Mortenson

Charpusan Valley

K2 (8,611 meters): No one has summitted the mountain this year. A five-day storm began around July 18th, keeping everyone off the mountain. Two of five expeditions on K2 gave up their attempts by July 20th. Faisal Baig, a sirdar (head porter) arrived in Rawalpindi yesterday from K2 Base Camp. Faisal told me that the highest anyone has reached on K2 is Hans Kammerlander, who went to the bottleneck at about 8,400 meters but was forced to return due to heavy snows.

Nanga Parbat (8,125 meters) The Ministry of Tourism reported that Germans, Peter Guggemos and Dieter Porsche, summited Nanga Parbat in July. [Climbing Note: In June 1999, a team led by Peter Guggemos (Germany) placed four climbers on top of Nanga Parbat by the standard, Diamar Face Route. The climbers were Dieter Porsche (Germany), Mads Granlien (Denmark), Allan Christensen (Denmark) and Nicolas Cofman (USA). They were accompanied by a French and a Pakistani climber, who also summited. Peter Guggemos and another French climber very nearly summited, turning back just short of the summit ridge. This was the first ascent of the season. ] Nanga Parbat is nicknamed the "Killer Mountain" and seldom climbed compared to other 8,000 meter peaks in Pakistan. Hermann Buhl made the first ascent of Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth highest mountain, in 1953.

"Their route up the final SSW ridge involves hard 5.10+ technical climbing above 7,500 meters. If the veteran team pulls off the climb, it will be one of the greatest climbing accomplishments of this century. ..."

Broad Peak (8,047 meters): Faisal Baig reported that as of July 20, no one had summitted Broad Peak, but climbers have reached to camp three on its western face. My assistant, Caroline, in the US has informed me that Tommy Heinrich is posting dispatches on MountainZone.com from Broad Peak, so his reports would be the ones to follow. Ironically, I have no access to the Internet here.

Broad Peak's Base Camp is on the Godwin Austen Glacier directly west of the standard route up Broad Peak's western face. Although it is considered one of the easier 8,000 meter peaks to summit, the last slog over a long snow field to the true southern summit is horrendous and often stops climbers dead in their tracks. As I mentioned in an earlier dispatch, Broad Peak's three main summit pyramids are gigantic and make the massif look like a colossal roller coaster.

Gasherbrum II (8,035 meters): A local guide informed me that Gasherbrum II has already been summitted by six people, but I have no definitive information to confirm that. One of the summiters was a member of an English commercial expedition lead by David Hamilton in mid July.

Currently, the Mountain Madness commercial expedition team lead by Chris Boskoff has placed three camps on the mountain up to 7,200 meters. When they arrived at Base Camp, they found a route already fixed through the tortuous Gasherbrum icefall by the Koreans. At the present time, a summit push is underway by Brent Bishop, Kelly Rhoads and Hector Ponce. Half of the Mountain Madness team has already left the expedition and returned home.

Gasherbrum IV (7,925 meters): Steve Swenson's team has reached the hard marble rock above 7,100 meters on the SSW ridge. About 800 meters of arduous technical climbing remains to get them to the summit. After an initial rapid progress through the icefall in early July, Steve's efforts were delayed by a injured knee and a bout of bronchitis, but local porters tell me he is back on the mountain again. The formidable team of Charlie Mace, Andy DeKlerk, Steve Swenson, and Steve House are the best team of alpinists in the Karakoram this year.

Steve and the other GIV climbers returned to Base Camp around July 18th to wait out a one-week storm that hit the Baltoro. They plan one more acclimatization trip to establish a high camp then will return back to Base Camp for a final rest before their summit push in mid August.

"Alex Lowe, Jared Ogden, and Mark Synott have pushed their way up the Great Trango Wall to over 5,800 meters. Ironically, a stone's throw away on their right is a seasoned Russian team that showed up unexpectedly..."

When I talked to Steve in Skardu before the climb, he said the final summit push will have to be made in one long push as there would be a significant danger in trying to retreat down slippery, ice-covered marble stone if a storm rolled in. Their route up the final SSW ridge involves hard 5.10+ technical climbing above 7,500 meters. If the veteran team pulls off the climb, it will be one of the greatest climbing accomplishments of this century.

Great Trango Northwest Wall (6,286 meters): Alex Lowe, Jared Ogden, and Mark Synott have pushed their way up the Great Trango Wall to over 5,800 meters. Ironically, a stone's throw away on their right is a seasoned Russian team that showed up unexpectedly at Trango Base Camp, suprising the Americans. With good weather and perseverance, the teams should top out within a week.

The Russian team is made up of four hardcore veteran wall climbers, Alexander Odinitzov, Igor Potankin, Yuri Koshelenko, and Ivan Samoilenko. The Russians are on a shoestring budget compared to the high profile North Face American team, but both teams are keen on reaching the summit. The Russians have said that they must summit or face disgrace in their homeland. The irony of the Russian and American race to the top is that their outcome might be decided by a few hours on a mountain that is millions of years old.

Alex Lowe is a family friend and nearby neighbor in Bozeman, Montana. His positive energy and passion for climbing is permeating. Even though he is tenacious about reaching Trango's summit, I know he is out there having the time of his life. Alex is well known for saying, 'The greatest climber in the world is the one who is having fun.' As for myself, I'll be having fun as soon as I get to Skardu and the Karakoram. Three days in Islamabad is enough.

— Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent