Broad Peak 2013 update - C1 nights ahead

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Broad Peak 2013 update - Heading to C1!

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FTA Broad Peak 2013 - Climb under way!

BC Reached

Broad Peak BC on a serene evening © Brad Jackson

Our team is enjoying a rest day after arriving at base camp and will begin the climb in earnest tomorrow. They have had some rain today and are hopeful for better weather and better views shortly.The first few days will include walks to the base of the hill and load carrying to C1 at about 5800m. Everyone is well but for a few bellies still adjusting to the local flora and fauna!

The base camp is at approximately 4800m and is located each year in about the same place according to GPS location but is entirely different each year as the glacier moves about 2 meters per day which means that last years BC is about 700m further down towards Concordia. The rocks and ice they are camped on will be out to Paiju in about 100 years by my (very) rough calculation! It also means any tripods that Vittorio Sella left behind in 1909 should be for sale in the antique markets in Askole any day now - though they may have been a bit crunched up on the way :-)

View to K2 from near the base of the Broad Peak climb © stu remensnyder

C1 next up

They will be working on establishing Camp 1 at near 5800m over the next few days and will have great views of K2 from the lower slopes of the climb as they go. C1 is perched in a small and airy spot and there are not a lot of spaces for tents so in some years we establish a lower camp at about 5300m. This lower camp is not preferred is more exposed to avalanches so must be used with caution. The views from C1 are spectacular and it is quite amazing to see how smooth the Baltoro looks from high up after having scrambled and wended one's way over and through it for many days.

Ascending the lower slopes of Broad Peak © stu remensnyder

C1 on Broad Peak © Brad Jackson

More news shortly!

Broad Peak 2013 update - Team Checks in from BC

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FTA Broad Peak Update - Trekking towards BC

Team Safe and Sound
Our team is enjoying the trek to BC and everyone is doing well. They have had some hot but clear days and enjoyed views of the peaks along the way. They will be pulling into base camp in the next few days and we look forward to having an update from them when they are settled in. We have no word on the impact of the events in the Nanga Parbat region on any groups in the Baltoro region but to this point there has been none and treks and climbs already under way are proceeding as planned. Decisions are still being made that could affect us and we will simply have to wait and see.

The Trek to BC
Arrival at an 8000m base camp in the Karakoram is quite unlike the treks to any other place on the planet. The glacial avenue on which they walk is bordered by an extraordinary array of peaks from small to tall and from rocky and jagged to snow adorned. By the time they are ensconced in their tents at base camp they will have walked through a century of climbing tales, which have been retold in journals, books and film, and have an understanding of these stories that one can only appreciate fully in person. On arrival at Concordia one can imagine the first expedition to reach there in 1892 being just as awestruck by the density of immense peaks soaring up some 4000m/13000ft above you.

Chogalisa from Concordia © stu remensnyder

Looking left, from Concordia, you see the pyramid of K2 nearly the same as it looked to Aleister Crowley and his crew who tackled its northeast ridge in 1902. Turning to your right and seeing the airy crest of Chogalisa, it is hard to imagine that the Duke of Abruzzi made it to within just 150m of the top after having already spent many weeks working on the ridge which bears his name on K2. Straight ahead of you is Gasherbrum IV which remains still one of the most demanding climbs in the world. It lacks but a few meters to have been included in the 8000m club, but this did not stop Walter Bonatti from finding its top in 1958. Situated in-between K2 and Gasherbrum IV lies our objective, Broad Peak. The 12th highest peak on the planet and first summited by Markus Schmuck and his team in 1957. In a few days our team hopes to set foot on this very peak and follow in their footsteps!

K2 from near Concordia © brad jackson

Broad Peak from Concordia © stu remensnyder

Broad Peak 2013 update - Team in Paiju and sad news from Nanga Parbat

Our team is on their 4th day of trekking to base camp and they are safe and sound in Paiju at this time and at this time plan to continue on to BC. They were deeply saddened to hear of the events which took place in Nanga Parbat BC earlier today and express their sympathies for all of the families and friends affected. 

