It’s fall in Seattle, with gray skies and rain pouring down this week… snow won’t be far behind. Checking through the news recently, we caught this newscast from Minnesota reporting on Karhu athlete Dave Watson’s ski tracks on K2 this summer.
Here’s a link to the article as well, and make sure to visit Dave’s new site with photos and stories: www.k2tracks.com.
If you were following WhereWillYouSki.com last summer, you’ll remember Karhu ambassador Dave Watson’s posts from Broad Peak and K2 as part of the K2 Tall Mountain Expedition (posts here). The draw of the Himalaya tugged hard on Dave again, and he went back this summer for another shot at skiing the peak. The trip is drawing to a close, and we’ll have more detail from Dave shortly, but here’s an excerpt of his latest update from EverestNews.com:
Hello all, The expedition is over. The team is in Skardu after the trek out over the Gondogoro La. George, Dave and Ali are sorting and repacking gear in the summer heat. Overall the expedition was very successful, all survived without serious injury.
This summer no one reached the summit of K2. Dave made it the highest on the mountain during the Aug 4 summit push. He and Mingma Sherpa fixed the bottleneck (finished by 9:30am), Louis R (Canada) led the traverse and Dave took over breaking trail with Vassily (Kazakh) belaying. The snow was chest deep, unconsolidated sugar. The slope angle was 45+ and progress was slowed to 20m per hour. At 2:30pm the choice was made to descend. The climbers started down from above the bottleneck with a height of 8350-8400 reached.
Dave downclimbed the rock step below the serac into the bottleneck. While clipped into the rope he took off his crampons and overboots, put on the skis, changed his frozen gloves, loaded the pack, adjusted the length of the ski poles, then dropped in.
He skied the bottleneck to the shoulder and then down to Camp4. The team slept another night at camp4. It was a difficult night with 1 sleeping bag for 3 climbers and super cold temps at nearly 8000m.
In the morning Dave skied to camp3 while George and Ali downclimbed and rapelled. They all decended (rappel/downclimb) the Black Pyramid together to camp2. The team packed up camp and rapelled the House Chimney. Dave then skied from the base of the Chimney down to ABC while George and Ali downclimbed. The team was in Base Camp that
afternoon.
While in base camp, the team regularly talked with Austrian speed climber Christian Stangl, who is a friend of Hans Kammerlander.
Was this the first descent of the bottleneck? Is there proof otherwise?
To read the rest of Dave’s updates, visit EverestNews.com and scroll down to the earlier posts. We at Karhu would like to say how proud we are of Dave’s accomplishments, and to have him safe and sound after such an incredible adventure!
This morning we have a pretty special post from Dave Watson, who spent his summer climbing and skiing abroad in the high mountains of Pakistan. Dave’s K2 Tall Mountain Expedition was covered on the blog throughout the summer, with weekly and sometimes daily reports on the conditions, their adventures on Broad Peak and K2, and general life on a mountaineering expedition. They faced challenging weather, conditions and watched emergencies unravel firsthand. While Dave’s group was preparing to move from Broad Peak to make an attempt on K2, tragedy struck several climbing parties high up on the K2. The K2 Tall Mountain team assisted where they could, and stayed on an empty mountain afterward, hoping for improving conditions that never arose before making the decision to hike out. Dave sent over this entry a couple weeks back, after his return to the States had allowed some reflection on the ever-changing balance of risk and reward as we pursue adventure.
As I start to gather my ski gear and take inventory of what I need for the upcoming winter in the Himalaya, I think back to last winter in Kashmir and the past summer in Pakistan. I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent 6 months of the last year in the Pir Panjal and Karakoram ranges of the Himalaya. And now, 5 weeks away from another 3 month adventure in Kashmir, I can’t help but think of how these trips are affecting my life, especially my marriage.
Shane McConkey and Jeremy Jones joke about the Gone Husband Award. They keep track of how many days they are away from their families and my days away equal more than both of theirs combined. Not proud of it, in fact I think it’s really lame, leaving my wife to take care of the house, yard, bills, vehicles, food shopping, loneliness, happiness, horniness. She is incredibly supportive and also incredibly busy, working over 100 hours a week. It is so unfair of me to put this on her, to leave yet again. I feel like such a douche. But the mountains, especially the Himalaya, keep calling me back. Is this addiction? The desire to do things in excess, especially when they are potentially harmful to you. The feelings I get in the high mountains are as nourishing as the love of family and friends, feelings so strong they can not be put into words.
(Broad Peak basecamp, K2 in the background. Photo by Dave Watson.)
