Mountain diary

31t May (1998)
     They leave for Pakistan. A group of Galician mates who want to summit the Gasherbrum II (Ángel, Llopis, Fernando, Julián and Álex) go with them.

1st June
     They arrive at Rawalpindi

2nd- 6th June
     Latest procedures to get the permit to climb four 8000m peaks; it's the first time a permit like this is granted.

7th June
     Fausto and Félix, who join them, arrive. They go to Skardu by bus.

8th June
     Last preparations in Skardu.

9th June
     They travel from Skardy to Askole by 6 Jeeps (8 hours). Some days later, a jeep will fall down a cliff into river Braldo. Both occupants are killed.

10th June
     They begin the approach supported by 80 porters. They spend the night in Khoropon.

11th June
     Korophon - Piju. To avoid a 3 hours detour, they ford a tributary of the Braldo. One of the porters falls into the river, halting 500 meters further down. He survives, but he is bad injured and he cannot continue.

12th June
     Rest day in Paiju, last place with vegetation. They take the opportunity to acclimatize and climb up to 4500 meters. They are at the doors of the 8000m peaks paradise.

13th June
     Paiju - Urkudas: a long day and the first one in passing the long Baltoro Glacier, trekking on 2000m rocky walls.

14th June
     Urdukas - Gore. Another day on the glacier to reach 4400m at altitude.

15th June
     Gore - Shigarrin. Bad weather, common denominator in days before, does not let them see the K2 and the Broad Peak when passing Confluencia.

16th June
     They reach the basecamp (5150m). On the Abruzzi glacier moraine they place the basecamp.

17th June
     They finish placing the camp. Jesús examines the glacier of the Gasherbrum.

18th-20th June
     They climb up to camp I (6000m), putting marks on the route. They sleep two nights at altitude.

21st June
     Bad weather compels them to turn back to basecamp.

22nd June
     They wait at basecamp for good weather.

23rd June
     They climb up to Camp I.

24th June
     They return to basecamp.

26th June
     They move up to Camp I again. Toni and Suso lay 200m of fixed-rope, borrowed from an English group, to climb up to Camp II.

27th June
     Jesús and Toni lay another 200m of fixed-rope. Julián, Álex, Fausto and Félix climb up from basecamp.

28th June
     Time is out for Fernando, Ángel and Llopis and they return home. A French is killed attempting to climb G-VI. Jesús and Julián equip the route up to Camp II.

29th June
     Toni and an American group help to recover the body of the French mountaineer from the Gasherbrum.

30th June
     Toni climbs up to Camp I. Álex, Félix and Fausto climb up to Camp II (6500m). Jesús and Julián move down to basecamp.

1st July
     Toni climbs to Camp II. The weather is very bad: they return to basecamp.

2nd-3rd July
     Bad weather persists and they spend the day resting at basecamp.

4th July
     Jesús climbs up to Camp I. The others stay at basecamp.

5th July
     Jesús climbs up to Camp II, as well as Toni and Julián, who arrive from basecamp. Álex, Fausto and Félix climb up to Camp I.

6th July
     Julián, Jesús and Toni climb up to go for the summit. They pitch down a tent at 7400m, where they sleep that night. Álex, Fausto and Félix climb up to Camp II.

7th July
     Jesús, Julián and Toni leave at 5.00am for the Gasherbrum II summit. Jesús and Toni reach the summit at 11.30 am. Julián retreats at 7600m. Álex, Fausto and Félix, together with other groups, climb up to 7000m, laying fixed-ropes on route.

8th July
     Jesús, Julián and Toni move down to Camp I, passing lots of groups that wait at 7000m to summit on next day.

9th July
     Julián remains at Camp I to attempt on the summit again. Félix and Fausto reach the summit. Other groups go with them. With them, there's a 65-year-old Galician, Ramón Blanco, who lives in Venezuela and is the oldest person in summitting an 8000m peak. Despite his age, he is so strong as the others.