Mountain diary

3rd August (1998)
     Amer, liaison officer, remain at basecamp on the Hidden Peak. Ibrahim goes with Jesús and Toni to the basecamp on the Broad Peak. The equipment they carry is only food for a week and two tents. They enjoy a completely cloudless day. Only a Japanese and his high altitude porter stay at basecamp on the Broad Peak. Other expeditions have already retreated, having disappeared Eric Scofier and his client on attempting the summit five days before. All expeditions gave up without having reached the summit. Only a Swiss expedition and a member of the Irish one did it at the beginning of July.

4th August
     Ibrahim returns to the basecamp on the Gasherbrum mounts. Toni and Jesús climb up to Camp III on Broad Peak, intending to summit on the following day.

5th August
     Weather is very bad at daybreak. They resolve to wait at Camp III.

6th August
     More from the same. The weather seems to get worse: strong winds and snow are their mates on the descent to basecamp. In the afternoon they go to the nearby to basecamp on K2.

7th August
     they spend the day at basecamp on K2, with the Spanish group. Here, people are quite demoralized because of the weather. Any group has gone further than camp III and they have not many days left.

8th August
     They go back to basecamp on the Broad Peak. Although the weather has not changed, they want to climb up to camp III and attempt on the summit the first day of good weather.

9th August
     They wait at basecamp for a little sign to climb up.

10th August
     Although it has been raining at night, a cloudless day breaks on the Broad Peak. At 8.00 am they move up to Camp III. Once they have rested and eaten something, they begin the ascent to the summit at 11.00 pm, in a starry night.

11th August
     At daybreak, nearby to the hill (7900m), the clouds and wind appear. Despite this, they continue, in the hope that it is something temporary. They wait for a sign on the hill. The cold tortures them and clouds remain over their heads. They decide to come back to Camp III; having slept for a while, they climb up for an hour -with the sleeping bags and some equipment- until they reach a place where there is a tent who must belong to Eric Scofier. In the afternoon, weather gets better.

12th August
     With regard to the bad time last night, they decide to wait for the first light to resolve if they attempt again to go today for the summit. The day breaks as never before; clouds are hardly seen in the horizon. They consider it their opportunity. At 6.10 am they overcome the hill's way. They were right: this is the best summit day they have ever enjoyed on a 8000m. By 12.45 pm they arrive at the top. They realized later that they had only reached the secondary summit. It doesn't matter. They come back to the tent, pack everything and continue to a tent which is below Camp III and must belong to any expedition which may retreat in a rush.

13th August
     On descending to basecamp they pass the Japanese and his high altitude porter, who climb up to Camp III. They approximate to basecamp on K2 to say good-bye to everybody, but they are all at high camps. Despite this, they enjoy the hospitality of the Spanish group cook.

14th August
     A Spanish trekking group, who placed a camp in Concorde, approaches to the basecamp on the Broad Peak, where they are. Jesús and Toni pack a few things they had still left at basecamp and climb down with the group to Concorde.

15th August
     Bad weather comes back again. With the trekking group of Spaniards, they get close to Ali Camp, to traverse the Gondogoro La pass on the following day. Only two more groups venture to go with them. The other groups in Concorde opt to return via the Baltoro. Some of them stay in Concorde waiting for any gap the weather may offer.

16th August
     As bad weather persists, they consider not to pass the Gondogoro La. They finally resolve to do it. At 9.00 am they are on the other side, in Huspang. Feelings they had forgotten revive with the smell of the humid grass.

17th August
     They say good-bye to the trekking group which shared table with them for three days, and they climb down direct to Hushe. Halfway they meet Karim, who climbs up with a trekking group. They embrace each other and say hello effusively. Karim leaves the trekking and comes back with them to Hushe, where Amer and Ibrahim are waiting.

18th August
     They go by jeep to Skardu

19th August
     They realize there is no time to go to the Nanga Parbat. They feel sorry about missing the opportunity to go to a mount which they have paid a permit for, but weather is not good and, besides, they have not much money. It seems that the adventure must come to an end without having passed the year.

20th August
     The Spaniards arrive from K2 and they invite them to move down together to Skardu.

21st August
     Journey from Skardu to Gilgit