K2Live: Daring to Dream Official Blog

K2 Russian deaths, Ger Update, and Marcus report

(Courtesy of Alan Arnette -- AlanArnette.com)

Tragedy on K2 as 4 Russian climbers were killed in an avalanche near the summit. Banjo, who climbed with WIlco, Ger and others on our team, escaped along with Jacek and 3 Russian climbers according to his site. My sincere condolences go out to the Russian's family and friends.

I can confirm that all our 29 team members are back home except for Mick who should be in transit today.

Mountains are dangerous in the best of times. I have attached an update directly from Ger on his condition. An amazing experience for him. Marcus was kind enough to give me permission to repost an email he sent out to his friends on his Broad Peak summit. It is quite a read and reveals the dangers of even an "easy" 8000m peak. Thanks Marcus and Ger. Well done. Please Enjoy:

From Ger:

Thanks everyone for your well wishes. I'm recovering nicely alright here in Ireland. Unfortunately I can't tell you a whole lot about the accident - only what Joelle and Mick told me about it afterwards. The details of the day and the 2 days before are slowly returning though. Mostly the funny parts. Thankfully neither Mick, Wilco, Joelle , Banjo or Jackcek were in the path of the rock avalanche. Wilco was above, Joelle was closest to me in a rock section before the snow field I was on and Mick and Banjo bellow in camp1. I'm not too sure where Jackcek was - either at camp1 or about to arrive there. For the descent it seems like I was merely operating in the present tense as I've no recollection of it yet and yet, according to Mick, I was descending unassisted.

The Russians and Japanese then met us (Banjo, Mick and myself)at ABC and accompanied me back to basecamp. I'm extremely grateful to a lot of people involved here of course - too numerous to mention. Also I have to say that FTA and ATP were extrodinaire in their handling of the incident. Thank you. Sorry to have given all my friends a scare though. One thing's for sure, next time I'll have a sat phone of my own. I would have been able to aliviate a lot of the worry at home with one simple phone call.

Finally had a CT scan. IRL lads say they were mad in Pakistan not to give me one..surprise surprise. :-)5mm depression fracture on one side and a minor fracture that runs along the base of the skull on the other. Heading to another hospital tomorrow where they are likely to operate - stick in a screw and pull it out. They might decide not to due the time lapsed since the accident. That's the latest.

From Marcus:

Traveling and climbing in Pakistan is a huge adventure starting the minute one gets off the plane. Unlike Nepal, reaching the climbs in Pakistan is not straight forward. Ten days were required to make the trip from Islamabad to Broad Peak base camp. The trip up the Karakoram Highway and Indus Highway (Imodium required) make the road from Vancouver to Whistler look like the 401 Highway in Ontario (wide, straight and smooth). We were informed by our driver that in most years they loose at least one bus into the Indus River, never to be seen again.

The walk to Concordia was worth the trip alone. I was stopped in my tracks when Broad Peak (BP) and K2 came into view at Concordia. Both of these peaks project over 3km above the glacier. For those of us that live at sea level, the summits of BP and K2 are over 8km above our standard level of reference.

We had an excellent group of climbers and trekkers heading into base camp. The international flavour was fun and resulted in patriotic competitiveness with Irish, Swiss, Scottish and Canadian flags flying in base camp. Soccer fans even brought flags for their favorite teams to celebrate the world cup.

The acclimatization process for an 8000m peak takes several weeks and lots of schleping up and down the same route. On June 27th we left Camp 3 (6800m) heading for Camp 4 (7500m) and onto the summit (8047 m). These are not huge distances between camps but movement at these elevations is slow, at best. Our plan was to reach Camp 4 just before dark, to brew up, and then leave for the summit at 2 am. C4 consisted of two small single wall tents so space was tight with 2 people in each tent. Through miss communication, we had understood that there was 2 stoves and pots in C4, but when we arrived there was only one stove and pot. This may not sound like that much of an issue until you consider that it takes almost an hour to make a liter of water at this elevation. Even with 6 hours between arrival and departure we were unable to prepare enough water to rehydrate from that days climb and prepare adequate water for summit day. We were dehydrated even before we left for the summit.

