Mali - Dogon Country

The principal Dogon area is bisected by the Bandiagara Escarpment, a sandstone cliff of up to 500 m (1,640.42 ft) high, stretching about 150 km (90 miles). To the southeast of the cliff, the sandy Séno-Gondo Plains are found, and northwest of the cliff are the Bandiagara Highlands. Historically, Dogon villages were established in the Bandiagara area a thousand years ago because the people collectively refused to convert to Islam and retreated from areas controlled by Muslims. 

Dogon insecurity in the face of these historical pressures caused them to locate their villages in defensible positions along the walls of the escarpment. The other factor influencing their choice of settlement location was access to water. The Niger River is nearby and in the sandstone rock, a rivulet runs at the foot of the cliff at the lowest point of the area during the wet season.

Among the Dogon, several oral traditions have been recorded as to their origin. One relates to their coming from Mande, located to the southwest of the Bandiagara escarpment near Bamako. According to this oral tradition, the first Dogon settlement was established in the extreme southwest of the escarpment at Kani-Na. 

Kani-Kombole Mosque

Kani-Kombole Mosque

Kani Kombole Mosque

Celebration of Tabaski in Kani Kombole on Dec 31

The Imam

The mosque in the village of Ennde

The Ennde mosque

The Ennde Mosque

Dogon Taxi

We travelled on an ox cart from village to village

Dogon Taxi

Tellem

The village of Tellem

Villages are built along escarpments and near a source of water. On average, a village contains around 44 houses organized around the 'ginna', or head man's house. Each village is composed of one main lineage (occasionally, multiple lineages make up a single village) traced through the male line. Houses are built extremely close together, many times sharing walls and floors.

Dogon villages have different buildings:

• Male granary: storage place for pearl millet and other grains. Building with a pointed roof. This building is well protected from mice. The amount of filled male granaries is an indication for the size and the richness of a guinna.

• Female granary: storage place for a woman's things, her husband has no access. Building with a pointed roof. It looks like a male granary but is less protected against mice. Here, she stores her personal belongings such as clothes, jewelry, money and some food. A woman has a degree of economic independence, and earnings and things related to her merchandise are stored in her personal granary. She can for example make cotton or pottery. The number of female granaries is an indication for the number of women living in the guinna.

• Tógu nà (a kind of case à palabres): a building only for men. They rest here much of the day throughout the heat of the dry season, discuss affairs and take important decisions in the toguna. The roof of a toguna is made by 8 layers of millet stalks. It is a low building in which one cannot stand upright. This helps with avoiding violence when discussions get heated.

• Punulu (a house for menstruating women): this house is on the outside of the village. It is constructed by women and is of lower quality than the other village buildings. Women having their period are considered to be unclean and have to leave their family house to live during five days in this house. They use kitchen equipment only to be used here. They bring with them their youngest children. This house is a gathering place for women during the evening. This hut is also thought to have some sort of reproductive symbolism due to the fact that the hut can be easily seen by the men who are working the fields who know that only women who are on their period, and thus not pregnant, can be there.

Ireli

Ireli

Tellem

Tellem

Ireli

Tellem

The fetish houses in Tellem

The fetish houses in Tellem

Fetish houses in Tellem

Tellem

During the eleventh century, a hunter-gatherer group known as the Tellem constructed dwellings high on the cliff face as protection from raiders and hostile neighbors. Along with occupying caves on the escarpment face, the Tellem built cylindrical granaries in shallow recesses of the rock. Possibly as a result of conflict with the Dogon and neighboring groups, the Tellem---described by the Dogon as “the ones we found”---abandoned the escarpment sometime in the 1800s, leaving behind pottery, baskets, leather bags used to carry water, jewelry, and other items.

Village bell

A goat being prepared for the celebration of Tabaski

Tógu nà (a kind of case à palabres): a building only for men. They rest here much of the day throughout the heat of the dry season, discuss affairs and take important decisions in the toguna. The roof of a toguna is made by 8 layers of millet stalks. It is a low building in which one cannot stand upright. This helps with avoiding violence when discussions get heated.

Baffin Island - Stewart Valley and Sam Ford Fjord

Sam Ford Fjord is an isolated and L shaped Arctic fjord, which is located on the Northeastern coast of the Baffin Island in the Arctic Archipelago, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Canada. The fjord stretches for approximately one hundred and ten kilometers and was traditionally one of the hunting areas of the Inuit, popularly known for its spectacular granite cliffs (some of them are the highest cliffs in the world) which rise high from the shores.  We decided to explore it on Skis in early May.   There were 3 of us: Jerry Kobalenko, David Holberton and me. We hired an outfitter from Clyde River, a small Inuit settlement on the shores of Baffin Island, to take us to the end of Stewart Valley by a skidoo. Our plan was to ski back and explore points of interest along the way. It was still winter and I never really got warm throughout the trip.

In 2012 I was flying from London to Calgary over the Sam Ford Fjord with good visibility.

Sam Ford Fjord. We traveled across the fjord in roughly in the middle of the photo. Sam Ford Fjord (Kangiqtualuk Uqquqti) stretches roughly from north northeast to south southwest for about 110 km (68 mi). Its mouth, located between the Remote Peninsula and Erik Point, is over 18 km (11 mi) wide, the width of the fjord narrowing gradually to an average of 3 km (1.9 mi) about 50 km (31 mi) inland. Kangiqtualuk Agguqti is a tributary fjord branching west from the fjord's western shore about 45 km (28 mi) to the south of its mouth. The Stewart Valley —with Sail Peaks stretches northwards from Walker Arm's nortwest corner and connects with the neighbouring Gibbs Fiord.

Sam Ford Fjord. The Polar Sun Spire is visible as the pointy peak down from the center of the photo.

The peaks from the areal photo above on Jerry Kobalenko’s photo

Photo by Jerry Kobalenko

This is how we transferred ourselves and our gear to the start of the trek. The outfitter mainly helps with polar bear hunting.

Approaching the Sam Ford Fjord.

It took us 8 hours of travel from Clyde River to the end of Stewart Valley. By the time we arrived at our destination, I was completely frozen despite wearing all the clothes I had.

Approaching Sam Ford Fjord. The scenery was getting more and more spectacular.

In the Sam Ford Fjord

Skiing under the Great Sail Peak. Great Sail Peak rises 1617m and like its neighbor (Polar Sun Spire) is located near the Sam Ford Inlet, in nearby Stewart Valley. The peak is located to the north and to the east of Polar Sun Spire and is the lone 'big wall' in its region (if one excludes numerous walls that range from 500-700 meters).

Looking back at the Stewart Valley and the Great Sail Peak (on the right).

Our camp below the Walker Citadel in the Walker Arm of the Sam Ford Fjord

The frozen lake in the Stewart Valley

Stewart Valley and the Great Sail Peak in the distance.

The Great Sail Peak

David and I skiing under the Great Sail Peak (photo by Jerry Kobalenko).

Our camp 2 at the foot of the Great Sail Peak

Walker Citadel and the spectacular walls of the Sam Ford Fjord

Stewart Valley

The expanse of rock of the Walker Citadel is dwarfing David and Jerry

Approaching Walker Citadel

Our camp on the sea ice at the foot of the Walker Citadel

Looking up the Walker Arm

Skiing towards the Sam Ford Fjord

Our camp in the Sam Ford Fjord

David Holberton

Jerry Kobalenko

Clyde River

The community of Clyde River

Sam Ford Fjord

Great Sail Peak

In the Sam Ford Fjord

This was our kitchen each night

Skiing in the Sam Ford Fjord

Under the Polar Sun Spire

Our camp in The Sam ford Fjord

Bylot Island Expedition Trip Report

The map is from the 2018 ACC Journal. It is not our expedition referred to on the map but it covers the general area where we were. All around Sermilik Glacier.

Bylot Island Expedition Report August 2006 (based on the journal of David Holberton)

The expedition to Bylot Island in the Canadian Arctic was undertaken by Derek, David (our Brit Extraordinaire), and Dave, who lives and works in the Inuit village of Pond Inlet, on the NE coast of Baffin Island.  Dave Reid was the last Scot ever to the recruited by the Hudson Bay Company, in the late -1980s; now he is the local “Mr. Fix it” for expeditions, research projects and the like.

Pond Inlet (“Pond”) is accessible via the scheduled air service of the Inuit-owned airline, First Air, 2.5 hours flying from Iqaluit, or 4 hours with a stop in Clyde River. David and I met in Ottawa and flew up to Iqaluit from there.  Pond is a village of some 1,500 people.  It is a relatively new place, founded in the 1920s, and has only significantly expanded since 1970s when previously nomadic families settled there permanently. There is a big government presence, a dirt airstrip and a developing iron-ore mine to the south:  all these provide some employment, but otherwise the population still survives on hunting (polar bear, seal, narwhal, geese) and inevitably, on government handouts.  

Directly from the airstrip we could see the wall of snowcapped mountains on Bylot Island, 20 miles away across Eclipse Sound.  They rise straight out of the sea up to more than 6,000 feet.  We had planned to go over to the island immediately, but our plan was thwarted by the rough sea and the time taken to deal with Parks Canada bureaucracy.  In fact, the orientation session was run by one of the wardens, Israel, whom we had met two years before on Ellesmere Island.  He recognized us straight away!  Pond is his home, and he is clearly delighted to be back here with his family, instead of being posted to the remote Tanquary Fjord station on Ellesmere. Orientation is mandatory and it is supposed to educate visitor on sound environmental practice, how to deal with polar bears etc.  We have heard it all before, and the Park’s staff merely shows videos and read from a prepared script.  It is a bit like a safety briefing on an aircraft.

Bylot Island is part of Sirmilik National Park, the fourth largest in Canada, but one of the least visited.  It was created only in 2001.  Simirlik means “place of glaciers” in Inuktitut, and indeed the island is characterized by a large number of glaciers originating from an ice cap in the central region.  The island is 50 miles N to S and 100 miles E to W.  It is uninhabited:  during our trip we were the only people on the island apart from two bird researchers camped on the western side.  Much of the island has never been explored.  The N to S crossing by Tillman in August 1963 is perhaps the well known; it is recounted in his book Mostly Mischief.  Otherwise visitors have tended to gravitate toward specific areas:  the climbing interest is in the 3 highest peaks, Thule (1,711m), Angilaaq and Mitima, which are to the west side of the Sermilik Glacier.  This is one of the biggest glaciers, which reaches the sea directly opposite Pond. The bird researchers gravitate toward the west coast of the island.  The entire island is a designated bird sanctuary.  It is the northern end of the migration route of the greater snow goose with more than 250,000 birds on the island in the summer.  

