Category: K2 2014 Summit

K2: Leaving Basecamp for the Summit

We leave for the summit push of K2 today. I have been looking at the summit for weeks now. I have flirted with the flanks only to be humbled, any semblance of self-confidence shredded on the steep slopes by a simple gust of wind or loose rock. But now I return. When I look at […]

K2: Summit Schedule

The weather has cleared and it is a perfect day here at BC. The forecast calls for summit winds under 30 mph over the next week – ideal for us. There are about 60 people going for the summit over this period including around 7 women. This is much more than normal for K2 but […]

K2: Honoring the Fallen

K2 is well known for taking lives be it from avalanches, mind falls or disappearances, 84 people have lost their lives. This is not lost on anyone who comes to K2, even to base camp.  Art Gilkey lost his in 1953 as part of the legendary belay often called the Brotherhood of the Rope. I […]

K2: House’s Chimney to Camp 2

It’s the weekend at K2 Base Camp and Friday night was just like any other place on earth. Our team watched a James Bond Movie while many others danced the night away to Bollywood and Sherpa music in the “Disco Tent” aka the cooking tent :). Thankfully the snow has stopped but high clouds filtered […]

K2: The Climb to C1 – Reality Hits

Friday started like Thursday, heavy snow coated K2 Base Camp muting any noise of gas stoves, doctor or social talk but the avalanches still dominated one of the five senses for everyone. All of the ten climbers who are climbing K2 without supplemental oxygen had spent at least one night at Camp 3 were now […]