Even though the 2019 Kobler & Partner Broad Peak expedition started in Switzerland, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and Kyrgyzstan, the dispatches and tales about the 17 climbers (including members and guides) begin on the Godwin Austin Glacier at 4,800m. So let’s go back to when everyone met in Islamabad about two weeks ago. Temperatures were up to 40 C and even though venturing out was a challenge, some of us managed to find the most chique cafe in town, where we enjoyed our last Cafe latte fix. The morning coffee was followed by an even more chique lunch reception at the Swiss Embassy, where the Swiss ambassador, Thomas Kolly and his wife Barbla had to wait for us for an hour (less chique) due to our drivers’ navigation difficulties in the hermetically sealed diplomatic enclave of Islamabad. The ambassador and his wife forgave us for our late arrival and we were even able to convince Barbla to join us on our trek to Broad Peak base camp. She was a great sports and managed to hike all the way to base camp together with our other two trekkers, Manu and Claudia. The trio is currently on their way back to Askole.
We hardly had a chance to digest the Swiss embassy lunch when we found ourselves in one of the grooviest restaurants in Islamabad. „Thyme Out“ serves Hunza cuisine with a modern touch and the owner, Elizabeth Flew, did everything to make our dinner there very special and delicious. She even provided us with 500 Superfood bars, which have become one of the favourite snacks during the trek.
After just over 24 hours in the Pakistani capital, our journey towards the Karakoram began. Everyone who has ever flown into Skardu, which is surrounded by high mountains, will know that the flights are extremely weather dependent, and our chances of flying did not look too good. A gap in the clouds and having one of the few pilots prepared to seize the opportunity allowed us to land safely and avoid the two-day journey along the famous Karakoram Highway (KKH).
From Skardu the drive to the road-end is an adventure in itself. The drivers, who are truly real heroes, navigated some heart-stopping terrain high above raging rivers. After about seven hours on these challenging „roads“, we arrived in Askole, where hundreds of porters milled around vying for a job. There we spent our first night in a tent.
What’s really special about this trek to Broad Peak base camp is that the terrain is so huge and a large part of it is actually ON a glacier – the Baltoro, which is one of the longest non-polar glaciers in the world. The team and its 210 loads at 25kg each split between porters and mules journeyed past huge and spectacular granite towers, such as Uli Biaho, the Trango Towers, Lobsang Spire, Masherbrum and many more and caught glimpses of the Ogre and Mitre Peak. Approaching Concordia, the confluence of the Baltoro and the Godwin Austin Glaciers, we could see three of the five 8,000m peaks situated in Pakistan, namely K2, Gasherbrum 2 and Broad Peak.
After six days of trekking in deep snow at the very end, we finally arrived at BC on 21st June. This would not have been possible without the amazing efforts of the porters in their thin plastic shoes, Shalwar Camises and their readiness to sleep under plastic tarpaulins in freezing temperatures, who braved the difficult and icy terrain all the way to base camp. As the mules were unable to walk in the deep snow and on ice, some of the loads were dropped about an hour short of BC. Displaying great team work, the members took on the task to ferry the loads that last distance.
At the moment the weather is not too favourable to go to the mountain which has given us time to make our base camp almost as chique as the cafe in Islamabad! It took quite some time to set up all the tents for an expedition of 17 people, whom we would like to introduce briefly:
Firstly, our great leader and IFMGA guide, Andreas Neuschmid from Austria, who has guided high altitude expeditions for many years and has just come off guiding on Mount Everest, which was his third ascent.
Super climber and IFMGA guide, Dani Arnold from Switzerland, who has climbed the Eiger North Face in a record time of 2h 28min.
German/Swiss mountaineering journalist and contributor to the Himalayan Database, Billi Bierling, who has climbed five 8,000m peaks, two of them without supplemental oxygen.
The first woman to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen and IFMGA guide, New Zealander Lydia Bradey, who has just finished guiding Mount Everest, which was her sixth ascent.
Ever-smiling German national Jürgen Diez, who has been up to the Baltoro before to attempt Gasherbrum II a few years ago and has summited Manaslu and Cho Oyu, both without supplemental oxygen.
Swiss legal clerk Dominika Diller, who has climbed the Seven Summits and has never set foot on the Baltoro before.
The man with three passports, a shy smile and keen heli skier, Mauricio Fernandez from Bondi Beach, Australia, Mexico and Spain, who is attempting his first 8,000m peak.
New Zealand viticulturist and ski mountaineer, Ket Hazledine, who has climbed Manaslu in Nepal and several challenging peaks in New Zealand.
German surgeon and recent alpine convert, Carolin Hess, who has scaled Himlung and Ama Dablam and now reaches out to 8,000 metres.
German national and alpine enthusiast, Norbert Ludwig, who ventured across the border to live in Switzerland with his wife Claudia, who trekked with us to BC. He has scaled Kun and Satopanth in India and Mustagh Atah in China.
Polish national, living in Switzerland, Lukasz, who has come to Pakistan to climb his next 8,000 peak and check out other Karakoram giants
Swiss ski touring enthusiast, Christoph, who moves at the same speed at high altitude as he does in the Swiss Alps. He has climbed Manaslu without supplemental oxygen.
Swiss techno geek and expedition electrician, Joni, who has climbed Spantik in Pakistan and attempted Dhaulagiri 1 with Kobler & Partner last year.
Mountaineering veteran and Seven Summits climber, Stefan Sieveking from Switzerland, who has been on multiple summits with Andreas Neuschmid. He has scaled Everest and Manaslu; and Cho Oyu, which he climbed without supplemental oxygen.
High altitude guide legend and IFMGA guide, Dean Staples from New Zealand, who has guided and summited Mount Everest nine times as well as Manaslu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Lhotse and Shisha Pangma.
Aspirant guide and Big Mountain snow boarder , Max Cherkassov from Kyrgyzstan, who climbed Makalu in Nepal and is as strong as an ox.
Kiwi diary farmer, Euan Wilson, who travelled to Pakistan more than 20 years ago, climbed pretty hard rock routes in the past, has not touched crampons for 14 years and is launching his alpine renaissance on Broad Peak.
Of course, there are more people at BC who make our lives comfortable and will help us climb the mountain. In time, we shall introduce them to you too as this expedition would not be possible without their great support.
This team has a unique amount of high altitude experience, strength and motivation and, ‚in Shallah‘, weather and conditions allowing, we should have a good chance of success.
Regarding fun, it has already begun!
Watch the space for more news from our unique site underneath Broad Peak with a vista of K2.
Love from all of us to family and friends.
Lydia and Billi and the rest of the team