Rodchester

July 30, Then there was five.... The Spanish climber Luis Fraga's line of porters passed by our tent this morning under cloudy and snowy skies. The Spanish team was the last of four expeditions to leave K2 base camp in the last few days. The Tibetans, the two Spanish and Henry Todd's International teams have trekked out to Askole in the last 4 days and have made K2 base camp similar to a ghost town. It has snowed for 5 days straight. Doubts of a summit attempt have started to enter our minds. The Japanese, Spanish-Mexican and Charlie and I are the last to reside at base camp. The Japanese team is finished on K2 and will be leaving on the 4th or 5th to attempt Gasherbrum II. Then there will be only five climbers here at base camp to climb K2: Three members in the Spanish-Mexican team and Charlie and Christine. One of the Pakistan rules of climbing in the K2 area is all expeditions must have an Liaison Officer present with the team. A Liaison Officer is an officer within the Pakistan military that stays with the expedition and sees that the expedition is abiding by the climbing rules and he acts as a correspondent to the Ministry of Tourism if a request needs to be made from the expedition. We are on the International permit. When our leader left, they signed us off to the Japanese Liaison Officer. Now the Japanese want to leave as early as the 4th or 5th. According to the rules we are required to leave with the Japanese LO. We are trying to work out an option to stay longer, but it's hard to justify the fight when the weather is so miserable. We may try to push our stay for a few days longer to enable us for one more summit push. However we would need the weather to change in the next couple days. Overall there hasn't been much progress on K2 this season, except for the Tibetan team. They arrived at base camp late May. It wasn't until July 20th when they got as high as 8400 meters(above the bottleneck) under marginal conditions. The Tibetans reported that on their descent they took 7 hours in white out conditions to locate their high camp. The Japanese expedition spent this past week at camp 2 (6900 meters) on the Abruzzi ridge route waiting for clear skies for an attempt at the summit. They gave up and are coming down. The snow continues to fall and load the slopes higher on the mountain with deep snow. Above 6500 meters the snow has been reported as unconsolidated, "sugary, and knee to waist deep. It may take several days of sunny weather for the slopes to become stable enough for safe travel. One weather forecast we received predicts drier conditions after August 3rd, which gives us some hope. In the meantime we keep ourselves busy by reading, short hikes around base camp and socializing with our few neighbors who remain. We will keep everyone posted if the weather changes. Christine and Charlie

Lambone: "We all thought about the possibility of weather moving in, but the ceiling down low was beginning to break up, and we figured we'd have a few hours of sun in the morning." You are among the MANY that thought this way on the same day in the Cascades. Just that most of us were in positions that we could bail easily. Good to hear you are OK. To you and yours...

Tex: But I wonder how I became one? Hell I rarely get into the spray thing unless someone like RURP sprays at me first. Oh well, I don't care...this one is spray and if I'm sprayed I'll spray back. And no fair, I like Erik's designation. That would rock. [ 07-30-2002, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: Rodchester ]

Texplorer: Its just spray anyway!!! Just having some fun with it!!!

RURP: "As for guiding, I read your posts and it seems that you are relatively new to the profession. Perhaps five years or less." When did I say that I guide? Never did say that. Or post that. I've made statements regarding the business of guiding. You've always said you can do it better. Over and over again bullshit gets called and you back off or just refuse to answer. And who else's name did I name drop anway? Defensive? Try offensive. I'm the one that is laughing...and enjoying this one. Oh Yeah "No one outside of the "climbing world" has probably ever heard of Carlos B., A. Lowe, and others who have led arguably foolish lives like you and I." What the hell is this supposed to mean? I must have missed your point!! [ 07-30-2002, 04:59 PM: Message edited by: Rodchester ]

Hey, it's BURP the I know everything about guiding but when challenged I don't have the balls to put it forth....yep. BURP. The bullshit artist without enough crap to back it up. The funny is that the point of discussing Carlos being at my wedding really went right over your head. You make the simple-simon-assumption that I was bragging about knowing him. When in fact the childishly simple reality of the statement was that well known climbers are just regular people that do regular things, including come to a regular wedding like mine. What I can't understand is how you could have missed something so simple? Point made on most, lost on you.

