K2/Chogori Winter 2003

The upper base (5900 m) - a town of tents with a mess hall, an igloo tent for early breakfasts, a kitchen, the alpinists’ tents and the open-air toilet on the right, in the icy rocks.

Flags of four nations. From above: Poland, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Uzbekistan. Krzysztof Wielicki, the head of the expedition, is holding the lines in the middle.

The intermediate base (4750) still exists, functioning as a middle stage for the continuous transport of the expedition’s equipment to the upper base. On the left, buried in the background in rocky rubble, the K2 glacier.

Observation of the climbing efforts on K2’s Northern Pillar from the base. From left: Gia Tortladze, Krzysztof Wielicki, Monika Rogozińska and Roman Mazik.

The men are still watching the climbing efforts on K2’s Northern Pillar. This time without Monika Rogozińska, who is taking this picture.

Written by Monika Rogozinska, "Rzeczpospolita"; translated by "Scrivanek".

Dispatches