I'm coming home now, this is not a good season in the Karakoram. Not a good season for me!!! Like my climbing partner Gerfried always says : « life is important ! »
With the information I have until now here in BC, no team manage to climb above camp 3 on Broad Peak, K2, G2 and G1. (maybe one Sherpa on G2 from the Korean team, but I saw him with mask and O2 bottle in camp 1, poor guy, I think he had lungs problems after this push, I have no more details).
Too dangerous, too much snow this year. Never see so much snow!!! We cannot see any crevasse before falling into it. We cross many avalanche fields when going to camp 1.
Last summer we could walk to camp 1 in less than 4 hours on an almost dry glacier. Now we have to wake up at 24h00 to start at 1h00 am only to get to camp 1. Can you imagine! Like going to the summit but it’s only camp 1. Dominik, mountain guide from Amical, check with GPS the denivellation (total of climbing up and down) between BC and C1 and it was more than 1500m. HAHAHA! let me tell you that it is a lot of up and down on this glacier only to get to camp 1.
With this accident in the Japanese couloir, I was really sure it was my turn and I'm 35 year old. Its only the begining of my himalayan adventure! When the avalanche hit us, I was able to stand in my original position for 3 seconds but when the snow hit my hips and shoulders it was too much. It was so strong and fast. Like 10 sumos pushing on me!
I fight against the avalanche till the end of the slide. I never gave up and I was able to stop myself with self arrest 200m below. Thanks to my big backpack I was a big « particule » so my body was kept on the the surface of the snow.
I was yelling « NO, NO!!! This is the worst mistake I did. My advice : «close your month» Always a good advice anyway! Hehe!
So I got lot of powder snow in my lungs. Even when it was finish and I stopped, I was still fighting for my life because I was drowning / suffocating from the packed snow in my lungs. Ouf! Thats not a good feeling! You can feel the packes snow in your throat and lungs. Solid stuff inside! Let me tell you that it is harder than water to extract!
With the death of Gerfried this year plus two other friends on G1 I cannot risk anymore my life on G1. For me now, there no more 14 peak over 8000m, only 13. (lucky number anyway!)
Gasherbrum 1 is no more on my climbing list! After 3 expeditions on the same mountain, I’m done with this peak! «G1 is my own Annapurna!» It took everything from me! I have to rebruilt myself again!
Yesterday in BC during dinner, two important new friends told me this advice « Now Louis you have to find yourself !»
This is exactly what I will do... And the adventure continue!
Next update will be from Skardu, I’m leaving BC tomorrow!
From Gasherbrums BC
Louis 18 / 07 / 2012
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