June 24 – Travel time
Landed today at 1 am in Patiksan. Had about 27 hours of travel starting on Wednesday into today. All the travel and time change (11 hours) makes today a rest type day. I was lucky to be one of the first off the plane, which put me first in line for passport control. Not to mention, also for the first time ever my 3 bags were the first ones delivered onto the baggage claim belt. I would say that is a travel blessing in disguise.
I was immediately greeted by Shirbaz upon exiting this area which was comforting. When you exit the airport in Pakistan, I imagine it feels like what one would feel walking on the red carpet of Hollywood. You walk solo for at least 100 feet and there are people on either side of you waiting for their loved ones. Coming out of the airport with blonde hair and blue eyes is not a normal sighting so eyes hang on me longer than I am used to. Not unfriendly or uncomfortable but definitely the feeling of… Do I have something in my teeth? Thankfully Shirbaz was ready and identified me immediately after baggage claim. The car for us was waiting and we were off to the hotel within a minute of exiting the airport.
We got to the hotel, The Serena, about an hour later. I got checked into the room and was given a tour of the room. Then the bags were brought up and finally, it sunk in that I am here back in Pakistan to try this Mountain for a second time. Being it the middle of the night in Pakistan but the middle of the day back home I was tired from travel but not tired enough to go to sleep right away. I emptied my bags of all things that needed charging to get them started on the chargers and tried to fall asleep.
I spent a portion of that time catching up with the kids and family. Breakfast time came so I showered, went to eat breakfast, gave myself a tour around the hotel, and then at 9 am I went to the room to sleep for a bit. It’s important to rest up as much as I can before the climb since the mountain normally is not as comfortable to sleep in as a hotel room.
Around 11 am Sandro made it to the hotel. Grateful to have my mountaineering bestie back by my side and to hear English on a consistent basis. I often cross many language barriers in my travels and I try to adapt the best I can, but it’s often comforting to hear and speak English regularly. It reminds me of the comforts of our home cultures for so many of us throughout the world.
We met for a quick tea and will meet up with Mingma G around 1:30 for lunch. Then the plan is to eat dinner at 7 pm and then head to bed. The plan right now is to fly to Skardu tomorrow (leaving for the airport at 8 am) and stay in Skardu for a few days. We will not leave Skardu till the 27th. The weather is looking good at the moment so the chances of flying are in our favor. Let’s hope it stays that way!
6/25 – off To Skardu!
Made it to skardu via plane! What a difference from last year?! It took about 45 minutes…. 2 hours in total really though Because Flight departure times are more suggestions than hard leave times like in the USA.
Skardu is a town that has a lot of domestic travel as well. There is a lot of military in the area because it is a disputed area of control between Pakistan and India.
We are staying at a larger hotel that is pretty basic. The people are kind though. My complaint is the number of flies and the lack of fly swatters but if we can limit my complaints to this, life is pretty amazing.
Slowly got to know my teammates. We are from all over and lots of them have climbed with Mingma G before. There is another American female on the team named Gina. She is actually number 2 of 7 siblings! I love her, she is funny, kind, determined, and understands the love of a good blowout. She was (still is but not practicing) a celebrity make-up artist, however, when Covid happened she decided to take a break and start climbing mountains. She is trying to complete the 14 8000m peaks and has 5 of them done already! She shy’s away from social media or I would tell you to follow her.
I will give you more on other teammates as I get to chance to hear more of their stories! Took a long nap today as the time change and heat of the day (105 degrees) have been a lot!
I am quickly being reminded that having food choices for meals feels more like a necessity than a luxury. There is no such thing as fast food, sushi, Mexican, Italian, or really anything outside of meat curry, vegetable curry, or lentil curry. And I think green, yellow, and red curry flavors are a non-authentic spin to their meals. Breakfast aside I have had the same meal for lunch and dinner since I have been here.
Sending love to all at home
Xxx Jenn
6/26 – Second Day at Skardu
Today was the type of heat you would expect in the Middle East in the middle of summer. We went to the market and then stayed inside after 11am. I reorganized bags for the trek-in. One bag will be left at the hotel for clothing and things I will not need until we return. I will have one backpack which will hold the things I will potentially need during the day. Medical kit, toothbrush, change of clothes, rain gear, etc. One duffle bag will be for what I could potentially need for the 5-6 day hike in. The last two duffle bags are for all the things I will not need until the base camp.
Last year the trek was warm and dry but not so extremely hot until it was time to leave. This year it is hot and potentially wet for a few days on that trek in. We were planning to start tomorrow 6/27 but we do not have military clearance yet so now we will head out on 6/28.
My stomach has struggled today, the food is not easy for me to eat and something is hopefully passing through me as fast as possible. Bread and rice have been my staples yet something got me. So let’s hope this is the first and last bug I get on this expedition.
I will be able to write more tomorrow since we are here another day. And hopefully, I am feeling better.
Jenn
6/27
Today was a hot day of burning time. I am still dealing with the lingering affects of a bad stomach which is not awesome. I have been reading a lot of books and doing breathe work.. I think it will help me get rid of my bad stomach? Figure it won’t hurt.
