The Push to Camp 3

July 7

June 30th was a great team day- we have befriended the Italian team, and after their hospitality the night before, they joined us for coffee late morning. Our supplies are beyond limited and so we enjoyed great coffee and great company up at our site at BC. They are energetic, positive, and vibrant people to be around, and we all greatly appreciate the ambiance they create. That same evening, our team watched “Scrapple”, a classic Telluride film, in our fab TNF dome tent. For Hil and I, it was a nice little slice of home.
We ended up heading to Camp 1 on the 2nd of July, due to inclement weather the day before. Another 3am start got us rolling with the ladies as one rope team and the fellas as another. The afternoon at C1 was extremely warm as we geared up for our next push to Camp 2 & 3.

The morning of the 3rd, our team as a whole headed to Camp 2. Hil, Kip and I brought our skis. There was more tent maintenance and camp set up once we arrived but we had the camp to ourselves, more or less. We have been about a day or so ahead of the masses so far and that has allowed us more freedom and privacy on the ropes and at camp.

Early afternoon on the 3rd, John, Kris and I set out to break trail and fix lines to Camp 3 for the next day push. The Swiss team’s Sherpas (whom they flew in from Nepal) followed up behind us about 4 hours later and finished where we left off. The three of us had an incredible afternoon being on the front line again as we worked the route up to about 22,000ft. Griber had some great cliffhanger moves as we moved up the mountain, as this section actually had more ice, exposure and steepness to it then the route to Camp 2 (which is different from years past). Kip and Hil joined us later, after working on tent platform maintenance etc that morning.

On July 4th, Kris, Griber, Ingrid, Kip and I headed up to Camp 3 at 22,750ft. It was slow going once again as we were the first team to move up on the new section, and encountered mixed conditions from pure ice to isothermic snow. We all got to Camp 3 between roughly 3-5 hours, after an 8:30am start from Camp 2. Camp 3 is situated on a steeper snow ridge, and so upon arrival, we had to again dig out tent platforms into the steep and exposed hillside. Kris had already dug out one platform as we all rolled in one by one.
Our ski gear is now scattered about the mountain due to how we individually approached our loads. John, Kris and Ingrid have their gear at Camp 1, Kip and Hil at Camp 2, and mine is at Camp 3. We are constantly and carefully evaluating the ski route and are proceeding with caution as to what sections (if not all) can be skied safely. The mountain has changed dramatically in the past five years, according to several climbers that are here that have been here before, including the Italians. As the conditions are a moving target, we will make decisions based on what is before us on our summit push.

On the 5th of July, the five of us traveled from Camp 3 back to BC. The icefalls are changing rapidly as summer continues, and the melting within the route is extraordinary. It may take some time in our future trip/s to detour from the original route to avoid the opening crevasses and glacial pools.
Now that all of us are back at BC, we await another weather window and are resting up for a summit attempt, which may be a few days away. As soon as we get a good 4 day stretch, some of us will move from BC to Camp 2 direct, and another group will go from BC to Camp 1 to Camp 2. From there, we will have to monitor our progress from Camp 2 to the summit…it is all weather and conditions permitting.

To date, we all are really pleased with the style in which we have climbed the mountain- carrying our own loads, hauling shared fixed line, fixing the route, breaking trail, etc. Each camp arrival has been a success in and of itself, and we are looking forward to going for the summit as a team of 6.

Kim Havell

Camp 1 & 2, The Pee Bottle, and our Spanish and Italian friends.

June 30

From Base camp we have been hauling gear up to Camp 1 to begin our climb. On our first attempt to Camp 1 new snow slowed our travels and we decided to camp about an hour short of Camp 1. The new snow and hot weather made post holing really slow and taxing. The next morning we made it to Camp 1. We set up our tents, probed out our area and crawled into our tents to avoid the midday heat that has been getting so hot! It is amazing that it can snow and that water bottles can freeze at night and then the sun comes out and it gets so hot, probably close to 100 degrees in the tents. We have been draping out sleeping bags over the tents during the hottest part of the day to help keep things cool inside. After one night at Camp 1 we headed back to Base Camp to regroup and get ready to head back up. This is our program for now, I am guessing we will trek through the ice fall to Camp 1 about five times before we move to Camp 2, Camp 3 and for a summit push.

On our next trek to Camp 1 we brought tents and gear to set up Camp 2. Heading to Camp 2 might be the most technically challenging and is where we will see some fixed ropes. After meeting with some of the other climbing groups it was decided that we would help fix some ropes between Camp 1 and 2.

