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In these days of bad weather and rest, an apparent calm pervades the base camp:washes, preparations and meetings interexpedition, to define the details of a possible first "summit push" by the teams direct to G1 and G2. Officially, there are no talk about a summit attempt. We will see in the coming days. Noteworthy it was the first visit to our c.b. of Mario Panzeri, accompanied by the inseparable Magliano, marked by formal courtesy except with the Basques of Txicon and Tamayo, with whom it seems to have blossomed a sudden love. If marriage is, the interest seems to fall on one side. That's enough gossip, I would like to tell about the hard life of low altitude porters, the pariahs, who bear loads of over 25 kg from Askole up to the Baltoro base camps. They are casual workers, who let the work of the fields in summer to follow the expeditions. They lead a hard life, mostly in villages in Shigar, Hush and Braldo valleys. They do not have always health care, much less medication, with the exception of the very few international cooperation initiatives, such as the Askole dispensary dedicated to Lorenzo Mazzoleni. For them, participation in an expedition is the only way to get small first-aid treatments. So, at the end of each stage of the approaching trek, a sore humanity besets the expeditions requiring physicians first aid. Unfortunately, the health resources are not unlimited and the choice of doctors is between doing what little is possible, or nothing. The remedies used in these emergency conditions would horrify those of us who had the good fortune to be born in the shadow of a pharmacy or a hospital. Often, those who had the fortune to be born in a rich country tends to underestimate their own luck. The treatment mostly try to remedy high altitude disease and minor first aid ills. For decay, the best you can do is a rough clean together with the administration of painkillers (trying to avoid the indiscriminate distribution of antibiotics, because patients have difficulty understanding the need to assume them at specific times, preferring instead to swallow all at once!). For the treatment of fissures and cuts the most effective method, after cleaning and disinfection, is to seal the edges with Attak (or similar super-acrylic adhesive). It seems incredible, but it works. For the treatment of wounds in the fingers or toes, the most effective protection is to wear a vinyl glove as a protective barrier. The cysts are engraved with a Swiss army boxcutter, and ointments for hemorrhoids are, in lack of other medicines, a general use. Finally, when doctors no longer know which way to turn, aspirin remains the general remedy against illness. Nice, right? Think about it the next time we go to the pharmacy to buy a superfluous drug it or we throw away one just expired ...
Please note that DISCLAIMER: The information above is provided for the sole purpose of this blog to chronicle, based on items collected directly or indirectly by me, and verified as far as possible. There is no claim to completeness and/or accuracy. Those who chose to use them elsewhere, they do it under their his sole responsibility.
The chips are down: tomorrow we leave for camp 2 of Gasherbrum I (we will be 13, Gerfried's team and, from c2, Mario Panzeri with his hap). On Tuesday the minimal goal is to pass the Japanese couloir and establish camp 3 (7000 m). If the snow conditions allow, Wednesday seems to be a good day for the summit. We'll see. I will try to update this blog live from high camps in the coming days, "hasta la cumbre". Regarding the G2, the various groups (Polish, Italian, Japanese, Hong Kong, Spanish, the mixed ATP group and Gerfried's one,) will reach the C1 tomorrow, then C2. From there, on Wednesday, Snow permitting - in altitude it fell 70 cm -, they would establish the C3 and then ... inshallah. Unlike the more homogeneous and compact team headed to the G1, not all teams directed to G2 are ready for the top: for about half of the climbers the 'minimum' target is sleeping at C2 and, maybe, get to C3. Although there are no fixed rules for acclimatization before the summit, I keenly observed the strategies of the groups present this year at Gasherbrum's bc, with staggering results: it sounds like an orchestra without a director. The national groups adopt strategies often diametrically opposed: I'm really curious to see how it will end. For example, the Polish group goes up independently of the knowledge of the weather, and stays as long as possible in altitude with any condition. You could say that when all others go down due to bad weather coming, they go up. Eastern School, I suppose. Instead, the Chinese group waits at bc, to go directly to G2's summit at the appropriate moment. The Japanese team practically lives at c1 for one week, waiting for others equipping the route, and for a window to go to the summit with oxygen. The Kobler Swiss group was wrong with the calculation of the window, they came too early and their time is up: they are leaving today. Our group (Gerfried, Rousseau, Txicon, Tamayo, Juanra, Gunther, Stefan, Hans, Ricky, and we four Italians) adopts the classical approach, following the weather forecast, going up when the weather is beautiful, and sleeping gradually higher and higher. The ATP group is heterogeneous and while Giampaolo Corona and his partner champ at the bit, the rest of the group is far from being ready for the summit (as they arrived later at bc). Same condition for the other Italian group: they must wait until the next window to summit G2. With this babel of strategies and time frames, the summit remains a very vague and nebulous dream for everyone.