I tried to find a hair salon today. We went to one but they lost power (something that happens here all the time) so I just washed my hair at the motel we are staying at. We lost power at the hotel multiple times today which makes it extra hot when you do not have a fan that works. There is no air conditioning in skardu.
Tomorrow we drive to jhula. Mingma G (head guide and owner of imagine Nepal, company I am climbing with) will meet us on Wednesday. He is superstitious and doesn’t like to start adventures on Tuesday, he feels that is bad luck, so he is going to double down on the first day and leave Wednesday to catch up with us.
Meals in Pakistan are the same thing for lunch and dinner every single day and no one seems to mind it. It’s amazing how much one craves variety when it is not an option. In America, it’s like variety is the spice of life when it comes to food. You want Italian or Mexican, you have that option. Here the option is the same. It’s the little luxuries I miss the most on my climbs. Reminds me that we shouldn’t take so many things for granted.
The people of Pakistan that we have encountered are super nice. With a bad stomach I like 7up without the carbonization. They opened a can for me yesterday and covered it to give to me today so it would be flat.
Ready to get moving mentally, slightly concerned physically. I am sure it will be fine, if I wake up feeling really behind I can stay back and double down the next day with Mingma G. The annual trip to Michigan starts today which has me missing home a little extra today.
Xoxoxo Jenn
6/28
We drove for over 9 hors today. It was exhausting. When we stopped for lunch, I couldn’t figure out why my arm hurt. It turns out it hurt from gripping the handles on the car cause we were off-roading the entire time. I can’t imagine how tired the driver must be.
This trip Has been less stressful than last year, even with me not feeling well. I did get food in today and slowly am gaining my strength. I am with Sandro as my tent buddy again. We share tents until the base camp.
Some of the helpers remember me from the last year, which is nice. Missing home today as the kids are in Michigan for 2 weeks with family. And we are now at Jhula camp. It is a busy place to be at this year with a lot more climbers here. I didn’t realize how dead the mountain was last year until I saw all the traffic here this year.
Ready 2 start trekking! We will go to the paiju camp tomorrow. Hopefully, leaving early in the morning because the heat is next level. It feels like a furnace here. I feel for the people that live in this area full-time. Everyone is in good spirits and excited to be sleeping in tents tonight. We packed all our stuff in garbage bags inside our duffels in case any rain happened.
Fingers crossed it doesn’t rain because otherwise, it would be a real muddy deal. Hoping I sleep with all the commotion around. It is nice to be away from the noise of life. Grateful for all of the support. I screenshot a bunch of messages to keep my spirits high. Xoxoxo Jenn
6/29
We are eating breakfast this morning which consists of eggs, toast,&granola. The milk is by powder and needs to be added to hot water. The bags are being counted and weighed, so we have enough porters and donkeys to carry them. This is the type of job people want. It is not forced upon anyone, and there is always more to be done. People that show up for work, then there is work. At 6 am, all the gear is packed, we are fed, and hopefully, leaving soon. The plan was to leave at 5 am, but this delay is normal and now expected. This hurts the whole system and struggles to adjust.
We made it to paju camp today. I have been here before yet forgot so much of this trek! We have to go through water a few times. The beauty of the trek is crazy, with mountains that are all around. They are steep and do not do justice in photos. There was an ever so slight breeze today, and every bit of it is welcomed as it keeps the flies away. My tolerance for bugs does not exist. We all have our thing, and bugs are 100% mine.
The team is slowly arriving at camp. The tents should be a few hours out and then lunchtime. It’s been a long day waiting for gear to arrive. I will pack better tomorrow and ensure I have more things in my pack so I can change clothes and such.
I ran into 2 people from park city Utah at paju camp! They are trekking into the area to ski G2! We have heard about each other multiple times over the last year or so! Super fun to meet finally in person! Who would have thought it would be in Pakistan! Grateful for these expeditions and the ability to connect with amazing people. Xoxo Jenn
6/30
We are departing soon for Urdukas and getting closer to leaving at said times. Maybe 40 minutes late today; we will see. 6/30… feeling the heat! The trek is long and tons of up, down, and all around. I swear you gain double the altitude because of the up/down. So I just made it to the lunch spot, and there is a huge river crossing right before this location. It was flowing heavily today. They had to do a human chain handoff. The water was ice cold, and rocks were rolling. I wanted to keep my shoes dry, so I went in barefoot. Which means my feet got cut up and hurt! One of my shoes came off my backpack and went down the river.
And by the love of my angels in heaven taking care of me, my shoe got stopped by a rock! And Someone went to get it. I have said this before, and I will say it again – I swear the trek in is more dangerous than the climb. Dawa Sherpa, who was with me, agrees and the kindness of these people is humbling. To keep with my theme of thorns… as thorny as this trek in is, the people are the roses.