Three of us were away from the tents at 2:00 am; Joelle decided to leave after us. The going was tough! There were no tracks to follow, it was dark, cold and we were plowing through knee deep snow. Once we were on the summit ridge the snow was less deep and the climbing more interesting. Our team did not install any fixed lines above camp 3 so we got the full feel of the exposure on the rock sections. There were fixed lines from previous years but they are best not trusted.

After several weeks of hard work I was fortunate enough to reach the summit of Broad Peak with Mick and John on June 28th at 2:00 pm. John and Mick were the first Irishman to reach the summit of Broad Peak and I believe I was the 4th Canadian to do so. Unfortunately, there were no views from the summit because it was snowing, windy and cold. Attempts to display the Canadian flag were thwarted by the wind.

Getting to the top is only half of the challenge when climbing big mountains. Our descent went generally as planned until we reached Camp 4. On first look I thought the tents had blown away. However, they had been buried by snow avalanching off of the bergschrund above. It took about an hour of digging by hand to excavate the tents adequately to allow a tight squeeze inside. To our horror, the snow that had buried the tents had swept away the only stove (long storey how it got left outside). The lack of stove meant no water. It had been 17 hours since we left C4 in the morning and the one liter of water we each had been carrying was long gone.

Mick and I were in one tent and John in the other. Mick did not have a sleeping bag so the close quarters were helpful in keeping us warm - pride aside we huddled in the tent. Snow continued to pour down on the tents throughout the night. By morning the lack of water was taking its toll. The only option was to descend to camp 3 and make water there. By 9:00 am we were descending in clear weather. The progress was slow; very slow. By 2 pm it was snowing again and we lost the route. We contemplated hiding in a crevasse until the weather improved but were afraid we may never come out again so decided to keep descending in what we thought was the right direction. Fortunately, we got a break in the weather at just the critical time and we saw C3 below us. The climbing was easy and we were able to literally stumble down hill to the tents. We reached C3 at about 6:00 pm - we were wrecked. It had been 48 hours since we were last properly hydrated and over 24 hours since our last sip of water.

Hours were spent brewing water and drinking soup at C3 but we were slow to recover. After a night at C3 we headed down again to C2 where friends met us and feed us more water, soup and food - thanks Carl and Kurt - I needed the help.

Base camp was a welcome site after the days on Broad Peak. Large quantities of food were consumed and a much needed wash had, before moving up to K2 base camp.

I had never intended on climbing high on K2. I found it psychologically very difficult at K2. The route is dangerous and the ever-present body parts and signs of previous failed attempts played on my mind. I found a portion of Dan Culver's climbing suite (the first Canadian to climb K2 - unfortunately Dan died on the descent) melting out of the glacier below the south face. My contribution to the climb on K2 was carrying a load of cook fuel to camp 1.

Two friends and I left K2 base camp on July 21 heading for home. It was difficult to leave friends and fellow climbers behind but it was time to go.

Carl & Kurt back in Indiana!!

Good news...Carl and Kurt arrived safely back in Indiana late Sunday night/Monday morning.  It comes at little surprise that there luggage has not yet arrived.

Now that the guys are home you can expect to get further details on their adventure in the coming days.

Congratulations guys, and welcome home!

K2006 WorldClimb -A look back (Alan)

(Courtesy of Alan Arnette - Alan Arnette.com)

What a trip … and I left before it was half over! I said several times   to my teammates that I considered the expedition a success just by getting us all to Islamabad. But my real measure was a safe return for each person back to their families. I am thankful that both goals were accomplished.

By now the background is well know: FTA and I dreamed upped a double-header climb of Broad Peak and K2. We posted the info on our websites; Dave worked on the logistics while I managed the applicants. In the end there were 29 climbers   and trekkers out of 100 interested parties.

