I am in Islamabad, and guess what?
If you were thinking that there is a major political event unfolding in Pakistan you are absolutely correct. This seems to be a trend with me. I arrive in a country just as things are starting to change. I might actually start hiring myself out to countries to facilitate change. They overthrew the Monarchy in Nepal while climbing Everest. A coup in Thailand while I was there. New government in Chile, etc....
Friday there will be a huge political demonstration by the attorneys and judges within Pakistan. They have been marching across the country for a few days and converge on Islamabad on Friday. From what I understand they are trying to change the constitution within Pakistan to have the less power within the executive branch and more power in the legislative branch. We will see if it has any impact.
Our plan is to lay low in the Warid Telecom Guest House that we are being hosted at by my friend, Shahzad Rauf, and his company, Warid Telecom.
This has affected our plans slightly, but not significantly and everything should be back to normal by Saturday. We will fly to Skardu on Saturday, spend a few days there sorting gear, weighing loads, and preparing for the trek. After that we will start our trek into Base Camp from Askole which will take us about 7 days.
The team is strong and excited and we are all looking forward to getting in the mountains, although we will miss the plush accomodations of the past few days.
Again, no need to worry, we will be safe and sound in our guest house.
Climb High, Climb Hard, Come Home
Chris
Islamabad, Pakistan
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
At the airport
I am sitting in the airport, after mastering the rules of excess baggage. I had a total of 4 bags of gear. 1 bag of food(about 70lbs), 1 bag of group gear (including 12 jetboil stoves, I left a few behind, expedition shirts for the team), 1 bag of personal gear, and 1 bag with boots and such. The total weight is about 240 lbs for the bargain price of $420.
A calm is descending upon me as I prepare to depart the hectic frenzy that has ensued my life over the past few weeks. The frenzy of packing, buying, and double checking everything. There is only one thing that I have forgotten that I can think of and it is not essential.
I am excited, nervous, and full of anticpation. I just spoke with my friend Beth G on the phone and she said have fun. My comment was that mountaineering is not fun while your doing it, but exhilarating in retrospect. Very similar to Mark Twains comment about travel. And K2 is travel to the extreme. My goal is to be safe, be calm, and above all else come home.
Climbing is a solitary experience undertaken with a team. Only you know what you are feeling, what you are thinking, and how much your body can take. The team enables you to perform at a higher level then you could by yourself. And that is what I am hoping to experience upon meeting the team in Islamabad. That together we will be able to perform this extraordinary feat together.
My thanks goes out to all my family and friends who have supported me in this project and my thoughts are with them.
Climb Hard, Climb High, Come HOME!
Chris
Sent via BlackBerry
A calm is descending upon me as I prepare to depart the hectic frenzy that has ensued my life over the past few weeks. The frenzy of packing, buying, and double checking everything. There is only one thing that I have forgotten that I can think of and it is not essential.
I am excited, nervous, and full of anticpation. I just spoke with my friend Beth G on the phone and she said have fun. My comment was that mountaineering is not fun while your doing it, but exhilarating in retrospect. Very similar to Mark Twains comment about travel. And K2 is travel to the extreme. My goal is to be safe, be calm, and above all else come home.
Climbing is a solitary experience undertaken with a team. Only you know what you are feeling, what you are thinking, and how much your body can take. The team enables you to perform at a higher level then you could by yourself. And that is what I am hoping to experience upon meeting the team in Islamabad. That together we will be able to perform this extraordinary feat together.
My thanks goes out to all my family and friends who have supported me in this project and my thoughts are with them.
Climb Hard, Climb High, Come HOME!
Chris
Sent via BlackBerry
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Getting Ready to Go
I am a little more then two weeks away from departing to Pakistan. I have been busy packing, weighing, and buying. Right now I have about 250lbs of gear that I need to transport to Pakistan. Including 15 stoves and pot sets (THANKS LISA at JETBOIL), 50lbs of food and drink, three sleeping bags, 2 sleeping pads, 3 ice axes, crampons, medical kit, repair kit, clothing for 3 months(of course it is not that much and will probably stink to high heaven by the time I find a washing machine!), and so many other little things that make life bearable on the mountain.
