Mortenson

The Mujhadeen attacked Indian army forces occupying Kashmir and attempted to block the strategic Srinagar cargo road, which is a vital supply line to the Indian Army forces on the 6000 meter convoy saddle of the Siachen Glacier.

"Although the local Kashmiri people seek autonomy from India and supported Mujhadeen efforts, India did not welcome the Mujhadeen intruders and relentlessly bombed their high posts..."

Over 5,000 Pakistan and Indian army troops have fought an 18-year war there, which costs each side over one million dollars per day. Although the local Kashmiri people seek autonomy from India and supported Mujhadeen efforts, India did not welcome the Mujhadeen intruders and relentlessly bombed their high posts with Mirage fighter jets and long-range artillery shells. Under international pressures the Pakistan government asked the Mujhadeen to leave the area.

Yesterday in Skardu, a returning Mujhadeen shot a local village woman with his AK 47 semi-automatic. This infuriated the local population here. Thousands of Balti men grabbed their normally hidden rifles (some even have the old British musket guns) and shotguns, and surrounded the Mujhadeen camp requesting them to leave the region. The Army intervened and detained 50 Mujhadeen, giving them a 24-hour notice to leave Skardu. All the Skardu shopkeepers, schools, and offices went on strike, turning the main bazaar into a ghost town. However, in the mid-day, Balti students marched through town—there were thousands of them—burning tires, blocking roads, and ready to attack the Mujhadeen if they did not leave town.

A meeting was held between the local leaders, the army, and the Mujhadeen to matters in which the Mujhadeen agreed to leave at 10pm last night. Today, all looked quiet in Skardu when I left; the bazaar was open and life was normal again.

The Mujhadeen either has been detained by the Pakistan army bases or are on their way to Kabul to join the new Taliban offensive against General (Ahmad Shah) Masood, in northern Afghanistan and the Panjiar Valley—the valley of the seven lions.

"...the shooting of an unarmed woman effected a local call to arms that I have never seen before in my seven years.... "

Normally the indigenous Balti people in the K2 area are peaceful and extremely hospitable. The Balti's first migrated to Karakoram over 600 years ago from Tibet and retain many similarities with their Sherpa counterparts in Nepal. However, the shooting of an unarmed woman effected a local call to arms that I have never seen before in my seven years. Japanese, American, and French trekking groups spent the day hunkered down in local hotels.

Alex Lowe, Mark Synnott, and Jared Ogden, with the successful North Face Trango expedition, left Skardu this morning by air to Islamabad. They mentioned that the local crisis was more frightening than any other obstacle that they faced on the vertical mile of the Great Trango Wall. Alex was quite anxious to get home to his three sons; and Mark Synnott has a six-month-old baby, so he was anxious to see his son also; Jared was anxious to get back to loved ones back home. They'll only be home a day and then go to the outdoor trade show.

Today, I came up by Jeep to Hushe Village. It's about an eight-hour drive on the incredible failing riverbanks and there are these precipice cliffs up to Hushe. It's a stunning area at the top of the valley and below Masherbrum Peak, which is over 7800 meters. The first ascent of that was by an American expedition, and they went up the Baltoro. But after the climb, they came over a path into the Hushe Valley, which stunned the local residents—they'd never seen anyone come that way before.

I'll go up to Charakusa Basin tomorrow, where Jimmy Chin and his partners are spending what I think are 10 weeks to climb spires and granite walls—mostly hard, technical rock climbing.

So, thanks and in Islamic salutation 'Ahuda Hafiz,' which means universally in Muslim language, 'Allah be with you.'

— Greg Mortenson, MountainZone.com Correspondent