DISPATCHES

Davis

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We all had mixed feelings our last night on Tahir Tower. After a day spent rappelling with haulbags, we stopped for the night on Camp I (affectionately known as "the infirmary"). We made a small feast with our remaining just-add-water dinner packets and looked at the lights down at Base Camp. After this one last quiet night, our tiny world of four would reopen to include Zahid and Ali, all the local villagers, and the local army officers.

And then, over the next few days our world would expand further, to the myriad Balti jeep drivers and villagers, and the Pakistani city dwellers, as we left the Kondus valley and re-entered larger Pakistan. And then, one week from now, we will experience the true and exciting culture shock of returning home, and leaving behind our expedition world. I think this is one of the most amazing and fluid elements of expeditioning.

When we left the States, we had no idea if we would even get to the Kondus. We had no idea if once in, we'd ever get out of the Kondus. We had no idea of what, if anything, there was to climb. Now, a month later, we have had one of the most successful and memorable adventures of our lives. Our gamble hit the jackpot.

The four of us talked about our objectives and hopes quite a bit throughout the long stages of travel, while we focused all of our efforts on just getting into the Kondus region, never mind what there might be to climb there. All of us agreed that our main hope was to see what there was to see, to stay safe, and to "come home better friends than we left," as Brady put it.

And of course, we all yearned to find a beautiful tower to climb. Two days ago, we drove out of the Kondus, looking back at the beautiful silhouette of Tahir Tower, waving goodbye to villagers. A day later, we drove out of the Dansom Military Base, waving goodbye to the military police and Major Safdar and Captain Abdullah and the officers who'd let us shoot their machine guns.

Last night we shook hands warmly with Brigadier Tahir and Major Raza, after yet another celebration dinner here in Kapalu. This morning, Dave and I prepare to leave for the States while Jimmy and Brady reorganize for another week or so in Pakistan before returning home. We will be leaving our expedition family, sadly saying goodbye to Zahid and Ali, and missing Jimmy and Brady as we go on to Skardu without them.

I came to Pakistan with a lot of hopes, a wad of American dollars, and five 70-pound bags of food and climbing gear. Those bags are lighter now, stuffed with rolls of film and Pakistani scarves. The things I'm carrying now are far more valuable, and easier to pack — the memory of being the first to stand on Tahir Tower, the smiles and prayers of the Khorkondus women, the friendship of military officers and Balti mountain people, and the knowledge that all of these moments will always remain within Jimmy, Dave, Brady, and me.

— Steph Davis, MountainZone.com Correspondent

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