What makes a Zen Spray Master? Apparently I am one.

I agree this thing sounds a bit odd....but we should wait until Lambone is back and posts his version of the story before we go hanging him. You can't actually trust the media and thier story on this type of thing. Wait for Lambone and give him his chance. I'll bet there is more to this than meets the press.

"Having the ropes doubled does not reduce stress, it actually icreases the impact force as the ropes have less ability to stretch if a fall happens." This has always been my understanding also.

I am looking at LED headlamps and would like some input. Specifically I have been comparing the BD Moonlight with the Petzl Tikka. My wife has the Tikka and loves it. I would like to have something with just a bit more light, but still get great battery life and stay lightweight. Does the BD Moonlight give that much more light? Also, I scanned the other thread that seemed to really pump up the Princeton. What is the cost of the Ptec and who carries them? I assume REI? How about FF and Second Ascent? Oh yeah...any others I've missed? Thanks in advance. [ 07-30-2002, 08:47 AM: Message edited by: Rodchester ]

Rescue under way on Glacier Peak 07/30/2002 KING5.com SEATTLE - Three climbers, stuck more than 10,000 feet on Glacier Peak, in northern Washington, are hoping to come home Tuesday. A rescue effort is under way to bring down the group, which has been stuck a few hundred feet from the summit since Sunday morning when the weather turned treacherous. The group consists of one man and two women, all of them in their 20's and experienced climbers. None of them were injured. It seems the weather turned when they were just a few hundred feet from the summit of one of the five volcanoes in the Cascades. They are stuck at the 10,200-foot-level of the 10,539-foot mountain and managed to summon help with a cell phone. The climbers are stuck at the 10,200-foot-level of the 10,539-foot mountain. Rescue teams are using helicopters and horses to bring them to safety. A Chinook helicopter from Fort Lewis dropped off supplies to them. “Things can turn bad very quickly. If it gets cold, they could develop hypothermia. So it’s very important that we bring them out safely and I'm certain we'll do that,” said Jan Jorgensen, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. The rescue started off as a two-pronged operation, with one group on the ground, on foot and horseback, and another in a helicopter from Fort Lewis, leaving at mid morning. The chopper would be able to drop supplies or even lift the climbers if weather permits. The plan was for the group on foot to meet up with hikers, share supplies and spend the night with them, and then for all of them to hike out later Tuesday. Winds will be the primary problem at those elevations, especially above the 8,000-foot level, said KING 5 meterologist Rich Marriott.

Was there a couple of weeks ago. No snow on the route at all. A fair amount of snow from the pass to Ingals lake. I'd say a fair amount still there. From the lake to the base of the climb there was also a fair amount of snow (goes up a gullly/couloir). Others we say carried ice axes. We did not and I do not think they were needed, but a slide could have resulted in a tough ride. I'd say there is still a good bit a snow there as well. As of three weeks ago anyway.

Another post from C&C: _______________________________________________ July 25, K2 basecamp Today is our sixth rest day in a row, since we returned from our acclimatization climb on Broad Peak. We've just had four days of snowy, windy and cold weather. Yesterday was the first day the sun came out. We received some bad news on the 21st, when a Liason Officer from the Tibetan team fell from just below Camp 2 down to the base of mountain. He died instantly. The LO, who had elected to climb with the Tibetans, was a captain in the Pakistani military. All the expeditions came to the assistance to carry the body back to base camp. Many expeditions have become discouraged with the weather and the lastest death, and have decided to abort K2. The Tibetans, both remaining Spanish teams, and Henry Todd's international team are all leaving in the next few days. The only teams left now are the Mexican-Spanish, Japanese, and our small camp: Simone Moro (heading for Broad Peak tomorrow), Charlie and Christine (who are all on Henry's permit). The Japanese have left basecamp today for the summit of K2, and over on Broad Peak a Korean team has started for that summit, as well. We plan to start up K2 tomorrow ourselves. The weather doesn't look too stable with high cirrus clouds forming, but we will go up in any case, and see what happens. We do recieve weather forecasts here via email, but the forecasts have proven to be very inaccurate, so it is tricky to judge when we should begin climbing. Ideally we need about five days or so of good weather for a summit attempt, but lately we have only seen short periods of good weather - a day or so at the most. In any case we will now go up and get get some climbing done. Christine and Charlie ____________________________________________

