Kamran
Yesterday, Sirbaz and Joshi left the basecamp for the summit push on Mt Annapurna. Today, they reached Camp 3 (6,420m) late in the afternoon. By pushing their physical limits on icy slopes under overhanging sercas for an entire day, now they are resting up in a tent. While they are up there, I wonder why … Read more
Some said, “it’s pure madness.” Others read, “it’s suicide.” Some considered, “why are they risking life for nothing? They have no regard for their families.” Another said, “It’s just for personal recognition.” Other people advised, “what use has such activity? Go find proper work.” So why do some people risk everything to reach the top … Read more
Sirbaz Khan and Abdul Joshi have deposited their stuff at Camp 3 (6,392) on Mt Annapurna and are now back at the base camp. The route between Camp 2 and Camp 3 is the most technical with blue icewalls and steep rock faces. Besides overhanging seracs are a major threat in this section. Sirbaz said, … Read more
Every morning, after having breakfast, I sit in the doorway of the mess tent here at the base camp with my eyes glued to the mighty mountain in front of me. Yes, Mt Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain with an elevation of 8,091m and the most dangerous amongst all 8000ers, but there is more … Read more
In a mountaineering expedition, climbers are the center of attention and get all the accolades, but there are many others working behind the scenes who make such ventures possible. Neither do we read about them in expedition reports, nor do we see their pictures on magazine covers. Though their services are rarely acknowledged, they are … Read more
t the Annapurna basecamp, smoke rose from the altar to the heaven. Lama chanted prayers from the pages of Tibetan Holy Scripture asking the gods for forgiveness and the permission to climb. This is Buddhist Puja Ceremony under the shadow of Mt Annapurna (8,091 m), the tenth highest mountain in the world. Climbers gathered in … Read more
Annapurna Camp 2 / Elevation 5,515m / -11ºC Yesterday Sirbaz and Joshi estabalished Camp 2 at 1:30 pm. Six hours passed by with them tucked in their sleeping bags. Each minute felt like an hour in the cold silence of Annapurna. Sirbaz took out his phone inside his sleeping bag and started flipping through photos … Read more
Climbers cannot just push an 8000er mountain in one ago. They would have to gradually go up to between 5000-7000 meteres for conditioning before attacking the summit. This process to get used to the low oxygen is called acclimitization. From the base camp, they would asend to establish Camp 1, spend a night there and … Read more
Today Sirbaz and Joshi returned to the basecamp after spending a night at Camp I. Here is what they have to say about the first rotation of Mt. Annapurna. Sirbaz: I had heard a lot about how tough Mt Annapurna is, but yesterday I saw it. It was our first rotation to Camp 1. We … Read more
Annapurna (8,091m) is the 10th highest peak in the world. It’s the most dangerous mountain among all 8000ers. Only few mountaineers dare to attempt it, and that too only in spring. The reason? Avalanches! Today Sirbaz and Joshi left the basecamp at around 8 am for Camp 1. After one hour, Saad and I decided … Read more
Annapurna basecamp is located at 4,200-m altitude. There are six expedition teams camping here at the moment with climbers coming from about ten different countries. Our team has two spacious tents which we share among four of us. Our daily routine so far has been having breakfast at around 8 am, go for a hike, … Read more
Today the Team Annapurna started their first round of acclimatization. They reached the Advanced Base Camp (ABC) at 4,500-m altitude. I also tagged along on this three hour trek, but it was not possible to keep up with them as I huffed and puffed behind them on steep slopes. The view from the ABC was … Read more
Today we went to the helipad in the morning. First the heli made rounds to the basecamp with sherpas, kitchen crew, food, and other camping equipment. Then it flew us. It was only a 10-minute flight to the basercamp from Dana village. The heli quickly gained height and dropped us at the elevation of 4,200 … Read more
On 18th March, the sun rose from the horizon like a fireball at Islamabad airport. Team Annapurna boarded the Emirates Flight EK 613. What could have been a two-hour journey to Kathmandu took us 12 hours, including a 5-hour layover in Dubai. After passing through a countless number of security checkpoints at three airports, we … Read more
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