Waking up early was easy after spending most of the day in our tents hiding from the sun. By six we were heading toward the bottom of the face and feeling good about moving up. The bottom of the Gasherbrum 2 face is the steepest and most technical. Here, on a section called the Banana, there will be areas of fixed line so these sections will be safer to climb.

At the top of the Banana our team split into two groups. One group went higher to set up Camp 2 while Kris and I began working to re-fix all the rope below. I found it enjoyable and fun to help Kris and learn more about fixing lines.

But so far one of the biggest challenges has been the Pee Bottle. Having a bottle to pee in during the night makes tent life much more comfortable. Personally getting dressed up to get out of the tent in the middle of the night doesn’t work. In my tent at Base Camp aiming into my pee bottle doesn’t really present any problems. At Camp 1 stacked between two females the process is much harder. Staying hydrated is essential at altitude and that means you must empty your blatter more often.

Last night while visiting our comedic Italian friends the issue about pee bottles came up. First, I have to thank our Spanish friend Esther Decroiq and her Italian friends Gloria and Simone. They invited us over for some amazing cheese, salami and olives. Italian coffee and a few hours of entertainment. Italians always amaze me with their hospitality and quality. So when the pee bottle issue came up everyone stated their view. We have one non-believer in our group while our friends had a few. Opinions flew but none of them had any effect on my view. Team leader John Griber claims “ the pee bottle is just has important as your harness, mandatory for expeditions.”

We planned on heading back to Camp 1 tonight but the snowy weather might keep us at Base Camp for one more day of rest. Either way our next trip up should see us make Camp 3 and possibly spend the night there. If all goes as planned then we will come back to Base Camp for our final rest before we head up for a summit push.

Thanks for staying tuned in,

Kip Garre

Life at BC & Setting Camp 2

June 28

It is the 28^th and we are all back at BC enjoying the 1^st of 2 full rest days- the last 3 days have been extremely eventful.

The route to Camp 1 is a long stretch, requiring serious concentration due to the mileage and navigation through many “undoctored” snow fields. The next 3 sections are somewhat more direct. We are limited in personal mobility, having to travel in roped teams of two and three roughly 98% of the time due to the overwhelming amount of surrounding crevasses and severely broken terrain. Shuttling loads up has taken quite a bit of strength and coordination by all team members to prep for future higher camp travel. With 2 big pushes remaining, we are all currently resting, eating, and sleeping in BC.

The weather has been somewhat cooperative, aligning storms quite nicely with our returns to BC. We spend parts of each day repairing our tent platforms due to the glacial move, as avalanches cascade continually around us on the surrounding but safely distant peaks. The thunderous noise was quite a thrill at first, now it is more common place and we no longer crane our necks out our tents as often to watch nature at work.

We have all been feeling quite well and sleeping well. It has been encouraging to finally see the remainder of the route before us..most members of this team would agree that this expedition and this peak have presented some of the greatest challenges and elements of any trip to date.

At the expedition teams meeting on the 25^th, the fabulous Gloria announced that she will wear black, red, and green lingerie (a Italia) at each respective camp on the peak. We are very much enjoying getting to know her and the rest of the Italian team, and indulged in an incredibly generous Italian BC feast with them yesterday at their deluxe site. Their cribs are just incomparable.

Between 3-4am on the morning of the 26^th, our three rope teams headed to Camp 1. It was a beautiful morning and a smooth, serene trip with our 2^nd batch of heavy loads.

The excitement began the morning of the 27^th. We started with a bang, literally, to Camp 2. While heating a gas canister, an explosion occurred that ended up harming no one – just a sleeping bag & pad, and two stoves. But, it also startled the team in the tent, and those adjoining.

We roped up to advance the flat portion of Camp 1 to the start of the direct climb to Camp 2. A large Swiss team was ahead of us that slowed our progress up the route. We ended up divvying up tasks to beat the heat and the melting snowpack, that was rapidly disintegrating to isothermic conditions- a scenario that has been ever present and a concern on this trip.

The whole group reached the true Camp 2 together and subsequently divided up. Kris and Kip ended up re-fixing all the rope on the steep sections below, as the original lines consisted of cordelette (5-6 mil) poorly rigged to pickets- not good for the many jumars yarding on the rope. John, Hil, and I headed up to set up a higher Camp 2 at 21, 500ft (Camp 2.25). We are hoping this allows us to set up a higher Camp 3, with a shorter summit push. We set up two tents, adjacent to the Swiss and the “Vickers” team on a level col with astounding vistas to G1, the icefalls, and G4. It was quite a bit of effort to probe the entire perimeter, level, and set up tents.