Well this isn't a good stroy but it does seem to fit my luck lately: Wopper and I went to do Vesper Peak. Slept at trialhead in truck on Sat night. Woke up early Sunday (5:00 a.m.) and started the approach. Halfway to Headlee Pass it became pretty clear that it was going to be a wet and miserable day. It appeared to be one of those days where if you waited till noon it MIGHT burn off. So...we turned around. Went home. Took power nap. Judging from the weather in Seattle the rest of the day it was a good call. Not exciting at all... On the way down three guys passed us going up. Not sure if they drove on and got on the route.

July 20, K2 basecamp Hi from K2 base camp! We just returned from a successful acclimazation climb on Broad Peak. On July 15th under cloudy, dark skies, we climbed to the 6400 camp on Broad Peak. The weather reminded us of a normal Washington Cascade day. The next morning, (16th) greeted us with clear skies and crisp air. We climbed higher to 6800 meters, where we dug a platform and set up camp. Later in the day we climbed higher to 6900 meters and scouted the route above. From there we decended back to camp and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon sun. The next day we moved our camp to 7300 meters. We cut a platform for our tent in the icy slopes beneather the summit pyramid. We brewed hot drinks, made dinner and prepared to go higher the following day. We woke up at 11pm to cloudy and stormy skies. We felt it would be difficult to navigate higher, so we made the 18th a rest day. The skies cleared in the evening. We received word by radio that the Koreans and other members of the K2 International expedition where going for the summit of Broad Peak from 6400 meters in the morning. We left our camp at midnight to climb towards the top. We took turns breaking trail in the deep snow. The Koreans caught up to us at 7700 meters and took over making the trail. We reach close to 7800 meters when our friends from the K2 International team caught up. At this point, just below the col, we ran into poor snow conditions and everyone decided it was safer to descend. We were back at our tent by 6am. We warmed up a bit before breaking down camp and returning to K2 base camp. It took us the rest of the day to get there, since we were carrying heavy loads. Our plans are to rest for the next 5-6 days at base camp drinking plenty of Starbucks coffee and eating alot. After our climb on Broad Peak we feel we are sufficiently acclimated for an attempt to summit K2. Now we just need to be well rested before our K2 attempt. We recieved news that the Tibetans made a summit push on K2 today. They reached approximately 8400 meters, fixing rope through the bottleneck and reported knee-deep snow. They turned around because they were exhausted and encountered high winds, it is reported. Our plans are still to climb the south face via a variation to the Polish route. We hope to climb to our stash at 6400 meter around the 26th. Weather permitting, we hope to make the climb in 5 days, but we are prepared to spend more time on the face if necessary. We are not using fixed ropes, oxygen or porter support. Now it's back to drinking coffee, lots of reading and preparing for our climb ahead! Christine & Charlie

Check that link....

Stone gardens in ballard and is pretty laid back environment. Vertical world is not actually in Ballard, but on the north side of Magnolia

July 14, K2 basecamp Christine and Charlie here at K2 base camp; still waiting for good weather. We climbed to 6400 meters on Broad Peak on July 9th with hopes for a summit push. Unfortunately we got hit by a storm early morning on July 10th. The weather didn't improve, so we returned to base camp later in the morning. On July 11th all Broad Peak and K2 expeditions celebrated Aga Khan's Birthday. Aga Khan is a highly respected religous leader in the Baltro region. Large feast was prepared by the cooks of all expeditions. Afterward all the expedtions and L.O.s showed off their dancing moves. Well now it's a waiting game at base camp. The weather forecast isn't too promising! We hope to go back on Broad Peak tomorrow. We heard the German Broad Peak Expedition may start their summit attempt tomorrow, as well. They must leave base camp on July 21st for their journey back to Germany. Hopefully sunny skies will come soon....