We ate Ramen noodles for lunch, then headed another couple of hours to our camp! Today is a huge day on so many levels. The stop for lunch was such a waste of time. There was no shade and just zapped energy. Finally convinced some of the team to leave, and we just made it to camp. The service company that is helping us is filled with friendly people, but this is their first time doing support of a big expedition, and we are experiencing it. Meals are served later than should be, clean water we wait on, and bags with clean clothes are still en route 4 a few people. We thought we worked Through the “bugs” yesterday but still have room for improvement. Going to bed early and hoping we leave early tomorrow.
As we get higher up the mountain, the temperatures get more tolerable to sleep in and such. Missing my peeps at home and am grateful there is a slight breeze to keep the flies away. Xoxo Jenn – Jennifer Drummond
7/1 – Happy JULY!
Camp is super dusty and dirty with lots of teams here. Today we go to camp 2, which is on the glacier and pretty exposed. The sun has been relentless; however, rain would be way worse than what we are dealing with currently. Ready to be at base camp and still 2-3 days away. I have been in Pakistan for a week now, and it feels Like a month. As much as I love the expeditions, I do not love missing time at home.
These slow and long days have a lot of time for thinking and missing loved ones. We are eating lunch at camp 1. The desert is always tin fruit, which means fruit that comes out of a can. Today was pears, and tin fruit is welcome at this point in the journey.
I remember growing up drinking orange tang at my grandma’s house. We have orange tang drink mix on the table every meal. I haven’t brought myself to drink it yet, but it reminds me of visits to grandma’s house!
The sun is unforgiving here, but luckily we are getting higher, so not as energy-sucking. A couple more hours and we will be at camp 2!
I made it to camp 2! We are on the glacier for this one. It’s a bit wet, with rocks on top of the ice. During the day, the top of the glacier melts a bit in the sun, and then it freezes up again at night. The only shade is inside our tents, but with the air cooler, it works. It will be a long day sitting around acclimatizing.
So we had the best meal yet, which was noodles. Plain noodles not overcooked and nothing on them. So now I might start to regain my energy. I am going to bed early because it is cold, but I am grateful to be out of the crazy, crazy heat!
Tomorrow we get up and head to one more camp, and then it is the base camp time! The views here are amazing! Xoxo – Jenn
7/2 – Concordia camp
I made it to Concordia! The views are amazing! This is the first time we have seen k2 since the start of the trek. I am so grateful to be here And try this mountain again! I feel really good about my team and guides. If Mother Nature agrees, this will be the year I summit. The weather is getting colder as we get higher.
At Concordia, we ran into a team of Pakistani doctors that came together to do the trek. They are super friendly people and gave me contact info in case I run into any issues, which is always an excellent connection! We will trek a little further than Concordia to get a bit higher for acclimatizing.
Made it to our camp for the night. It was a big day for everyone, but we were about 3-4 hours from k2 base camp. We did not hike all the way there because of elevation gain. Bodies do better when we gradually take on altitude. Seeing k2 has me in a great mental space. I am excited about what is to come.
7/3
I made it to base camp! I have not been feeling well, so things that should feel easy have not been easy.
I am excited to be at base camp for at least a day to recover and hopefully build up some strength again. The weather has been extra hot this year. At base camp, we have little square tents you can stand up in. I will head up the mountain for a rotation later this week. Ropes are now almost set to camp3. There are a million things that make base camp amazing, one of which is bathrooms. So people do not just go wherever they can; there is also a shower tent. The animals are kept in a different location, so you don’t want them going to the bathroom right outside your tent. We are on a glacier, so animal waste, stone, and the top layer of ice melt every day to make a less than clean soup that we wait till it freezes, so the smells are less extreme.
To all the beautiful mountain photos, equally ugly things are going on behind the scenes here to make These expeditions work. Today, I unpacked my bags, and a huge beetle was in there trying to hitch a ride with me. Luckily for me, he was dead when I found him falling out of things and took a shower for the first time since we left the motel. It was a bucket with a cup, but it beats wipes all day long! We lost the sun to the mountain at 4:30 pm, which Is earlier than expected and made camp cool down a lot more than expected.
Today is the first day I got to see Shah! He helped me last year while in Pakistan. Without him, my expedition would have been an even bigger mess than it was last year. I requested that he be on my team this year, and they made it happen! So grateful to be able to connect with him again. Get excited about all that is to come!
7/4 – Happy 4th of July
Happy 4th of July! My kids have an annual fishing tournament at my parents’ house that lasts an hour. They get a trophy if they win, and it is a highlight of their trip to Michigan! I am eagerly awaiting the results! I have been sick all day with a stomach bug. I am just laying low to try and keep the energy I do have and get rid of this thing! We hope to go up the mountain on Wednesday, so I have more one day to get ahead of this thing.