ATP met us in Islamabad and we continued our “busses, jeeps and walking” journey, taking almost two weeks to get to the Broad Peak basecamp. Pakistan said hello   to each of us with a special welcome: diarrhea, headaches, vomiting and lost   luggage! And there were smiles, laughs, helping hands and a humbling introduction to our fortunes compared to their struggles. I will always remember the kids.

Carl and Kurt won the award for time lost waiting on bags – almost 10 days in all. The Irish served as the advance team by getting ahead of everyone to save Ger’s lungs from the smog of Islamabad. And then there was my bug.

I still don’t know where I caught it but it kicked my butt. Lying in the fetal position in the dirt on the Baltoro Glacier, I thought it was all over … and it was day two of the expedition! If it hadn't’t been for Carl and Ryan, it would have been.

But the stunning beauty of the Karakorum kept everyone going. I will never forget my first view of Broad and K2 – unbelievable. They were one set   of bookends to an amazing shelf of natural wonders. The 5 day trek to BC was worth the trip alone.

Arriving at BC, everyone was anxious to get climbing – you know: Climb On! JJ, Ryan, Tagi and other HAPs took on the task of “fixing” the   mountain. They worked tirelessly setting lines to C1, C2 and beyond. They would return to BC for more rope and supplies and go back up. Soon we had the first summit by Ryan – and in style. The Porter community celebrated with gusto the summits of three HAPs –a rarity in the Karakorum.

Meanwhile Wilco, Ger and Joelle set the pace for the rest of us. Joelle, without any her bags borrowed boots from the Austrians, tied an 8mm cord around her waist as a “harness” and climbed to C2! We all just shook our heads with amazement.

Sub-teams began to form: Di, Ian and myself; Jan, Nick and Matt; Con and John; Mark, Mick, Ger, Joelle, Marcus and of course my favorite – The Odd Couple – Kurt and Carl. It was not cliques but rather climbers at the same pace or skills.   And everyone on the team worked together.

I always enjoyed the times when the Basecamp tent was full. John telling us another story, Carl pointing his camera, an Irish joke or the pleasure of a song, complaining about more Dahl - we were all entertained. And the bonds grew.

However, the team began to spread out. One day, I counted 14 of us on the mountain at 4 separate camps. It was gratifying that at any time, everyone knew where everyone else was. The team was a team.

Wilco continued to lead the charge with attempt after attempt. Sometimes it was bad weather, other times it was lack of critical mass of more climbers   to break trail. But he did not give up. He and Ger made it to the fore-summit before wisely turning back due to darkness.

Mick, Con, Marcus and Joelle all made the true summit – a testament to their determination and strength. Almost everyone made it to C2 – 21,000’ or 6300m. Many set personal altitude records.

I chronicled my climb on a long (and I mean long) trip report on my site but two times stand out clearly in my mind. Sitting in my tent at C2, Marcus had dropped by for a visit. We chatted and soon he was off to wander around trying to fend off stiffness. Ian and Di were one tent over and were melting snow and strategizing their next move. Con and John were swapping tales in their tent.

I sat cross-legged in the vestibule melting snow for my couscous dinner. The view was breathtaking. The dirty-white glaciers snaked around the mountains.   The jagged peaks of the Himalayas poked into the air like puppies looking for dinner. The steepness of Broad was unveiled in a subtle yet stern warning for us to be careful – very careful. And when I looked higher….

Ah, the goal. The tracks of my teammates and fellow climbers showed the way to C3 but I was not going to get there.

Another memory was my last climb to C1. Ian, Di, John, Nick and I left together from BC. It was a good morning to climb. As usual the weather was spectacular – how absolutely lucky we were during the Broad Peak time. John and Marcus lead the   way from the break. I felt my strength simply melt away.

I arrived at C1 spent. Totally. Nothing left. Di offered me some electrolyte replacement. Ian melted some snow. Nick found a spare sleeping bag and pad   for me since mine were at C2. I crawled into the Austrian tent and fell asleep.