The particular hazard for us was the polar bear.  There are 150 of them in the island.  They are commonly seen on the beaches but more on the north side of the island than on the south.  We planned not to spend very much time on the beaches for that reason.  We were armed only with bangers and flares as it is prohibited to carry a firearm in the National Park.  We were fortunate to have seen only paw prints in the sand.  

During our enforced stay in Pond that first day, we made two critical decisions.  One was to split the trip into two parts, leave half the food and some spare gear on the beach in bear proof barrels, and therefore reduce our load somewhat.  The second decision was to take only one tent and squeeze the three of us into it, again saving weight.  The North Face Mountain 25 is after all designated as a 3men tent J! We could see the immediate pros of these decisions.  The cons were only apparent later.  

Next morning we were able to leave at about 10am in the small boat owned by local hunter Sheatie Tagak.  The 20-mile ride across the sound was $500.  We were kitted out in orange survival suits.  The sea was glassy calm and we had a fast ride across the sound in just 45 minutes, to a point just east of the toe of the massive Sermilik glacier.  

On the way across the sound, we passed by huge icebergs that originate from Greenland or Ellesmere Island and are swept into and around Eclipse Sound by the current. On the beach we sorted our heavy packs and were off.  Despite our weight saving measures, our packs still weighted in at around 40lbs.  The crampons, ice axes and other mountaineering gear count for a lot of that.  We were over the moraine and on the glacier within an hour.  All the snow having melted we could walk easily on the ice without crampons, any crevasses being obvious and easily negotiated.  After lunch we turned further west onto a side glacier, big enough in itself, and crossed over to the west side where we camped on the ice at the foot of a steep incline.  

The following day we headed further up the glacier in a northerly direction.  An interesting peak appeared to our right, and we resolved to seek out routes to the top.  Camping beneath its south-west spur, with excellent views down the glacier all the way to the sea, we walked further to the north and up the scree on the north side, but this rock band was simply too steep and too loose to be a viable option.  

On the third day, in bright sunshine, we looped back south and then west into a huge bowl of snow and ice that gave us easy access into the southwest ridge, with just a short section of ice where crampons were required.  On top of the ridge the ice gave way to more rock – all of it loose – but we could scramble up the ridge quite easily until the summit became visible across a broad saddle.  Here we left our packs and continued with crampons and ice axes up the last 600 ft.  At the summit, altitude 5,250 ft. (1,600m), we had a splendid 360-degree view, with visibility at least 50 miles into the dark fjords on the north coast of Baffin Island.  On Bylot Island itself we could see the whole panorama of snowy peaks and huge glaciers running in all directions.  Except to the NE that was covered in cloud, with just a few summits peaking above. This was some of the finest mountain scenery you could imagine, certainly on par with what we saw last year in Pakistan.  The summit, we think, has never been climbed before.  Dave would check the records with the Alpine Club of Canada.  We named the peak Fugoy Fang (Tenzing Fugoy is my Chinese name and since I stepped on the summit first, I claimed the naming rights :-)).  

Although we had to retrace our steps to some extent we did descend the more direct but steep northern side of the SW spur.  The first part on loose rock and then on snow and ice.  It appeared doable from above, but when we looked back afterwards it looked vertical and did require total concentration. We returned to our camp at 6pm, a long but rewarding 9-hour day. 

In our evolving route plan, we had decided to try to cross a pass on the other side of the glacier and descend onto the Sermilik glacier, where we could relatively quickly travel down to the beach to resupply.  The pass was a lower altitude than the peak we had summited, but we would have to carry full packs, and the top section looked to be very steep. However, there was no harm in taking a closer look, as we always had the option of going back the way we came.  In fact, reaching the top of the pass was quite easy, it took us just over 2 hours.  We could follow a rock band on the north side most of the way and only required crampons for a short section at the end.  Again, we had fine weather and excellent views from the pass – looking back over our entire climbing route of the previous day, to the east, and the vast ice field of the Sermilik glacier to the west.  

Of course we had no idea what the descent would be like and this is where the adventure really began.  To begin, we spent an hour traversing a steep exposed ice slope.  David and I brought leather 4-season boots that can be securely fitted with crampons, but they do not give the ankle support you would get with plastic mountaineering boots, and they make the fit of the boot much tighter. The huge exposure was unsettling, as we were not roped up.  There was no place to rest and it would have been difficult to self-arrest in hard ice had any one of fallen.  We did not rope up for that reason.  We were rewarded with a lunch stop on a rocky knoll, which was surely one of the finest picnic sites in the world, high above Sermilik glacier.  

The reminder of the descent looked dauntingly steep.  We had little choice except to follow the scree straight down, but this scree was our worst nightmare.  The rocks were large and as loose as loose could be and the angle of the slope was near vertical.  In negotiating this it was every man for himself – no way for the others to help quickly or at all of required.  Of course we had to carry our weighty packs down this slope, which as really far too steep for backpacking.  We collected ourselves at the foot of the slope; again we looked back and shook our heads in amazement at the steep slope we had negotiated.  Had we been traveling in the opposite direction, there is no way we would have considered an ascent.  That was another long day, and it was too ambitious by far to get to the foot of the Sermilik glacier today.

That night we camped in the middle of the Sermilik glacier about 5 miles from the toe. On the fifth day, the plan was to descend on the right (west) side of the glacier, leave our packs at a suitable campsite on the moraine, then skirt along the beach, around the toe of the glacier to pick up the new food supply from the barrels, which we left at the east side of the glacier.  At the outset, none of us could have guessed what a ridiculously ambitious plan this would prove to be.  We were walking at just over 1 mile an hour with full packs, and the glacier proved to be heavily crevassed on the west side, with plenty of valleys carved out by the glacial streams.  It took time and effort to cross these, after which for the first time we came to a river crossing.  River crossing is an inevitable and frequent part of Arctic backpacking.  We carried TEVA sandals (easy to change into, good footing but no respite from cold water) or neoprene booties (a struggle to put on and off, you can feel every stone underfoot, but they are warm) for the purpose, and edged our way using trekking poles to gauge depth and speed of the water. Changing into/out boots all takes time. So it was not until 4pm that we were ready to leave the campsite to go in search of the food barrels.  

Our journey turned into a nightmare, because we found that the glacial outwash along the beach was braided into numerous deep and cold fast –flowing rivers, and the distance between the toe of the glacier and the open sea – perhaps 200 meters – was insufficient, too much of a gradient to create shallower water where we could safely cross.  After the first couple of crossings, we decided to go over the glacier instead, which was easily accessed from the beach.  But after an hour of wandering around on the ice, it was apparent that we would need to walk a very long way back in order to safely negotiate the undulating ice valleys and surface glacial streams.   So we abandoned that idea and returned to the beach.  

We tried again to cross the series of rivers emptying from the Semirlik glacier. It was on our fourth river crossing that we nearly fell in (the result of which would be a quick ride to the Arctic Ocean).  Instead of walking directly across, we walked halfway across and the up the middle to find a shallower route for the second half.  But the current grew stronger and the depth greater until we were mid-thigh in freezing cold water.  You could see big blocks of ice floating in the torrent, as the glacier was very near. Although we made it to the other side it was too close for comfort, and we knew it.  Dave and I looked at each other and started laughing: we knew it was a lucky escape.  The golden rule is that if the water is more than knee deep it is not safe to cross. We had broken that rule.  

I was hit by one large piece of ice and the force of the water took away one of my booties (we had a spare pair of TEVAS).  I was also bleeding but I did not feel a thing due to the cold-numbing water. We started to worry a bit, seeing the glint in Dave’s eyes:  he was on a Canute-like mission to reach the barrels and no force of water was going to stop him.  

So eventually at 7pm David called a halt and asked whether this was a sensible thing to do (this is a British way of saying, "This is completely mad and dangerous, let's stop!!!").  After some discussion we decided to abandon the barrels for that day, take a rest day the following day, and then try again the day after that.  We would try very early in the morning as we were expecting the water level to be lower at that time of the day.  

We had a plan B to do the second half of the trip immediately, with what food we had left, but it was clear that we would be hungry.  Added to that we needed some rest.  From our position merely half way across the glacier runoff, we returned to the campsite, which was an adventure in itself:  a very long way with many ups and downs and difficult crossings of glacial streams.  It was the coldest crossing EVER and set a new tolerable level of coldness of me. My legs felt like two wooden pegs. In the evening, when temperatures fall, the surface ice of the glacier starts to harden and it is more difficult to keep the grip, bearing in mind that we had only trekking poles for support and no crampons.  We eventually made it to the campsite at 9 pm – an exhausting 12-hour day. 

After a well-deserved rest day we rose at 5am to make another attempt to retrieve the barrels.  It was all in vain.  It was quickly obvious that the water was just too fast and to deep to cross safely. It was also so cold at this hour that it was painful to be in it.  Our skin turned lobster-red at the slightest immersion.  There was nothing to do, but call for help.  Fortune was on our side as the ever-helpful Sheatie was at home =, and with the help of another $500 hopped in his boat and helped us transfer the barrels over to the west side of the glacier (his wife was less impressed as we woke her up with our early morning sat phone call).  By lunchtime we were restocked, packed and ready to go for the second part of our trip:  the planned ascent of Mt. Thule.  

Once clear of the moraine, we found ourselves in a green and pleasant valley, of rushing rivers and tundra underfoot.  We crossed two rivers that presented no problem, and then climbed steeply over the moraine of the Stagnation Glacier – so called because of its dramatic retreat in the recent decades – before we returned to the tundra and found a campsite, on a soft knoll overlooking the vastness of a large glacier on the south side of the valley.  In contrast to the Stagnation Glacier, this glacier barely moved an inch in the same period.  The difference is attributed to relative size and the northerly direction of the latter versus the south-facing Stagnation Glacier.  

Despite our plans we were forced to stay for three nights, as the weather turned and we had continuous rain for 24 hours.  It was clear that the ascent of Mt. Thule would be abandoned as all of the tops were clouded in:  there is no point going to the top in the rain if there is nothing to see.   During that time, the downside of the “3 Men” North Face tent became apparent:  it was simply too small for comfort.  

We were laying head to toe with David in the middle.  His feet were between the shoulders of Dave and I.  The discomfort and restless nights just added to the difficulty of the trip.  We all admitted how tired we were; perhaps it was a good thing that we did not have the conditions to climb Mt. Thule.  It would have been another long and demanding day.  

On the second day, when we could really tolerate not one moment more in the tent, we hiked up directly in front of the huge face of the glacier to the nearest summit, much of it on the tundra and then a long ridge of more loose rock. Dave was absolutely gung-ho to get to the summit and was worth it for the views:  you could see far away to the southwest all the way to the coast and beyond to Baffin Island.  