"got to around 17,000 feet on the Jamapa glacier on Orizaba solo" That is signigantly eaisier that Lib Ridge on Rainier. First there is not any REAL crevase danger on Orizaba...just isn't. Second the route, the Jamapa glacier, is not that steep. I wouldn't consider time on any the Mexican volcanos to be real galcier time. Not trying to be a tough guy or anything...but they just are active glaciers...at least any where near the level of Rainier's glaciers. But if you've climbed in the cascades, at least on the volcanos, and some other peaks you can definetly develop the needed glacier expereince. Curious did they say why the denied you, and or what the look for in approving a request?

As Posted at the M2 website: Gabriel Llano brings a local_s perspective to all our Ecuador trips. Born and raised in Ecuador "Gaby" has interesting insights to Andean culture. His extensive experience in the mountains of South America make him an exceptional guide for our Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina expeditions. Gaby_s smile and caring personality make him a favorite. M2 - Guides

Latest Update __________________________________________ July 8, K2 basecamp (Broad Peak attempt) Now we are back at K2 basecamp after our attempt at Broad Peak was cut short by bad weather. We did manage to spend three nights on the mountain, however: From basecamp we climbed to Camp 1 at 5800 meters on July 4. The next day we climbed to Camp 2 at 6400 meters. We had hoped to continue to Camp 3 (6900 meters) the following morning, but high winds and blowing snow convinced us to change our plans. We also received a weather report indicating continued unsettled weather through July 11, so we decided to postpone our summit attempt on Broad Peak till then. We are relaxing at Basecamp, along with other members of the international team, enjoying the great cooking of Karim and his staff. Most climbers are now waiting at basecamp for the next spell of good weather, expected to arrive in four to five days. Some expeditions are now poised to make their summit bids on K2, including the Japanese and Tibetan teams. A large German expedition will go for the top of Broad Peak at the next opportunity, too. Our plan is to head back to Broad Peak around the 10th or 11th of July, weather permitting. If all goes well we should be able to climb the peak in about four days. After that, we will take a good long rest at basecamp then go for K2. _______________________________________

I don't have a problem with the local shops...I actually support many. (Second Ascent Pro Mountain) But the whole system is the problem. The local gear stores are only as good as the suppliers (ok ok and thier staff) and price IS important....but not everything. The time they are a changing....

"I will say that the person who spent lots of time with the salesperson only to buy online made a bad call. The individual salesperson invested some time with the customer. That time is worth paying a little bit extra for your gear. I can't believe the guy told the salesperson he was going to go buy online. What a dumbass..." I disagree...that guy sent a message that was heard loud and clear...that's why we're talking about it now. I'm sure his message was passed on to the manager and the owner. They got the message. Without that message they might think something else was wrong, now they KNOW what is wrong. The sole questions is: what will they do to fix it? This is the evolution of a micro economy. Many of us here by from Barrabes and other.coms. I almost never pay retail....because it is too high. Why should we protect a mom& pop if it is poorly run and ineffcient. Would we protect REI the same way? REI is facing the same problem. Adapt and change or die.

outerwear = Arc'Teryx sleeping bags: 1. Marmot (best semi-massed produced bags) 2. Honorable mention to Moonstone's 800 fill bags. 3. Feathered Friends best overall. Hardwear (biners, cams, nuts, draws, etc.) = BD with cudos to Metolious More specific, Grivel makes the best crampons overall Ice tools & screws = BD Footwear/boots = Tecnica & Plastics = Koflachs Tents = Bibler with honarable mention to some TNF tents Stoves = MSR Beer = Redhook

"I personally would rather make a $30 donation to the cause if it will reduce logging and mining in the forests that I recreate in." $30.00 donation? Wow. Do you actually think it will reduce logging and mining? This is not meant to be a personal attack...but that was one of the most nieve statements I've seen on the topic. [ 07-02-2002, 07:54 AM: Message edited by: Rodchester ]