Skardu

They've arrived in Skardu today, a bit filthy and dishevelled but otherwise healthy. Sleeping in a bed seemed an unheard off luxury. On wednesday they'll leave for Islamabad eather by plane or by minibus.

Ze zijn vandaag in Skardu aangekomen, wat vuil en verwilderd maar gezond. Iedereen keek uit naar slapen in een echt bed. Op woensdag vertrekken ze naar Islamabad per vliegtuig of per minibus.

Ann

Biafo glacier (same place as yesterday)

Within 10 m of yesterday's spot message

Alles kits!
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.7733
Longitude:75.8231
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/17/2008 12:24:02 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.7733,75.8231&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Biafo Glacier (near the end)

Alles kits!
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.7733
Longitude:75.823
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/16/2008 13:56:33 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.7733,75.823&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Biafo glacier, outside Baintha glacier

Alles kits!
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.8675
Longitude:75.7282
Nearest Location: Chokpiong, Pakistan
Distance: 16 km(s)
Time:05/15/2008 06:43:19 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.8675,75.7282&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Biafo Glacier

Alles kits! "Everything's fine"
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.9195
Longitude:75.6404
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/14/2008 09:09:32 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.9195,75.6404&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Ann

Snow Lake

Jo called his wife today. This morning they started off in snow but at the end of the day the weather was wonderful;Philippe even managed to get his face sunburned. Because of the fresh snow it is as if they're somewhere on Antartica. The scenery is magnificent.
The group is in high spirits.

Jo belde Anneke vandaag. Deze morgen zijn ze met sneeuw vertrokken maar tegen het einde van de dag was het stralend weer; Philippe is er zelfs in geslaagd zijn gezicht te verbranden. Door de verse sneeuw is het alsof ze zich ergens op Antartica bevinden. Het uitzicht is onvoorstelbaar mooi. Het is een fijne groep en de moraal is heel hoog!

Alles kits! "Everything's fine"
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.9924
Longitude:75.5803
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/13/2008 12:55:11 (GMT) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.9924,75.5803&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Snow Lake, same place, different day

Alles kits!
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.996
Longitude:75.6978
Nearest Location: Chokpiong, Pakistan
Distance: 28 km(s)
Time:05/12/2008 11:59:30 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.996,75.6978&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Snow lake

Alles kits! "Everything's fine"
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:35.996
Longitude:75.6978
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/11/2008 12:13:23 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=35.996,75.6978&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Another day, same place

It seems they stayed on the same place as yesterday. Hopefully this means they did some exploring, like climbing a peak and not bad weather. Or maybe it was just time to rest. To be continued.

Blijkbaar bleven ze vandaag op dezelfde plaats als gisteren. Laat ons hopen dat dit betekent dat ze de omgeving wat verkend hebben zoals bijvoorbeeld een topje beklimmen en niet dat ze door slecht weer vastzitten. Of misschien wilden ze gewoon eens rusten. Wordt vervolgd.

Alles kits! "Everything's fine"
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:36.0205
Longitude:75.739
Nearest Location: Skinmang, Pakistan
Distance: 28 km(s)
Time:05/10/2008 11:00:55 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=36.0205,75.739&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Another SPOT

ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:36.0205
Longitude:75.7389
Nearest Location:not known
Distance:not known
Time:05/09/2008 09:07:57 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=36.0205,75.7389&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Ann

Lupke La

Today they stood on top of the Lupke La (5544m). Today the weather was extraordinary not a cloud in sight, the past two days though weren't that nice. At night the temperature falls between -15 and -20°C.
The hardest part of the journey is over. From now on it's only downhill. Philippe acknowledged that it is a heavy and rough trip.
After our phone conversation he has sent another SPOT message:

Philippe belde vanop de Lupke La (5544m). Het weer is vandaag prachtig, volkomen wolkenloos. De voorbije twee dagen was het weer wat minder. 's Nachts daalt de temperatuur tot tussen -15 en -20°C.
Het zwaarste stuk van de reis is voorbij. Vanaf nu is het nog alleen maar bergaf. Philippe gaf toe dat het een zware en ruige tocht is.
Na ons telefoongesprek heeft hij nog een SPOT-boodschap verzonden:

ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:36.0398
Longitude:75.767
Nearest Location: Skinmang, Pakistan
Distance: 27 km(s)
Time:05/08/2008 12:14:50 (GMT) http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=36.0398,75.767&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Ann

SPOT did it!!!

I'm overjoyed! Today I finally got a message via SPOT!
Here it is.

Ik ben verschrikkelijk blij: eindelijk een boodschap via SPOT! Fantastisch gewoon, ik kan het bijna niet geloven.

Alles kits! 'Everything's fine'
ESN:0-7393395
Latitude:36.0886
Longitude:75.8575
Nearest Location: Skinmang, Pakistan
Distance: 23 km(s)
Time:05/06/2008 08:09:01 (GMT)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=36.0886,75.8575&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

You can also enter the coordinates in Google Earth.

Je kan de coördinaten ook in Google Earth ingeven.

Ann

Braldu glacier/Braldu gletsjer

Everything goes well with the expedition members; they're well adapted to the height and in fact at the moment they are two days ahead of schedule.
Uptill now the weather has been excellent but today it started to snow.
They've arrived at the snowline of the Braldu glacier. Today they took their leave of the porters. From here onwards they're on their own. Tomorrow they 'll start skiing, pulling the pulkas.

