2003 CZECH K2 & BROAD PEAK EXPEDITION

Dispatches

K2 is showing her teeth: June 20, 03: The weather forced us to return to BC again. On June 18, we went up to Camp 1, this time much faster then the first time. In our depo at 6am, we spotted a fellow with cigarette - a French climber. If all climbers are crazy from 40%, this guy is nuts at least from 80%. Early in the week, we met him with huge backpack on the glacier baking in the sun. Then he came down, then he went up to depo, spent the night there, walked up without pack half way to Camp 1. His climbing style is very mysterious.

In Camp 1, we met three Spanish climbers, two of them injured from the fall. Day before, they went to establish Camp 2 and on the way back, old fixed ropes broke several times. Twice, they had to stop the fall on about 55' slope. They were able to descent without our assistance. Later they were met by their fellow Spanish climbers who got them to BC. At least for couple of weeks, they are out of game.

In the afternoon of the same day, we carried up load towards Camp 2. There is mixed terrain, snow fields, ice slopes and rock. Fierce wind and low temperature of about minus 17 C forced us to return to Camp 1 after 300 vertical meters. Some old fixed ropes are bad and we put in our ones from Lanex Bolatice. Most of the ropes from the past come from Korean expedition from 2 years ago. Koreans are famous for bringing the cheapest ropes, we noticed this fact last year on Kangchenjunga. Towards the end of our expedition, they were packing our Lanex Bolatice ropes with them and taking them away ! We may see them on Broad Peak - Koreans are coming !

Today, we are resting in BC, looking at the high clouds and waiting for weather forecast. We would like to go back and establish our Camp 2 - finally. Another Spanish expedition arrived yesterday - 4 climbers (listed under our permit). One of them is 64 years old ! In our mid -30th, we are still "Himalayan bunnies".

Martin Minarik Written on notebook ASUS - ATComputers

Dispatches

 

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