The part of the team that got here before us came down from a rotation and said there is a lot of snow on the mountain this year, giving a little more space for tents. I did a little laundry, and my tent smells of clean clothes, which is a welcoming scent. Celebrating freedom today for all around the world. I am one lucky girl to be here right now, and I am grateful. Xoxo – Jenn
7/5
Slowly feeling better but not trusting how good I feel yet. I took some medicine today & think that is helping. We had a puja ceremony 2day to ask for good luck while climbing. It’s a Nepalese tradition before climbing big mountains. I am all for all the luck we can have on our side. 2 Pakistani porters have passed away on Broad peak. One person on the mountain with a summit push and one on the trek from broad peak to base camp. The water can run heavily in the sun, and he got swept in the current. Lots of rocks are lost on k2 this season, so we will keep our rotations limited to one and then go for the summit push.
No need to spend extra time in dangerous territory. I visited with some other teams today to say hi to everyone and returned to take a nap. More potentially to report later! It started to rain a bit this afternoon, which means more snow is higher on the mountain.
We are going up 2 camp 1 tomorrow. I packed my bag with my Sherpa, so I am ready to go after breakfast. We hopefully will go to camp 2 but maybe not to sleep. The mountain has a lot of rock falling this year, making it extra dangerous, so they are trying to limit everyone’s time on the mountain. A Sherpa broke his leg on the way down from camp 1 to advanced base camp today, we think from a rock hitting him. The vertical slope of the mountain has rocks moving at a high velocity so that injury can happen fast from a small rock. Rope setting teams are moving up the mountain on the 7th and hope to have the mountain fully fixed by the 11th of July as long as the weather plays nice. There are a lot of people here, so trying to wait our turn and summit later so that we can let the crowd clear out. I am happy to wait if that means it is safer for us all.
7/6 – Camp 1
Well, we made it to camp1. It was a wintery mix of weather, raining, snowing, blowing, and then sunny patches. This was repeated several times for the climb up to camp 1. I had sunscreen on and still got burned. I can’t imagine what would have happened if it had been sunny the whole day?! This was not my best performance.
The stomach bug will be named soon because it will not let up. It won’t leave and is killing my energy and ability to eat food. K2 is pretty much vertical and was a weird mix of ice and ice crystals. Which kind of sucked you down the mountain. There is a ton of traffic on the mountain, which is not as common as you think. So rock falling is something we are always on the lookout for and trying to prevent from sending down the mountain when we are in the rocky patches.
Camp 1 has more snow this year than the last, so a few more tents are set up. Still all at an extreme angle and hard 2 find a spot to sleep in them. I keep sliding into a ball and then have a part of my body fall asleep.
While it would be nice to rest today, the goal is to stress the body to create more red blood cells. I am pretty confident I have done that. It was a slog up to this camp for me this year. Willpower looked a lot like frustration and sounded like some swear words at points. I tried to cycle through different mantras, but even that inner voice pooped out. She would say a few things and then peace out. So despite all the grumpy, unsupportive, tired, angry voices in my head that tried to break me down.
We made it and now we are all taking a break for the next day and reminding ourselves that our future self is grateful we made today happen even when we didn’t feel like it. Even when we threw a fit, some rest today here will be helpful. May the skies be cloudy tomorrow and my dermatologist not be angry at me for my poor performance managing multiple sunscreen applications. Thanks for all the support on this adventure! Missing everyone from afar! Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/7
Made it down from camp1. It is so steep where camp 1 is, that when you need to use the bathroom you have to be short roped to another person. I did not sleep well because my body parts kept falling asleep on me on the slope of the tents. Our plan was to head back down around 5 am but the winds were pretty extreme So we ended up leaving a bit later. I don’t know when because all my gear was packed and ready to go.
The downward climb is good, a bit of vertigo feeling with the cloud cover. You couldn’t see the other end of the rappel lines. We took our time and made it down safely. I couldn’t get myself to eat anything at camp 1 so I didn’t have much energy to push harder if I wanted to. Once at advanced base camp we took off crampons and climbing harnesses and left them there 2 pick up when it is time to go up the mountain again.
Back at base camp we had lunch and connected with some of the other team members that are on different rotations. The weather is not supposed to be great over the next few days so we will see what that means for getting the rest of the mountain fixed for summit pushes. We have A team member that is trying for the 5th time. Mingma G is very serious about this being the last attempt for us so I think he will go up and help set the lines. This gives him the confidence 2 know what we will be up against before the summit push. He still wants us to wait & let some of the other teams climb first and empty the mountain bit So there is less danger once we go up. I like his leadership style and his explanations for the reason why we are doing some of the things we are doing.
I am just grateful to be able to go to the bathroom on my own terms at the moment and be in a tent that is leveled! Hoping the time passes quickly. I am missing home extra this year. Wi-Fi is not working and the local cell service tower has been down for a few days so not able to connect as easily as before. Love to all – Jenn
7/8
A rather uneventful day. I went and visited Garrets’ team and left with some oatmeal to take with me up the mountain. They had tons & we have zero so I took it. I did some laundry, read some books, and got to know a few of our teammates better. There is a girl on our team named Jill who was a gym teacher in Germany. 1 of her students threw a softball &it hit her on the side of the face causing her to almost die a few times and spend over 2 1/2 years in hospitals recovering. She can not see out of one eye and can only see 30% of the visual field out of the other. Her story is an amazing example of human resilience and the ability we will have to re-write our own internal dialogues. I hope to have her on the podcast soon and plan to interview her here at base camp.
The people on these trips are the most amazing souls and I am grateful for each story I get to hear &learn from. Jill is going to be the first visually impaired female to climb the 14 8000m peaks in the world. There is talk of some of the team heading up to climb the broad peak but not sure the weather window will allow it. I think they will decide after dinner. Spent lots of time reading today and cleaning up my tent. Hope to have Wi-Fi in the next few days and actually be able to send photos home to share sending love to everyone at home! Xoxoxo – Jennifer Drummond
7/9
Well, the stomach bug attacked last night and this morning some. I am on a new antibiotic and hoping this one does the trick the other 2 did not. The weather Has been cloudy today, and you can tell a storm is coming. I guess not till Tuesday night, but the air feels different. I am drinking only sprite at the moment. This is disgusting to me but wondering if I stay clear of the water (even though I have a steri pen), it will help my cause.
Sandro and I visited a few tents today, and then I pretty much laid in my tent reading and trying to regain the ability to hold onto all the calories I am consuming. The hurry up and wait game is not fun for any of us but part of climbing 8000m peaks. Our head chef left the expedition, and food has only improved, including kitchen morale, so that worked out to our favor. Not sure why he quit, but the staff here is happier with him gone, so I guess it is a good thing. Thank you for all the support! Sending love home.
7/10
Starting to feel better today. The antibiotic I am on this time is working but not without causing some kidney distress. The doctor said to load up on fluids which I have been doing so let’s hope the success continues. Today is EID. A Muslim holiday that is being celebrated all over base camp. I was told by the dr that the story behind EID is that God told Abraham to kill his son and so Abraham told his son he needed to do that and his son said if that is what God wants we will not disobey. Since Abraham had full faith in God and was willing to sacrifice what was most important to him. Little variation within the different Muslim countries as to how this is celebrated by I am told 90% of the celebration is the same country to country. We are cheering them on. Hoping the weather comes together for us to have an opportunity at k2 soon. All in due time I am told. The waiting at base camp is a friendly rest. – Jenn
7/11 – Wet Mountain Day
Wet cold day at base camp. Super windy in the mountains. The broad peak team came back down without a summit. It was too dangerous for them to continue. With the winds high and all the snow falling on the mountain. I am feeling a bit better but struggle with the appetite still. We played a lot of monopoly deals in the dining tent and are hoping the generators turn on soon to charge things. With the storms, the only way to charge is on the generator. Solar panels are lacking solar all of us are getting a little stir crazy, I guess that is to be expected. Hopefully, we have a better idea of what this storm is going to do in the next few days. Sending love to all at home. Please send us patience and good weather! Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/12 – Storms Inbound
We added rocks to our tents to keep the ice from melting under them today. We are stuck at base camp for a few days as a storm moves through. Lots of banana grams and monopoly deal (the card game). And that is about it . Pray for good weather, better food, and patience! Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/13
It feels a bit like the movie groundhogs day. The difference today is that it is a bit colder and there is snow falling at base camp. Patience is a virtue we are all improving upon. I am reading a lot of books, playing games, and thinking about how to become a better person. At altitude dreams are more vivid so I am enjoying remembering them and the random things that come to mind. Lots of time to ponder the little things in life and lots to be grateful for. Such a harsh environment to spend time in but in a weeks time we should have better weather and a chance to summit this beautiful mountain. Sending love to all. Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/14
We had winds at night making it hard to sleep. The tents are all in a row that we sleep in and they have lots of little straps that seem to love to dance in the wind. My tent is between Sandro’s and Mingma G’s. They are pretty quiet sleepers at this distance. We woke up with more snow on the ground and a wet feeling to the air. Just making it feel colder than it looks. It’s been a few days since we have had sunshine which is starting to wear on me. The weather is too cold to shower in the shower tent, so I have been using my wet wipes. Hoping to get a real shower in again soon. Thanks fully I brought dry shampoo and that has been my saving grace for my hair.
We eat everyday at 8am, 1pm and 6pm. At base camp the whole team eats together at those times and it is usually the same thing for each meal each day. How grateful I am that I live in a land that has choice easier than other places in the world. It’s random things that I miss eating. Guacamole and chips, mod pizza with root beer, and anything from 5seeds restaurant in Park City.
Our team is multi National and some members do not speak English so communicating with each other is not as easy as one would expect. The phone service here has been spotty but any chance I get I connect with the kids at home. Some have left to camp and some are headed to camp soon so it will be a fun reunion at the end of summer for all of us to share “camp” stories.
The simple days can get long at times but I am slowly adjusting. We are anxiously awaiting the weather to change so we can start to head up this mountain and return home to “normal” life which is quite different for each team member. I find myself grateful for the smallest things everyday. The kindness of the people here is humbling. Mingma G knows I like 2 pillows to sleep with and some how found me one to use. He also heard I liked blueberries but they couldn’t find any in skardu to be trekked in for me so they brought me mango juice instead. The thought of someone trekking in 5 days to bring me mango juice is hard to wrap my head around. It’s little stories like these that help with the patience of things here.