Monday, August 14 was theoretically our last day, but due to the strong winds, Sheatie could not pick us up.  We were starting to worry as we could miss our flight home.  We spent the final day walking on the long beach.  We found big sandstone cliffs with weird shapes – known as “hoodoos – carved out by the wind and rain, perfectly rounded rocks like Moeraki boulders in New Zealand but smaller, and huge boulders inlaid with beautiful patterns like marble.  The beach is always a special place, and this was no exception, although noting the presence of bear prints, we were careful to keep our eyes skinned.  This area, which is not part of the Park, has been a camping area for the local Inuit for a long time, and was strewn with the bones of seal and narwhal. 

That evening, a terrific wind blew up and continued blowing all the next day.  It was clear there would be no boat pick-up in those conditions.  Inside the tent there was respite from the wind, and warmth, but it was incredibly noisy as the wind continuously shook the fabric.  We revisited the hoodoos, this time more impressive with blue skies for background and sunshine to accentuate the color, but it was cold and the cold wind sapped our will to spend too much time outside.  By evening we were rather worried as there was no let up in the wind and we did have a plane to catch the following day.  But at 4.30am there was a sudden flurry of activity as Sheatie was on his way.   It turned out that although this did co-incide with a lull in the wind, Dave had been motivated to peek his head out and assess the weather conditions more by his urgent desire to escape the tent.   By that point we had spent so many hours in it that any opportunity to get out was not to be missed, no matter how early the hour (as we had 24 hour daylight, hours did not much matter anyway).  

We waited for an hour on the beach.  We tried to find the calmest spot on the beach, the current and wind dragged the anchor and pushed the boat sideways on, so it was a real struggle to push the bow into the waves and get off the island.  At this point we were down to the last bits of food, so it was a relief to pick up the barrels again, and raid the emergency supply of soggy digestive biscuits.  The ride across the Eclipse Sound was rough with large waves at out comfort limit. We were getting sprayed by the cold water and were totally soaked by the time we arrived in Pond.  

A quick goodbye with Sheatie and we were off to the local hotel for a plate of eggs and bacon.  

When we look back on it in years to come, we – and I include Dave, as a fellow traveler not “the leader” - will have fond memories of the expedition.  For the fact that we went places and climbed mountains where no one has ever been or climbed before: what a sense of achievement and spirit of exploration in the world were every place has been penetrated.  For the excellent company and the temperament of the three of us: we laughed a lot and never argued about anything.  For the dangers and risks actual and potential with we faced and overcame.  And above all for the privilege of traveling in this wild and remote place.  

Bylot Island Sermilik National Park Exploration in the Canadian High Arctic

Sermilik National Park is located at the northern end of the Baffin Island and on the Bylot Island amid an expansive landscape of glaciers and mountains rising from iceberg-dotted waters of the Arctic Ocean.  Sermilik means the ‘place of glaciers’ in Inuktitut.  Vast glaciers flow from an ice cap located in the middle of Bylot Island into nearby Eclipse Sound.  Our goal was to climb Mt. Thule and some other unclimbed peaks along the Simirlik Glacier and to explore the Bylot Island's vast glacier system.  Our group consisted of David Holberton, David Reed and me.  We hired Shaty, and Inuk from Pond Inlet, to take us across the Eclipse Sound.  

The map is from the ACC Journal. This is not our ski expedition but we trekked in the same area between the Sermilik Glacier/Mount Thulie and Koperoqtwlik Glacier.

Pond Inlet on the north side of the Baffin Island

Pond Inlet with the Bylot Island in the distance - our destination

Pond Inlet

Leaving Pond Inlet for our Bylot Island exploration

Landing on Bylot Island

Sorting our food for the next two weeks

We decided to follow the Sermilik Glacier and climb the highest unnamed mountain on the horizon. We were probably the first people that climbed it.

This is an areal view of the glacier and the mountain we climbed. The peak is the highest one in the background on the center-right. As far as we knew no one has climbed it before us. Since I was the first on the top, I named it using my Chinese name Fugoy Fang. (photo credit unknown)

Massive glaciers and unclimbed peaks

Our objective is now directly ahead hidden in the clouds.

The scale of the terrain is very grand. It is deceptive since there are no reference points.

Photo by David Holberton

We crossed an unnamed mountain pass to access a large glacier system

Glacier rivers

Glacier rivers- deadly if you fall in

Massive Sermilik Glacier flowing from the centre of the island

Sermilik Glacier

A large river flowing into the Arctic Ocean from the massive Sermilik glacier

Preparing to ford a river

Eclipse Sound

Pond Inlet

Canadian Army in the North in Pond Inlet. They get a cool looking t-shirt and maybe a gun.

Atacama, Incahuasi in northern Argentina

We set out to climb the volcano of Incahuasi, a mountain on the border of Argentina and Chile. Incahuasi has a summit elevation of 6,621 metres (21,722 ft) above sea level.  We flew from Buenos Aires to La Rioja in Northern Argentina and then drove to Fiambala, the border outpost.  There, we met our driver Johnson who arranged for our transport to Las Grutas, a border police post close to Incahuasi.  We had two main issues:  acclimatization and water.  The mountain is very high and there is no drinkable water.  We were counting on the winter snowpack to provide us with the source of water.  Unfortunately, we did not find any snow and had to abandon our attempt.  The trip gave us a great opportunity to trek through the little visited corner of the Atacama Desert.  It was a good adventure regardless of our lack of success with the summit.  

The border post between Argentina and Chile. Since the mountain Incahuasi is on the border, we need to clear the customs. We will be in no man's land.

Cerro San Francisco

Volcanic landscape of Incahuasi

Hard work at 5000m

The summit of Incahuasi is 1000m above

The summit of Incahuasi ahead

View from the high up on Incahuasi

Looking for snow to melt - not much is available

Our basecamp at the foot of Incahuasi

The Altiplano

The Altiplano - walking back to Argentina

The beautiful Altiplano

The Atacama - the driest place on earth

The water is full of poisonous chemicals like arsenic

La frontera de pais

Patagonia - Southern Patagonian Ice Field

Approaching the village of El Chalten

Cerro Marconi Norte is just ahead - we want to go to the top of it

Fitz Roy

Fitz Roy

Paso Marconi in relentless Patagonian rain

Our camp on Paso Marconi. After the drenching rain we woke up to clear sky and sunshine. We needed it to dry off everything.

Paso Marconi and Gorra Blanca

Paso Marconi and Cerro Marconi Norte

Walking up Cerro Marconi Norte

Cerro Marconi Norte and Fitz Roy in the background

The view over the Paso Marconi

Southern Patagonian Icefield

Volcan Lautaro and Southern Patagonian Icefiled from Cerro Marconi Norte

Gorra Blanca, Paso Marconi from Cerro Marconi Norte

Fitz Roy from Cerro Marconi Norte

Southern Patagonian Icefield from the air - Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre on the right

The expanse of the Southern Patagonian Icefield

Southern Patagonian Icefield

Hiking on ice

Our camp at the Cirque de Los Altares

Awesome clouds of southern Patagonia

Cerro Torre

Cerro Torre from Cirque de Los Altares

Cerro Torre

Cerro Torre

Base of the Cerro Torre

Summit snow mushrooms of Cerro Torre

Looking up Cerro Torre from its base - now it looks like a real tower

Cirque de Los Altares

Inside the Cirque de Los Altares

Cirque de Los Altares

Our camp on the Icefiled in front of the Cirque de Los Altares

Good weather does not last...

Horizontal rain of Patagonia

Glaciar Viedma

Glacier Viedma

Glacier Viedma

Lago Viedma - looking for condors

Glacier Viedma and Lago Viedma

Waiting for a ride on Lago Viedma

Glacier Perito Moreno

Perito Moreno Glacier

Perito Moreno Glacier from the air

Patagonia

Patagonia

Southern Patagonian Icefiled

Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre from the air

Gorra Blanca

Cerro Torre group and the Cirque de Los Altares

Cerro Torre

Southern Patagonian Icefield

Fitz Roy Group and Glacier Viedma

Patagonia

Pakistan Snow Lake Hispar Pass

In July of 2005 our small group traversed the Biafo and Hispar Glaciers in the Karakoram Mountains of Northern Pakistan.  The two glaciers are connected by the 5,128 Hispar Pass. Along the way, we camped and explored the Snow Lake, one of the largest expanses of ice in the Karakoram Mountains.  

Biaffo, Choktoi and Nobade Sobande Glaciers.

Nanga Parbat, we arrived in Islamabad on June 19. We were unable to get on the flight to Skardu in Baltistan and drove in a big private bus instead. We stopped in Chilas at the K2 Motel after a 12 hours drive at the half way point between Islamabad and Skardu.

Nanga Parbat - the view from near Chilas.

Nanga Parbat

Nanga Parbat

The meeting point of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and the Himalaya mountain ranges

Remains of the Buddhist culture in northern Baltistan (a point of interest along the ancient Silk Road)

Karakoram Highway

Balti fast food in Skardu. We arrived in Skardu on June 20th. We got up early the following morning to take photos of Indus River sand dunes. In Skardu, we stayed at the Pioneer Hotel.

The Indus River valley near Skardu in the evening.

The Indus River near Skardu

The early morning light on the sand dunes of the Indus River near Skardu.

The sand dunes of the Indus River

Sand dunes of the Indus River

We drove from Skardu to Askole. The drive is 6-7 hours long and follows the Shigar and Braldu River Valleys. The road was blocked by a rock fall but the locals blasted the passage open. The photo is of a bridge over the Braldu River near Askole.

The bridge over the Braldu River near Askole.

Jeep track from Skardu to Askole. We were blocked by a rockfall.

The road from Skardu to Askole along the Braldu River. Askole is at 2,965m.

The spot where the trail to the Baltoro Glacier and K2 meets the trail to the Biafo Glacier, a 3 hours walk from Askole. During Day 1 on June 22, we hiked on a steep trail through a narrow notch in the cliffs before we could descend to gain the glacier proper.

Day 1. The view to the Biafo Glacier before we descended to it. Our destination for the day was Namla camp at 3,263m. We hiked for 7 hours from Askole. On the way, we got lost in the middle of the Biafo Glacier.

Day 1. Hike from Askole to Namla Camp.

Day 1. Hike from Askole to Namla Camp.

Day 1. Hike from Askole to Namla Camp.

Day 1. Hike from Askole to Namla Camp. Biafo Glacier is visible below.

Dai 1. This was our lunch spot. After lunch we descended to the Biafo Glacier.

