2003 CZECH K2 & BROAD PEAK EXPEDITION

Dispatch One: Martin, Radek, and Miska left Prague yesterday and arrived in Islamabad at 7AM today. The weather there is hot, hot; today's temperature was 103 degrees F (39 degrees C). "We don't need to worry that the our meet will rot", say the guys, "it will get perfectly cooked in the barrels in a day or two!" Their cargo was waiting for them at their hotel (Good job, Adventure Tours!), and after a dinner with the liaison officer the expedition got to a nightshift -- repacking the load. The load will go to Skardu on a truck tomorrow, while Radek, Martin, and Miska will take a plane a day after. Tomorrow they are looking forward to their last party before their climb, they have been invited by the Czech ambassador, Petr Pribik, to his residence.

Most of all, however, the guys are looking forward to being back in their mountains, they cannot wait. Apart from being back to the incredible scenery of Baltoro and Concordia and from touching the slopes of K2 again (as well as the ones of Broad Peak, to which they have never been as yet) they are also looking forward to meeting their good old friends,  the Kazakh expedition currently in feat for Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and K2, and Jean-Christophe Lafaille. With most of the 2003 Kazakh expedition members Martin and Radek shared the ordeal on Kangchenjunga 2002. The Khazakhs are now setting off for their climb of Nanga Parbat, while Jean-Christophe, another good old friend  (from the Cesen/SSE Ridge of K2 in 2001) and a contester of another incredible feat for three 8thousanders in a season (solo, in his case!) is heading just there -- after his successful solo ascent of Dhaulagiri two weeks ago. Both the Kazakh expedition and Jean-Christophe plan to move to the Broad Peak after, and Martin, Radek, and Miska are looking forward to this fine company.

Dispatches