Fish ’n’ chips Britons prepare to tackle K2
BEFORE they set off for remote northern Pakistan, and the world’s second-highest mountain, the four Britons enjoyed a meal of fish and chips with a gin and tonic.
Hoping to nearly double the number of British climbers to have conquered K2 and lived, the four led by Di Gilbert are approaching the “Savage Mountain” with more than a little patriotic pride.
Di joins Pete Brittleton, Paul Etheridge and Capt Jake Meyer – the youngest at 32, as the first UK expedition to attempt the peak in 12 years. “This will be my most dangerous ever climb,” Capt Meyer said by phone from Skardu, the last major town before K2.
“I climbed Everest at 21 but I’ve always wanted to see how far I could push myself. There’s definitely a bit of patriotism involved too. It would be huge to be able to fly the [Union] flag from the summit. There’s that famous photo of the first summit of Everest, where Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary have planted their flags. We’d love to replicate that.”
Only eight Britons have planted their country’s colours atop 28,251ft K2, one of the most dangerous climbs anywhere – and three of those died on their descent.
This bid, with Canadian climber Jean-Bernard Charron and Nepalese sherpa Phurba Ongel, comes just a month after five climbers died on Everest.
K2 is much steeper, more avalanche-prone, more remote and has more treacherous weather than Everest.
The team reached Askole on Friday and face a sevenday, 75-mile trek with other groups to base camp, helped with heavy gear by 120 porters, then a month’s acclimatisation prior to the ascent.
Italian team Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni made the first successful ascent, in 1954 and it was another 23 years before anyone repeated their feat.
The worst accident on K2 saw 11 climbers killed in 2008 and one in five who start the ascent end up dead.
For Capt Meyer it is his second attempt, after being beaten by bad weather and faulty oxygen equipment in 2009. He is raising money for veterans’ charity Walking With the Wounded.
“The nature and history of the mountain are one of the main attractions,” he said. There was a silence, then he added: “I hope I’m not trying to push my luck too far.”