Day 1. Biafo Glacier - en route to the Namla camp.

Day 1. The frontal part of the Biafo Glacier.

Day 1. Our crew taking a rest on the Biafo Glacier

Glacial stream on the Biaffo Glacier.

The view from Namla Camp at 3,263m.

Day 2. En route to Banta camp. We initially had to follow the rubble of the lower glacier but soon we started walking on the medial moraine.

Day 2. En route to Banta camp. Walking up the 67 km long Biaffo Glacier

We arrived at the Banta I camp at 3,263m. From here we hiked up to the hills above the camp. We had fantastic views of the Ogre and the Latok mountains. The prominent tower on the left is the Ogre's Thumb, to its right is the Ogre 7,285m. Ogre II 6,960m is the triangular peak to the right. On the left is the Latok group. From the back: Latok 2, 7,086m, Latok 1, 7,151, and small peak of 6,034m.

The Ogre and the Latoks above Banta I camp.

The Biafo Glacier. The Banta Camp is below.

The Biafo Glacier.

The Latok Group.

The Ogre and the Ogre's Thumb

Latok 2 - 7,076m and the triangular pyramid of Latok 3 in the back.

The Ogre 7,285m and Banta Brakk II (Ogre II), 6,960m

The Uzun Brakk Glacier from the hills above the Banta I Camp. Ogre 1 and 2 are on the left.

The Ogres and Latoks from the hill above Banta camp.

Day 3. We could not find a safe way along the glacier. One of the porters climbed a large boulder to find the way. We slogged all day along the Biafo. We encountered deep snow and the going got tough for the porters. We decided to wait until the following morning for the soft snow to freeze. Furthermore, our guide got ill with a stomach ailment.

Day 3. On June 26th and June 27th we camped at rocky ridge in the middle of the glacier at 4,385m.

Our camp on Day 3 and Day 4 in the middle of the Biafo Glacier at 4,385m. We needed a rest day to allow our guide to recover from his illness. We could not hike anywhere during the rest day as we were surrounded by hidden crevasses.

During Day 3, we were trying to negotiate soft snow in the blazing sun.

Negotiating soft snow on the Biafo Glacier during Day 3.

The peaks along the Biafo Glacier.

The morning of Day 4, we had a cold but clear morning on the Biafo Glacier. We were now at 4,385m. The sunrise was quite spectacular illuminating the peaks lining the Biafo Glacier to the north of our camp. We decided to take a rest day to allow our guide to recover from his stomach ailment.

Sunrise on Day 4 at 4,385m

Sunrise on Day 4

Day 5, June 28th. We started early to avoid soft snow again. It was quite cold as we were walking in the shade. We passed below Nagpogoro (black rocks) and Marpogoro (red rocks).

Upper Biafo Glacier

Looking back from the trail between the Biaffo Camp and Lukpe Lago camp on Day 5.

Day 5. En route to Snow Lake (Lukpe Lawo).

Biafo Glacier, looking towards the Latok Peaks. Biafo Glacier here is at the altitude of 4,428m

Day 5, en route to Lukpe Lawo.

Ghur from Biafo Glacier and Game Sokha Lumbu (6,282m)

Day 5, we can now see the Snow Lake ahead. Sosbun Brakk 6,413m is on the left.

Day 5. Approaching the camp on the Snow Lake at 4,745m. We were intending to stay there for a few days to explore the area. The hidden crevasses posed a threat though as the snow would get soft in the intense sun.

Biafo Glacier, approaching the Snow Lake.

Approaching the Snow Lake. The Hispar Pass is hidden on the left.

Broad Tower (5,063m) and Solu Peak (5,901m)

On the Snow Lake. Broad Tower (6,063m) and Solu Peak (5,901m)

Day 5 and Day 6. Our camp on the Snow Lake at 4,745m.

Snow Lake, looking north east.

The view from our camp at the Snow Lake at 4,745. Day 5 and Day 6.

Cooking area on the Snow Lake

Shirkan in our camp at Snow Lake at 4,745m.

The Snow Lake, looking back at the Biafo Glacier.

The Snow Lake, looking North West

The Ogre from our camp at the Snow Lake.

Sunrise from our camp at the Snow Lake.

Day 7, we departed our camp at Snow Lake to cross the Hispar Pass. We started very early to take advantage of the frozen snow. The area of the Hispar Pass has a lot of hidden crevasses.

Approaching the Hispar Pass on the horizon, Skam La Pass and to the right (around the buttress) is the Biafo Glacier.

Climbing to Hispar Pass.

Hispar Pass 5,151m The pass is actually a large and levelled snow field like a large plateau. We were planning to camp there but due to high winds we decided to camp further down.

The Hispar Pass 5,151m

The Hispar Pass

Looking back at the Snow Lake

Snow Lake

Snow Lake

Snow Lake

Approaching to the top of the Hispar Pass 5,151m

Skam La Pass on the left in the clouds. Below it, the Snow Lake.

At the top of Hispar Pass

Hispar Pass 5,151m

Looking back from Hispar Pass to the Snow Lake

The Top of Hispar Pass 5,151m

Looking down the Hispar Glacier from the top of Hispar Pass. We camped by the green lakes below. The campsite was near Khani Basa Glacier at 4,530m. As we approached the camp, the snow got progressively softer making walking difficult.

The surface snow melt on the Hispar Glacier which is 49km long. Our campsite near the Khani Basa Glacier at 4,530m.

Our camp at 4,530m

Day Hispar Glacier, the night of Day 7 at 4,530m

Hispar Pass from Hispar Glacier side and our camp right below the Hispar Pass on Day 7 at 4,530m.

Camp on Day 7

Our porters descending from Hispr Pass

Day 8, we hiked for 5 hours from the Khani Basa camp to Shikambarish Camp at 4,170m. We traversed the Jutmo Glacier and finished the day in a downpour. On the way, we had to traverse a hill/moraine of liquid mud that made our progress slow and tedious.

En route to Shikambarish camp on Day 8.

Hispar Pass on the left and the Hispar Glacier on Day 9

Yutmaru Glacier

Yutmaru Glacier and Yutmaru Sar 7290m in the centre.

Looking down the Hispar Glacier from our camp near Dachigan at 4,000m on Day 9

Crossing the Pumari Chish Glacier en route to the camp near Dachigan at 4,000.

Day 9 en route to Dachigan camp.

On the Hispar Glacier.

On the Hispar Glacier

The view from Dachigan camp on Day 9 at 4,000.

The view across the Hispar Glacier from Dachigan.

Steep climb after crossing the Pumari Chish Glacier.

Day 9, Dachigan. From Dachigan, we walked to Hispar Village on Day 10 for 6 hours. We camped at the Huru Village. We had to walk from Hispar to Huru for some distance. The walk was longer than normal due to landslides. On this trek, we walked the total distance of 132km and ascended only 2,750m in total.

From Huru, we took a jeep to Karimabad we were hang our for a day in the Hunza Baltit Inn. On July 7 we drove to Chilas via Gilgit. We were now back on the Karakoram Highway. On July 8, there were serious terrorist attacks in London. This necessitated an armed escort for our group from Abbottabad to Islamabad. We did not know what was going on. The police with guns showed up and wisked us through all the intersections and red lights along the way. Only after arriving at the hotel in Islamabad we found out what had happened in London. We stayed in Islamabad on July 9th and flew home on July 10th.

Ellesmere Island - Lake Hazen to Tanquary Fjord in the Canadian High Arctic

Quttinirpaaq National Park is a Canadian national park. Located on the northeastern corner of Ellesmere Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, the most northerly extent of Canada, it is the second most northerly park on Earth after Northeast Greenland National Park. In Inuktitut, Quttinirpaaq means "top of the world".  In order to get there, one must fly to Resolute and from there, one must take a Twin Otter plane on a four hour flight further north.  The flight requires a refueling stop at the Eureka Military Base half way up the Ellesmere Island.  The plane is equipped with large balloon tyres to enable it to land on a grassy tundra.  During the summer, there is 24 hour daylight. The starting point of the trek is Lake Hazen, located at the latitude of 81 degrees north and approximately 1,000km south of the North Pole.  Lake Hazen is located to the north of the Earth's magnetic pole making compass navigation impossible.  

The location of Ellesmere Island.

The 100km long trekking route from Lake Hazen (in the middle of the map) to Tanquary Fjord (on the lower left part of the map) traverses the Quttinirpaaq National Park.

Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

The Henrietta Nesmith Glacier

Henrietta Nesmith Glacier

Turnstone Glacier

Turnstone Glacier

Turnstone Glacier

Adams Glacier

Adams Glacier

Tanquary Fjord and mummified Muskoxen

Adams Glacier

Adams Glacier

Lewis Lake

Garfield Range

Garfield Range

Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake

Camping by Adams Glacier

Lewis River, we were aiming for the hills on the left on the horizon

Part of the Ad Astra Icecap

Lewis LAke

Arctic wolf

Parks Canada station at Tanquary Fjord

Tanquary Fjord

Old supplies in the Parks Canada Station at Tanquary Fjord

An antique Bombardier snow machine at the Parks Canada camp

Ellesmere Island - Flight from Resolute to Lake Hazen

Quttinirpaaq National Park is a Canadian national park. Located on the northeastern corner of Ellesmere Island in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, the most northerly extent of Canada, it is the second most northerly park on Earth after Northeast Greenland National Park. In Inuktitut, Quttinirpaaq means "top of the world".

In order to get there, one must fly to Resolute and from there, one must take a Twin Otter plane on a four hour flight further north.  The flight requires a refueling stop at the Eureka Military Base half way up the Ellesmere Island.  The flight path crosses over spectacular northern landscapes of the Axel Heiberg Island.  These are some of the most inaccessible parts of the planet requiring large amounts of logistical planning to get there.  The plane is equipped with large balloon tyres to enable it to land on a grassy tundra.  During the summer, there is 24 hour daylight. 

Resolute

Resolute

Resolute

Henrietta Nesmith Glacierand the shore of Lake Hazen

Henrietta Nesmith Glacier

Lake Hazen

Henrietta Nesmith Glacier

Landing strip at Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

Refueling stop at the military base of Eureka

Lake Hazen

Lake Hazen

Eureka refueling station

Auyuittuq National Park Traverse on the Baffin Island, Canada

Auyuittuq National Park is located on eastern Baffin Island between the communities of Pangnirtung and Qikiqtarjuaq.   Our plan was to traverse the Akshayuk Pass, a 97 kilometre traditional Inuit travel corridor that crosses the park. The trail starts at sea level and rises to 420 metres at Summit Lake.  We also intended to explore many glaciers that dominate the park.  