John, Hil and I descended from Camp 2 around 11am. We caught up with Kris & Kip as they were finishing up the lines. As agreed to by all the expedition teams, we were contributing our fair share to the work load on the mountain (plus some)..our efforts were burning our group hard, as we are one of the first teams up, and doing a good chunk of general static rope carrying and fixing.

As John, Hil and I rapped the route, I reached Kip just as he and Kris got off the lines and were heading down the remainder of the route. As I followed moments behind them in the same path, while crossing a snow bridge, the snow broke away beneath me. I dropped about 15-20ft into a crevasse. Luckily, I landed on another very small snow bridge and on my feet. I yelled for help a few times, and as the soft snow floor continued to shift again beneath me, began self rescue. My ice axe was hooked in a lip above me, and so with little other choice, I stemmed up the walls, slowly punching in hand holds as I went. Pulling up and over the lip was a bit creepy but adrenaline pushes you through at times.

When I popped out, I saw John & Hil rapidly descending the fixed lines, and Kip and Kris were catching their breath from running back uphill at 21,000ft.

We all descended rapidly from there. John and Hil found extra rope on the route and joined up for the remainder of the descent. As the snow softened, Hil slipped in its thickness and slightly bruised some ribs on the blunt side of her axe, making it harder to breath at this elevation. It is much better now but just another challenge..

We returned to Camp 1 pretty tired and spent the day recuperating as another snow storm rolled in, depositing about 8 inches overnight. Ingrid greeted us back at Camp, acclimatizing and watching the day’s events through binoculars. She also later prepped some freeze dried delicious blueberry cobbler for both our tents..Yesterday, we returned to BC in the continuing snowfall. We have two big pushes left. We plan to leave early on the 1^st to go to the eventual goal of Camp 3 and to set up everything for our summit attempt. Our clock is ticking on time, and we hope that the weather will cooperate.

Kim Havell

Regaining Strength

June 29

Well, I’m happy to report from a personal standpoint that I have now successfully made a venture out of base camp! I had the lovely misfortune of catching some type of bacteria at some point along the early part of our journey, became ill in Skardu for a few days, and took Cipro for a few days to combat the illness. It went away for about 4 days of our trek to base camp, and then apparently the Cipro wasn’t strong enough, because a day’s hike out from base camp, it came back with a vengeance, leaving me more or less tentbound when I wasn’t running to and from the toilet (i.e., canvas tent over rocks, if we were lucky enough to be at a camp). Yuck! After consulting with both a Pakistani army doctor who was here in base camp as well as a doctor that Kris knows in Bozeman (thank you very very much!), I started a course of Flagyl, which is, as Kris said, “the nuclear weapon of antibiotics.” Needless to say, it wiped out the bacteria, but left me feeling pretty weak and feeble for several days. I held down the fort at base camp while the rest of the team first went up the ice fall one day, and then a day or two later they all went up to establish camp one and stay there for two nights. I was feeling pretty helpless, but at the same time I knew I needed to just chill and recuperate; I was seriously not feeling like myself. Our guide and cook and various other members took great care of me, and trounced me repeatedly at our new favorite Pakistani card came, a bewildering swapping and stealing-type game called Bazaar. The team returned, and after a day or two of rest, I got to join them for the next foray, up the ice fall to camp 1. The ice fall is spectacular—a maze of contorted, sculptured ice formations, corridors, and pillars. We began hiking at around 3am, and it was quite surreal to be crunching through these ice formations while the sky began to light up, the moon and the stars disappeared, and finally the peaks began glowing orange. We took it slow and steady, and it felt great to be moving again after a long spell of being tent-bound. Arriving at camp 1 around 10am, we pretty much just hid from the sun in our tents all day, dined on scrumptious freeze-dried meals, and hit the hay at approximately 7:20pm. Woo-hoo! What a wild bunch, eh?

The rest of the group was up with a bang around 4 the next morning, and the ever tireless warriors that they are, they went up to camp two, some setting up tents at that camp, and others helping to fix ropes on the route. I waited at camp (because it was my first time at that altitude and everyone else had been there two previous times, we decided it would be better for me to just rest at camp one and acclimatize), melted snow for water, read, and watched the team through binoculars, proud of their progress and strength. It definitely feels weird to be so off the back, when everyone else already has more experience than me anyways, but I guess you can’t help it if you get sick—sometimes it just happens—I’m the only one on our team that had never been to Asia before, so perhaps my stomach just wasn’t as bomber. Hopefully now I’ll be on the same program as everyone; I totally appreciate their patience, support, and excellent care. For now, we’re in base camp and as it’s snowed several inches over the last day, we most likely won’t be headed up the mountain for at least another day and a half. Scrabble, anyone?

