Carrying my Skis to Concordia
By Alan (L) Jones
I was sorry to learn that a KMC Expedition to the Karakorum planned for 2014 has had to be cancelled due to the political unrest, but I am sure that Himachal Pradesh has plenty to offer as an alternative. I wish all those who take part every success in what I am sure will be an unforgettable experience. I wish I was still fit enough to join in. Sadly you will miss going to Concordia, which has rightly been called “The Throne Room of the Mountain Gods”. I have the photographs to prove it.
I was fortunate enough to join a ski touring party which accompanied the First Winter Expedition to K2. Sadly, the weather, although it had been brilliant on the trek in, defeated all attempts at the summit. I believe that it has still not had a winter ascent, although there have been several attempts since. However, I had thought that two Polish climbers from the International team had achieved the first winter ascent of Broad Peak. This seems not to have been the case by an unlucky narrow margin: so near and yet so far. I have just discovered that a report on this expedition is now available on the internet http://www.the-south-asian.com/june2002/K2_Expedition.htm.
The irony of the expedition, from the skiers point of view, was that, after a major early snowfall throughout the Himalayas (a trekking party got stuck returning from Everest Base Camp and our advance supplies for K2 Base camp only reached Urdukas), there was virtually no more snow until returning from Concordia. I think I had the world’s most travelled pair of skis that had never been on snow. Most of us had abandoned skis at Urdukas as there were only icy patches of snow remaining. Some poor porter had carried them all that way. My skis were new and I had only had the chance to try them on the artificial slope here in the Wirral. I think I was probably the only member of the skiing party who would have gone, even if trip had been advertised as a trek rather than as a ski tour, so I had no regrets (even if I had some anxious moments when I thought we were snowed in for the winter on the way down and when crossing the river at the foot of the Biafo Glacier). I believe that there is skiing in Himachal Pradesh, but probably not at the time of your visit.
Hopefully the bureaucracy in India will be less of a hassle than in Pakistan. I did not get my visa until the morning we left Heathrow. Hopefully also you will be away from the political and religious conflicts of Kashmir. There was some unrest even when I was there and there was a loud explosion as we left Gilgit. There were local conflicts as well as the disputed control of Kashmir. It rather took the edge of being the first party to reach Concordia in winter to find that there was a military unit already camped there; it is close to the disputed border. I do not know if you will be subjected to the same controls on trekking and climbing requiring permits and arrangements for porters, but be prepared and find out all the rules before leaving the UK. We had to attend a very tedious briefing session at the tourist office in Islamabad when all our credentials and arrangements for porters were checked. This is probably the norm throughout the Himalayas as expeditions form a major part of the economy.
It is likely that you will be trekking to altitude similar to the summit of Mont Blanc. You therefore need to be fully aware of all the medical implications of high altitude. Allow plenty of time for acclimatisation. Also be aware of the religious sensitivity of the local people. Whilst hopefully Hindus are more tolerant of Westerners than Muslims, women are unlikely to be seen as equals. People in rural areas are likely to be less tolerant and more deeply religious than in the towns.
Get fit before you go! Start with the KMC Fell Race! For newer members of the KMC, there is the added incentive of winning the Concordia Trophy. This in incorporates a small piece of rock from Concordia which was probably carried by the glacier from K2.
Have a great time!
