Altitude Junkies

Gasherbrum II - 8,035m

Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II sit in the Karakoram mountain range that contains four 8,000-meter peaks within a few miles of each other. K2 and Broad Peak are close by and these four peaks straddle the Pakistan-China border in an amazing setting of vast glaciers. The local translation of Gasherbrum means "Shining Wall".

The slightly shorter of the Gasherbrums, GII

The first ascent was made by an Austrian team led by Fritz Moravec along with Josef Larch and Hans Willenpart on 8th July, 1956.

Our expedition will meet in the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan. From Islamabad we fly to Skardu, hopefully with great views of Nanga Parbat. After organizing our gear and some sightseeing in Skardu we drive by jeep up the Shigar Valley to the road head in Askole. We start the seven-day trek up the Baltoro Valley towards Concordia and Gasherbrum base camp. On route we will see the famous peaks of Trango Towers, Masherbrum, Broad Peak, Mitre Peak and K2 and we spend nights camping at Jhola, Paiyu, Urdakas, Goru II and Shagring before arriving at base camp.

We follow a cautious acclimatization schedule at base camp spending two nights before starting the climb of Gasherbrum II. The climbing begins with the route heading through the icefall. The route will be identified with bamboo maker wands and fixed rope will be in place on the steeper sections. As the icefall ends, we rope up for safety on the heavily crevassed cwm. The cwm is not steep but the intense heat makes it hard work so we make this climb in the early hours of the morning. The trip from base camp to camp one should take 7-8 hours but improves after further acclimatization.

Camp one sits on the Gasherbrum Glacier at the foot of the Southwest Ridge. The route continues with climbers roped up on the glacier until reaching the start of the fixed ropes that are in place on the Southwest Ridge. Steep snow and ice slopes that weave between crevasses and small ice-cliffs will be climbed using the fixed ropes and the route will alternate between the ridge and the snow face. The climb from camp one to camp two is consistently steep and takes 3-4 hours.

Camp two sits on a sheltered ledge and the route continues on less steeper slopes than the climb from camp one to camp two. There will be fixed ropes in place from the foot of the Southwest Ridge all the way to the site of camp three. The climb from camp two to camp three takes 3-4 hours.

Camp three is located on a shoulder on the Southwest Ridge and below the summit pyramid. The route continues up the Southwest Ridge and depending on the weather conditions and the strength of our team we may place a camp four at 7,400m (24,280ft) if needed. The climb from camp three to camp four takes 2-4 hours.

Camp four (rarely used) is located immediately below the summit pyramid and on some previous expeditions we have used camp three as the high camp and not needed to establish a camp four.

Summit day will start early and the route continues with a long diagonal snow traverse below the summit pyramid and joins the East Ridge at 7,750m (24,280ft). The East Ridge is followed to the summit with the last steep 50m section having fixed ropes in place. The climb from camp three to the summit takes between 8-10 hours and the climb from camp four to the summit takes 6-8 hours with 4-6 hours for the descent to camp three.

Gasherbrum I - 8,068m

An ascent of Gasherbrum I is offered to Gasherbrum II expedition members with sufficient experience, as it is a more technical and challenging climb than Gasherbrum II. We have allocated an extra 14 days on top of the Gasherbrum II schedule to allow sufficient time to climb Gasherbrum I safely. Usually we do not require the total allocated days and return to Islamabad ahead of schedule.

The first ascent was made by an American team led Nicholas B. Clinch. Team members Pete Schoening and Andy Kauffman reached the summit on July 5, 1958.

Base camp and camp one are shared by both Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II expeditions. From camp one the route continues with climbers roped up on the glacier through a heavily crevassed snowfield then ascends the Gasherbrum La, using fixed ropes on the steeper sections. The climb from camp one to camp two takes 3-4 hours.

Camp two sits on the col at the foot of the Japanese Couloir. The route continues with a sustained climb up the Japanese Couloir with slopes varying from 45 to 55 degrees in angle. Fixed ropes will be in place from the foot of the couloir to camp three. The climb from camp two to camp three is very direct and takes 4-8 hours.

Camp three is located on the Northwest Face and will be our high camp from where we will depart from for the summit attempt. Due to our previous acclimatization on Gasherbrum II we will climb from camp one in alpine style placing the respective camp two and three as we head for the summit.

Summit day will start early and the route continues up the Northwest Face to the summit. Fixed ropes will be in place on the more exposed sections on the face. The climb from camp three to the summit takes between 6-10 hours with 4-6 hours for the descent to camp three.

During the expedition the team will be supported by a 1:2 Sherpa to climber ratio. Team members can travel independently in groups or pairs lower on the mountain and will have Sherpas to accompany them at all times above the respective camp two. All of our Sherpas, both Nepalese and Tibetan and Pakistani High Altitude Porters will have all reached the summit of Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II before and most have worked previously on an Altitude Junkies expedition.

Phil Crampton & Jamie McGuinness will be the expedition leaders and this will be their third Gasherbrum I & II expeditions.

Gasherbrum I & II Gear List     Gasherbrum I & II Expedition Dispatches     Gasherbrum I & II Expedition Leader

The expedition cost includes:

· Shared accommodation in Islamabad and Skardu as itinerary

· All transportation and meals in Pakistan as itinerary

· Porters for personal gear to base camp and return

· All meals at base camp

· Group Nepal, Tibetan Sherpas and Pakistani High Altitude Porters

· Group Pakistani cooks at base camp

· Expedition permit, peak fee, highway and conservation fees

· Base camp and high camp tents

· Group climbing equipment, stoves and fuel

· Two-way radios

· Medical kits, portable altitude chamber and medical oxygen

· High altitude freeze-dried meals

· Climbing Sherpa summit bonus and carry bonus

The expedition cost does not include:

· Airfare to and from Pakistan

· Meals and drinks in Islamabad

· Alcoholic beverages

· Pakistan visa cost

· Islamabad/Karachi airport departure tax

· Evacuation costs, medical and rescue insurance

· Personal climbing clothing and equipment

· Supplementary climbing oxygen, mask and regulator

· Staff gratuities

· Puja contribution