I knew it was over and told JJ so over the radio. But I also felt the unquestioning support from my teammates. Carl and Kurt crawled into my tent and entertained me with their usual routines as I reflected on the meaning of mountaineering.

Amazingly, 5 days later after sitting in a tent on Broad Peak I was home.

The team continued on Broad as the K2 BC was established by Ryan and Josette.  Courageous efforts were made to reach the true summit but the weather now started to return to “normal.” Winds picked up, snow squalls became frequent and routes obscured. But personal stories of character started to be revealed.

On Broad, Mark, on his first 8K Hill, never gave up. A stronger young man does not exist.  He made it to C4 before cold took his strength and bit his fingers. He wisely returned. Jan pushed it above C3 before saying "good enough." Di set her personal record and then returned to BC with her husband Ian – an impressive couple whom I was honored to climb with so much of my time. But there was also tragedy.

The leader of the Austrian team died after his summit. His partner radioed our BC for help but there was nothing that could be done. A horribly sad ending.   On their down climb, Di and Ian helped create a happier ending. Thanks to Ian’s rope in his pack, they saved a climber’s life that was trapped in a crevasse.   It puts everything into perspective.

With the Broad Peak climb over, the team split with most going home and others moving on to K2. The Karakorum revealed her true colors with deep snowfall, brutal cold, avalanches and rock fall.

Ryan, Mick, Wilco and Ger drove up the Hill once again setting the route for others to follow. But it seems that this was not to be – this year. Other   teams lost their tents and gear on high camps as snowfall and avalanches swept them away. Our climbers made it to C3. However they spent a lot of time in BC waiting out the weather.

Falling rock ending Ryan’s bid with a strike to his knee. Nick, on his first big climb, impressively made the lower camps on K2 only to be hit in the chest by falling rock. And then Ger was seriously injured when a rock cut his head requiring a helicopter rescue from BC. Thankfully he has recovered.  Joelle was also evacuated due to severe headaches. Hey, this climbing stuff is serious!

But there were success stories on K2. Carl made it to 8000m, another personal record. Several climbers reached C2 and navigated House’s Chimney and the infamous rock fall area.

I guess it is no surprise that Wilco was the last to leave the mountains.   A natural born leader, he was determined in his climbing yet generous with   his help. His second attempt on K2, I will not be surprised to see him return one day.

So it is over. Everyone is back home – alive and safe – and still friends.

Did you summit?

That is the question everyone always asks climbers when they get home. How about some different questions – Did you have a good time? What did you learn? Did you make any lifelong friends? Would you go back?

Did you get what you went for?

The answers are unique and personal to each climber. There are no right answers.   We love mountains. We love mountaineering. We live to live the challenge. We appreciate the support we get from family and friends. We value the support from one another.

For many this will not be the last climb. In fact for some it was only the beginning. But whether the first or the last it was a great time.

Climb on!

Alan

Di and Ian Crevasse Rescue Report (Alan)

(Courtesy of Alan Arnette - AlanArnette.com)

I just recieved a nice email from Di telling me about her, Ian's and Wilco's rescue of the Spainish climber from a crevasse below C1 on Broad. She was kind enough to give me permission to post it. Well done ! Enjoy!

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Ian and I did not get a decent summit attempt. We made 4 forays up the mountain, perhaps one too many because the tiredness just caught up with me eventually. The third foray, potentially our most promising, was terminated by the onset of bad weather. On the forth attempt at the mountain I moved very happily and quickly from Base to Camp 1, then to Camp 2. But above Camp 2 I really suffered from altitude and fatigue, and decided to turn back as I was suffering from bad dizziness and black spots appearing in my vision. Ian made the decision to descend with me. That night I faced up to the bitter disappointment of not even reaching 7000m, let alone the summit, and contemplated the unthinkable: why do I climb? Had I failed myself in not reaching my aims? Should I be climbing with Ian? Is it all worth the financial, emotional and physical effort that goes into this sport? Where did we get it wrong? These dark thoughts faded with the brightness of morning, and we set off on our final descent of Broad Peak.