I am looking forward to celebrating my grandparents 65th Wedding Anniversary on the 31st of May. It is an accomplishment that is far harder then climbing K2. They were married during WWII in San Antonio, Texas. They are an example to follow in life and relationships. Always be happy with where you are at in life, and do not waste your time wishing for what you do not have. It does not mean you do not strive for something better, but simply realize that you have control of your emotions and where you are going in your life. Celebrate everything that you do have and revel in the joy’s of your family. That point is being struck home right now because my grandmother has been in the hospital the past 10 days with an E-coli infection. It has been a touch and go process, and I am very thankful that I am close by to support them. My Grandmother keeps telling the doctors she needs to get out because she has a party to go to!
After that celebration, I will drive to Michigan from Tahoe City with my sister, unpack my trailer, repack my storage unit, and get everything weighed and loaded into 4 bags. Whew, I cannot wait to get onto the mountain where life will be simpler, but certainly not easier. My life has had many changes in the past few months, and I can only anticipate that it will change more over the course of the climb. I am looking forward to this climb as a time of personal reflection and pushing the limits of my ability at high altitude. But the key to any climb is to do it safely and be aware of your environment. No climb is without risk, and this one has its set of challenges.
One of the most common questions I am asked is how I train for something like this. I have been focusing on cardio workouts and altitude gain. I try to do 1-3 hours a day of running, biking, or hiking with a pack. Truth be told, my strength lies in my ability to keep walking all day with a heavy pack. I have never been a gym rat, but I do love going outside and experiencing a good runner’s high. My ankle has healed very nicely thanks to the ART treatment that I got from Dr. Karen Slota. It allowed me to start running again after my ankle surgery. Unfortunately, I waited almost a year before I sought her treatment.
I do want to thank all my family and friends who support me in this endeavor. I know it is a hard thing to experience from their perspective, and not many people understand. But to those of you who have given me your unconditional support I thank you.
Climb Hard, Climb High, Come Home!
Chris
I am looking forward to celebrating my grandparents 65th Wedding Anniversary on the 31st of May. It is an accomplishment that is far harder then climbing K2. They were married during WWII in San Antonio, Texas. They are an example to follow in life and relationships. Always be happy with where you are at in life, and do not waste your time wishing for what you do not have. It does not mean you do not strive for something better, but simply realize that you have control of your emotions and where you are going in your life. Celebrate everything that you do have and revel in the joy’s of your family. That point is being struck home right now because my grandmother has been in the hospital the past 10 days with an E-coli infection. It has been a touch and go process, and I am very thankful that I am close by to support them. My Grandmother keeps telling the doctors she needs to get out because she has a party to go to!
After that celebration, I will drive to Michigan from Tahoe City with my sister, unpack my trailer, repack my storage unit, and get everything weighed and loaded into 4 bags. Whew, I cannot wait to get onto the mountain where life will be simpler, but certainly not easier. My life has had many changes in the past few months, and I can only anticipate that it will change more over the course of the climb. I am looking forward to this climb as a time of personal reflection and pushing the limits of my ability at high altitude. But the key to any climb is to do it safely and be aware of your environment. No climb is without risk, and this one has its set of challenges.
One of the most common questions I am asked is how I train for something like this. I have been focusing on cardio workouts and altitude gain. I try to do 1-3 hours a day of running, biking, or hiking with a pack. Truth be told, my strength lies in my ability to keep walking all day with a heavy pack. I have never been a gym rat, but I do love going outside and experiencing a good runner’s high. My ankle has healed very nicely thanks to the ART treatment that I got from Dr. Karen Slota. It allowed me to start running again after my ankle surgery. Unfortunately, I waited almost a year before I sought her treatment.
I do want to thank all my family and friends who support me in this endeavor. I know it is a hard thing to experience from their perspective, and not many people understand. But to those of you who have given me your unconditional support I thank you.
Climb Hard, Climb High, Come Home!
Chris
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