It used to be that when I got back from a trip I would feel recharged and ready to jump back into the rat race once again. The feelings of renewed motivation and change of perspective have waned over the years and now it is hard to find the motivation to compete even the simple tasks of the western lifestyle. Scrubbing the tub seems so lame as I daydream about skiing breakable crust at 25,000 ft in no-fall terrain or trying to clip into Dynafit bindings while hanging off of an ice screw on a 70 degree slope.
(Dave Watson takes XCD Guides over 20,000 feet on Broad Peak. Photo by Chuck Boyd.)
These expeditions let me experience and explore nature and the human psyche in ways only found in survival situations. As I am not-so-slowly finding out, these incredibly intense situations are becoming the most satisfying moments in my life. I am not a gambler in the traditional sense, and I do have fear, but to be breaking trail at 28,500 ft with the world below gives exhilaration beyond words.
These moments can also have incredible consequences. This past summer on K2, 11 men never went home, and their wives, children, parents and friends must some how come to terms with how a person that they loved had put their own “selfish” desires above the responsibilities and obligations of being an active participant in a life that they themselves had built. Death is a very real possibility when recreating in alpine terrain, it isn’t fair that something that gives me so much joy and a feeling of purpose (which is ridiculous) could cause the people I love the most to lay awake at night in fear and worry that I may not come home. If those fears are realized, lives are changed forever.
(Sunrise on K2. Photo by Dave Watson.)
It isn’t only those who are left at home who are affected by the loss, witnessing your partners death will have the same outcome. I met an awesome couple this summer, same age as me and my wife, married the day after we were, many common friends and interests. They were climbing K2 together, and he’ll never be seen again. I could hardly look her in the eyes, overwhelmed with incredible sadness. I couldn’t help but see Audrey’s face with same expression of shock and pain, eyes red and rocked to the core. Since then, I’ve had many nights alone in a tent, thinking about why and how I should change my life, but when I step out of the tent in the morning and look at the South face of K2 in the cold crisp air, I want to ski it even more.
It is almost like a mid-life crisis for my ski mountaineering career. I can see the end closing in on me, babies. Once we have children I’ve vowed to not attempt extreme lines on 8000 meter peaks. And with children on the horizon I feel this is my only feasible chance to send something this big. I hope the challenges of fatherhood can provide an alternative outlet for my focus and energy, and I’m sure it will. But for now I see the next couple years as my last chance to ski K2. I’ll never be younger, stronger and faster than I am now. I just need the opportunity to try it.
(Dave Watson and his Spire BCs in front of K2. Photo by Andy Selters.)
Last summer I went to try it, but because of the weather, I never got a shot at it. In the three months spent on the Godwin-Austen below K2 and Broad Peak there were only about 10 days of good weather. Much of that was spent acclimatizing to the extreme altitudes only found in the Himalaya, the other days were spent making an attempt on the summit of Broad Peak.
(Sunrise in the Karakoram Mountains, Broad Peak summit day. Camp 3 (7000m) is visible in the distance. Photo by Dave Watson.)
I didn’t summit Broad due to fatigue. That fatigue made me concerned for my safety. Trying to ski the summit ridge in a tired state would be a mistake, so I decided it wasn’t the right time and I turned around for the first time in a really long time. I had 1 more month in the area, more than enough time to make and attempt again on Broad Peak and on K2. The weather never allowed another day of skiing.
So as I gather my gear and tune some skis in anticipation of another awesome winter of powder skiing in the Himalaya, I have mixed emotions. My last run started at over 25,000 ft on the 12th tallest mountain in the world, and was AWESOME! Huffing and puffing while negotiating breakable crust and 2-foot-high sastrugi on 50-60 degrees then onto wet cement “powder” at 30-40 degrees then to frozen corn at 50-70 degrees then to shave-able corn at 50 degrees and then to rock strewn slop and cramponing down another 3000 ft to the bottom. So epic! So enjoyable! A true BIG mountain line.
I also think about Audrey, as I gather my Avie gear. Where I’ll ski this winter has incredibly huge and destructive slides that go every storm cycle. The risk is manageable and acceptable. But the thoughts of her working 16 hour days then having to shovel snow, do the food shopping and all else that I can barely muster the motivation to tackle, it doesn’t seem fair. I go from the high of reminiscing of high-mountain skiing to the lows and feelings of lameness for putting such a burden on my awesome partner.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get comfortable with these feelings or situations, I’m sure things will change, they always do. Will I find some other, safer and more responsible way to fulfill the need to be satisfied with my youth? We’ll see, but for now I just want to ride powder.
