19th – Do you know your ABC?

Today the program was an acclimatization walk with glacier training and return to base camp before lunch followed by resting and restitution before the summit attempt at (around) midnight.

The day’s walk would bring us up to 5300m and Advanced Base Camp. Unfortunately it is not allowed anymore to camp at ABC as they got tired of the large amount of trash being left there (though some might also speculate the more people at ABC the fewer at BC where there is a small kiosk where you can buy a small selection of snacks and drinks which would result in a hit at profit). Too bad, actually, as the 400 meters head start towards the summit would have been helpful.

Arriving at ABC we reached the glacier we will be traversing towards the summit. Here we were introduced to self-arrest techniques (extremely basic compared to what we were taught on Elbrus) and introductions to how to react when someone on the rope you are tied to slips/falls.

We came back to base camp at around 1230 where we met the Topas group (Topas and Kipling (who I am travelling with) are basically the two big Danish travel companies that do trips like this) who is doing the summit push the night after us. We had a small talk with them and out of the group of 14 originally they have already lost 2 on the way to base camp. Let’s hope for them that they won’t lose any more on the way to the top. After lunch it was purely relaxation until dinner which was served earlier than usual, and then straight to bed.

Rumors spread quickly; the wounded tourist yesterday hadn’t been as wounded as feared; apparently he hadn’t broken anything. When falling he had apparently panicked and froze, not being able to move or get up, which some people had concluded being broken body parts. Good to hear!

Looking at the weather it seems to be clearing up. The last couple of days we have had overcast with the occasional drizzles (which at BC has been snow). On today’s walk we had snow most of the time and clouds not much higher than where we were. If the weather clears up for the summit attempt we will be getting some great views – potentially including a view of K2 if we are lucky.

We are 200m above BC on the way to ABC. The ridge seen going up behind BC is the one we went up yesterday.

One of the many marmots in the area.