K2 2003: ANDALUCÍA K2 EXPEDITION

Dispatch Two

REASONABLE VERTIGO ON THE ROUTE TO THE SUMMIT OF K2

The Andalucian expedition is installing equipment on the difficult route that leads to Camp 2

Andalucía K2 Base Camp: The Andalucía K2 expedition, sponsored by the Consejería de Turismo y Deporte through Deporte Andaluz continues with the work of equipping the route that will lead them to the summit of this impressive mountain.  One of the expeditioneers, Javier Sánchez, summarizes the last days in the Pakistani Chogori like this: "We knew K2 doesn't give any truce, but we didn't imagine how much maintenance the Abruzzos Spur route needs.  Camp I was perfectly settled on Saturday, June 14, at 6,050m and the fixed lines were installed.  From this balcony you can see, at bird view, the "tiny" tents of Advanced Base, eight hundred meters below, and above, the difficult route towards the black pyramid.  The trail to the 6,000m mark is a succession of shovel and snow corridors that gets steeper progressively.  All along the route there is not one place possible to mount tents.  So, the arrival to this little landing, of some 20 square meters, is a "suspended relief" above the vertigo of this immense pyramid.

"Today, the advance group has started the job of defining and equipping the route that leads to Camp 2, our next objective.  The terrain continues being complicated, and has mixed snow, corridors and rocks. The route is steep. The difficulties, without being much, make us be constantly alert.  We are approximately half way, at 6,400m of altitude approximately.  Although new expeditions have arrived to the Base Camp zone, for now we are enjoying the enormous privilege of being alone on the mountain"

Translated from Spanish by Jorge Rivera

Dispatches

Pictures and text copyright ANDALUCIA K2 expedition

Altitech2: Digital Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer. Time/Date/Alarms. Chronograph with 24 hour working range. Timer with stop, repeat and up function. Rotating Bezel. Leveling bubble. Carabiner latch. E.L. 3 second backlight. Water resistant. 4" x 2-1/4" x 3/4" 2 oz. Requires 1 CR2032 battery. See more here.

  Altitude pre-
   acclimatization

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes
   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps
   Helmets

   HighGear
   Ice Axes

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Lowepro

   Motorola

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Outdoor Designs

   Pelican

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Trekking Poles
   Ushba
   and more here