Skardu Days
Our team has been enjoying a few great days in Skardu getting the gear ready, eating a ton of great local food, making final purchased for the hill and taking some well needed walks and hikes.
They are already feeling the change in altitude and officially beginning the acclimatization process. At just about 2500m/8000ft Skardu is a great place to being adding red blood cells and raising the hematacrit level! Unlike some other places where one achieves a rapid ascent by flying in to Lukla or Quito, the altitude profile is much nicer in Pakistan and it is very rare for anyone to suffer from AMS on the trek to base camp.
With good luck tomorrow morning they will be off to Askole and begin the trip in earnest. We are awaiting one last permission from the authorities to allow us to proceed into the militarily restricted zone where Broad Peak, Gasherbrum 2 and K2 are located. There are a very few countries that do not need to go through the visa process to come to Pakistan and this includes Iceland. The consequence is that Icelanders also don't get an official visa stamp of any kind in the passport so the authorities here have had to do a bit more homework to sort out Arni's exact status!
Brad has all the news fit and unfit to print from the last few days - enjoy!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
FTA Broad Peak 2012 - KKH here we come!
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| FTA Broad Peak 2012 team in Islambad © brad jackson |
By Land or Air is worth the trip
Despite homing to take the smooth short way to Skardu our team has had to take the rough, bumpy and long one instead! With flights being delayed and the wait list extensive our team had no option but to get going by minibus to Skardu and will be enjoying the Karakoram Highway up close and personal.
Our team is already half way to Skardu having reached Chilas a short time ago. Ben called in to let us know all is well and they were glad to be in after a long 16hr day. He said the road was in quite good shape and overall the day was a "piece of cake" which is Ben's understated way of saying their backs ache and they are hungry!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
FTA Broad Peak - Heading to Skardu
As promised this is the second and final test of the audio dispatches and only good stuff to come the rest of the way!
We do have the word that our team will be either hopping on the plane to Skardu or beginning the drive shortly and if they have to drive it will mean a 2-day cruise on the awesome Karakoram Highway! One of those drives that everyone should do once if they can. Much like the drive to Lhasa from Kathmandu or perhaps even the ride from La Paz to Lago Titicaca. Loads of crazy turns, great views, steep drops to the rivers below and all in all a great introduction to Pakistan. It will also give our team two days to talk and scheme and get to know each other and begin to build a good team spirit of resolve in the face of challenge.
Upcoming trips - Spantik, Stok Kangri, Kang Yatse, Satopanth, Khumbu Peaks and Passes, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Ecuador Volcanoes, Kilimanjaro and more!
• We have a confirmed Spantik (7027m) for August here in Pakistan and have room for a few more.
• On top of that we have expeditions to India in Sept to Stok Kangri & Kang Yatse and Satopanth which need just a few more to confirm them.
• Farther ahead we have a confirmed Oct 1 Khumbu Peaks and Passes (including Island Peak, Lobuche E and Pokalde) with limited spaces and a confirmed Nov 4 Ama Dablam expedition. This will mark our 8th straight year fielding teams for Ama Dablam and we'll hope for an 8th straight year with summits as well!
• Aconcagua trips in December, January and February - We are already taking applications for our trips to the highest peak in the Americas for climbs on the Polish Glacier and by the False Polish Traverse. We offer custom trips by the Normal route as well so let us know how we can help!
We have a full offering of trips for the year ahead and are already preparing for a return to Pakistan with Gasherbrums, Broad Peak, K2, Spantik, K2 BC treks and more for 2013. Follow along this year and join us next season!
Mobile Device users: Please note Ipadio is flash-based so you may not be able to hear them here on your mobile devices like Iphones and Ipads. We are looking for a fix and hope to have one shortly!
In the mean time you can hear them on your mobile device by visiting our channel on the IPadio site itself: FTA Audio Dispatches on IPadio
We do have the word that our team will be either hopping on the plane to Skardu or beginning the drive shortly and if they have to drive it will mean a 2-day cruise on the awesome Karakoram Highway! One of those drives that everyone should do once if they can. Much like the drive to Lhasa from Kathmandu or perhaps even the ride from La Paz to Lago Titicaca. Loads of crazy turns, great views, steep drops to the rivers below and all in all a great introduction to Pakistan. It will also give our team two days to talk and scheme and get to know each other and begin to build a good team spirit of resolve in the face of challenge.
Upcoming trips - Spantik, Stok Kangri, Kang Yatse, Satopanth, Khumbu Peaks and Passes, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua, Ecuador Volcanoes, Kilimanjaro and more!
• We have a confirmed Spantik (7027m) for August here in Pakistan and have room for a few more.
• On top of that we have expeditions to India in Sept to Stok Kangri & Kang Yatse and Satopanth which need just a few more to confirm them.
• Farther ahead we have a confirmed Oct 1 Khumbu Peaks and Passes (including Island Peak, Lobuche E and Pokalde) with limited spaces and a confirmed Nov 4 Ama Dablam expedition. This will mark our 8th straight year fielding teams for Ama Dablam and we'll hope for an 8th straight year with summits as well!
