Posted: Jun 11, 2009 12:36 pm EDT
(K2Climb.net) Following recent attacks in Pakistan, international climbers post words on security:

“With road blocks on every corner, Islamabad is virtually taken over police," reported the international BP expedition following a bomb attack close to their hotel. "On our brief stop for the night by the Karakoram Highway, we got police protection at dusk (an agent armed with a machine gun, pistols, and a radio).” The drive on KKH went better than expected however, and the team is off to Askole next.

Frontline teams in turn are dealing with rough weather: Eli, Ludo and Antoine are stuck in snow between Broad Peak’s C2 and C3, while Don Bowie and four mates are trying to find Gasherbrum III.

Broad Peak

“We’re blocked in heavy snow fall between C2 and C3 – we’ve got this far in fresh snow up to the waist,” Eli texted. “But we’re happy to be here and hope for somewhat better weather forecasted for tomorrow.” Ludo’s home team reports that the climbers seem to have chosen BP’s normal route for their current summit push.

Don Bowie heading for Gasherbrum III & IV

After a winter attempt on Broad Peak together with Artur Hajzer’s Polish team, Don Bowie is back to the Karakoram, this time aiming for GIII and GIV. Climbing with Bruce Normand (Scotland), Guy McKinnon (NZ), Willian Pierson (US) and David Fält (Sweden), the team reached BC on June 4th following an adventurous roadtrip on KKH.

“There was an impassable section of road being pounded by a huge mud flow and hurtling boulders on the jeep ride to Askole,” Don Bowie recalled. “We retreated and spent a night in the village of Apo Ali Gon, waking early the next day to pass through the dangerous section. When we reached the mudflow, we found the road semi-rebuilt, but the battered and narrow stretch was still scary enough that we all bailed from the jeeps and ran to the other side - just in case.”

“Good weather on the trek to BC permitted us the usual astonishing views,” Don added. “Although it was only three months since I was last here, the Baltoro seemed an entirely different place when free from the bitter grip of winter.”

Once in BC, the climbers spent two days scouting a way from the moraine up the ice fall, and left a gear cache under a serac band.

“The next few days we expect over a half meter of snow in base camp,” Don reported. “At some time, perhaps between the snow-squalls and fog, we hope to push further up the glacier toward Gasherbrum III. We know it's up there, somewhere.”

Göschl’s OeAV Nanga+K2 expedition

“We’re off on Thursday, departing from Vienna, Zürich, Venice, Munich and Toronto,” Gerfried Göschl told ExplorersWeb. “We’ll all meet in Islamabad on June 12th.” Gerfried spent the last weeks busy with preparations, in shock by the sudden loss of long time friend Peter Fessler, who died in his sleep 4 weeks ago. Gerfried’s expedition, aiming for Nanga Parbat and K2, is launched by the Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV).

Links to climbing teams in Pakistan 2009

Broad Peak:

Elisabeth Revol
Antoine Girard
Ludovic Giambasi
Eelco Jansen's blog
Field Touring Alpine
Karrar Haidri's Saltoro Summits
Serap Jangbu Sherpa
Adventure Tour Pakistan

K2

Fredrik Ericsson
Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner
Maxut Zhumayev
Fabrizio Zangrilli's blog
Nick Rice

Nanga Parbat

Gerfried Göschl's blog
Louis Rousseau

Gasherbrums

Daniela Teixeira & Paulo Roxo
Philippe Gatta
Altitude Junkies' dispatches
Don Bowie
Valery Babanov
Kinga Baranowska
Colombian Camilo & Anna

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