In 2003, my first trip to the Canadian Arctic. I met these Inuit who invited me to go seal hunting with them during the Arctic night.

The most common backpacking route in the park is known as Akshayuk Pass, and follows the Weasel and Owl rivers via Summit Lake. In 2008, heavy rain and warm weather caused Summit Lake to burst through its banks, flooding the Weasel River and washing away the Windy Lake bridge. As a result, the hiking routes in the pass are limited to either side of the Weasel River.

I was lucky to do this traverse in 2003 as it can not be done any more due to washouts.

An Inuit carver with his creation

Qikiqtarjuaq; formerly known as Broughton Island until November 1998, is a community located on the island of the same name in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada.

Qikiqtarjuaq

Qikiqtarjuaq

Qikiqtarjuaq - a polar bear hide

The rugged coast of Baffin Island

Turner Glacier and Mt. Asgard (shown in the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me) with an 800 m (2,600 ft) face.

Fording the river flowing from the Turner Glacier

Summit Lake

We had numerous river crossings every day

In 2008, heavy rain and warm weather caused Summit Lake to burst through its banks, flooding the Weasel River and washing away the Windy Lake bridge.

Mt. Thor in the distance.

Mt. Thor's 1250m face

Mt. Thor

Morocco

Although Morocco is geographically in Africa, culturally it is somewhere between France and Middle East. But in reality, it is one of a kind…

Our route was from Marrakesh to Essaouria to Ourzazate to Meknes to Fez and finally Casablanca

K2 Basecamp - Ghondogoro La Trip Summary

Participants:  Derek, Mike, Joe (Mike’s 16 y.o. son), Sue, Ron and Chris (Ron’s son)

June 21-23, 2001

This trek was my first trek to the high mountains of Asia and the beginning of many trekking adventures to follow.  I found a website with spectacular photos from this trek. The website was created by a French gentleman who travelled to the Karakoram in the year 2000.  I communicated with him and he provided me with the contact to Ghulam and his agency Mountains Travel Pakistan (MTP).  I took this trip seriously and started training in December of 2000.  I found five other persons to join me.  It was the largest group ever assembled by me!  The story below is based on the journal by Susan, one of the participants of this magnificent trek. 

Finally the day of departure came.  Our Air Canada flight from Calgary was delayed by 8 hours.  This made us miss the flight from London to Abu Dhabi. Thankfully we were rerouted on the exotic Royal Air Brunei.   We landed in Abu Dhabi on Royal Air Brunei a few hours later.  The bags also arrived with us, which was a small miracle.

Prior to embarking on our trek, we needed the permits and the briefing at the Ministry of Tourism in Islamabad. In Pakistan, the Ministry of Tourism is the agency responsible for issuing trekking and climbing permits.   To my surprise, the permit appointed me the leader, which Susan took quite literarily.  The office at the Ministry of Tourism was a throwback to the British era.  The office was located in a small building and had mountains of folders and papers everywhere.  It was also a special place of sorts as all climbers, some very famous, had to show up in person for the briefing.  The obligatory visit to the Ministry was a Pakistani tradition among the climbers and trekkers.  On the walls of the small and crowded waiting area, there were some old posters from 1980s with famous climbers and pictures of mountains we would soon visit.  The official issuing the permit was quite inquisitive about the Canadian “Eskimos” and really wanted to know if we have ever seen them and what they were like.  Those were the only questions he had asked us.  After a friendly chat and banter, the permits were issued and we were on our way. 

After the meeting at the Ministry, we went without the guide to a lovely viewpoint above Islamabad.  It was hot and humid.  Then we went to Faisal Mosque.  The dark sky, due to approaching thunderstorm, contrasted beautifully with the white marble of the mosque.  We could not go inside but walked around the massive courtyard.  It is probably the most modern and attractive building in Islamabad.  

Islamabad is the old city while Rawalpindi is the new section.  Rawalpindi is where all the foreign embassies are located. It has wide and tree-lined streets and is surrounded by green hills.  It is actually a very nice city.  Rawalpindi on the other hand, is old and chaotic.  It does have a different charm and, all in all, is very exotic.  Everyone was extremely nice and friendly.  Pakistan made a good first impression on us.  

We had tea at the MTP’s office located in a residential high rise and then went to the local bazaar.  The bazaar is a maze of very narrow and claustrophobic alleys.  It is dividend into areas of specialty so one does not have to wander for hours looking for an item of interest.  Again, everyone was all smiles and very friendly.  We saw some dead rats size of a house cat!  We did not see any other foreigners and were quite an attraction for the locals.  So may sights, sounds and smells.  It was all absolutely fantastic.  

Sunday, June 24th, 2001

We were up by 5.40am for our drive to Skardu, the capital of Baltistan. Baltistan is the province in northern Pakistan where most of the high mountains are located and where our trek was. It is also an area of dispute between India and Pakistan and a reason for the military standoff. 

We had two days of spectacular driving along the KKH ahead of us.  The intent was to fly but we were unanimous that we wanted to drive.  We passed many crowded villages with many people milling around.  At first, we were driving through lowlands and it was hot and humid.  As we drove north, the scenery got more and more spectacular.  As we continued up the highway, the Indus River gorge became deeper and deeper and the surrounding mountains became quite steep and dry.  The highway is very spectacular and the fact that it was built left us in awe.  The KKH was built by the Chinese in the 1960 and 1970.  Close to a thousand people were killed in the process.   The drops to the Indus River were immense.  Everything is bigger here and we had no concept of scale.  In all villages there were no women to be seen.  Men were running the shops and the women were probably in the fields and homes.  

As we approached Chilas (the half way point of the drive), we could sense that we were surrounded by high mountains.  The scenery became very raw and unforgiving.  Right before Chilas, we stopped at a military check post in a big brown tent pitched next to the road.  Our passports were examined upside down and we had to register our particulars in an enormous book where we put our imaginary names.  We stopped in Chilas for the night.  The concrete hotel was new but had an abandoned feel to it as we were the only guests.  

Along the KKH Highway and the Indus river

The next day, we got up early again and continued to Skardu along even more spectacular gorge. Our first view of Nanga Parbat provided a taste of what was coming.   We could see the entire mountain looming above the brown hills below.   The terrain is so massive that one looses the sense of scale.  The fact that Nanga Parbat was entirely covered by snow and ice, indicated that it was a huge mountain as the surrounding lowlands were very hot and dry.  We passed the meeting point of three great ranges:  the Himalaya, Karakorum and the Hindukush.  We then turned east while the KKH continues north towards Gilgit and then China.  The road between Chilas and Skardu squeezes through a narrow gorge of the Indus River. The road is blasted from steep granite walls and follows the gorge all the way to the oasis of Skardu.  Sometimes we could see the peculiar cable pullies stretched across the gorge and used by the locals to ferry cargo and people across.

The confluence of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindukush. This is also the turnoff to Skardu from the main KKH.

Monday, June 25th, 2001 

We arrived in Skardu around 3 pm after the spectacular drive along the Indus River gorge. The rushing waters of the Indus were very turbulent.  The river has a lot of power in it as it pushes its way through the Karakoram. Ultimately, the massive glaciers of the entire range drain into this river.  The region is very mysterious and shrouded in history.  It is located at the confluence of China, India and Pakistan. It has some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on Earth, some of the longest glaciers and inaccessible valleys. It was explored by Eric Shipton and Bill Tillman and described in the book “Blank on the Map”.   This book was one of the greatest exploration stories ever.  

In Skardu we stayed at the Pioneer Hotel.  After arriving, we had tea and started to organize our gear for the trek. We visited the local bazaar.  Joe purchased Shawal Kamiz (local outfit) and became a full-fledged Pakistani.  We visited the Skardu Fort located at 7,500 feet of elevation.  The fort was built in 1600s.  It was really just a shell of a building with very little inside.  It was however a backdrop to one of the scenes of the movie K2 mainly due to its dramatic location on top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the valley.  We could not photograph inside of it.  From the Fort we had incredible views of Skardu and the Indus River valley below. The area around Skardu is really an oasis in this very dry landscape.  The town is surrounded by sharp and dry peaks but the real giants of the Karakorum are hidden from the view.  We could see the on going cricket match down below and the empty local polo field.  

Susan was looking for a place to make a long distance phone call and our driver Mohamed took us to 3 or 4 different places.

We had our dinner at the hotel with the tables set up outside.  We watched chapattis being made in the outdoor oven. We had to be up at 4.30 am to start our drive to Askole, the start of our trek.  We needed to start early to beat the rising water in the stream that we needed to cross by jeeps.  Not in a very distant past, the distance from Skardu to Askole required a week of walking along a dry and dangerous trail snaking above the Braldu River (the Braldu River originates at the Baltoro Glacier).   The trail was prone to rock fall and land slides.  Today we can drive it in a few hours.  

June 26th, 2001 Tuesday

Now we know why the jeeps were required for this section of the road.  The road is barely a jeep width.  We travelled in a convoy picking up porters along the way.  None of us has ever been on a road like this one.   One of the jeeps had trouble with crossing a stream.  While the jeep got stuck in the rushing and rising water, the chickens we purchased for the trek attempted to escape, porters had to jump into the water from the jeep while the other drives were standing around offering great advice.  Finally we made it out through the stream.  We walked the last stretch of the road to the village of Askole where we camped for the night.  

The road from Skardu to Askole

We shared our camp with 3 American women and 2 Japanese men.  There were many, many porters milling around looking for work. There is a specific system for hiring porters.  They have special ID cards. The trek is dividend into stages and there is a set rate of pay for each stage.  The porters cannot carry more than 20kg per load and need to be issued sunglasses and shoes for the snow and ice.  

The village consists of mud houses that provide shade and cool during the extremely hot summer and good insulation during bitter winters.  The village probably has not changed in 400 years. They have a school of sorts and a dispensary.  I caused quite a splash with my size and felt like a circus act when walking around town. The Balti people (this area is populated by the Balti tribe) are quite small and look more like their Tibetan neighbors than the Pakistanis from the southern part of the country.  We felt uncomfortable sitting in the campsite being served while the villages watched.  The villagers just stood there in silence observing our every move.  I guess, the passing Westerners provide them with great entertainment.  

Instead of sitting around, Mike and I took a jeep ride to check out the local bridge above the Braldu River.  We walked across rickety bridge to the other side above the turbulent and loud river. The space between bridge planks was at least a foot and the railing was barely up to my knee.  The bridge swayed and rocked and we could only cross it one person at the time.  It was quite unnerving to go across it above the rushing torment of the river.  We took great care.  After, we saw a couple of small kids just hop across the bridge with no effort or fear.  