But the story did not end there.

At the base of the mountain we walked past the usual spot where people take off their crampons, and continued onto the scree. There we sat down to eat and drink some, both of us exhausted under the weight of fully loaded packs. About 15 minutes later a Spanish climber came down. Whereas we had walked around a newly opened crevasse, he jumped over it, then backtracked, leaned over, and shouted into the crevasse “Ola, como estas?” It took a moment for us to realise what had happened: a climber had fallen about 10m into the crevasse! The Spaniard then turned to us “Chorda?” Do we have rope to initiate a rescue? We did. I think Ian was one of the few climbers on that mountain to carry a rope. He had been concerned about cravasses between the higher camps, as well as the exposed summit ridge. We also had all our gear on us as we were now finished on the mountain. It was one of those marvellous co-incidences of being in the right place at the right time to be able to help.

We were unable to set up an anchor as the snow was soft, so we relied on the old heave-ho, the Spaniard, Ian, me, then joined by another Spanish girl, all just pulling as hard as we could, and slowly hoisting the injured climber (also a Spanish climber, but from another team). Wilco arrived just as we were hauling Jose to the surface, and he joined in and helped as well. Jose was in shock and hypothermic (he was complete saturated from the melt water in the crevasse), with a bad cut across his head and ear. He could not stand, and could hardly even tell us his name (Jose). His ear was full of blood, and we simply did not know the extent of his injury, if it was superficial or a skull injury. We had to carry him a short distance to avoid the immediate zone of rockfall that we were in. Wilco phoned his doctor in Holland, and the Spanish climbers left for Base Camp to let Jose’s expedition know what had happened and to notify the doctor. The next two hours were nerve wracking. I held Jose’s hand and spoke to him (with my lack of Spanish and Jose’s lack of English I am not sure if he understood a thing, but I had to do something). He would shiver uncontrollably, and now and then his face would screw up in pain. But slowly he warmed up and the shock subsided, and started talking and thanking us, and smiling.

Then the funniest thing happened. The Spanish doctor arrived down from Camp 2. He did some rudimentary tests (How many fingers am I holding up?), “thumped” Jose on the neck, chest and back, then said “You are ok, it will be dark and cold in two hours so you have to get up and walk out”. And Jose, whom an hour previously we thought would have to be heli-lifted out, got up and walked out (slowly, yes, but walking nevertheless…). Even he later joked about it. “The doctor said I was ok, so who was I to argue with that?!”

Being part (even if it was just a small part) of the team that saved someone’s life is both completely overwhelming and very humbling. It completely changed my experience on the mountain – it really put the lack of summit into perspective - and is something I will never forget.

My experience on Broad Peak was unforgettable. It was wonderful to get to know all the climbers, FTA/ATP/you did a great job in the organisation and smooth running of the trip, the weather was kind to us most of the time, I had an utterly exhausting but really rewarding climb, and most of all we all got home safely. That is the most important part. I am not sure what our next climb will be, but I know without doubt that there will be many more.

last climber leaving K2 (Alan Dispatch)

(Courtesy of Alan Arnette - AlanArnette.com)

Well, now it is over. Wilco has decided to leave K2 after an amazing effort. He is the last of our 29 team members to leave the Karakorum. His site has some excellent pictures and videos. The official expedition ended around July 28 with Ryan, the other climbers and ATP breaking basecamp. But Wilco and others moved to other team's permits to continue their efforts on K2.

A few more items: first Joelle was evacuated via helicopter after she experienced severe headaches high on K2. I do not know the extent of the problem but she was last reported in Skardu and doing fine. If this was early HACE then the cure is to get down fast, which she did. We all know that Ger is now on his way home after being released from the hospital. Apparently he is fine as well.

K2 has proven to be a tough Hill. Two young Japanese climbers made the summit this week in addition to two Italians but most of the other expeditions have turned back due to bad weather. Our friend Bango continues his efforts and is at Camp 3. I wish him safe and good climbing.