It’s probably the last update from Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates until they’re back stateside, but here’s one more as the trip winds down.
Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
Picture them soaking their feet in a stream and surrounded by grass and flowers. They have hiked 20-25 miles, gone over a 18,368-foot pass to the next valley, and descended a thousand meters to Khuispan near the base of Laila peak. They are enjoying the view of a 55-60 degree snow slope on the peak and a horse grazing in the camp…
…They left Ali camp at about 3am to go over the pass and descended to Khuispan, which is at an altitude of 15,472 feet, the lowest they have been in months. The trail over the pass was in good shape and they had no difficulties…
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.
Summer vacation brought a little radio silence on our end last week, but we’re back with last updates from Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates. They’ve committed a ton of time, energy and resources into the trip, but it’s coming to a close. The summits have been tantalizingly close and frequently unreachable, but few understand better than Dave that the experience comes from the entire journey and not just the attainability of the top.
Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
Chuck and Dave left base camp today after a final reconnaissance of the Abruzzi Ridge from Advanced Base Camp and getting another weather forecast. The weather conditions have been severe, and they decided that the potential weather window of three days with another storm coming in on the fourth day would not be safe or sufficient for one last attempt at the summit. They would need a minimum of three clear days with a couple medium days on either side to consider climbing higher.
They headed out with a plan to hike over the Gondogoro La to Hushe, which translates to hiking over a high alpine pass to the next valley and the village of Hushe. This is a different hike out than the way they went in. Hushe is the village where most of their local support team and many of the porters live, and they have been invited to visit with them in their homes…
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.
K2 seems to be a quiet place these days, as everyone winds down from the tragic accident a few weeks ago. Once again, Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates are waiting for a weather window to go higher up and assess the conditions and necessary repair work. They called into KSL’s Utah Outdoors radio show again over the weekend, and the podcast is up online here: http://pandora.bonnint.net/audio/utahoutdoors.rss
Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
The team is waiting impatiently for a weather window, again. K2 Base Camp is deserted with only this team, Sunny Mountain Chogori Expedition (George Dijmarescu and his two sherpas) and Mike Farris, one of the leaders of the Altitude Experience team, remaining. There is a snowstorm underway today, but the team is hoping to get a couple of clear days to go up to Camp 2 or 3 before the weather forecasts predict more unsettle weather. They plan to bring down some of the trash that was left on the mountain. They are looking for a minimum of three days of good weather to make a summit attempt…
…The team will need to take about 500m of rope up the mountain to fix the ropes that were taken out by the ice fall. They are still planning to take their own oxygen up the mountain to ensure they have an adequate supply, although it is rumored that oxygen tanks were left on the mountain. There was a lot of equipment left on the mountain as many teams left in a hurry after the incident. There have also been high winds for the last few days, so it’s hard to guess at what may or may not be left on the mountain and what the condition and stability of the snowpack is higher up.
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.
Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates have made their way over to the K2 base camp and spent much of the week assisting with ongoing rescue operations for climbers stranded in the accident over the weekend. We’re awaiting word on how this and conditions on the mountain will affect continued climbing, but the loss of so many climbers was certainly weighing heavily on their minds:
Excerpt from the K2 Tall Mountain post:
The Tall Mountain team is at K2 base camp helping out however they can. Chuck led the effort to prepare the landing zone for the two helicopters that have taken climbers to Islamabad hospitals. A third helicopter was planned for the injured Italian climber on the mountain, but it was cancelled due to bad weather in the helicopter departure zone…
The recent accidents on K2 echo the tragic 1986 season when 27 climbers summitted the peak, but 13 mountaineers lost their lives on the mountain. It appears that weather, objective hazards, snow conditions and human judgments all played a part, and the incident will no doubt be super-analyzed in the months and years to come. Meanwhile, everyone is doing what they can to help those in distress.
Chuck reports that he is feeling good again and seems to be over the virus he had. It slowed him down, but he still managed to help shovel gravel to prepare the helicopter landing zone and help out around base camp. He just didn’t feel well enough to go to a higher altitude. Andy and Dave have been helping out where needed at base camp and talking to lots of different people and getting multiple angles on what has happened on the mountain. They also managed to set up a shower tent and get their first shower in over a week. Chuck said that by the time he got to shower, the sun was going down, it was getting cold, the water was lukewarm and he was standing on a block of ice – but it still felt great! It’s all relative…
Overall, K2 base camp is not a cheery place right now. Many teams are trying to get porters arranged so the expeditions can leave and head for home. The weather forecast is for changing weather, so the future plans are back in Mother Nature’s hands. The team is planning to get some rest while the weather is unsettled and then move on to the mountain when the opportunity presents itself.