I miss home, I miss our everyday luxuries that at home we take for granted. I feel good about climbing this year and with 30% of the permits being for women my heart feels a bit bigger. By being here we are supporting one another and encouraging change for women’s roles and rights all over the world. It’s a honor to be a part of.
Sending love! xoxoxo – Jenn
7/15 – Waiting out the weather
Today it was snowing, but we got glimpses of the sun. Everyone was in a better mood with our wee bit of sunshine.
We hope the weather clears in the next few days so we can actually start climbing this mountain. Patience is wearing thin on all of us.
I took a walk with my Sherpa angdu. It’s the first walk I have taken since my stomach illness. We only walked for an hour. It was nice and at a lazy pace. We walked to an area where they covered a dead body with a tarp. The body they believe is a woman’s body from 15 years ago that fell off the mountain finally in an avalanche earlier this season. I am grateful not to see the decomposing bones and such. The parts snowing now are just her purple suit.
I needed to do laundry today, so I did it in the snow. It was actually kind of fun. I only did what was necessary as I was a little worried nothing would dry. Items are still hanging in my tent and are damp but dryer than they started!
I have been reading a lot of books and just trying to build up my appetite, which for the first time in the history of ever, I am struggling to get a candy bar down. I’m not quite sure what is going on, but I hope my stomach returns to normal when I return home.
Angdu and I tried on O2 masks to ensure I had one that would fit my face well. Everyone at base camp is getting antsy to get up the mountain, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out once the weather finally turns. At this point, that is still about 3+ days away.
I am confirming my love for mountains that require less patience to climb. We need less support to make it safe and have qualified people to climb them. Sending love home and hoping for a bit of sunshine to return here soon! Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/16
This morning there was a small amount of sun, so I took advantage& took a shower! The shower tent looks Like a port-a-potty but is tent material. I had two buckets of hot water and a cup for pouring. It wasn’t warm but wasn’t cold & was a nice change from the wet wipe baths I have been taking. Perfect timing of the shower because since then, it has been cold, snowy, and cloudy. We still do not have a set time to go up the mountain. This is a bit frustrating at the same time, and I am trying to let go of the story in my head of how this experience should be and take it in for what it is. I am reading a lot and thinking about guests to interview on the podcast and lessons to share in the book I am writing. I am here with time so trying 2 make the most Of it. I thought my stomach was better, but yesterday and today, it is reminding me that am still not happy, which actually had me in tears of frustration for a bit might not b my prettiest or fastest performance. Still, the job is getting done, and so onward we go. The days run together; today is day 21 in Pakistan, which is hard to be away from home for so long. Missing home today. Sending love. xoxoxo – Jenn
7/17
Finally, a day with sunshine. We packed all our bags to head up the mountain. Tomorrow we are thinking we will push for the summit on the 22nd. There are a lot of variables we need to account for that could move that around. We picked out meals/snacks/clothes to wear on the mountain. We will eat as a team tonight and then wake up early tomorrow to start. I am feeling better and held food in today, which is a win! Our team is super experienced. Most have been here before and are trying for a 2, 3, or 5th time! All have been on 8000m summits before. I feel good about my Sherpa as well. I am sure I have said it before, but I will say again that Mingma G is a super nice person. He is always looking for ways to make things better and more enjoyable. I have had a hard time with my stomach, and part of tolerating the struggle is by having support. And he has been doing anything and everything to try and help me with zero feelings of guilt on my end. It’s been a real gift. I am ready to move up this mountain. Not as strong as I had hoped and not had fueled as I wished, but it is going to be just fine. Cheers! Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/18
An 11-hour day to camp2 today! Sandro, bam bam, and our support staff went to camp2. Everyone else stayed at camp1. It was hot and the ropes were crowded, so we got stuck melting on the side of the mountain. It’s really rocky this year; not a lot of snow. We rested at camp1 for a bit, and a guy almost died. It’s so steep he lost his footing and started tumbling down the hill but was able to stop his momentum. Super scary to witness. On our way up to camp2, I got hit by a rock on my helmet. It honestly saved my life. By the time we got to camp2, I had no gas left. We are waiting for the stoves to melt water to eat dinner and then bedtime! Tomorrow is an aggressive but shorter day! So thankful we made it this high. We will go to Japanese camp 3 tomorrow because it is less avalanche probe than the traditional camp 3. And there were 3 huge avalanches today, so we need to be concerned about that. Feeling all the happy feels of a day well earned. Sending love to everyone at home thank you for the support and love. Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/19
We are at lower camp3. It was a big day mainly due to a lack of acclimatization. I passed the spot where I got the phone call last year that ended my expedition. The location brought a flood of memories back. I wish we were higher up the mountain to camp3, but it is avalanche-prone, so Mingma G didn’t want to press our luck, and I agree with his decision. We will stay one day here to allow the Sherpa to move O2 up the mountain. They are so strong it is humbling. This camp is at such an angle that we can’t leave our tents without harnesses. The weather got a little windy today, and it’s incredible how fast the temperature changes when the wind starts. Ropes are now set to camp3. Tomorrow hopefully, camp4 and then the summit. We initially thought lines would be set on the 20th, so most would summit push the 21st, and we would wait out the rush and go before the 22nd, but that could all be backed up a day. The tents are stuffed with people and things! Hoping the rest day lower on the mountain helps! When I just lay in my tent looking up, I can see stars and twinkles, which means I am low on o2. I can go on the o2 tank at any time but hoping this helps my body.