I will post one more dispatch summarizing the expedition as well as the final results of the T-Shirts sale that benefited Pakistani earthquake survivors. There is still time to help so please visit the store. I added a few more products using pictures I took on the climb.

Climb on!

Alan

Carl on climbing K2 (from Skardu)

(Carl reporting from Skardu)

Reaching 8000m (the summit is 8,611m) on K2 was a surreal moment..... I was alone 26,000ft above-sea-level... in an atmosphere with clarity similar to a jerkey smoker.  I could not see more than a few hundred feet for the last hours of the ascent.

Upon reaching 8000m, the skies opened and gave me a quick glance of the world below... amazing beauty... and then closed up again.  I then took some photos I carried with me, thanked God for my safety thus far, contemplated doing a handstand, came to my senses, took a rest break, thought of the thousands of people who made the mission possible, and began the treck back to camp 3.

Upon reaching 8000m while climbing on K2 I made a personal decision that I would remain with a few climbers to take a second shot at the summit.  During my deep sleep at Camp 2 I was certain I would be returning to the mountain in a few days time to continue filming and climbing towards the summit.

While descending from Camp 2 to ABC the next day I found the risk factor had greatly increased from when I started up the mountain six days earlier.  Natural rockfall, damaged fixed ropes, and rockfall triggered by other climbers told me the climbing season had come to a close.  Every 100ft of my descent was comparable to trying to run across a 5-lane highway during rush hour without getting hit.  Every 10-20 minutes up to 100 rocks varying in size from baseballs to basketballs would come blasting down the mountain from 1000's of feet above. I was blessed to have found quick shelter during each of these episodes (sometimes hiding behind rocks the size of a 17' television.)...my head buried in the snow and my backpack protecting my back.  Upon reaching ABC, I figured both my protection and luck had been used up.

The hike back to Skardu has been epic.... the first day we hiked 11 hours.... then a 4hr nap followed by a 12am wakeup call, 15 hours of hiking (climbing 5000 feet to go over a pass in the mountains 20,000high (think... Mnt. Mckinley in Alaska) and then descended to 13,000ft for the evening.  The final day was a 3-hour hike and 6-hour 4-wheel drive journey to Skardu. Kurt and I have arrived back in Skardu with most of the team (Wilco, Joelle, Ger, and Mick remained on the mountain for a 2nd shot at the summit.)  Unfortunately the cooks in Skardu have the no more creativity than our expedition cook.... rice and dhal for the 75th time!

Upon arrival in Skardu we heard news of two of our climbers (Mick and Ger) having been flown my heli from the K2.  Ger was hit by a rock while climbing to camp 2, and Mick aided Ger down from the mountain along with Banjo from the Irish expedition.  Ger's helmet took the brunt of the blow, however he was still left him with a serious laceration to the scalp and was somewhat disoriented.  He is being cared for at the local military hospital and will be released tomorrow morning.

Ger is now in fine condition however he is upset to have missed the chance at the summit and would enjoy being with his climbing partners rather than spending his time in the hospital.  We spent about an hour with him today sharing stories and laughing about recent events.

Carl D. Drew "Life is forever beautiful.  It's up to you to take notice and let it sweep you away with intense emotion."  CDD

Kurt with news from Skardu

What a fantastic expedition!!!  Trauma, drama, death, injury, and sickness aside.

As you all know, no one summited from our team. We had four climbers stay behind for another shot at a weather window...and a trip through the hell of the rockfall area. That has ended now. I just got back from the hospital. Ger was hit in the head and wounded seriously. He was choppered out and beat us back to Skardu. He is kinda out of it but the Russian doctor says he will be ok minus some memory loss.

K2 is so dangerous... I still wince when I think about it. Hope everyone is well. This is a Muslim holiday and the hotel mgr is letting me use his computer for a minute to send this brief update. I will write more when I can get to a public computer.