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.
Just a quick update this afternoon to let everyone know that Dave Watson and his K2 Tall Mountain teammates are okay after the accident on K2 this weekend. The first reports were unsubstantiated, and it appears that it will take a few days to sort out the toll of a serac fall that took out fixed ropes high on the mountain, stranding climbers (>info here). Our condolences go out to the teammates, friends, and families of the climbers lost on K2 over the weekend, and we’re wishing safe passage for those still on and around the mountain.
During the accident, the K2 Tall Mountain Team was still in the Broad Peak area, getting ready to move over to K2. They didn’t get the summit, but the K2 Tall Mountain Team has deemed their time on Broad Peak a success. As they sort through the situation on K2, they will assess further plans. Here’s what they had to say on the blog yesterday:
Excerpt from K2 Tall Mountain:
The team is finished with the Broad Peak ‘warm up’ climb. Overall, the team is having a good experience all around. Andy reached a new personal high altitude record, and Dave had some good skiing from an altitude of 7500 meters. The team is a bit disappointed that they didn’t get the summit, but they are comfortable that they made the right decisions to turn around when they did. They have worked out the details of what they need to do as a team of three and are a cohesive team ready for the challenge of K2…
There is more snow on K2 and there are routes on the mountain with fixed ropes. The team will assess the route options more closely once they are in base camp and can get information from other expeditions. Dave would like to climb the route that he is planning to ski so he can get a preview of the terrain and conditions. We will provide more information about the tragedy that occurred on K2 this weekend when the facts can be substantiated.
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.
Another dispatch from the K2 Tall Mountain trip with Karhu ambassador Dave Watson, getting ready for a summit attempt on 7/31…
It has been just about two weeks of bad weather here on the glacier. We have been stuck in base camp (BC), going for walks either up to K2 BC to hang out, or down towards Concordia to visit some of the other teams camped lower than us.
We have established camp three on Broad Peak at 7,100m and are ready for the summit push. We called Jim for a weather report, and were told that the weather would start to clear today, the 28th, but there would still be strong winds. Starting on the 29th, a large high- pressure system would move in with good weather for at least five days!
Some teams have left already, but we can see that they are battling rough conditions. We will head up tomorrow, as well as several other teams, for Camp 2. If all goes well, we expect to summit on 7/31. All the cameras are charged, and our packs are ready. Good rest today, then the work beings.
Hope all is well with everyone back home.
–Chuck
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.
Another dispatch from the K2 Tall Mountain trip with Karhu ambassador Dave Watson…
The “Rest Day” today was a trek to K2 base camp to visit some friends. The team hiked about an hour and one half across the glacier to get to K2 base camp. They had heard from the porters that an American was trekking in to base camp. It turned out to be fellow Everest summitter and former teammate, George Dijmarescu who had arrived at K2 base camp. When Dave called into the weekly radio show, they were hanging out and drinking coffee with George and two sherpas he had with him – all part of the team that summitted Mt. Everest with Chuck and Dave in 2004.
The radio show call-in was excellent today. The podcasts are usually available about a week after the show – go to the sponsor link, radio, Utah outdoors and pick the date you want to download. http://www.ksl.com/.
Dan McCann was in the studio to tell the story of his fall. When asked what happened, Dan said that he was climbing amidst substantial rock fall and because of some moral issues, he was not attached to the fixed ropes. He is re-thinking those issues. Apparently there was a Korean team ahead of them and they were adding to the natural rock fall on the route. He moved off the fixed rope route thinking that it would be safer to be out of the “shooting gallery”. The route he moved onto was mostly hard ice, and he lost his footing.
Dan briefly described how he thought the injuries were more severe than they turned out to be and how the adrenaline of the situation clouded his perspective at that moment. He thought he had a broken arm, multiple breaks in the ankle, some broken ribs. The arm was not broken, but he has a torn ligament which is scheduled to be surgically fixed next week. In addition he had lost a lot of skin from his arm and experienced some blood loss from his face at the time. It was warm and he was climbing in a short sleeved shirt, so his arms were exposed and thus he lost a lot of skin. They asked him about getting out of the mountains and back to the USA including the hospital in Islamabad. He described how he got a Pakistani army helicopter ride back to Skardu, then a commercial flight to Islamabad and the hospital where he was checked out initially, before returning home to the USA.
Dave talked about the good skiing from Camp 2 and the on-air hosts relayed that Dan was really bummed to hear about that.
For more dispatches and info, see all the K2 Tall Mountain posts here or visit the K2 Tall Mountain site.