FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Second round of acclimatization done...summit bids ahead!

From Stu in the USA office
July 4, 2011

Chris has called in from BC to let us know that everyone is well and that most of team is in BC resting up for a summit bid. Sophie and Lakpa have remained high and are hoping for a break on Thursday in the winds to make a summit attempt. The remainder of the team is down at BC resting up for the next few days and then will hope for a good window perhaps around the 9th or 10th.



The camp 4 that sometimes we establish is often placed on a small flat area at around 7500m and it is quite a spot! It can reduce the summit day by a few crucial hours and especially when the summit ridge is giving short windows of low wind this can be the small advantage making a summit bid possible.

The lonely camp 4 at 7500m © stu remensnyder

The views from C4 are spectacular but one rarely gets much sleep there between the altitude and the anticipation of leaving early for a summit bid. The sun comes onto the slope quite late in the morning so it is a very cold start and the ridge offers the first rays of warming sun. With summit winds to remain at or above 30km/hr Sophie and Lakpa will have their work cut out for them to make it to the top and back safely.

They will have to negotiate the summit ridge which is quite steep on both sides  and offers little protection from wind. We have seen summits in winds like this before but they are very demanding and most parties will wait for a lower winds. As Chris says in his dispatch Lakpa and Sophie will try to thread the weather needle later this week so we wish a great window for them!

In the image below you can see the true summit of Broad Peak well back to the left and the rocky summit directly ahead. The distance between the rocky and true summits is some 900m with only a 12m rise. With calm winds this is a lot of work and in high winds a nearly unimaginable amount of effort.

After reaching the top or a high point then one must negotiate a winding ridge back to the relative safety of the col at 7850m. From there it is a short rappel/downclimb to the main slopes leading back to high camp. This upper slope has a few narrow crevasses which must be negotiated. They can be hard to see from above and have been the site of at least a few serious accidents requiring evacs from high on the hill. After winding through the upper slopes it is finally back to the warm tent and a hot brew!

Summit ridge view to the col © stu remensnyder

We'll have more news shortly about any summit bids!

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 -Second round of acclimatization ahead!

From Stu in the US office
July 29, 2011

Chris has called in with the good news that the team is ready to head up for its second round of acclimatizing and they are hoping to spend nights in C3 at approximately 7100m and then descend to BC. With nights in C3 they will be ready for a summit push the next time up so this is a critical push.

The weather has been unsettled but winds have not too bad below the summit ridge. Chris plans to call in with more info about exact member movement and we'll have that for you shortly!






A typical night at C3 the first time is not super pleasant and most people feel the altitude and the hard work to arrive. In 2003 Alex Txicon had a rough night but rallied to summit the next day!

Alex Txicon sleeping at C3 in 2003 © stu remensnyder

The climbing from C2 to C3 is quite steep and exposed at the start and requires a lot of attention and hard work with a full pack!

Climbing from C2 to C3 on Broad Peak © stu remensnyder

But the views from C3 are worth it!

FTA '03 Member Fred Muylaert enjoying a tea at C3 © stu remensnyder

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - Broad Peak BC and all well!

From Stu in the USA Office
June 23, 2011

Chris has called in with an update from Broad Peak BC to let us know everything is going well! The team is taking a few rest days and planning to head up to C1 in 2-3 days. In the meantime they are reviewing fixed line movement, sorting gear and enjoying the peace and solitude of the mountains!

moving on some fixed in 2003 © stu remensnyder

FTA K2/Broad Peak 2011 - In Goro II today and on to Broad Peak BC tomorrow!

from stu in the usa office,
21 June 2011

Urdukas camp with the Trango Towers behind © stu remensnyder

Chris has called in from Goro II and left a great audio disapatch below. In it he shares the latest news from the K2/Broad Peak team. They had a great day trekking in from Urdukas and enjoyed a warm (25°C) day with superb views of Gasherbrum IV, Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak and Masherbrum!

River crossing near Goro II © stu remensnyder

In a normal year our team would tromp on up to the famed Concordia camp site and then take a short walk the next morning to Broad Peak BC. For the first time that i know of there is insufficient snow in Concordia and the team will be skipping this campsite on their way to Broad Peak base camp. By the end of last season the snow loss was dramatically greater than in typical years. This was due in large part to the conditions that caused the horrific flooding across great swathes of Pakistan. It remains to be seen how this will play out on the 8000m peaks in the Karakoram and potentially may mean icier or rockier conditions on Broad Peak and K2.

View to Broad Peak from Concordia © stu remensnyder

have a listen in below to Chris's dispatch from Goro II!

We have already had a lot of emails for climbers interested in 8000m peaks for next season including Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II & Gasherbrum I,  Nanga Parbat & K2 for next summer so we expect to have quit a few of these climbs going! 

Spantik will be running in August and we do still have some spaces available and can accept new members til the middle of July. No better first 7000m peak that we know of as it is a full expedition and includes fixed line climbing, roped team climbing, a remote setting and a stunning 8km summit ridge!

Trekking to K2 BC is something that everyone should add to a lifetime list of great places to visit. We have a departure slated for August 1 each year and welcome avid trekkers and climbers!

If you are interested in joining us for a great trip to Pakistan drop us a note at "info@fieldtouring.com" and we'll send you all the info!

For more information on all trips please visit our site  www.fieldtouringalpine.com

Island Peak Summits!

Sean,Tsering, Mama, Wei, Antonin, Paul & Chris summited Island Peak this morning in perfect weather.

After an evening at 5650m high camp Josh became ill and decided to stay back (he is much better now). The rest of the team left at 3am and were on top between 6am and 8am. Everyone is back at base camp feeling fine and ready to move to Ama Dablam base camp on the 29th.