Ingrid Backstrom

Base Camp to Camp 1

Trek to Base Camp

Goro II to Shagring to Base Camp to Camp 1

June 24

So as Hil mentioned, our stuff got to base camp really late so we are catching up on our dispatches..

Our camp in Goro II marked a significant transition from the dust and the heat of the past few days of trekking. Though the death star continued to pound down, we were now camping on a glacial rock moraine with a nearby cold stream. The ladies headed down first for some very cold water bottle showers and to do a bit of laundry. It was one of the most rejuvenating moments of the trip to date. The fellas got their turn shortly thereafter.

That evening was also one of the most fun of our journey so far..somehow our kitchen and porter crew had deduced that our group likes to have a good time, and so they arranged an impromptu Pakistani dance party in our mess tent. The group was comprised of porters from several different expeditions, and was full of talent. While one man would sing, another would keep beat on a gasoline drum, and the top few groovers would grab one or all of us on to the dance floor. The walls literally came down a short time after the party started as the audience expanded exponentially, leaving us all panting at 14,000ft. We hoped that the dancing might have removed some of the mystic of American women, but no such luck as we continue to be a source of great curiosity- though we had made some new friends.

The trek to Shagring, our last stop before bc, was pretty straight-forward. The highlight was lunch in Concordia where groups broke off for K2 and G1/G2. The weather was a bit cloudier that day and so no views of the summit of K2. We gained roughly another 350 meters before arriving to Shagring in rainy weather.

Our final day of trekking to bc led us to our final home base at 16,150ft. We arrived late morning, and Karim, the Major, and Kris headed over to the military bc compound to gain approval for our camp spot at the head of the glacier ice-fall. They were successful in their negotiations, and so we were lucky enough to have the highest spot at bc and therefore relatively more privacy.

Our first two days were comprised of sorting gear, getting our camp and tent sites set up, putting up the TNF dome, and planning. We drew the short straw on porters on this trip, and were missing 16 loads up to our 3rd day in camp- so no communication for anyone other then sat phones. Our gear and remaining food finally arrived on the third day so stress levels greatly diminished for the TNF folks.

We have now had three pushes to Camp 1. The first day we headed up to about 17,200ft wanding/marking the route as we traveled. It was exciting stuff as the icefall is very broken, with significant crevasses. Kris did a tremendous job with some initial recon and also on the sharp end on this first excursion. For all of us, it was a great adventure to actually be the first group to really start putting in the route to Camp 1- very rewarding, and an unusual position to be in with the crowds that can accumulate in these mtns. For the group, putting in the route adds many other elements to approaching this unfamiliar terrain.

As more teams begin to arrive, on the 22nd, we got up at 2am and headed out into the darkness with heavy loads for setting up Camp 1. It was rough going- the weather and visibility were quite poor at times, we were dodging ahead of groups that were not quite as acclimatized, all the while breaking trail, punching through, and dangling some legs in crevasses as we attempted to negotiate the tricky conditions. We ended up working through some of the route with an Austrian team and Korean team right behind us. At about 10:30am, Kris made the leadership call of camping on a relatively flat, safer area a couple hours before Camp 1.

The other teams followed the piper and we soon found ourselves surrounded by 6 other tents. As the weather improved steadily throughout the afternoon, and the sun baked the glacier, the other teams came out and showed some unique color and character. We were surrounded by a 2 person Portuguese team, a 3 person Italian team with a dynamo team leader, Gloria, who, due to the heat, decided to strut her stuff in great lingerie for us all to enjoy, a Swiss team, a German team, a Korean team, and an Austrian team.

The next morning, we finished up the route to Camp 1 at 19, 300ft, and spent the day setting up our future home for our next few pushes. The views of the rest of our journey were mind blowing, and the ridge line route that we will be moving up on our next trip looks steep and exciting.

This morning, we arrived back at camp to a great breakfast, pseudo showers, and tent platform maintenance. We plan to go for Camp 1 and then Camp 2 early morning on the 26th.

Kim

Camp 3/4 & Camp 1

June 24

Our apologies to everyone who has been following our expedition dispatches. We’ve had the one two punch of computer problems (the computer with the dispatches crashed when it decided it didn’t like the high altitude) combined with a missing barrel with all of our technology inside. The latter issue took several days and a lot of grief to solve, but solved it is and we are all connected again!!!

So on with the climb!! We just returned from one night at camp ¾’ers and a second night at Camp 1. Two days ago we set out into the labyrinth of a glacier that makes up the route to Camp 1. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t exactly play out in our favor. The snow started falling and the temperature warmed up and we all expended tons of energy with route-finding and post-holing through a white out in waist deep snow. More than one of us fell in crevasses with a leg or two dangling into open space. As time wore on we realized that it was a bit silly to try to continue to push through to Camp 1. Kris made the call to make camp around 10:30 am somewhere on the upper glacier, hence Camp ¾.

