K2 Onward to Askole

Thanks to everyone who’s commented on the blog.  It’s great to read your messages but that ends from here on unfortunately. No more computers. The blog will be recorded from voice and Katherine will be transcribing it. Bless her for having to listen!

Tent preps

Our time in Skardu has sadly come to an end. It’s a lovely place and a magical visit but we gotta go. Yesterday morning James Freeman (cardiologist and the team doctor), Barry Dawe and I scrambled up a local peak and had amazing views of the valley and the town below. We ran back down to the hotel for lunch and on the way took a plunge in the Indus river.  It was fresh and clear – magic just to cool down and dust off.  Being Sunday, many local people were having the day off.

In the distance the wailers in the many mosque towers gave the whole scene a mystical, old fashioned feel. And since I’m an old fashioned bloke, it felt great!

The local people here are friendly and offer their hands and ask your name. They are not pushy or trying to sell anything, just genuinely interested in where you’re from and what you do. When they hear I am from South Africa they go bezerk.

Wisey and Sean Pollock

Everyone here is cricket mad and I am now Sean Pollock!

Anyhow, this is the nature of this game and all we can do is hold thumbs that the vehicle carrying the ‘O’s’ makes it to Skardu (and beyond).  Then it will be portered in. As they say in Islam “Inshallah”(by the grace of God).

I would love to think that I can climb K2 without supplementary oxygen but as a first timer on this 8000’er, it would be a more sensible option to use it. That is if we get to use the O’s – if the weather allows us above Camp 3. So many if’s!  I look forward to sending the update that says “O’s has arrived”. 

We move out in Jeeps today. The road is very rough and can take anything between 6 to 16  hours, sometimes longer.

Tags: Askole, Bottled oxygen, K2, Mountain expedition, Sean Pollock