
