K2 - Broad Peak 2003 Czech Expedition

August 21, 03 - Back home
08/22/2003 09:25:03
Regards to all after some time of silence. In a few words, we are safely back in Czech Republic - but we did not climb to the top of K2. Sad, angry or happy and satisfied ? A bit of everything. K2 is the mountain which is not supposed to be easy. We knew it and we knew that longer we stay in Base Camp, smaller the chance there is. Team by team, people were leaving K2 and only Kazachs and us stayed. Weather was supposed to get a bit better. Kazachs left on August 5 for Camp 1, I followed them on August 6 and we met in Camp 2. Radek and Miska met us on August 8 in Camp 3. By then we all realized it is over. The snow above Camp 3 was not blown away by the previous storm as we hoped. We were sinking into the bottomless powder, perhaps great for skiing but very dangerous for climbing. So at the end, it was not the weather but idiot deep powder which stopped our final attempt. There was nothing we could possible do except to turn around. K2 did not let anyone to its top. In a fact, it did not let one fellow to come down either. Another plate with the name of German climber, a member of Swiss expedition and date July 22, 03 has been added to Gilkey Memorial. Under the mountain, close to the Base Camp, Kazachs found the body of Renato Casarotto, one of the greatest solo climber who died in crevasse fall within short distance of Base Camp in 1986. Kazachs brought the remains under the Gilkey Memorial and burried them over there. We left BC on August 12, exactly two months since we came here. The walk out was as fast as it could possibly be. By August 15, we reached Scardu and two days later, we were in Islamabad. K2 is left untouched for the second year in the row. But people who realize the overhelming power and beauty of this mountain do return again and again. Have no doubt we are one of those. Good bye and see you soon. Martin
Author: Martin	Visit: 12677x
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Radek Jaros
-in 1998 climbed to the top of Mt. Everest( 8848m) without oxygen or high altitude Sherpas
-in 2001 climbed to 8000m (Shoulder) on the Cesen route of K2
-in 2002 climbed to the top of Kangchenjunga (8598m) without oxygen or high altitude Sherpas
-expeditions and travels in the Andes, Alps, and Pamir

Petr (Miska) Masek
- in 2001 climbed to 8000m (Shoulder) on Cesen route of K2
- expeditions and travels to the the Alps and Pamir

Martin Minarik
- in 1999 climbed to the top of Manaslu (8163m)without oxygen or high altitude Sherpas
- in 2002 climbed to the top of Kangchenjunga (8598m) without oxygen or high altitude Sherpas
- expeditions and travels to Alaska, the Yukon, Andes, Pamir, and Alps

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