This night we leaved at 3 o'clock, in a snowstorm, in the middle of the whiteout, and loaded like mules. After nine hours, we reached Camp 2, where we found 1 meter of fresh snow and our tent buried. Now there's a bright sun, Adrian and I are fine. Mario and Silvano stopped at camp 1 for back pain and will reach C2 tomorrow. With us, there are also all Gerfried's group, a Japanese woman (with oxygen) and one sherpa, and Mario Panzeri with his hap. Tomorrow we'll see if we can reach camp 3, avalanche permitting.
We are looking at them climbing toward the top. They are a pretty big group: Gerfried's team, two Japaneses (not one) and a Sherpa, Panzeri and an hap. Adriano and I, we preferred to stay at camp 3, resting and waiting for Mario and Silvano, and go to the summit tomorrow. Yesterday it was an hard day, nine hours to get up to c3 with a backpack of 20 kilos. The day is beautiful and we enjoy the scenery. The forecast is good tomorrow, we will leave at 2.
This morning, Tamayo, Gerfried, Ricky, Hans, Günther, Stefan, Madariaga, Txikon and Panzeri (and I hope I did not forget anyone) reached the summit of Gasherbrum I. Some have given up, including the two Japaneses (albeit with oxygen) and, above all, Louis Rousseau, who gave up a few meters from the summit. For Louis, the stop is more than understandable: yesterday, during the 12-hour climb from camp 2 to 3 he equipped alone the Japanese couloir, there was almost a meter of snow where we sanked, and - if it was hard for everyone - for Louis it must have been even tougher. We arrived at 18:20 in c3, and soon after the wind got up and it was really freezing. Today, Mario Vielmo and Silvano Forgiarini arrived at c3, and told us that the track between c2 and c3 has already been erased by the wind. Mario's back is much better and this night, at about one o'clock, we'll leave together for the summit. Louis will decide tonight if he will go up again with us.
No summit. Neither for us on G1 nor for the other climbers on G2 (there were summiters, Giampaolo Corona, Otto Harre, Hubert Leitner, Elio Schijlen and Anton Rumpl). The weather conditions were the same, strong wind and deep snow. Adrian and I went down to camp 1, while Mario and Silvano stopped at 3. It will not be easy for them to go right down to the base camp during the day, as they will be overloaded. Mountaineers on G2 hope in another window before July 23, our last day here. Another attempt on G1 is impossible in four people after a snowfall. Tomorrow I will tell you with more details.
Yesterday, Adriano, Mario, Silvano and I, we tried the summit of G1. We were forced to give up between 7600 m and 7900 m. The reasons were, in order, no trace in the snow (the one of the previous day had already been cleared by the wind), the strong wind, the top covered by clouds. The day before, however, 4 Austrians, 3 Basques, 1 Englishman, Mario Panzeri and his hap, the Japanese lady with her two Sherpas (all three helped by 9 oxygen cylinders) were able to climb to the summit in an exceptional day with no wind, warm and sunny. Our disappointment is great, because our group (Mario Vielmo, Silvano Forgiarini, Adriano Dal Cin and I) is not less strong than the others, and, as you can imagine we did our best yesterday... Simply, Adriano and I have been wrong not to join the group of July 13: we preferred to rest from the very hard day of July 12 and to expect the arrival of Mario Vielmo and Silvano Forgiarini, who had remained a camp behind. That same night, July 13 at 3:30, Gerfried's team, Panzeri and his hap, in addition to the Japanese lady with her 2 Sherpas, leaved for the summit. Adriano and I did not follow them, relying on good weather forecast for the next day (Thursday 14).