Apparently it was a good call because every other team ascending that day followed suite and pretty soon there was a cluster of 8 or so tents stacked together on top of a perfect little serac somewhere below the true Camp 1.

The next morning we woke to a perfect day-cold and clear. We packed up and headed to Camp 1, roughly two hours above us on a fairly clean route, especially now that we could see. Again we spent the night at about 19, 300ft, with everyone feeling great, we had plenty of time to dig out a great space and check out the route that lay ahead of us. It snowed again in the afternoon, as it has been every day, but cleared for a beautiful evening.

We all got up pretty early so as to avoid the heat of the sun , which, even at altitude, has been overwhelmingly intense. Walking back down the route that was so difficult on the way up, felt like a different climb altogether. With all the teams ascending and descending in the last two days, the route was totally stomped in and felt like a cruiser, especially with the hard freeze from the clear nights.

It took us barely even 3 hours to make it to base camp, and as we were short on food for breakfast we were all extremely excited about Dee Dar’s cooking(we definitely scored with a great chef!) and a cup of strong coffee. The sun is shining, everyone is feeling great after a bit of food and we each took showers (except Griber, watch out!!!!)- we were all bummed that Ingrid didn’t join us on our latest excursion but it seems that she is finally healthy again and will be able to charge to Camp I in a couple days. We will be a whole team once again.

Thanks for all your patience and we promise to keep up our dispatches in the upcoming weeks,

Hilaree….

the world’s most stunning natural formations

June 24

Heading up the Baltoro Glacier we start to recognize some of the peaks, Trango Towers, Nameless Peak, Uli Biofo. Today I am excited we have such great weather for hiking and checking out the mountains but hope that it doesn’t mean that we will run into weather when we hit base camp.

From camp at Paiyu we get onto the Baltoro Glacier and head to Urdukus. Camp at Urdukus will be the last time we camp on solid earth until we begin our trek out. Here we will also see our last fixed toilets and showers. Urdukus sits up off the glacier on the hillside across from Trango Towers. Once at Urdukus we spend the afternoon finding shade and staring across the glacier at some of the world’s most stunning natural formations and some of the greatest rock climbs on earth. Since the heat has been so draining we decide to leave Urdukus early, hoping to arrive at camp Goro 2 before the hottest part of the day. While hiking we get a clear view of Broad Peak, one of the four 8000 meter peaks in the area. The trail on the glacier is vague but the porters know the way well which helps us to make good time to camp Goro 2.

After dinner the porters and cooks all gathered around our camp and began to play music. Quickly porters from other camps showed up and the banging, chanting and dancing took form. This seemed to be a good bonding experience for everyone. The highlight of the night was when one of the porters dressed in purple fleece top to bottom outlined in gold was pushed to the center of the dance circle. Obviously trained in porter dancing he wowed everyone with his funky chicken and pelvis pumps.

Again we decided to leave camp early with hope to avoid the heat for our trek to Shagrin. We stopped at Concordia base camp for lunch. Concordia is the confluence of the Goodwin Austin Glacier, the Baltoro Glacier and the Upper Baltoro Glacier. Here groups heading for K2 go North while we head toward the Upper Baltoro and for Base camp. Twelve days since we left home and we are almost to base camp. I am excited to get settled in and go through my bags and set up camp.

Kip

Waiting for Gear in Base Camp

Friday morning, June 20th

We arrived at base camp Tuesday, all happy to have finally reached our staging ground for GII.  Everyone on the team is healthy and feeling well.  Unfortunately, 16 loads of our gear is still yet to arrive.  Included in that gear is the majority of our camera, computer, and satellite communications equipment, some of our personal gear, most of our base camp cooking fuel, and all of our high altitude fuel canisters.  These loads were last accounted for Monday.

Every day we wait anxiously, hoping that they will arrive.  At this point we have enough fuel to stay in base camp for one week. Our local liaison, Karim, left Thursday to hike down the glacier and account for the missing gear. We hope that he returns soon so that we can put all of our energy towards the objective ahead of us – climbing and skiing GII.

In the meantime, we have begun the initial stages of our climb. On Thursday, we wanded a route through the ice fall.  The weather has turned overnight and we awoke this morning to one and a half feet of new snow.

We hope to send another dispatch soon but will be out of communication until we recover our missing gear.

Kristoffer Erickson via satellite phone from base camp.