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!