We had a good supper of veggie curry, chicken legs, mac and cheese and a sliced mango.  It was quite a luxury. 

June 27th, 2001 Wednesday

Today we had our first real day of trekking.  We got up at 6am to a great breakfast.  We met a fellow from Askole (Ali) who travelled to BC in Canada to film the movie K2.  We were all invited to his house for a meal should we be back.  We had fantastic weather and it was hot!  Joe got too much heat in the morning and felt sick at lunch. Once he had a lot of water and some food, he regained his energy after lunch.  Ibrahim carried Joe’s pack while Mike carried his boots.  Mike said it almost killed him! 

The trek began on a sandy flat river valley.  We passed the confluence of the Braldu River valley and the Biafo glacier (another massive glacier draining the center of the Karakoram Range).  See the trek from Biafo glacier from 2005.  

As the day progressed, it got hotter and hotter.  We got our first view of the famous Paju Towers.  The surrounding mountains got steeper and higher.  We hiked a stage and a half to Jola.  On the way to dusty Jola, we crossed a very rustic bridge one person at a time.  The camp had wild irises and lavender that we could smell from far away.  It was a tiring day mainly because of the heat.  

After dinner in Jola, we had dancing and singing by the porters.  They were using the blue expedition drums as instruments. 

June 28th, 2001

We had breakfast at 5 am with the idea of starting early to beat the heat of the day.   At midday, the heat reflects from the rocks making the air feel like a dry sauna.  

Today we walked to Paju.  We left at 6.20 am to beat the heat and rising rivers along the way. Although we left early, the day was very hot.  Mike got affected by heat and got a mild heat stroke.  As we approached Paju we had our first view of the great Karakoram mountains: Trango and Cathedral Towers.  They looked like giant brown teeth looming above the Baltoro Glacier below.  

We had lunch on a rocky spot by the river and the temperature was like an oven with no shade in sight and nowhere to hide.  We sat by the stream for quite a while just to cool off.  We passed by many wild rose bushes that were in the height of bloom.   It is miraculous how they grow so profusely in such a dry place.  

We crossed the rivers without incident with some help from porters.  The Paju camp is located on many terraces and has many trees. It is a custom to stay here for two nights.  The rest day allows the porters to prepare food for days ahead.  We had a good dinner and more dancing in the evening. Chris was dancing with the American girls and lasted into the night.  

June 29th, 2001 - Paju rest day

We used the rest day for a 4-hour exploratory walk to the ridge above the camp for a great view of the mountains.  We came to a nice waterfall, which we named after Joe:  Babusar Falls.  We came back to camp in time for great lunch.  I asked to see the killing of the goat that was to provide meat for our porters. Watching the goad being killed was very unpleasant, as our urban sensibilities are not accustomed to such things.  This is the campsite that the goat is killed at and the porters have last meat meal before the glacier.  We had goat liver curry but did not eat too much as we had stuffed ourselves at lunch. After lunch we moved from one shady spot to another to escape the heat.  

June 30th, 2001 Paju to Korbutse

Today we started walking on the Baltoro Glacier among some of the greatest scenery imaginable.  We ascended the rock-covered snout of the giant Baltoro Glacier.  At the snout, the rushing water gave birth to the Braldu River that we have been following for the past few days.  The Baltoro is a giant sea of ice covered by thick layer of rock with streams of rushing water on top.  The walk was 6 hours and due to the heat it felt long.  Chris did not feel well and Ibrahim carried his pack again. Chris was quite adamant to carry his oversized and heavy pack.  He wanted to be tough but the heat beat him. 

We had good rest under a cool rock with Paju Peak in front of us.  Our camp is at the edge of the glacier surrounded by ice and waterfalls although still very hot.  The camp was at 13,000 feet of elevation.   We are now surrounded by famous peaks that are very impressive.  Giant spires and steep rocks with glaciers and ice formations. It is a very unique landscape not only among other high mountains but also in the Karakoram Range itself.  Mike passed out in the shade beat by the hot sun. 

July 1, 2001 Khorbutse to Urdukas

We had an easy walk today with a late start.  We walked on the glacier among ice ridges and spectacular scenery.  At camp we hiked above 14,000ft to take photos of the great panorama across the Baltoro Glacier.  For dinner we had a cake with Canada Day written on it. Overnight the weather changed and we had some rain.   

July 2, 2001 Urdukas to Goro

Lots of hiking today on the surreal glacier with huge chasms of rushing water, spires of ice and immense boulders balanced on ice pedestals.  Spectacular mountains now surrounded us.  We had a good view of Masherbrum that was initially hidden behind a thick cloud.  

Far in the distance, the Gasherbrum 4 (a famous almost an 8,000 mountain) towered over Concordia (the confluence of three glaciers and our destination).  I shot 2 rolls of film today.  We walked as a group, which was nice, taking our time and enjoying the scenery.  The weather turned a bit around lunch and we could watch the clouds roll up the valley as the wind picked up just before camp.  We passed what must be the most desolate army post south of the Gulag. The post consisted of some scruffy tents on the glacier.  

Tonight we sleep on the glacier.   There has been a dramatic temperature shift.   The porters sleep on mats on the glacier under tarps.  They are extremely tough and resilient people.  Mike and Joe ate very little for dinner and the cook was worried.  Ibrahim came and check on them and asked the cook to make them an apricot soup, which seemed to perk them up a bit.  The apricot soup was not a good idea.  Mike was up during the night (that did not sound good), there was an incident:

I was sleeping in my tent and was awoken around 2am by frantic discussion between Mike and Joe. Mike was desperately looking for the roll of the toilet paper, which he misplaced again (as he did during all previous nights).  Tonight though was different.  It was the night of reckoning and the misplaced roll would have serious consequences for him.   As the desperation climaxed and the apricot soup worked its way back to the world, Mike exclaimed, with anger and resignation in his voice, that it was really all my fault.  His soiled pants on the frozen glacier were a direct result of me talking him into the trip in the first place.  I did not want to add fuel to the fire and contained my laughter inside my sleeping bag.  Mike never misplaced the toilet paper again after this incident.  I can just imagine having to deal with the consequences of “the incident” in the middle of the night on the frozen glacier.   I felt very sorry for him and for Joe who had to deal with the fallout.    

Susan sat up and had coffee with Ibrahim and talked about comparative lifestyles. Ibrahim is a very interesting and caring man, he is great with Joe and seems much older than 27.  Susan concluded that one must grow up much faster in Pakistan.  

July 3, 2001 Goro to Concordia

We had a late start to day.  It was our first real rainy day.  Mike woke up in a foul mood and was not very talkative – understandably so.  We walked for 4.5 hours on the glacier crossing crevasses and watching the ever-changing scenery.  We walked slow, had many stops and rested as were now walking as a group and were much higher. 

When we got to the camp, we saw the top of K2 about half again as high as we were expected to see it.   It was incredible.  It was the first time for me seeing an 8,000 peak and K2 is the second highest peak on the planet.  There were little glimpses throughout the afternoon of all the peaks.  It is the throne room of the mountain gods but the gods were playing games.  We arrived in Concordia at 15,500 feet at 2.30 and had a relaxing afternoon.  Mike was not feeling well and will take a rest day. We were planning to go to K2 BC tomorrow depending on the weather.   

The area of Concordia is like the front row seat in front of the highest peaks on the planet.  To the left of our camp, 20 km away is K2, the king of mountains.  Right next to it is Broad Peak, another 8,000 peak.  Next to Broad Peak is Gasherbrum 4, an extremely beautiful mountain.  Its steep south face towers over Concordia and is illuminated by the setting sun. The beautiful gold glow of the rock gives it its nickname “The Shining Wall”.  During the 1980, these peaks were the arena of many mountaineering dramas in which the Poles played major roles.  The 1986 K2 tragedy saw many people killed in one season.  One of them was Tadeusz Piotrowski from Szczecin, my hometown.  Broad Peak was traversed by Kukuczka/Kurtyka duo and it was one of the greatest climbs ever made.  The ascent of the Shining Wall by Kurtyka and Robert Shauer, was one of the finest climbs in alpine climbing history admired to this day.  It was very special for me to be here and to see these places with my own eyes.  

Gasherbrum IV - The Shigning Wall

Looking at K2, I felt that it would be a very lonely and desolate place to die. It felt very far away from civilization and the energy surrounding this place was not very positive.  It felt raw and lifeless.  

July 4, 2001 Wednesday

What a day. We had a very lazy start as we were under the weather.  We had a leisurely breakfast.  At 9.20 am we told Ibrahim that we wanted to go to the Gilkey Memorial.  The Gilkey Memorial is the place where climbers who perished on K2 are buried and where there are plaques for the missing.  It is named after an American Climber Art Gilkey who saved his companions on K2 from falling by stopping the fall with his ice axe. 

We made it to the Broad Peak BC at noon and had tea with an American climbing team while Ibrahim visited with his good friend at the camp.   They had already set up 3 camps and were waiting for the weather to clear to go to the top.   One member of their party was coming down from Broad Peak and we could spot him in the distance.  The weather was overcast and rainy.  It was unfortunate because we could not see much of the spectacular scenery surrounding us. 

We then headed off for Gilkey Memorial, which is located at about 17,000 feet. We arrived there at 2.30 or so. The place felt rather creepy with the low clouds and the wind.  The memorial was full of metal plates with names on them, many of which I recognized. Many Polish and many young people in prime of their lives were buried here.  The place was a desolate desert of rock and ice.   We were at the foot of K2 and Broad Peak was just across the glacier. K2 BC was very cold and foreboding with all the glaciers connecting in one cold place.   

We had some tea and snacks that magically appeared from the porter’s pack (Shabir) who accompanied us.  We left the memorial around 3.15 pm.  We stopped at the Swiss Broad Peak BC and received cool reception.  We were looking around to use the sat phone and ended up visiting the Bulgarian and Chinese basecamps to no avail. 

We continued the torrid pace to make it back to Concordia before dark, which we managed to do but just barely.  We were all tired and Ron had hard time breathing.  Ibrahim was very impressed and claimed that we set a record of walking 20km (there and back) in 8 hours.  We walked over glacial rocks, up and down moraines with a 1,250ft elevation gain.  

It was a long but wonderful day, we made it to K2.  We also discovered what an elusive woman K2 is.  She would peak her head out of the clouds and the wind and then disappear again. 

July 5, 2001 Thursday

Last day in Concordia.  We debated going to the Ali camp today but our tired bodies from yesterday and the gradual change in the weather (for the better) convinced us that we had made the right decision to stay.  Ibrahim went crystal hunting and arrived with some fine specimens.  I stashed one of them in my bag.  

