Updates from Base Camp: July 18-24, 2007

The team have made regular contact over the past week (I have included their SMS messages below). Unsettled weather continues to hamper progress on the proposed line. Ken's cold has subsided and the team have managed to acclimatize to 5500m. Reconnaissance continues around the mountain with a number of alternative objectives being considered in light of the current conditions.

Jul 24, 2007 5:30 PM
STILL RAINING,IN BC.4TH DAY IN A ROW.

Jul 22, 2007 6:48 PM
ACLM TO 5400M SUCCESFL. POOR WTHR RTRNS. MORE RECCYING REQD STILL. EYEING SVRL 5500-6000M AS 1ST OBJ.

Jul 19, 2007 11:53 PM
WTHR STILL PRFECT. K&J TO ACCLMTZ BEGINING 2MOROW.

Jul 18, 2007 4:31 PM
WEATHER CLR AND CALM. S & R TO ACCLMTZ, K&J REST IN BC. FLU SLOWLY IMPROVING.

Posted by Jay Piggott

Update from Base Camp: July 17th 2007

Jeremy called in today at 6:37am GMT via Iridium satellite phone.
The Team has now reached base camp. Unsettled weather and frequent storms have covered the mountain and base camp in deep snow. It will take a number of days of clear weather for conditions on the mountain to stabilize, before an attempt on the proposed line can be safely considered. The team will spend this time doing reconnaissance on the mountain and training together. The Team is in good spirits, although Ken is recovering from a cold.
Posted by Jay Piggott

Into the Karakoram

Today, we flew from the capital of Islamabad to the mountain town of Skardu. Our stay in Islamabad happened to overlap with the storming of the Red Mosque. We were woken at 4am of "Operation Silence" (we'd never get away with such a name back home) to the rumble of bombs, 5km away. Despite the warfare not far away, we were never exposed to it in any real sense. Pakistanis seem pretty embarrassed about having such militant extremists in their country. Anyways, the flight today was incredible. We even got a clear look at our objective, along with Nanga Parbat, K2, and a host of others. Five 8000m peaks in a 40-minute flight! In the morning, we leave for Askoli (the road-head). Pakistani civilization again in about a month.

Team Awarded American Alpine Club Award

The team has received the presitgious American Alpine Club Lyman Spitzer Cutting Edge Award
Additionally, we have received word that we will be receiving help from MSR and Thermarest. We are tremendously grateful to the American Alpine Club and MSR/Thermarest for their support.

Little Karim Confirmed

Himalayan Legend, Little Karim, is confirmed as our trekking guide for the expedition. This year, he started a tourism company, Travel Amazing Karakoram.

Little Karim stands only 5'2" tall and might top 110 pounds after a large meal. But underneath that tiny physique is a powerful and spirited alpinist who even Messner says is one of the world's strongest climbers above 8,000 meters. -Mountainzone.com