7/20 – Rest Day
Rest day at lower c3 today! Long and boring with a slight headache. We will head up the mountain tomorrow to an upper c3 which is 200 meters below the traditional c4. Trying to drink and eat as much as possible to stay warm and have energy. The temperature difference between day and night is extreme. Feeling good with the summit a few days away. We heard they were short what was needed, hoping all come together on the ropes and ice screws, but more was sent up the mountain today. My job is to sleep tonight and go up the mountain. Trying to keep it as simple as possible. Sending love to everyone at home. Thanks for all the warm wishes! Xoxoxo – Jenn
7/21
We are at our high camp3. It was a long hot day. I got hit in the face with a thick snowball someone sent down when they were down climbing. I was wearing an 02 mask, so it saved my face, just got a bloody nose. Unfortunately, we had someone die on the mountain today. The more I do this stuff, the more I realize how important it is, the company you climb with and then the actual person you climb with. It is windier than the weather predicted on both days, we have been climbing. The views have been amazing; this is one steep continuous climb uphill. I am hoping that the sun is a little kinder to us tomorrow the distance we cover seems very minimal, but the altitude and the weather turn what looks like a 30-minute hike into a 2-hour slog. It’s mind-blowing, really. I am tired and hoping my body sleeps tonight! Sending love to everyone at home! Xoxoxo Jenn
7/22/2022 – SUMMIT DAY!
I summited k2 today! And I cried like a baby at the top. It was a long and hard day. The terrain is non-stop, and there is no place to really pass people going back down, and when you get stuck behind a person, that is not a very good thing. It bottlenecks everyone on the mountain. It was a great weather day. Likely one for the books in terms of weather for K2. Mother nature was definitely on our side to make this happen today for myself and so many others.
It was a bit warm at times, but it could have been super windy and freezing cold, so I will take the weather we got. Everyone I know that went for the summit push summited today. I bet it will be the largest summit day in the history of the mountain as well. Watching people work hard for their dream and make it happen starts the waterworks for me every time. I get so excited for everyone.
So many records were shattered for so many as well today. It was the first ascent for many women and men from different countries. Some without o2, and for some, it was the first summit for their culture. All pressing the boundaries of what is possible. This environment is mind-blowing so honored to have so many amazing humans with that I will forever have a special bond with from today. I am exhausted yet also bursting with all the feels. More to share and more to come. Love love love – Jenn
7/23 – Safe Descent
We made it down to base camp. From high camp 3 to base camp is a long day especially with lines to get down on the ropes. The descent is actually more dangerous than the ascent. There is so much rock fall on the way down it is crazy how many times you hear the word “rock” which means watch out for your life. I finally feel I can breathe deep now that I am at base camp. I put a lot of pressure on myself to come back from these adventures alive and all intact and having 7 little people at home keeps that real ALL THE TIME. I actually find myself getting jealous of the people that are single here at times, how much less their brain must be filled with. I am sure that isn’t fair to say but I know I would feel a lot less stressed about this mountaineering stuff if I got into it prior to motherhood. Looking up at k2 today makes me smile, we were just at her summit yesterday. How much can happen in a day?! Looking forward to orange tang, and Noodles at base camp. Hoping there is good news about getting home sooner than later. That doesn’t involve the craziness of last year.
Sending love! – Jenn
7/24 – Ready to head home
The rest of our team made it safely to base camp today. We are all excited to have veggie momos for dinner and a celebration cake! Those of us who made it to base camp yesterday spent the day sharing stories, doing laundry, showering, and figuring out the best plans to get home. The helicopter service is down. If anyone remembers my exit last year, it was nothing short of a nightmare, so I am trying to decide if I should wait and pay for a heli ride home or if I get lucky with the trek. Part of me feels like moving and not waiting for helicopters to be repaired is at least giving me some control over my destiny. At dinner, I will see what some of the other team members want to do and make a plan. Hiking out starting as early as tomorrow. I think we would go over the pass, which needs to be crossed in the middle of the night for safety reasons. The adventure never ends. Feeling rested, not really ready to be on a huge trek again but will do what needs to be done!