Ger is stable in Skardu (Alan)

(Courtesy of Alan Arnette - AlanArnette.com)

Ger is back in Skardu and appears to be as well as can be expected. He required ten stiches for his head injury but is conscious and apparently stable.

He was evacuated via helicopter from K2 basecamp Monday morning to the hospital in Skardu. Mick Murphy was with him the entire time and played a key role in providing aid as well as coordinating communications. Skardu is a medium-sized city so it has an above-average hospital for northern Pakistan. It is also home for a large military base, so Ger probably has better medial care than one would expect for this part of the world.

FTA worked throughout the night with ATP to bring in the helicopter which was pre-arranged back in April in case of an emergency such as this. It was fortunate that the weather cooperated thus avoiding any delays in getting Ger out.

Thankfully Ger was wearing his helmet which absolutely prevented more serious injury. He is currently staying overnight in the hospital. He will be flying home as soon as he is ready. All family members were kept informed and are obviously relieved.

Mountaineering has its risk and this was one of those things that happen. In spite of all the training, experience and precautions, accidents happen. My hat is off to Bango, Mick, FTA and ATP for their professialism in handling this situation. As for the rest of the remaining climbers, only Wilco, Josette (?) and Joelle, I believe; I assume they will make their final attempt this week. I am sure Wilco's site will be updated soon.

On a personal note, I am very thankful Ger will be OK. He is a wonderful person with a great sense of humor. Take care Lad.

Alan

Good news of Ger!

According to reports from FTA and Banjo's website, Ger was evacuated by helicopter and flown to a hospital in Skardu where he is recovering well.  He has been taking fluids and is feeling much better.  He will be kept for observation, but shouldn't need to be transfered to Islamabad.

Ger to be evacuated due to rock fall to head (Alan)

The main expedition is over and most of the climbers (including Carl and Kurt) left K2 basecamp yesterday and are trekking back to Skardu (4-5 day trek).  A few climbers were able to transfer their permits to other teams and hope to make another summit attempt in the coming days and weeks.  As the below dispatch reports...even at the lower, "safer" altitudes, there exists significant danger, particularly of rock fall.  Recently Gerard McDonnel was hit in the head by falling rock.  This is the third rock fall injury for this expedition, and the most serious, with a evacuation scheduled for Monday morning Pakistan time.

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(Courtesy of Alan Arnette - AlanArnette.com)

Some of you may have heard that Ger McDonnell was hit in the head by falling rock below Camp 2 on K2 . According to various reports, he is back at base camp and has been examined by two doctors.

Per a report from Bango Bannon, they were climbing in the same vicinity and Ger was coherent enough to walk back to Banjo and tell him he had been hit in the head by falling rock. Ger is in serious condition and under medical supervision. An evacuation is planed for Monday morning, July 31 Pakistan time. The FTA site will have an update later tonight. I am writing this on Sunday, July 30, about 5:00PM US Mountain Daylight Time or GMT -7

You may recall that Nick was also hit by falling rock in this same area last week. Wilco was injured in 1994 - a very serious injury that required helicopter evacuation. Ryan noted in his last audio dispatch last week that there is a lot of rockfall this year and was struck on his knee.

Mick, Wilco, Ger and Joelle had planned on another attempt now that the formal expedition is over. They had teamed up with several other teams on K2 including Bango Bannon who was climbing alone.

I am sorry but I do not have contact with the climbers but have had contact with FTA directly and am monitoring all the cited sources above and will post anything significant when it comes available. These situations are very stressful, especially for family and close friends. Ger's emergency contacts have already been updated by FTA.

Also please be aware that reports from remote areas like Pakistani are always subject to revisions. It is very common for the first reports to contain inaccuracies. So read the reports posted on various sites with caution. Many will report hearsay from other expeditions that are passing on information that they have heard but not verified. Remember that there are many nationalities up there so language translations can contribute to mis-information. Finally do not expect to hear a lot of details, they will simply not be avaialble. It will be up to Ger to add more once he is home.

Please keep Ger, and all the climbers, in your thoughts.