We relaxed, did some washing and walked around to take photos of this spectacular place.  We also watched a large Spanish/German group arrive with 120 porters and large cameras. We spent much time watching K2 and Broad Peak hide behind the clouds and re appear.  We had luxury of time in such an incredible place.  It is however, very cold at night and all the layers are coming out.  At sunset, I took some fantastic photos of the spectacular Shining Wall.  It sure lived up to its name!

After dinner we were huddled in the mess tent when Ibrahim called us out to watch the partial eclipse of the moon.  The night was spectacularly clear with all the mountains lit up by the moon.  What a breathtaking way to say good-bye to Concordia!  We concluded that now we would be satisfied by nothing less than a total eclipse. 

July 6, 2001 Concordia to Ali Camp 16,950 feet

Ali Camp is the best mountain scenery camp we have seen so far.  We had fantastic weather, sunny and no wind.  During the walk, the view back to K2 and Concordia was very spectacular.  We could see the ice highway, which we trekked over two days before.  K2 was towering over the surrounding landscape. The mountains here are so massive that the distances look very deceiving.  The distance of nearly 20km does not look far at all.  We were now on a wide white glacier surrounded by peaks we had seen now from different angles.  It was another incredible day.  

We arrived at Ali High camp at 4 pm and had garlic soup apparently to help with altitude. Joe had extra garlic and Sue had extra ginger.  They kept feeding us and we felt like lambs to the slaughter.  We all huddled to the mess tent with a lantern and attempted to sleep.  Chris slept through most of it and the rest of us did not.  

It was quite cold as we just sat in our sleeping bags waiting for the time to go.  At midnight we drank some green tea and started to get ready for the crossing of the Ghondogoro Pass.  We had our gear ready and waited for the porters to get organized.  We met the “rescue team” who helped us to cross the pass. The moon was almost full and it was very bright.  The walk across the valley glacier floor was eerie as we were led by the rope behind the porters.  We were not really roped in so the safety was not the greatest.  We broke through some soft snow and were all concerned about hidden crevasses.   We then started up the pass and eventually met the fixed ropes.  We were wearing harnesses, crampons and helmets while the porters had their rubber boots, 20kg loads and sticks.  It was a bit embarrassing.  

We still had the bright moon with us as we started ascending around 3am.  We climbed the ice and snow into the first light at 4.15 am.  We crossed bamboo ladders over some deep crevasses.  We reached the top at 5.20 am, just in time to enjoy the sunrise, with celebration among the porters.  The elevation of the pass was at 5,565m.  Joe and Chris played hacky sack on the top.  We took many photos and got our first look at the Leila Peak and Masherbrum in the distance.  We were all offered garlic tea on the top of the pass.  Ron had a rough day and had an asthma attack later.  From the pass we could see the upper part of K2, Broad Peak and the two Gasherbrums (another 8,000 peaks).  The tops of these mountains were visible above the ridge that surrounded the glacier at the base of the pass, which we crossed during the night.

We descended on fixed ropes on the rocky side of the pass and arrived at the camp. The descent was quite steep at the top but the fixed rope made the descent quick and efficient.  The camp is located in the meadow filled with flowers and surrounded by high peaks.  Cricket was played at the camp, we had some dancing and singing and tipped the rescue team for helping us.  The camp is located at 15,700 feet.  

July 8, 2001 Sunday Hussain Camp to Seicho

Today we dropped from 15,700 ft. to 12,000 ft.   We went from glaciers and moraines to lush valley filled with roses and trees. Much of the morning was spent on the Ghondogoro Glacier walking (or hopping) on some huge boulders.  We then started walking in a valley after passing the confluence of the Ghondogoro Glacier and the spectacular Masherbrum Icefall. We walked passed a large ice cavern with rushing water disappearing into its icy interior.  

We arrived at the lunch spot and Chris was not doing well.  He was carrying a very heavy pack filled with numerous rocks he picked up along the way.  As it got very hot, he had a heat stroke and needed to cool off urgently.  He threw up and needed to rest.   This took some time and we did not start walking again until afternoon.  It was interesting seeing Ron quite oblivious to the unfolding drama. 

After lunch we had two river crossings.  The water levels in the rivers were higher this time of the year and especially this time of the day.  The snow was melting in the afternoon heat and the water rose rapidly.  Within a span of 45 minutes, the clear stream became a rushing torrent of turbulent water with large boulders rolled under the surface.  I managed to cross first in the relatively low water.  As soon as I arrived on the other side, the mayhem broke out.   The water became too dangerous for crossing. The porters were trying to make a path by throwing boulders into the torrent with no success.  The water was too deep and still rising.  Plan B materialized when Chris’s rope finally came out and was thrown across the stream with help from a water bottle.  

Eventually we got all porters across but it was quite a struggle to walk in the rushing torrent.  Shariz was the cowboy star helping all across.  The next crossing we were promised a bridge, but of course there was no bridge and we had to repeat the wet crossing again (with little less drama as we knew what to do).  We had a lovely walk down to the camp among bushes and flowers.  At the camp we could buy Pepsi, juice and water.  They also had showers.  

Masherbrum in the distance

After dinner it was quite cold, so no shower.  The crew had another singing and dancing session celebrating the end of the trek.   Shariz was the stage manager.  We have not yet figured out the pecking order among the porters but it seemed important to them where everyone was sitting.  We were made to dance with Joe being the crowd’s favorite.  They really go out of their way to keep us entertained. 

July 9, 2001 Monday

We left Seicho camp at about 8 am and reached Hushe at noon.  It was a beautiful walk. We left Masherbrum behind us and entered green fields with children and women working. 

We were also greeted by sad news that one of the porters lost his wife and his sister while crossing a river.  He is from Hushe so everyone gave their condolences.   It put a damper on our last walk.  With that in mind we packed into jeeps to cross yet another river before lunch.  Just before Kunde (Iqbal’s village) we left our jeep and the porters unloaded to carry all our stuff to the MTP jeeps across a landslide.  Chis and I rode on top for the first ride, which was rather hairy. Then we all did as the views along this road were just amazing.  

We had lunch in Khande at the K6 Motel. The K6 owner was also one of the locals that went to BC for the filming of the K2 movie.  He was a very nice gentleman and had some nice pictures to show us.  After lunch we tipped the porters who each came in individually to shake our hands and thank us.  It was quite humbling.  These guys risked their lives for us on more than one occasion (as the loss this morning attests) with smiles on their faces.  It is the Balti way.  

Next it was back into the jeeps and ride to Ibrahim’s village (also Shariz and Ali) Machilu.  We are getting used to the jeep rides and they almost feel ordinary.  His village is very beautiful.  We were taken to the government guesthouse.  It had a magnificent view from where we could see Ibrahim’s house where we had been invited to dinner.  Unfortunately due to the water shortage, we had to pass and continue on to Khaplu to the K7 Motel right by the Raj’s palace.  

The ride through the town to the hotel was brutal as the road was under construction and it was just big rocks.  The K7 was not the Ritz but intermittent water was much better than we were used to and, again, the view was magnificent.  As we pulled into the hotel, we were told there was a polo match about to be played so we had our tea and headed down:  Joe noted that we were bigger attraction than the polo.  Sue was the only woman in the crowd but had luckily traded her hat with Shariz for the day in return for a scarf/shawl his girlfriend had given him.   Finally, properly attired, the crowd parted before our eyes, police were moved, children scattered, and we were seated on a red couch by the scorekeeper and the Raj himself! 

We chatted with the Raj, told him where we were from and watched the polo.  It was great fun. Drums and music were played at the appropriate times to the thrill of the crowd. The Raj (who also owned the hotel as it turns out) left early when some army VIPs showed up to see the old palace.  When the match ended we sort of followed along and Ibrahim and Meharin wrangled our way in to see it also.  The palace is 375 years old and has some beautifully ornate woodwork. Unfortunately it is in a great need for some restoration work.  Supposedly this is coming.  It’s not a large spot, as summer places go, but you can see how it would have been beautiful and offered the Raj a view of his polo ground and the town from the roof. We had dinner back at the hotel and a chat with the Raj.  It was another beautiful night full of stars.  Ibrahim, Wahadin and Shariz went back to their village for the night and arrived at 7 am.

July 10, 2001 Tuesday

Ibrahim arrived in the morning with apricots from his garden.   The drive to Skardu was long, hot and generally uneventful. It is a long drive of 100km.  We checked into the good old Pioneer Hotel, had showers, lunch and then off to the bazar.  It now seems quite cosmopolitan after where we have been.  We even saw some familiar faces of porters wander the streets.  We did some shopping and got engaged in discussions with shop owners.  

We met up with a group of Germans that was just heading out to Concordia with MTP.   We all went to the lake Satpoor. One of the Germans was a former mayor of Munich.  He gave me the lead to the Mountain Sun Valley agency in Kathmandu for the trek to Mt. Kailash.  The spot at the lake was quite lovely:  cool and clear water.  The lake provides all of the water supply to Skardu.  After a long chat with the Germans, we headed down to Skardu.  Some of the Germans wanted to take photos while our group wanted to go back to the hotel.  Derek and Sue joined the Germans to go and see the ancient Buddha carving and then to Ghulam’s house (and his brothers).  We met the children belonging to all three.  Shariz popped out of the woodwork to climb trees for apricots and mulberries.   He then helped to serve tea of course.  They have a great house and an exquisite garden.  

We finally headed back to the hotel where we had the financial meeting with Ibrahim and signed Joe’s B-day card.  We had dinner outside.  The BBQ was excellent, with Nan bread instead of chapatti.  It was all very nice.  

July 11, 2001 Wednesday

We thought that today was the flight day to Islamabad for Sue, Ron and Chris, but by 9.30 it was clear that there would be no plane.  They decided to take the jeep with us to the fork in the KKH from where we would go north to China and they would continue back to Islamabad.  Our vehicle run into trouble soon after leaving Skardu.  We had a suspension problem.  The problem was quickly fixed with wood from nearby trees and some rocks.  Soon thereafter we stopped for a tea break.  At the break, we said goodbye to Sue, Ron and Chris. They were heading back to Islamabad and we were off to Kashgar in China.    

K2 South Baltoro and Ghondogoro La in Baltistan, Pakistan

The Baltoro Glacier and Concordia

Islamabad, the Faisal mosque.

The bazar in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi Bazar

Street food in Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

Rawalpindi

A young carpet salesman in Rawalpindi.

Abbottabad

One of many colourfully decorated trucks along the Karakoram Highway.

Along the Karakoram Highway (KKH). Jaglot - Skardu road. The Haramosh Range is on the horizon.

A tea shop stop along the KKH

Indus River and the Karakoram Highway. The section between Jaglot and Skardu.

