DISPATCHES

Heilprin

Strong winds (no sirocco here), deep snow and the prospect of another storm are much on our minds. The barometer is plummeting and a few light snowflakes fell in Base Camp this afternoon. But for much of the past two days, the parade of cumulus clouds from the southwest, scudding white against a sketchy blue, has repelled a darker or ruddy edge.

The climbers are on the route, having spent a night at Camp 2, and planning to trudge up to Camp 3 tonight. Their grueling schedule calls for them to climb tomorrow to Camp 4, at nearly 8,000 meters, and then go for the 8,616-meter summit and arrive by the morning of the 20th.

"They're making one last, desperate summit push," said Jeff Rhoads, who returned today from Camp 2 because he felt it was too cold and windy — he was not properly acclimatized for a summit attempt and the chances of that seemed slim. He said it was 10° Fahrenheit there this morning, not accounting for the windchill from a "howling wind," and spindrift was hampering progress. Some felt discouraged, he said, though not all.

With our planned exit looming just days from now, there has been an important shift in climbing strategy.

The last-minute plan was to have four of our strongest and best acclimatized climbers dispense with more rope fixing and head up alpine-style to the summit from where the ropes end above Camp 3. The crux of the route supposedly is just below the fourth and final camp, then comes the challenge of traversing up the hanging glacier and steep snow ramp to the top, and returning safely.

Other expeditions on a similar schedule have followed suit with the new plan, though the Chinese appear to have abandoned climbing K2.

By 2am Wednesday, a burnt orange full moon, just above the spur of the mountain, appeared to have chased away the remnants of storm clouds and kindled a slow, dignified procession of stars overhead. Mike Bearzi, Paul Teare, Shawn O'Fallon and Jay Sieger formed the pair of two-man rope teams that left Advanced Base Camp hours later in predawn light to salvage our hopes for the nearly four-month summer expedition.

While not approaching monomania, summit fever still is endogenous. "It's the eleventh hour of the eleventh day," Mike said with a wry smile, just before slinging his pack over his shoulder and leaving his tent early Wednesday morning.

It was to be just the four, who offered to carry a hand-held video camera to the summit, but Jeff and Greg Ritchie, the two National Geographic television cameramen, went along to film as high as they could and then handed off a camera and retrieved their gear.

If conditions worsen, all the climbers probably will resort to collecting their thousands of dollars of gear stashed from Camp 3 on down the mountain.

In addition to Jeff's descent, there are other signs of downward mobility.

Soon after reaching Camp 2, Paul decided to come back down Wednesday evening. He reached his tent by headlamp after a 15-hour day, and today said he disliked the crowded atmosphere on the mountain.

"It's not my style," he said, "and I got tired of it. There's too many people and the climbing's not that interesting."

The remaining Americans were "upbeat" when he left them, Paul said, and while there was a one-meter accumulation of fresh snow at Camp 2, he did not believe conditions were too unsafe so as to incite temerity among those up on the mountain.

The weather also enticed the four Japanese climbers and four Mexican-led team members to give the world's second highest mountain one last try. Three of the Japanese made it to Camp 3 today. The two Germans headed up, too, but they are not yet acclimatized to go to 8000 meters.

Ziggy Emme also climbed up to Camp 2 today to see how high he could get, while Heidi Howkins, who had been mulling over a similar solo strategy, put aside lingering summit dreams and headed down the glacier with a load of gear for the way out.

As the climbers fight their way up K2, others are making preparations for the trek down the glacier, plunging impetuously down the valley, and along the complex of rivers, and mountain passes that lead back to the Chinese road head.

Ivan Ramirez and Wayne Wallace climbed up to Camp 1, on Wednesday morning, to retrieve their gear, but they also helped break trail in deep snow. Following them was the long train of climbers who eventually headed past them that morning and who, later from a distance, appeared as black specks or beads threaded along the route.

Enjoying the blue skies, Drew Hansen and myself went up to the shark's fin, the equipment cache, where the route begins about 500 meters below Camp 1, and removed the last piles of group gear — Drew's fifth such load hauling trip.

Ginger Russell continues to oversee Base Camp goings-on, radio activity and porter movements. Gilley James made a three-day trip to Chinese Base Camp — located in the river valley below the foot of the glacier — and returned with crucial information after negotiating departure plans with our Chinese liaison officer.

After fully recovering from a couple of days of snow blindness, expedition leader Jeff Alzner followed up on Gilley's information by leaving Advanced Base Camp for Chinese Base Camp to firm up plans for the trek out with the liaison officer and camel drivers. He left K2, having organized the Portland, Oregon, based expedition for more than two years, in a sentimental and philosophical mood.

While expeditions to the more frequented south side in Pakistan have met with success, the remote north side in China, which has not seen attempts in several years, is making summer efforts difficult with the extended bad weather.

But the recent sun has brought some small rewards such as an orange and black butterfly, playfully alighting on a rock.

Thumb-sized moths that resemble miniature hummingbirds, whose striking proboscis is the size of a doctor's needle, hover along our path of footprints in the snow. And several huge ravens, known here as goraks, circle around camp like scavengers who know this place will once again be theirs alone soon.

— John Heilprin, MountainZone.com Correspondent

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