Bruce, David and Don have spent a few days resting in BC while Guy and Billy are up getting acclimatisation on the hill. Depending on the weather forecast teams may swap places during Monday the 29th.

The next week’s weather is not looking that promising and if the forecast is right there will be a dump of about a meter in the next 5 days. We hope and pray this is not a hit of early monsoon effect.

Other than that all of us are in good health and Murph, our team Gorilla had us do a minute of silence for MJ.

On a more serious level we where saddened to learn that Italian skier Michele Fait died on K2. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. Several members in our team knew Michele Fait from previous K2 expeditions so the news was a hard blow.

Last but not least we just like to clarify that contrary to some media reports we have NOT fixed any ropes on the way from BC to camp one. We did however open their trail to C1 but that is not the same thing...

David 28/6 BC

Short update

Don Bruce and David will depart BC on the 23rd and try to get into the cwm at 7000 meters this week. Billy and Guy are expected up three days later.

Working our way up

On Saturday the 20th Don, Bruce and David returned to BC after a three day trip up the hill. Billy and Guy are on a different rotation so they are up there now trying to find a way to get in to the Cwm at 7000 meters. Billy and Guy are expected back at BC in a day or two as the rest of us will return up the hill and try to continue their work and scout out safe and possible lines on G3. Getting into the Cwm looks objectively not as safe as we had hoped for, but with a bit of luck we should be able to get in there and get established.

BC is now filling up fast and good BC spots are getting hard to come buy. It is changing the place and all new arrivals can thank there lucky star that we have put in a trail to C1 at 6000 meters. We will be back with more news next week as we progress up the hill.

David 21/6 BC 5050 meter.

Camp One

The team has now established camp one at 6000 meter after nine days of work in the ice fall. Tomorrow they will venture towards the final camp and the start of the actual accent of G3 and G4.

It has been a long lasting hard work as it has been snowing every afternoon for 12 days. The weather is although fine and everybody are fresh and well and is looking forward seeing the ice fall at the final approach. The team has been away five days and is expected back at base camp Tuesday morning.

Through the ice fall

Bruce, Don, Guy and Billy have left for a weeks walk up the glacier where they hope to reach the G3-4 cwm. Yesterday Friday, they reported via radio, from 5500 m, that they will try to find a way through the ice fall the next couple of days. The weather is nice with a light snowfall. Unfortunately David remains in base camp, trying to get well from his flu taking antibiotic.

Lots of snow

After arriving in BC on the 3rd of June we have only had one day without snow and the forecast for this week looks like it will bring us about 70 cm of more snow if we are unlucky. But the unstable weather has not stopped us from making trips up the Glacier and today Bruce, Guy, Billy and Don are making our 3rd trip up the Ice fall that leads to camp one on our approach to the cwm at 7000 meters.
Both our expedition goals are starting at the cwm situated between G4 and G3 at around 7000 meters so we have a complex approach in order just to get to the start of the climbing. We need to cover a long horizontal distance as well as about 1850 vertical meters in order to be at the cwm at 7000 meters. That is the same vertical distance as the North Face of Eiger. All of us are doing well except me, David, who is suffering from a sinus infection. But I hope I will be up and about in a day or two.


Photo Don Bowie

So far we are alone in Base Camp and almost alone in the Karakorum as far as expeditions are concerned but that will soon change. As of now we only know of a small team that is around the corner from us on Broad Peak. But in the next 10 days we expect to see several other teams arriving for attempts on G1 and G2 so the thin moraine strip that serves as BC will soon be quite crowded.
The changing weather is a bit frustrating but on the other hand it offers spectacular scenery and plenty of nice photo opportunities. The same mountains can look so different depending on light and snow conditions. Our BC is comfortable and well placed under the ice fall which we need to pass in order to get up on the mountain, so we can’t complain about that. I guess it’s the bonus of arriving first in the season. The nights are still quite cold and dinners are eaten with down jackets on. At night the avalanches on the surrounding peaks are comparable to trying to sleep at a train station but its quite nice to hear nature take its course and spectacular to look at.

Base camp

A quick report, more will follow. We have finally arrived at base camp just above 5 000 meters. Everyone is feeling fine and excited!