7/25
Rainy, snowy, wintery wet mix today. Plan was to start to hike out but the weather has us at base camp another day. Lots of bananagrams and hanging out. Hopefully the weather improves for tomorrow and we get to continue on our journeys home. Sending love to everyone back home. Fingers crossed for better weather! – Jenn
7/26
Another day at base camp, waiting for a helicopter or to trek out. Hopefully, tomorrow we come up w/ a better plan. I will share a story of the doctor here he was trained by the Pakistani army, did a fellowship in London, and declined to stay there because he wanted to serve his people. He is a plastic surgeon and works 7 days a week, almost 365 days a year. He is one of 10 plastic surgeons in Pakistan. His wife is a Dr. as well. He has been at base camp taking care of all the injured persons and has saved a limb on more than one here, which for the sherpas and porters is saving a career/family. He has been offered to work in other countries but refuses to leave because then his people will be short medical services. He makes in one year what his counterparts make in one country but refuses to leave because then his people will be short medical services. He makes in one year what his counterparts make in one month. But for him, it is about serving his people and improving the medical system here. A true hero story that I wanted to share. It’s been an honor to get to know him & his heart. XO – Jenn
7/27
We started the hike out. The glacier is melting, water is flowing, it is cracking when we walk on it, and the hike is going to be a lot of days as we can only pass certain areas at certain times when the water is running less rapidly. I am super tired as well from stomach issues (I know how can it be again) and Not being able to fuel correctly on these hikes. I am either hot or cold. But we do hard things, and there is no other option. Sending love home! XO – Jenn
7/28 – Long Day!
Today was the longest day ever. We started hiking up the pass at 11 pm on the 27th and got to camp around 2 pm on the 28th. Luckily it was not super sunny, or it would have increased the difficulty of our hike, trying to stay hydrated, and the rivers would have been rushing more.
Tomorrow we have a few-hour hike and then a 5+ hr car ride if the roads are good. To say I am exhausted is an understatement. The highlight of today was seeing flowers, and colors and hearing birds! At base camp, we Have snow, water, and rocks. No animal sounds and no colors. Seeing plus smelling greens and flowers again was such a joy! And helped cut down on the slog today. When we got to camp.
The dr. ordered a Pakistani meal. Which are rice, potatoes, and some chicken dish. We sat on the ground, and the food was on a picnic blanket of sorts. It was on a tarp, but if we were somewhere nicer, it would have been a picnic blanket, and at this stage of the journey, the imagination works hard for normalcy. It’s gotten significantly warmer since we started heading out, mainly because of the elevation loss.
Just excited about the prospect of being in Skardu tomorrow, which means a hotel room, running water, and an actual bed. Will take a day or 2 for our luggage to check us. When that happens, I will pray for blue skies and a flight from Skardu to Islamabad, but that is a slim chance this time of year, so might be stuck doing the 20+ hour car ride to Islamabad! And once there, I will try to fly home asap. Most excited about flying home and catching the end of summer! It’s been a lot of snow lately. Sending love to all my peeps! XO – Jenn
7/29
We woke up early, started trekking, and then caught a car to drive us to Skardu. We got lucky with the weather and only had to stop for fallen rocks on the road that needed to be moved. Once in Skardu, we got to the hotel, and I am currently waiting on hot water to shower! If the weather allows, I will fly to Islamabad tomorrow! If the weather doesn’t allow it, I will start the 20+ hr drive to Islamabad tomorrow. Closer. Every day I am closer to being home with my peeps!
7/30
The flight made it to Islamabad from skardu! 45 minutes of flying instead of the 32 hour drive last year! I had ptsd till the flight took off! Worried the cloud cover was going to make us deplane.
Once we landed in Islamabad things started to get better. For one, we had no power going out at all, and there is a 3g network here so my cell phone would send messages consistently!
Made it to the Serena hotel and got checked in allowing me to have the first warm shower I have had since I started on the journey. Was so Grateful for the steamy bathroom mirrors! It meant I was hugged in warmth!
Pakistan has the most amazing mangos ever that do not get exported because they rot too fast and my room had two waiting for me. The bathroom counter allowed me to brush my teeth and not hold my toothpaste. I could look in a mirror while brushing and had a true wash cloth that was thick, soft and plumpy. There is something to be said for luxury towels. (Small thing: huge reward, feels like you are drying off with buttery towels instead of sandpaper scratchy ones!)
My favorite part of coming off the mountain is all the little things you notice. Light switches. Carpeted floors, being able to walk around barefoot. Countertops to set things on…. All the things that make life easier.
The Serena has a spa that has openings, so yours truly had a hair mask and blowout. A pedicure, warm tea, and just a little R&R time there. It was nice to feel a bit human again and be taken care of.
I got back to my room to find some fresh nuts and am going to take a little nap. I am meeting friends for dinner at 9 pm and then heading to the airport! My flight leaves at 3:35 am to start the journey home. I needed to end in Seattle and book a separate flight in the US to get to SLC.
My bags are about 3 days behind us as they have to be trekked out on mules. A friend is staying a few extra days and will fly them home with him, and then I will ship them to me. I am trying to get home to see Jack and Joe. They decided that outward-bound camp was not for them after a week, so I am hurrying to spend some alone time with them before the rest of them start coming home from summer Adventures.
The thought of being home in about 36 hours is amazing. These adventures do not feel complete until I am home, and this one has been a long, challenging one mentally and physically, so I am super excited to check the box. DONE!
Xoxoxo
Jenn