Unfortunately, our choice turned out to be wrong, and a whole year of preparations and dreams went up in smoke when the following night, at 1 am while, as we left, we realized that the wind was stronger than expected and tracking up to the top in deep snow was beyond our capacity. Congratulations to those who preceded us on the day before but above all, to Louis Rousseau, which has equipped and track on July 12 the Japanese couloir. For fatigue, he had to give up a few hundred meters under the summit, and he was the only one who did not reached the summit. To him my most sincere thanks and, most importantly, I want to let it be clear that all those who have summited G1 on July 13 owe first and only to him (Gerfried's team, Panzeri, the Japanese lady and the Basques). Louis has equipped and tracked the couloir leading to the c3. In my opinion it is he who, more than all the others, deserved the top, but the fate wanted him to be more tired than the others and forced to turn his back a few steps from the summit. If now the couloir is equipped with fixed ropes is due mostly to his work. Once again, the peak of 8000 proves to depend on a combination of factors, including the strategy, the weather, the ability to choose who is in front, and the fate are by far most important factors than fitness. This morning, our group of 4 is returned to base safely, but rather discouraged, I must admit. The idea of tracing the terrible of the Japanese couloir, loaded with everything, just scares us. Next week a new window of good weather is expected and maybe - if we find someone else willing to go with us - there might be room for another attempt. For now, it's snowing thick and we just want to think about the rest. Few hours ago radio said that a Canadian climber, Marc André Béliveau, engaged on G2 (yesterday 5 summiters on G2, including Giampaolo Corona to whom go our greetings) is suffering from a mild form of cerebral edema and he is now coming down, assisted, but on his feet, from c3 to c1. The situation is under control and the 6 members of Gerfried's team now on G2 are with him. These mountains are not a joke to anyone, and the disaster may be just around the corner. The indefatigable Louis, after one day of rest at the base, left for c1 (which, I remember, is shared between the two Gasherbrum) along with Alex and a hap with oxygen and comfort items to help Marc André tomorrow, in his descent from c1 to base camp. See you tomorrow for updates.
All's well that ends well. This morning André returned to base camp on his feet escorted and supported by many of us, including Louis, Gerfried, Alex and Tamayo. Luckily it was a mild case of edema, which responded quickly and well to treatment. So today at lunch, we were able to celebrate all together (except for Rick who had to leave early for work): 12 out of 24 members reached the summit of one of the two Gasherbrums, however, the expedition was successful! Hearing the stories of the protagonists, I can say that not everyone who reached the summit of G2 is to be considered among the strongest, as not all those who have given up a few hundred meters from the top, in critical condition, are to be considered less valid. Indeed, from the stories and the frostbites of the five that succedeed, it follows that their descent was a bit like a game of Russian roulette, in fog and high winds. Roulette that many preferred not to play.The same, albeit in different circumstances, it was on "our" G1. Here the day of the summit was 13. He could not be 12 or 14. It's hard to explain, but in 24 hours, the conditions can change so drastically as to allow a climb with light clothing, or prevent it from even the most tenacious and equipped mountaineers. The conquest of the summit of these mountains in the Karakoram - it will seem unnecessary to repeat - is not at all obvious to anyone, ever. It is always poised between success and disaster, and sometimes the line between the two is dictated more by chance than by rationality, I say this not to belittle the achievements of our friends who have reached the summit, but to reaffirm the aleatory nature of climbing these peaks. Since the only hold of our choices is determined by the weather, to which we must cling even though we know they can be misleading (like many other alleged certainty of life) now the news are that for another two weeks it will not reoccur the right combination of no vertical wind, temperature-altitude acceptable, absence of disturbances, low cloud cover, such as to enable a new attempt to the summit which has a reasonable chance of success. Unable and unwilling to remain inactive at the base for so long, we have reluctantly decided to return and put an end to this experience. We know that this decision is arbitrary and that someone, on the contrary, choose to remain indefinitely, and take his chances. But I think that you need an equal and, perhaps, greater courage in being able to face reality without discounts or without illusions and be able to conclude a powerful experience which still implies a significant emotional and physical cost. To stay for two weeks at base camp would not be a picnic: it snows here the other day so well, the moisture will penetrate into the bones, the nutrition is precarious, the cold undermines the immune system and dysentery is always ambush. All this eventually has an impact psychologically. We had our chance, luck has not helped us, now we take note with peace of mind by deciding to return. Of course we hope another success for those who are going to K2. But we close this chapter by opening a new one, somewhere else, tomorrow, in the world.
Guestbook
Adriano, Mario, Silvano e Giuseppe thank all those who followed them, and especially those who encouraged them on guestbook.
Giuseppe for Hamid and Mehdi: Leila is ok, she attempted the G2 with Santiago, but she had to give up, because of the weather, at about 7700 m.. Yesterday she came back to base camp and she will stay here to try again. Always yesterday another group of 6 from Iran arrived for G2. Greetings to your wonderful Country.
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Con il patrocinio del Club Alpino Italiano |
