Jean-Christophe Lafaille 2003: Broad Peak
 

 Current Pakistan Time

In French Jean Christophe Lafaille

Translations by Fabienne for EverestNews.com

Dispatch Two Broad Peak: We finally left! We left Scardu on July 5th at 05.20h in order to join Asole by jeep, approximately 5 or 6 hours of jeep. This track is astonishing and dangerous because of the stone jets which very often cut the road. In this case we discharge the jeep, pass the way encumbered and then take a new jeep depending on the state of the road.

At the end of the afternoon we arrive at Asole. The luggage follow, the carriers arrive. They are numerous, approximately 150 for the whole of the expedition which counts several different nationalities, which is on the whole, all nationalities included, around 20 people.

We spent our first night under a tent. The next morning we leave the camp of Asole at 06.30. With Jean Christophe we walk quickly in order to arrive early at Jola and thus not to walk at the hottest hours under the sun. 5 hours later we are there. A long waiting follows to find everyone: all members of different countries, small groups of carriers…

The following day, we are at Paju camp at 3350m. The ground is somewhat monotonous, flat. The weather is hot. Landscape does not dazzled us yet. In 2 days we will start to discover the very beautiful towers of Trango; in 4 days K2, Broad Peak, to only quote the most well known. The ground is very dry, composed of rocks and sand.

We must thus arrive at the base camp of Broad Peak on July 12th. As per the weather, today is mitigated: between sun and clouds. For the trekking, this is very good, it enables us to be less hot per the moment. Then the conditions seem to be stable and calm from the 12th . To confirm…

If the 13th and the following days the conditions are confirmed, Jean Christophe will try on the 13th the ascent of Broad Peak.

I must leave the base camp at the latest on July 17th in order to be on time at Islamabad to take the plane. Jean Christophe wants imperatively to come back with me, he does not want to leave me alone on the trekking way back. I hope that the weather conditions will be good to enable Jean Christophe to climb fast and make a success of the top. We will see… Best regards, Katia Lafaille.

Dispatches

Jean-Christophe Lafaille, summited Dhaulagiri and Nanga Parbat in the last few weeks and is now attempting to climb Broad Peak via a new route! Follow us as we try to keep up with Jean-Christophe, who is clearly one of the elite mountaineers in the world today.

His dispatches from Dhaulagiri this year are here.

His dispatches from Nanga Parbat this year are here.