Het gaat goed met de mannen en vrouwen; ze zijn inmiddels goed aangepast aan de hoogte en ze zijn twee dagen voor op schema.
Het weer is tot nu toe schitterend geweest, vandaag is het echter beginnen te sneeuwen.
Momenteel zijn ze aan de sneeuwlijn van de Braldu gletsjer aangekomen. Ze hebben afscheid genomen van de dragers. Van nu af aan zijn ze op zichzelf aangewezen.
Morgen binden ze de ski's onder en trekken ze de pulka's over de gletsjer.

Ann

Shimshal

They are all in good health, the height is no problem. The weather is fine, marvellous scenery.
Today they arrived at the foot of the plateau of the Shimshal pass.

Journey out - Heenreis

This morning they arrived in Islamabad at 4.30 (LT 7.30) and were able to continue to Gilgit by plane. In this way they were spared the Karakoram Highway. In Gilgit they did some shopping, had a meal and continued to Karimabad. The journey was swift. They have a comfy hotel and will stay in Karimabad until monday morning to acclimatize to the height. Karimabad is already at 3000m. The satelite beacon doesn't work at the moment. Probably due to a coverage problem.

Vanochtend zijn ze in Islamabad om 4.30 (LT 7.30) aangekomen. Ze konden met het vliegtuig verder naar Gilgit. De Karakoram Highway werd hen dus bespaard. In Gilgit hebben ze wat inkopen gedaan en geluncht en zijn dan verder gereisd per minibus naar Karimabad. De reis is vlot verlopen. In Karimabad houden ze op zondag in een comfortabel hotelletje een rustdag om te acclimatiseren aan de hoogte. Karimabad ligt reeds 3000m hoog. Momenteel werkt het satelietbaken niet. Waarschijnlijk is er een probleem met toegang.

Ann

Itinerary, in outline

This is our itinerary, in outline:

Day 1 - 5: Paris - Islamabad - Gilgit - Karimabad - Shimshal

Depending on whether we can get a direct connecting flight from Islamabad to Gilgit, this might go much quicker. If we don't fly, we will take the Karakoram Highway up north. I have done this trip in 1993 and it is a pretty exciting drive along the Indus. Not for the fainthearted. But I'd rather take the plane. Condition of the road to Shimshal remains to be seen as well. The village has only been opened to road traffic very few years ago.

Day 6 - 11: Shimshal to the snout of the Braldu glacier

First part of the trek, over the Shimshal Pass (4755m). The Shimshal Pass is a vast plateau where the Wakhi from the epynomous valley have their summer pastures. Theirs is the largest "cheptel" of Northern Pakistan: 1000 yak and thousands of cattle. The trek to the pass is not to be underestimated. David Hamilton, with whom I was in the Hushe Valley in 1993, did a Shimshal to Hushe ski expedition in 2004 and wrote of this first part of his journey: "I had foolishly assumed that the trip would not really start until we unpacked the skis at the snowline. I had underestimated the difficulty of the trek along the gorge of the Pamir-I-Tang river and over the Shimshal Pass. The heavily laden porters made light work of the faint paths crossing the steep cliffs and unstable scree slopes. The experiences mountaineers in the party found the trek amongst the hardest they had encountered anywhere in the Himalayas." Sounds promising ...

Day 12 : to the snowline on the Braldu glacier

Tough day of 12-15 km on the open, stony Braldu glacier. This is likely going to be one of the most testing days of the journey. We take our leave of the porters at the snowline. From here onwards we will move independently, on ski, with the pulkas. 

Day 13 - 17: on the Braldu glacier to Lupke La pass (5544m)

Our progress will be heavily dependent on the conditions. All going well, we can cover 10km per day. But it is equally likely that only half will take us 8 hours of hard work. 

Day 18-19: reserve days. 

If we are lucky we might take the opportunity to climb a 6000+ peak in the Lupke La area. Otherwise we will need our time to descend the steep slopes of the pass to the Sim Gang glacier.

Day 20-22: Snow Lake (5000m)

We will spend a few days moving over this vast plateau, confluence of several glaciers surrounded by mighty granite towers 2000 m high. 

Day 23-24: Descent of Biafo Glacier

Here we get to less exotic surroundings, the Biafo glacier being part of many classic treks departing from Askole. 

Day 25: Descent to Askole

A team of porters will help us to get down to Askole. Long day. 10 hours. 

Day 26-29: Askole - Skardu - Islamabad - Paris - Brussels

High valleys

Pierre Neyret, who will be guiding our expedition, has produced a beautiful book with Géraldine Bénestar. Two chapters are of direct interest to our journey: one on the precarious pastoral existence of the Wakhi people in the Shimshal valley (our starting point) and a chapter by Pierre on his previous ski-expeditions in the Karakoram mountains. Illustrated by beautiful pictures throughout. 

Prep weekend

A few pics from our preparation weekend in the Vanoise area, French Alps, end of March. We got to know each other, camped out at 2000m, tested the pulka (sledges), tasted some of the menus and did a tour with skis above camp. I'm an inexperienced ski tourer and lost a ski high on the mountain. Snow conditions were particularly rotten, truth be told. Anyway I'm not taking a spare ski to Pakistan so I need to be sure to hold on tight to them in the next four weeks.

Ready to go

That's it. We're more or less set to go. Tomorrow we're flying to Islamabad for the start of our month-long trekking linking Shimsal to Askole in North Pakistan. On the right an aerial picture of the terrain we will be dealing with. Our route takes us more or less diagonally through the picture. Return on May 23d.