Thieves, Liars and Mountaineers: On the 8000 Metre Peak Circus in Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains by Mark Horrell Page B
Authors: Mark Horrell
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to extricate himself. But five minutes later he is still in the same position as Phil, Gordon and Arian arrive on the second rope. Snow has collapsed around Ian's leg and glued it in place, so Phil helps to dig it out for him and we move on.
At 6.15 we stagger into Base Camp, tired out and in low spirits. The weather and my difficulties on the technical section of the climb have put me at a low ebb. Although we still have three weeks here, I'm now starting to face the very real prospect that we may not get a serious attempt at either of these mountains. Veikka Gustafsson has also retreated off Gasherbrum I, and so far Ueli Steck's superhuman solo ascent of Gasherbrum II on the 9 th is the only summit on any of the Gasherbrums this year. Word is filtering into us that teams are bailing out of K2 and Broad Peak as well, and although Nanga Parbat has just seen 10 summits, its 2 deaths are a high price to pay.
It's looking like a bleak season in the Karakoram.
34. Brooding over the Banana Ridge
Tuesday 14 July, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
Today is one of the worst days we've had yet. Although there's little snow, conditions at Base Camp are cold, overcast and windy all day. It's a day to sit inside your tent and do little else. The mountains all around us are invisible through a shroud of damp white mist. Two Polish and one German climber walk past our dining tent as we're having breakfast, having just returned from Camp 1. They say there was half a metre of snow overnight at Camp 1, although the German indicates a line on his leg level with the top of his boot.
The gloom is partially alleviated in the middle of the afternoon when Gorgan rouses us all from our tents with the promise of tea and chocolate cake in the dining tent to celebrate Bastille Day. True to form, the Portuguese couple, Paulo and Daniela, who are climbing Gasherbrum VI, happen to be passing our campsite at the time and have positioned themselves right in front of the cake. They certainly seem to have a gift for networking, but they're quite personable people, and nobody seems to mind.
“What is this for?” asks Tarke, arriving a little late when there are just two pieces of cake left.
You can't expect a Nepali to be familiar with French history, so I enlighten him. “Gorgan has asked Ashad to cook the cake to celebrate cutting off the head of his king.”
I'm still disappointed with the difficulties I had on the Banana Ridge, and concerned that I became part of the problem. Phil is bullish in defence. He insists I wouldn't have fallen off the mountain when I slipped, saying I would have arrested myself had the fixed ropes not been there, although I know I would have found it extremely difficult to traverse the face back onto the ridge without falling again.
“We've all fallen before,” he says. “It builds up your confidence and is part of the learning process.”
I'm concerned that while lots of people had problems with their crampons balling up, I seemed to have more trouble than most people facing outwards and standing up.
“You need to dig in with your heels rather than your toes,” says Phil.
“And why no ice axe,” I ask.
“So you can hold onto the rope with both hands rather than just one,” he replies.
“And one other thing. Why was nobody using a safety prussic on the fixed rope? That would've arrested my fall straight away and stopped me doing that embarrassing pendulum swing across the face.”
“One extra thing to worry about,” says Phil.
I finish the conversation with my confidence buoyed up a little, and looking forward to tackling the Banana Ridge again, but I really hope I don't have to descend it in a blizzard with those horrible powdery snow conditions for a third time.
35. Controversy on Nanga Parbat
Wednesday 15 July, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
More information is filtering through to us about the deaths on Nanga Parbat, though much of it is still hearsay. It seems
At 6.15 we stagger into Base Camp, tired out and in low spirits. The weather and my difficulties on the technical section of the climb have put me at a low ebb. Although we still have three weeks here, I'm now starting to face the very real prospect that we may not get a serious attempt at either of these mountains. Veikka Gustafsson has also retreated off Gasherbrum I, and so far Ueli Steck's superhuman solo ascent of Gasherbrum II on the 9 th is the only summit on any of the Gasherbrums this year. Word is filtering into us that teams are bailing out of K2 and Broad Peak as well, and although Nanga Parbat has just seen 10 summits, its 2 deaths are a high price to pay.
It's looking like a bleak season in the Karakoram.
34. Brooding over the Banana Ridge
Tuesday 14 July, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
Today is one of the worst days we've had yet. Although there's little snow, conditions at Base Camp are cold, overcast and windy all day. It's a day to sit inside your tent and do little else. The mountains all around us are invisible through a shroud of damp white mist. Two Polish and one German climber walk past our dining tent as we're having breakfast, having just returned from Camp 1. They say there was half a metre of snow overnight at Camp 1, although the German indicates a line on his leg level with the top of his boot.
The gloom is partially alleviated in the middle of the afternoon when Gorgan rouses us all from our tents with the promise of tea and chocolate cake in the dining tent to celebrate Bastille Day. True to form, the Portuguese couple, Paulo and Daniela, who are climbing Gasherbrum VI, happen to be passing our campsite at the time and have positioned themselves right in front of the cake. They certainly seem to have a gift for networking, but they're quite personable people, and nobody seems to mind.
“What is this for?” asks Tarke, arriving a little late when there are just two pieces of cake left.
You can't expect a Nepali to be familiar with French history, so I enlighten him. “Gorgan has asked Ashad to cook the cake to celebrate cutting off the head of his king.”
I'm still disappointed with the difficulties I had on the Banana Ridge, and concerned that I became part of the problem. Phil is bullish in defence. He insists I wouldn't have fallen off the mountain when I slipped, saying I would have arrested myself had the fixed ropes not been there, although I know I would have found it extremely difficult to traverse the face back onto the ridge without falling again.
“We've all fallen before,” he says. “It builds up your confidence and is part of the learning process.”
I'm concerned that while lots of people had problems with their crampons balling up, I seemed to have more trouble than most people facing outwards and standing up.
“You need to dig in with your heels rather than your toes,” says Phil.
“And why no ice axe,” I ask.
“So you can hold onto the rope with both hands rather than just one,” he replies.
“And one other thing. Why was nobody using a safety prussic on the fixed rope? That would've arrested my fall straight away and stopped me doing that embarrassing pendulum swing across the face.”
“One extra thing to worry about,” says Phil.
I finish the conversation with my confidence buoyed up a little, and looking forward to tackling the Banana Ridge again, but I really hope I don't have to descend it in a blizzard with those horrible powdery snow conditions for a third time.
35. Controversy on Nanga Parbat
Wednesday 15 July, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
More information is filtering through to us about the deaths on Nanga Parbat, though much of it is still hearsay. It seems
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