Summit Push starts July 10

Well, it seems that weather, health and route conditions have all come together in our favor. Tomorrow morning at 4am the summit push for Gasherbrum 2 begins.

July 10 we navigate the ever changing icefall up to camp 1 and sleep there for the night. July 11, up the Banana Ridge to camp 2 with some additional height gain up to camp 3 later in the day. July 12 up to just under 7000 meters and sleep at camp 3. July 13 up to camp 4 at 7400 meters to brew up and try to get a little sleep before leaving for the summit on July 14th at am. The trip to the summit should take us about 12 hours and hopefully less than that to descend back to camp 3. At least an 18 hour day above 7000 meters!

On summit day, Taqui will be in the lead with Asgar sweeping team members from the rear. I will be floating between lead and tail and keeping tabs on everything as we go up and above 8000 meters.

I will do my best to send some images from up high in the days to come.

These next few days are the culmination of months of preparation. We have to do it right and do it smart. Safety, fun then summit; in that order.

Climb on
Chris from g2 base camp.

All back to Base Camp, 'ready' for summit push

Everyone is back at base camp after our small acclimatization sortie up to 6700 meters. The climb from camp 1 up to camp 2 is really interesting. It starts with a 50° snow slope for about 60M, then a little traverse around a hanging glacier. About 125 vertical meters of rambling ice and snow later, the classic Banana Ridge starts. About 15 pitches of 55° to 75° ice/snow in a wonderful position. For anyone who's been to Ama Dablam, this is just like camp 3 to summit! Unreal!!!

Don't be fooled though, the top of the ridge isn't camp 2. Yet another false summit awaits and another grueling 75 vertical meter slog brings you right into camp 2 at 6500m. A tip for future G2 & G1 climbers: leave early and arrive at all camps before the sun hits, wear white clothing and bring a big hat or umbrella. Trust me.

Sadly, Mark has made the decision not to continue up the mountain. He has made this choice on his own due to a number of factors and I must say that I have a deep respect for his wisdom and lack of ego. After so much preperation and sacrifice, Mark has realized that his priorities don't lie at the top of an 8000m mountain. We all praise him for that.

The rest of the team is currently recharging and gearing up for the big push. Everyone is in excellent health and all that we need now is a 4-5 day window of good weather. Naucho is powering up the hill and has established his camp 2 right next to ours. He is currently resting at base with the rest of us.

We have been getting mixed weather data but in general the trend is leaning towards -20°c and high winds at 7000 meters by Thursday or Friday. This just happens to be the aproximate height of our camp 3 and with conditions like that, no one goes anywhere, very dangerous indeed.

Everyone is mindful of the realities of climbing the highest mountains on earth. Gasherbrum 2 will grant us permission to summit when she is ready. Until then we will wait and enjoy good times and great friends at base camp.

Peace out

Chris

FTA Team Rocks Up to Base Camp

After one of the most stunning treks in the world, and nearly 90km as the crow flies, the 2008 Gasherbrum 2 team has arrived at our 5200M base camp.

Everyone is in great health thanks to a good acclimatization schedule on the way in and excellent food prepared by little Karim and the rest of the cook staff. The weather has been a bit unsettled in the afternoons with scattered flurries. The mornings however offer the most stunning of views.

Clare is celebrating her birthday today so we have our cook staff baking her a cake and serving a feast of mammoth proportions. We really have it good up here. Everyone is settled into their own comfy tent and the unpacking for the next 26 days has begun. Its a gear junkies paradise up here.

After arriving today I ran out 250 meters of rope up and over some glacial formations for a skills review and gear testing session tomorrow in the AM We will rest in the afternoon and enshalla, head up to camp 1 at about 5800M the following day. We will then return to base camp for a rest. The base ice fall is very heavily crevased this year but it all looks very manageable, and interesting!

The team is strong and we are all stoked to get on the mountain.

Climb on!

Chris

30 cm of snow at camp 1, 5950m

The majority of the teams at camp 1 have returned to base camp today. The weather forecast calls for snow for at least the next three days. Although the route up the Banana Ridge to camp 2 is fixed, the heavy snow and warm temps are forcing many climbers down. We will wait for safer conditions before establishing our camp 2. That said, the route up to camp 2 looks Sweet, I can't wait to get up there!

We have been receiving custom weather forecast from Michelle Dibona back in France. Each and every one has been absolutely correct. Thank Michelle, you are a greatly valued member of our team.

We made a large load carry up to camp 1 yesterday and spent the night shaking off the tents and hoping for a clear morning. 30 cm of snow and counting greeted us so myself, Andy, Fred, JR, Francois, Surech, Taqui & Asgar left our camp 2 gear stashed and descended to base camp in just over 3 hours. Mark & Naucho stayed at base for some additional rest.

We will all wait out the storm and get ready for our next push up the hill.

Stay tuned...

Chris

Weather breaks. Lets move!

Everyone on the Field Touring Alpine G2 team is packed and ready to move tomorrow morning at 3:30am. That is if the weather holds. We are all rested and anxious to establish camp 2 at 6400m on the Banana Ridge of Gasherbrum 2

Leaving for camp 3 in the morning

The team is all set to move up to just under 7000m in the morning. Everyone is feeling fine, considering, and we plan to leave at about 5am.

The majority of the route up to camp 3 is fixed and we expect good snow conditions and fine travel up the 30-50° slopes. We will see how everyone is feeling at camp 3 and if everything is good to go, we will move up to camp 4 at 7400m and get ready for our summit attempt.

Naucho is here at camp 2 and he is also planning on moving up to 3 in the morning.

I will try my best to write tomorrow from camp 3.

Stay tuned!
Chris from Gasherbrum 2 camp 2, 6500m