Chilas

Skardu. The Skardu Karpocho fort is located on the right side of the rocky outcrop in the middle of the Indus Valley.

The road from Skardu to Askole

Dasso

The road from Skardu to Askole had many washed out sections.

Leaving Skardu, packed and ready! Along the Shigar Valley.

The road from Skardu to Askole

The road from Skardu to Askole.

Askole - the shaky bridge over the Braldu River.

Askole, the chief of the village.

School kids in Askole

Askole, the end of the road for the jeeps.

Day 1, hike from Askole to Korophon. We hiked for 12 km on the dusty trail passing the snout of the Biafo Glacier along the way.

The bridge over the Biaffo River on the trail from Askole to Korophon. This bridge does not exist any more.

Trail construction on the trail near Jula camp. Ultimately the trail leads to the Panamagh Glacier.

Looking towards the Paju Peaks on the trail from Akole to Korophon.

Day 2, trail from Korophon to Jula. We had 2 goats for the porters to kill and eat in Paju.

Making chapatis in Paju camp in preparation for the Baltoro Glacier.

Day 3, Paju Camp, the porters killed and ate the goats before getting on the Baltoro Glacier.

Between Korophon and Jula camps.

The Baltoro Glacier

The Cathedral Towers from the trail between Paju and Khoburtse. The highest pointy peak is Lobsang Spire 5,707m

Day 4, on the trail from Paju to Khoburtse. Lobsang Spire is directly ahead.

The view of Lobsang Spire (left) and the Mustagh Tower hiding behind. From the camp at Khoburtse.

Uli Biaho 6,417m and Paju Peak from Khoburtse camp.

Paju Peak and the Paju Icefall.

The Great Trango Tower 6,286m (right) and the Nameless Tower 6,230m (left) from the trail between Paju and Khoburtse camps. On Day 5 we walked from Khoburtse to Urdukas.

The Nameless Tower 6,230m from the trail on Day 4.

From the left to right: Uli Biaho Tower 6,109m, The Great Trango Tower 6,286m, the Nameless Tower 6,230m and Thunmo Cathedral 5,866m from Urdukas camp on the morning of Day 6.

The Thunmo Cathedral 5,866m from Urdukas.

The great Trango Tower and the Nameless Tower 6,230m View from Urdukas

The Great Trango Tower and the Nameless Tower from Urdukas.

The Baltoro Glacier, Uli Biaho Tower 6,109m on the left, The Great Trango Tower 6,286m, The Nameless Tower 6,230m and Thunmo Cathedral 5,883m from Urdukas.

The Nameless Tower and the Great Trango Tower

The Nameless Tower and the Great Trango Tower

Our camp at Urdukas on Day 5/6. The name Urdukas means “split rock”.

Day 6 - we hiked from Urdukas to Goro II camp. The weather deteriorated and we could tell that more clouds and snow were coming. We walked by the Mustagh Tower but unfortunately it was obscured by clouds so we could not see it.

Along the trail from Urdukas to Goro II camp on Day 6.

Looking back towards the Great Trango Tower from the trail on the Baltoro Glacier between Urdukas and Goro II camps.

The Biarcheldi Mountain and The Masherbrum 7,821m (on the right) and the confluence of the Biarcheldi Glacier and the Baltoro Glacier.

En route to Goro II camp. Gasherbrum IV 7,925m can be seen far away at the end of the glacier.

On the Baltoro looking towards Gasherbrum IV 7,925m from Goro II camp.

The Baltoro Glacier and Gasherbrum IV, 7,925m

Masherbrum 7,821m (centre) and the Biarcheldi Glacier.

Broad Peak 8,047m from Concordia camp. We walked from Goro II camp to Concordia on Day 7. We took 2 rest days in Concordia. I did not really rest during the first day as we walked to the K2 Basecamp and back in one very long day covering the distance of more than 20km.

Masherbrum 7,821m

The confluence of the Biarcheldi Glacier with the Biarcheldi Peak and Masherbrum behind.

The Gasherbrum group with Gasherbrum IV on the left 7,925m. on the way from Goro II to Concordia.

Gasherbrum IV is called the shining wall as it glows gold in the setting sun. This view is from Concordia camp at 4,650.

Our camp at Concordia at 4,650m. From here a fantastic panorama of mountains is visible: K2, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum IV. Also numerous smaller peaks and Mt. Cholgolisa. Concordia is where the Godwin-Austen Glacier meets the upper Baltoro Glacier and Vigne Glacier. The pointy peak above our camp is called Mitre Peak 6,025m.

The Mitre Peak 6,025 and the Baltoro Glacier.

Our camp at Concordia at 4,650m looking south to where we came from. We were the only group on Concordia.

K2 and Broad Peak from the Vigne Glacier

Gasherbrum IV from Concordia at sunset. The beautiful light gives it the name “The Shining Wall”.

The Shining Wall, Gasherbrum IV at sunset.

The Gasherbrum IV at sunset.

Our camp at Concordia. During our day trip to the K2 basecamp we had cloudy weather and rain. The view of K2 from the BC is very foreshortened. The mountain is just too massive and high. K2 is best viewed from the distance (like Everest in Nepal).

Broad Peak with lenticular clouds from the trail between Goro II and Concordia.

K2 and Broad Peak from the Upper Baltoro Glacier. During the first rest day on Day 8, we took a trip from Concordia to the K2 BC. The weather was overcast and gloomy with some rain. We walked by the Broad Peak BC meeting some climbers. The Broad Peak BC is at 5,000 on a barren moraine of the Godwin-Austen Glacier. We then walked to the K2 BC and the Gilkey Memorial. The weather made the experience gloomy and somber. The names of climbers who died in the mountains have been inscribed on steel dinner plates with some more ornate plaques. I recognized many names of famous Polish climbers that perished on K2 and Broad Peak.

The total trip from Concordia to K2 and back is over 20km. The walking is fairly flat (500m ascent over 10km) on glacier rubble and ice. We were quite tired by the end of the day and arrived back at the camp at dusk. Thankfully we had another rest day scheduled for the following day, Day 9.

K2 from Concordia on Day 9 evening. The mountain is 10km away!

K2 from Concordia Day 9.

Broad Peak at sunset on Day 9.

The satellite peaks of Gasherbrum IV.

Looking up the Vigne Glacier on Day 10 en route to the Ghondogoro high camp (aka Ali Camp at 5,010m).

The Gasherbrum group from the Upper Baltoro Glacier on Day 10.

The Ghondogoro La 5,940m from the Ali Camp at 5,010m. The route follows the shadow in the centre of the photo. On Day 11, after sleepless and cold night at the Ali Camp, we started our ascent at 2 am. We crossed the glacier in roped teams looking out for hidden crevasses. We then started the 930m ascent arriving at the top of the pass at sunrise. We had beautiful weather and good visibility and low wind. We had to cross some intimidating sections with large seracs looming overhead. We also had to cross a few crevasses along the way up.

Once on top, our porters smoked K2 cigarets and drank garlic tea that was supposed to be good for altitude. We took many photos and admired the early morning view. From the top, we could see K2 and the Gasherbrums rising from behind the nearby ridge. Four 8,000m mountains are visible from the pass. The view to the south was much better with Laila Peak rising majestically over the glacier below. This is one of the most spectacular passes in the Karakoram.

The descent from the pass was steep and rocky. There was a fixed rope put in place and we could use it to repell down. The rockfall danger was present on this section of the descent. Thankfully we were the only group. Once off the 50 degrees section of the descent, we could relax a little. We arrived at the Ghondogoro High Camp at 4,800m in mid afternoon. We were quite tired from two days of walking the the sleepless night.

View from the Ghondogoro La on the descent. Spectacular icefalls and glaciers were all around us.

The view from the Ghondogoro La. The Laila Peak 6,200m is the pointy mountain half-way down the Ghondogoro Glacier. Our camp was on the green spot on the right side across from The Laila Peak.

The Leila Peak from our camp on Day 12. We camped behind the moraine of the Ghondogoro Glacier at 4,800. The porters were very happy to complete the dangerous crossing and we had a sining party at dinner time.

The Great Trango Tower from Urdukas.

The Baltoro Glacier at Concordia.

K2 and the Godwin-Austen Glacier from the Upper Baltoro Glacier en route to the Ali Camp. The south face of Broad Peak is on the right.

The bridge over Braldu River on Day 1 of our trek.

The rocky descent from the Ghondogoro La and the Ghondogoro Glacier from the South Ghondogoro High Camp at 4,800m. The pass is on the centre/left hand side of the photo. This photo was taken on the morning of Day 13 when we walked from the Ghondogoro High Camp to Daltsampa camp at 4,300.

Day 13, walking down the Ghondogoro Glacier with the Masherbrum icefall ahead. From here, we took a 90 degree left turn down the Ghondogoro Glacier. We had a very long day. We had lunch along the way when Chris (one of the guys in our party) got struck with a heat stroke. He nearly passed out and needed some rest. Then, we got delayed by rising water from the Laila Peak. As we arrived at the creek after lunch we noticed the water rising. Within 30 minutes, the creek turned into a raging torrent that required ropes to cross. We could hear boulders rolling violently in the murky and turbulent water. I lost my water bottle while trying to throw the rope to the other side of the creek. This was very harrowing crossing, especially for the porters with heir heavy loads. Finally we made it across with help from our ropes to relief of all and had a good walk down to the camp at Daltsampa. From Daltsampa, we could see the Charkusa Glacier area with the spires circling the Charkusa Glacier.

Masherbrum Icefall from the trail between the Ghondogoro High Camp and Daltsampa camp.

Descending towards Daltsampa camp. The dry cleft in the middle of the photo has been made by the meltwater from the Masherbrum Glacier.

Looking towards Masherbrum from the trail between Ghondogoro High Camp and Daltsampa camp.

On Day 14 we hiked from Daltsampa camp at 4,300m to the village of Hushe at 3,050m. It was a dry and hot walk though green fields near Hushe. We had our last view of the Masherbrum behind. On this trek we walked total distance 115km and ascended 3,450m.

Machilu on the jeep ride from Hushe to Khaplu Village. Our guide Ibrahim lives in Machilu. We stopped at his house for tea on the way.

Karimabad and the fort. After we finished the K2 Trek, we drove to the Hunza Valley and to Kashgar in China via the Kunjerab Pass (see the link for photos from that leg of our trip). We wanted to see the famous Kashgar market. This was another great adventure that included being involved in contraband between China and Pakistan, meeting the Chief of Police of the North West Frontier Province and visiting locals in the village of Passu.

Nepal and Tibet - Lhasa to Kathmandu