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Gasherbrum II Expedition Update: 23rd - 30th June 2004
by Lindley Zerbe
G2 BC, 23rd June 2004:
After revising our crevasse rescue skills the previous day, the bad weather continued, forcing the team to stay base camp bound. To do something productive during this downtime, the team underwent some preventive medical training, including the use of the portable altitude chamber, and a short workshop on CPR given by Dr. Tan Nguk Hoon, the expedition doctor.
G2 BC, 24-27th June 2004:
The bad weather and snowfall continued until mid day on the 27 th , marking the sixth day of snow. By this time, there was nearly a metre of snow at base camp and we suspected that our tents at ABC would be below several meters of snow.
As soon as the sun came out and the snowfall let up on the afternoon of the 27 th , everyone was ready for some exercise. The team took a two-hour walk to the Pakistani army camp further up the valley. Along the way, we visited some of the teams newly arrived to base camp, including teams from Germany , Switzerland , Spain , and South Korea . We also put out our solar power system and battery for charging.
G2 BC, 28th June 2004
We spoke with several of the other teams and formed an agreement. The large German team that just arrived a few days earlier, would help break trail from ABC to Camp 1. In return, we would break trail to ABC, through the steepest part of the icefall. After meeting with the other teams, we got our gear together, ready to move up to Camp 1, including tents, fixed rope, karabiners, ice screws and personal gear, all that would be necessary to build the higher camps and set the fixed rope on the GII route. After an early dinner at 5pm , the team went to sleep, readying themselves for an early wakeup at 2am and a grueling next day |
Deep snow at base camp after six days of bad weather |
G2 BC – ABC/Camp 1, 29th June 2004:
We left base camp at 3:30am , with establishing Camp 1 as our objective. Two rope teams navigated by headlamps and the early morning light. The first rope team, comprising Lindley, Efung, Ernest and a high altitude porter, reached ABC at 7am, and quickly moved on, carrying our 15kg loads up to Camp 1.
Team 2, comprising Khong Lean, Shaffique, Yen Kai, and Kim Boon, reached ABC at 8am , and decided to stay there for a night, to split the journey to Camp 1 into two legs.
The trip from ABC to Camp 1 was a good challenge. As the morning sun rose, the temperature increased considerably, causing the icefall to turn into a sun reflecting oven. After 4 hours of climbing, the rope team finally reached Camp 1, exhausted, but feeling relatively well, not having the headaches and nausea commonly associated with extreme ascents. The trip from BC to Camp 1 was a considerable altitude change from 5,000m to 5,900m.
As soon as the first team arrived at Camp 1, we began boiling water, to re-hydrate and ate some foo d to fend off AMS, which is worsened by dehydration and improper nutrition. Team 2 did the same at ABC.
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After the many days of snow, ABC was under nearly 2 meters of snow. Two of the three tents set up at ABC were broken by the heavy snow. All of the ten other tents there, placed by other teams, set up by other teams, were completely broken.
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G2 ABC/Camp 1, 30th June 2004:
Team 2 left ABC at 4am and arrived at Camp 1 at 7am . Soon after arriving, we worked together to set up their tents and boil some water for re-hydration. Shortly after, at 9am , Lindley, Efung, Meherban Shah and Rajab Shah, set off to get a closer look at the G2 route to define how we would make our way up this formidable mountain.
 Rajab led the team, with Lindley taking the anchor position. After an hour's walk, navigating our way around several large crevasses, we came to the left side of the G2 ridge which is the most common route. It soon became evident, upon closer inspection, that the route had changed considerably. From afar, Lindley, Rajab, and Meherban could see that the perched glacier, on which the route normally runs, had broken out in several places, making the route much more technical, difficult and dangerous. The increased danger of the route was confirmed as we made our way back from inspecting the snow field on the left side of the G2 ridge, a large portion of the perched glacier, near G2 camp 3, broke off and came crashing down.
MASSIVE AVALANCHE
When the team was resting and rehydrating on their way back to Camp 1. Lindley saw the glacier silently break and start its rapid trip down the mountain. The avalanche was immense, and would have certainly posed great peril to any climber moving along the normal GII route. The avalanche was so large, in fact, that even though the direct force of the avalanche was heading away from the rope team, the snow-filled cloud and high wind swept towards them, forcing the team to crouch down, and place their faces in a small airspace in the snow to keep from breathing in the ice particles.
After the avalanche had passed, Lindley quickly radioed the rest of our team nervously awaiting our response. He assured the team at Camp 1 that the survey team was on its way back to camp and all members were unharmed by the avalanche.
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Avalanche cloud engulfing tents at Camp 1 |
From Camp 1, the avalanche looked massive, with the pressure wave and cloud of snow moving over every tent in Camp 1. The cloud reached 400m into the sky, blocking the view of the mountain, racing over the camp like an imposing fog, laying down a fine layer of snow over people and tents alike. After witnessing the danger, the team decided to change it's objective of climbing G2 to preparing the team for Cho Oyu which involved gaining elevation and sleeping at higher altitude. To do this, we decided to move up to Camp 2 of the French route of G2, which also happens to be the camp used by climbers attempting G1 via the Japanese Couloir . Lindley and Kim Boon, the team advisor, agreed that two nights spent at Camp 2 would provide good acclimatization in preparation for Cho Oyu .
continue > 1st - 6th July 2004
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