THERE’S VERY GOOD REASONS WHY IT WAS CHOSEN FOR THE FIRST K2 WINTER ATTEMPT

BECAUSE THE RIVER IS RELATIVELY LOW AND THE VOLUME OF WATER ENOUGH TO REMAIN RUNNING YEAR ROUND, THE BANKS SUPPORT ENOUGH PLANT LIFE FOR HERDS OF CAMELS AND HORSES. IN FACT THE MAIN K2 CAMP AT SUGHET JANGAL IS THE WINTER CAMP FOR HERDERS, LONG KNOWN AS A REFUGE BETWEEN THE HIGH PASSES AND ARID VALLEYS BEYOND.

UNLIKE SOME OTHER 8000m PEAKS WHERE WINTER ASCENTS WERE DONE IN ALPINE STYLE, ON K2 IT WASN’T, AND THE INHERENT FEATURES OF THE NORTH RIDGE PRESENT AN OBVIOUS CHOICE. IF PREACCLIMATIZED, ACCESS FROM THE ROAD HEAD IS SHORT, WITH THE FAMOUS RIVER CROSSINGS AT THEIR LOWEST LEVEL AND THE USE OF CAMELS HUGELY SIMPLIFIES LOGISTICS.

COSTS

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED IT’S RELATIVELY CHEAP, CERTAINLY LESS THAN SOME SUMMER TRIPS GO AT. LIKE ALL TRIPS, ONES IN CHINA COST OUT COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY BECAUSE OF LOGISTICAL DIFFERENCES AND GOVERNMENT REGLATIONS ON THINGS LIKE WAGES. IN WINTER SOME THINGS COST MORE, BECAUSE MORE STUFF IS NEEDED HENCE FREIGHTING AND PORTERING IT IS A LARGER OPERATION, AND WAGES ARE HIGHER BECAUSE IT IS A HARDER, MORE SPECIALIZED JOB.

WE COST TO INCLUDE THE PREACCLIMATIZATION PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES TEAM TRAVEL TO XINJIANG AND SMOOTHES ALL THE PROCESSES AROUND DOMESTIC TRAVEL, AND ALSO COVERS COMBINED CARGO SHIPPING TO TO KEEP ALL SUPPLIES TOGETHER AND ON TIME. THIS IS A SLIGHTLY EXTENDED VERSION OF THE WINTER PREACCLIMATION SCHEDULE, WITH EXTRA TIME TO COLD-ADAPT AND REFINE RESOURCES.

K2’s NORTHERN SIDE HAS VERY SIMILAR WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THE PAKISTAN SIDE, SAVE THAT MUCH OF THE ROUTE IS SHIELDED FROM THE PREVAILING WINDS. WHAT IT LOSES IN SOLAR WARMTH IT MAKES UP FOR WITH AMBIENT STABILITY AND ACCESS TO LOWER ALTITUDES THAT ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER.

THE FORCES TO BE WORKED AGAINST ARE EXTREME COLD AND THE WORKLOADS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE MINIMIZED WITH LIMITED EXPOSURE. ACCLIMATIZING ELSEWHERE CUTS WEEKS OFF TIME SPENT IN THE ARENA OF K2, AND REDUCES ALL THE LOGISTICS AND LOADS NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THAT EXTRA EFFORT. THIS EQUATION FURTHER PUSHES IN OUR FAVOR WHAT THE LOADS WE MUST MOVE CAN BE CONSISTED OF, REPLACING RESOURCES FOR A LONGER AND MORE COMPLEX TRIP WITH RESOURCES FOR A SHORTER MORE DIRECT ONE.

HOW WOULD IT WORK?

ALL OUR TRIPS ADHERE TO THE ADVICE GIVEN TO US BY RALF DUJMOVITS WHICH IS “ARRIVE ACCLIMATIZED AND GET CLIMBING”, AND NOWHERE IS THIS MORE RELEVENT – OR POSSIBLE – THAN K2 NORTH SIDE IN WINTER

TO KEEP TO THE PARAMETERS USED ON ALL OTHER 8000m WINTER ASCENTS, WE SCHEDULE TO ARRIVE IN BASECAMP AT THE START OF DECEMBER FOR THE METEORLOGICAL WINTER. WE WILL HAVE ACCLIMATED ELSEWHERE, IN TIBET, GIVING US A HUGE ADVANTAGE.

PROVEN OVER DOZENS OF WINTER ASCENTS IN TIBET, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A STRONG PROFILE FOR WHAT PREACCLIMATIZATION CAN BE AND HOW IT CAN BE UTILIZED, THAT WHEN COMBINED WITH ADVANCES IN EQUIPMENT PRESENTS VERY DOABLE STRATEGIES.