We will have more word tomorrow about movement in general in Pakistan and on the K2 trek in specific. At this time new teams are not moving up the Karakoram from Islamabad but this may change in the days ahead as the situation becomes more clear. Teams in the Baltoro region are continuing on at this time but again this may change in the days ahead. It appears that teams in the Nanga Parbat area are being evacuated, according to the BBC, though many climbers were high on the hill at the time. 

As most offices and ministries were closed today we will all await official word on what is to become of climbers and trekkers on their way in or those already in the mountains. We have seen the many reports around the internet but it is premature to speculate on what will happen from here. The embassies and consulates, Pakistani government, police and military all have a say in the next steps and we will be in communication with staff on the ground to be sure we are up to date on the situation.

There are no words that will begin to convey the sense of shared loss that we have for the people directly and indirectly affected by the tragic and brutal loss of life in Nanga Parbat BC. We extend our thoughts and prayers to all involved and hope that some sense can be made of this in the days ahead. 

We will update again tomorrow when we have more information.

A map of the region from Nanga Parbat to Broad Peak with Skardu located in-between

Broad Peak 2013 update - Team calls in from Paiju

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Broad Peak 2013 - trek underway at last!

En route to base camp finally!

Askole and the first views of the Karokoram © field touring alpine

Our team got off yesterday after well too many days waiting in Skardu for the military authorities to clear members of not only our team but several others. They are under way with trekking permits at this time so that they cannot lose precious days of acclimatization and the climbing permit is being confirmed shortly.

Broad Peak 2013 update - On the road to Askole

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Broad Peak 2013 - Waiting Days in Skardu

Skardu Days

Our team is headed off to Askole tomorrow after a bureacratic delay due to the permitting process. A process which seems to a new challenge each year and one that requires patience and a willingness to accept the inevitable challenges of climbing in a military zone. I wrote a year ago about the process and commented on the fact that unlike many for countries, to climb in Pakistan is not something one can decide a few days ahead, get a flight, pack your gear and go. There are many weeks and often months worth of documentation, emails, visits to embassies and ministries and even then small things that need to be worked out on a personal level in Pakistan. Shortly they will be off in 4x4's and headed for the trail head and all of the paperwork will be left behind!

In the meantime they have enjoyed a few nice days of the past days including walks about town, hikes in the nearby hills and are all feeling well and gaining acclimatization to 2500m/8,200ft. Scott sent in a few images of their days and we hope you enjoy! 

The Indus from the hotel in Skardu

Supper at the Concordia Hotel in Skardu

On the ride from Islamabad to Skardu

Ron on a day hike above Skardu

Scott at his day hike high point!

Ron and Gunga on the day hike

at the ministry waiting, waiting waiting!

Gunga, the first mongolian woman to summit Everest

With Gunga

Broad Peak 2013 update - Skardu Acclimatization Day

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Broad Peak 2013 - Skardu!

FTA Broad Peak 2013 in Skardu - John, Brian, Ron and Scott

Gear Day

The team arrived late yesterday afternoon and after a good sleep had a very busy day today which included gear checks, shopping, packing and repacking. Among the many things they have done today are setting up tents and checking them to be sure they are in good shape, sending out for repairs those that need a little TLC, testing stoves and fuel to make sure there will be no flareups on the hill, checking and testing the emergency oxygen systems, replenishing the med kit and checking over the repair kit, setting up the solar panels and charging up the Sherpa 50, picking up batteries and spare toilet paper, selecting a few dynamic climbing ropes and route fixing gear, and meeting the military liason officer (LO) who will be joining our team to base camp (and maybe up onto the hill).

Broad Peak 2013 update - team checks in from Skardu

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Broad Peak 2013 under way!

En route to Skardu

Our Broad Peak team has assembled over the last few days in blistering hot ( 43°C /110°F ) Islamabad. After a few days of visits to ministries for visa extensions, trips back to the airport for delayed luggage, and a little sightseeing, they have headed for the cooler climes of Skardu at 2200m/7300ft.

The mighty Indus River seen from the Concordia Hotel in Skardu © Brad jackson

Skardu is a relaxing but busy town and the jumping off point for most climbers and trekkers headed to K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II, Nanga Parbat and Spantik. FTA's Dave Hancock has posted a fun tour of the town by motorcycle and we invite you to join him for a short tour so you can get the feel of the town:

Join FTA's Dave Hancock for  a motorcycle ride in Skardu