Read Online Thieves, Liars and Mountaineers: On the 8000 Metre Peak Circus in Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains by Mark Horrell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Horrell
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conditions will improve. It will then need a couple of days for the snow to consolidate before we make any further progress on G2. More of a concern is the jetstream, which we've been told will hang around the Karakoram range until the 13 th . This brings ridiculously high winds which will flatten any campsite, blow climbers off mountains, and create very cold temperatures making frostbite a virtual certainty. If this is true then we won't be making any summit attempt for at least ten days. The question is whether it's worth climbing up to the higher camps if we're only going to have to come down again. On the other hand, it's hard to see that languishing at Base Camp doing nothing for ten days is going to help much, either. It's frustrating, but this is the world of high altitude mountaineering.
I spend most of today playing cards. Gorgan is getting very excitable and competitive over our games. Most people are frustrated that there's not enough sun to generate the solar power to enable them to check emails. In fact, I seem to be the only person in camp who couldn't care less if I don't read a single email until the expedition finishes.
24. Ever-changing plans
Saturday 4 July, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
As it continues to snow and we while away the time at Base Camp reading and playing cards, every day brings new weather reports and adjustments to our plans. At lunchtime Phil explains that we may switch our resources from Gasherbrum II to Gasherbrum I, as it's a steeper mountain and does not require as long a period of time for the snow to consolidate and be safe from avalanches. Then, later in the afternoon after further meetings with other teams and new forecasts, he is favouring G2 again. At lunchtime we learn there is only enough rope to fix the Japanese Couloir on G1, but by mid-afternoon there is enough to fix the whole mountain. I'm certainly happier about tackling G2 first, as I feel much more confident about it. G1 is a bonus peak for me: it may yet prove too technically difficult, and I certainly don't wish to risk my life on steeper sections where there is no fixed rope. I imagine I'd feel under much more pressure to attempt these sections if G1 were to become our main objective.
We now need several fine days to consolidate the snow on G2, and then four reasonable days to reach the summit. Another issue is the jetstream. We can't climb in it, but it will help us by blowing some of the fresh snow off the mountain and compacting the snow underneath to make it less avalanche prone. It's due to hit both mountains between the 9 th and 13 th , so Phil is now looking at the 15 th as a possible summit day on G2. The weather has been hard on us, but the one good thing in our favour is that we still have plenty of time, and can afford to be patient.
At dinner Phil tells us about the avalanche on G2 two years ago.
“I brought a load up to G2 and was heading back down again when the German team decided to head up to Camp 3 anyway, even after we'd told them it wasn't safe. I remember looking up and seeing Dirk their leader doing this.” He makes a tugging gesture with his right hand. I look across at Gordon and see a glimmer light up in his eye, but before he has a chance to make some wise crack about masturbation, Phil clarifies his statement. “He's tugging on the fixed rope to try and pull it out of the snow. Suddenly it's like the whole slope above Camp 2 comes loose. I'm descending the couloir at the time – we didn't use the Banana Ridge in '07 – and the avalanche comes over my head, and I can see two German climbers fly past me waving their arms and legs. They're completely buried by the snow and we never find their bodies.”
The avalanche was huge, and the area above Camp 2 became a technical rock climb rather than a steep trudge through snow. This ruled out any further attempts on Gasherbrum II that year because nobody had the necessary technical equipment, such as rock pitons, to
I spend most of today playing cards. Gorgan is getting very excitable and competitive over our games. Most people are frustrated that there's not enough sun to generate the solar power to enable them to check emails. In fact, I seem to be the only person in camp who couldn't care less if I don't read a single email until the expedition finishes.
24. Ever-changing plans
Saturday 4 July, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
As it continues to snow and we while away the time at Base Camp reading and playing cards, every day brings new weather reports and adjustments to our plans. At lunchtime Phil explains that we may switch our resources from Gasherbrum II to Gasherbrum I, as it's a steeper mountain and does not require as long a period of time for the snow to consolidate and be safe from avalanches. Then, later in the afternoon after further meetings with other teams and new forecasts, he is favouring G2 again. At lunchtime we learn there is only enough rope to fix the Japanese Couloir on G1, but by mid-afternoon there is enough to fix the whole mountain. I'm certainly happier about tackling G2 first, as I feel much more confident about it. G1 is a bonus peak for me: it may yet prove too technically difficult, and I certainly don't wish to risk my life on steeper sections where there is no fixed rope. I imagine I'd feel under much more pressure to attempt these sections if G1 were to become our main objective.
We now need several fine days to consolidate the snow on G2, and then four reasonable days to reach the summit. Another issue is the jetstream. We can't climb in it, but it will help us by blowing some of the fresh snow off the mountain and compacting the snow underneath to make it less avalanche prone. It's due to hit both mountains between the 9 th and 13 th , so Phil is now looking at the 15 th as a possible summit day on G2. The weather has been hard on us, but the one good thing in our favour is that we still have plenty of time, and can afford to be patient.
At dinner Phil tells us about the avalanche on G2 two years ago.
“I brought a load up to G2 and was heading back down again when the German team decided to head up to Camp 3 anyway, even after we'd told them it wasn't safe. I remember looking up and seeing Dirk their leader doing this.” He makes a tugging gesture with his right hand. I look across at Gordon and see a glimmer light up in his eye, but before he has a chance to make some wise crack about masturbation, Phil clarifies his statement. “He's tugging on the fixed rope to try and pull it out of the snow. Suddenly it's like the whole slope above Camp 2 comes loose. I'm descending the couloir at the time – we didn't use the Banana Ridge in '07 – and the avalanche comes over my head, and I can see two German climbers fly past me waving their arms and legs. They're completely buried by the snow and we never find their bodies.”
The avalanche was huge, and the area above Camp 2 became a technical rock climb rather than a steep trudge through snow. This ruled out any further attempts on Gasherbrum II that year because nobody had the necessary technical equipment, such as rock pitons, to
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