2003 CZECH K2 & BROAD PEAK EXPEDITION

Dispatches

Garbage on K2: Thanks to the weather, we were able to establish Camp 2. We left on June 25, early in the morning as usually. Near our depo, we met again French Marlboro Man smoking and packing for Camp 1. We left at the same time but he gave up halfway and returned to BC. We cooked for couple hours in Camp 1 and kept going up towards our depo II about 200meters above Camp 1. We repacked there and in good weather - probably best day so far - climbed the Black Tower, House's Chimney and other features towards the ridge. From there it is only about 45 minutes to the site of Camp 2.

What we saw there is beyond imagination. Spot for Camp 2 on Abruzzi Ridge is the filthiest spot in the mountains I have ever seen. Generations of remains of old tents frozen solid on the top of each other. One should be afraid to dig in - I am sure this is cemetery for some people, too. But it is not all. I can understand people leave the tent which is destroyed and frozen in on this windy corner. But most trash left here carries the trade mark Made in Korea and Made in China. Korean (or Chinese) books, cooking pots, shovels, 25kg cooking - gas container and many other items which would be easy to either bury, burn or carry down, especially with the units of Sherpas who follow every Asian expedition.

We found another interesting pile of junk. Stock of many unused oxygen bottles with English note - please leave this untouched, expedition in 2002 wants to use it in 2004 or 2005. Someone is very stupid by trying to make his or her private backyard on the arm of K2. There are Hunza porters which came with Swiss expedition over here. This will be bounty for them when they sell it in Scardu. And Oxygen People will find it harder next time and they will be one step further from destroying K2 the same way they screwed up Everest.

Fortunately for us, there was only one tent pitched in by Spanish and we were able to find a half descent spot for our tent. We spent the night there and made another trip to our depo for the rest of the load. Now, we have supplies for Camp 3 in this Camp and supplies for Camp 4 in our Camp 1. Weather, as predicted, was getting worse in the afternoon and we decided - instead of another night in Camp 2 - to return to our BC. Hungry and thirsty, we reached the safety of BC at 6pm.

This morning, we were visited by Greek climbers from Athens - one of them speaking Czech (he grew up in Jeseniky mountains, Czech Republic). They are part of international expedition from under Broad Peak. Our L.O. left for Scardu with a sick porter from another expedition which means that no one will give us crap for cooking pork. Life is good. Martin Minarik

Cheers, Martin Minarik Written on notebook ASUS - ATComputers

Dispatches

 

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