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.