• Aconcagua trips in December, January and February - We are already taking applications for our trips to the highest peak in the Americas for climbs on the Polish Glacier and by the False Polish Traverse. We offer custom trips by the Normal route as well so let us know how we can help!
We have a full offering of trips for the year ahead and are already preparing for a return to Pakistan with Gasherbrums, Broad Peak, K2, Spantik, K2 BC treks and more for 2013. Follow along this year and join us next season!
Mobile Device users: Please note Ipadio is flash-based so you may not be able to hear them here on your mobile devices like Iphones and Ipads. We are looking for a fix and hope to have one shortly!
In the mean time you can hear them on your mobile device by visiting our channel on the IPadio site itself: FTA Audio Dispatches on IPadio
FTA Broad Peak 2012 - In islamabad!
Our team has now assembled in Islamabad and they are making final preparations before leaving for Skardu. Part of this prep includes a good test of the audio dispatches to come during the expedition.
You can hear below our first of two tests (from different phones!) from Ben on a super hot day on the roof of our hote in Islamabad. No doubt that with temperatures hovering at about 40°C / 104°F the team is enjoying the cool of the markets and restaurants as much as they can. Brad has written up a dispatch which we'll post shortly so stay tuned!
"This is Ben calling you from the roof top of Envoy Continental in Islamabad. Testing the Ipadio dispatch for Broad Peak 2012. Brad's with me here and it's a lovely hot day here. Probably 46 degrees celsius and I'm feeling it out here testing the solar gear, testing the sat phone. It's 40 degrees on the dot!
Alright, cheers guys, over and out"
Mobile Device users:
Please note Ipadio is flash-based so you may not be able to hear them here on your mobile devices like Iphones and Ipads. We are looking for a fix and hope to have one shortly!
In the mean time you can hear them on your mobile device by visiting our channel on the IPadio site itself: FTA Audio Dispatches on IPadio
You can hear below our first of two tests (from different phones!) from Ben on a super hot day on the roof of our hote in Islamabad. No doubt that with temperatures hovering at about 40°C / 104°F the team is enjoying the cool of the markets and restaurants as much as they can. Brad has written up a dispatch which we'll post shortly so stay tuned!
"This is Ben calling you from the roof top of Envoy Continental in Islamabad. Testing the Ipadio dispatch for Broad Peak 2012. Brad's with me here and it's a lovely hot day here. Probably 46 degrees celsius and I'm feeling it out here testing the solar gear, testing the sat phone. It's 40 degrees on the dot!
Alright, cheers guys, over and out"
Mobile Device users:
Please note Ipadio is flash-based so you may not be able to hear them here on your mobile devices like Iphones and Ipads. We are looking for a fix and hope to have one shortly!
In the mean time you can hear them on your mobile device by visiting our channel on the IPadio site itself: FTA Audio Dispatches on IPadio
Sunday, February 19, 2012
FTA Aconcagua Feb 2012 - SUMMITS!
Feb 19, 2011
Ben wrote in from Plaza Argentina to report that they had a successful summit bid and that the entire team is back in base camp safe and sound!
Ben, Cameron, Stuart, Melvin and Er Jun topped out on the 17th at 2pm on cold and windy but clear day. Shaun and Jaclyn made a great effort as well and reached a high point at the start of the traverse above Independencia Hut.
They returned to Colera camp, spent the night amid the very high winds and in the morning descended to Argentina. Ben said that the winds were strong enough that just packing up the tents in the morning took a great deal of effort and especially to avoid and cold injuries.
They should be heading out today and hope to be back in Mendoza for well earned hotel beds, showers, steak suppers and wine tours! We'll look forward to seeing the pics and hearing a full report when they are back in town.
Next up for Ben will be Broad Peak so if you fancy a trip to Pakistan and a great 8000m peak let us know!
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| FTA team from Dec 2010 on top. We'll post the 2012 team pics shortly! |
Ben wrote in from Plaza Argentina to report that they had a successful summit bid and that the entire team is back in base camp safe and sound!
Ben, Cameron, Stuart, Melvin and Er Jun topped out on the 17th at 2pm on cold and windy but clear day. Shaun and Jaclyn made a great effort as well and reached a high point at the start of the traverse above Independencia Hut.
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| Colera camp on a calm day © stu remensnyder |
They returned to Colera camp, spent the night amid the very high winds and in the morning descended to Argentina. Ben said that the winds were strong enough that just packing up the tents in the morning took a great deal of effort and especially to avoid and cold injuries.
They should be heading out today and hope to be back in Mendoza for well earned hotel beds, showers, steak suppers and wine tours! We'll look forward to seeing the pics and hearing a full report when they are back in town.
Next up for Ben will be Broad Peak so if you fancy a trip to Pakistan and a great 8000m peak let us know!
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