Gasherbrum II - 8035m

Altitude Junkies will be returning to Gasherbrum II in the summer of 2011 offering what is considered, one of the most cost-effective full-service expeditions on the mountain.

Our Gasherbrum expedition is limited to eight climbers and one expedition leader with a 1:2 High Altitude Porter to climber ratio. Some of the other operators have as many as twenty climbers on one expedition and we feel a smaller team makes for a more intimate and satisfying experience for a climber on the Gasherbrums’. The single leader and guide offers the same expertise as a fully guided climb with a 4:1 climber to guide ratio but allows climbers more flexibility in smaller groups lower on the mountain.

Leadership
Gasherbrums’ veteran guide Phil Crampton will once again lead the 2011 expedition and this will be his fourth Gasherbrum II/I expedition.

In addition to an experienced leader the team’s High Altitude Climbing Porters will once again include Ali Razi and his son Ashraf. These famous Balti climbers, who assisted our team fix ropes in 2009 and 2010 will be working as part of our expedition this season and their knowledge and experience of the Gashebrums is unrivaled.

The Trek
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.

During the trek our kitchen staff will prepare all of our meals while we are camping each day as there are no teahouses available in this part of the Karakoram.

Base Camp
Our base camp is comfortable and the food prepared by our highly experienced Hunza cooks is considered some of the best available in the Karakoram.

Each climber is provided with a personal Mountain Hardwear 3-person tent at base camp, which is insulated for your comfort with an extra thick foam mattress.

For group occasions we provide a Mountain Hardwear dome for dining. The dining dome has comfortable chairs and is spacious, heated and lit by solar electricity.

The Kitchen
The head and assistant cooks have all been trained by local professional chefs in food preparation and strict hygiene standards and produce a varied and nutritious western and local menu throughout the expedition. They prepare three delicious hot meals a day. We use local fresh produce and meats and these are complimented by a selection of imported foods and snacks.

Climb Strategy
We follow a cautious acclimatization schedule at base camp spending two to four nights before taking our first trip into the Gasherbrum icefall. We plan only to climb into the icefall a maximum of three or four times and this includes the summit push. Our schedule usually sees us make our first climb from base camp directly to camp one to spend the evening before descending to base camp he next day.

After more acclimatization and the progress of the fixed ropes being placed up to camp two, we climb to camp one, spending the evening and then to camp two for the evening if possible before returning to base camp. We continue our acclimatization schedule with another night at camp one and camp two before tagging camp three or sleeping there if conditions allow, then descending to base camp.

The summit push will see us make our final climb into the icefall and climb to camp one, two and three before leaving for the summit from the high camp in early hours off the morning.

The Route
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.

High Altitude Camps
Mountain Hardwear 3-person tents will be used at high camps and these will be occupied by two persons up to the highest camp where we usually place three persons per tent for warmth. All food, stoves and cooking gas will be in place and members are only required to carry their personal gear during the expedition.

Health
We provide medial oxygen, portable altitude chambers and comprehensive medical chests at base camp. The higher camps also have medical kits and we also ask that all climbers carry individual micro high altitude medical kits at all times above base camp as the Sherpas and leader does.

Communications
For constant contact we have all climbing members, climbing Sherpas and guides have their own personal two-way radio at all times on the mountain. We also have base station radios at base camp and have these active at all times when members and sherpas are on the mountain.

Our satellite phones and satellite internet modems are available for our team members to use at base camp at actual cost price as we feel charging an outrageous amount to phone or email family is unfair during such a long expedition.

Weather Forecasts
To ensure the safety of all our climbers we subscribe to a professional weather forecast service for the duration of the season and have access to this information at all the respective base and high camps and receive constant updates during our summit push.

Altitude Junkies does not allow any solo climbing above base camp on any of our expeditions.

 

Gasherbrum I - 8068m

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.

Climb Strategy
After the conclusion of the Gasherbrum II climb we will rest at base camp for a few days and then attempt an alpine style climb of Gasherbrum I. Team members and Sherpas will climb to camp one, two and three respectively before making an early morning summit attempt. The team usually spends the evening of the summit day at high camp before descending to base camp the following day.

The Route
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 8-12 hours with 4-6 hours for the descent to camp three.

Photo credit: Phil Crampton - Gasherbrum II from camp one.

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 climbing Sherpas and Balti High Altitude Porters
· Group Balti 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 and carry bonus
· Satellite phone and satellite internet use at cost price
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
· Personal Puja contribution

Contact us: info@altitudejunkies.com