Thieves, Liars and Mountaineers: On the 8000 Metre Peak Circus in Pakistan's Karakoram Mountains by Mark Horrell Read Free Book Online
Authors: Mark Horrell
he tells me that it's frozen.”
Most people around the table are laughing, but a few of us are wincing. Personally I find the story pretty amazing.
“How on earth did he manage to freeze his dick?” I ask. “I've heard of frostbite in the fingers and toes, but never in your penis. Surely it just doesn't get cold enough for that?”
I look at Phil. If anyone's heard of other cases of frozen members it's likely to be him.
“Dude, on Denali it's so cold you have to pee through a sock,” he replies.
“How cold?”
“Minus fifty. It's easily cold enough to freeze you dick off having a piss.”
It's not anything like as cold here, however. Last night in the tent at Camp 1, the temperature didn't get any lower than -15º C.
“Surely you can't get frostbite having a piss here,” I persist. “Your dick's not out for long enough?”
Phil agrees. “Ali G's been doing something perverted with his dick, that's for sure.”
We all agree that Arian, as the base camp networker on our team, should be tasked with finding out how Ali obtained his unfortunate injury.
Just before dinner, Gombu, Pasang and Temba return from their rope fixing above Camp 1. The route is now fixed all the way to Camp 2, and the workload was shared between our Sherpas and the Pakistani high altitude porters on the Jagged Globe team. Although our sirdar Gombu was keen to fix the route all the way to Camp 3, David Hamilton, leader of the Jagged Globe expedition, wants to ask all the other teams in Base Camp who are planning on using our fixed ropes for $300 a head before any more of the route is fixed. If nobody pays up, then the ropes will only be fixed just before our two teams need to use it, and then pulled down straight afterwards. Another consideration is that if the route to Camp 3 is fixed too early, fresh snowfall may bury the ropes before we get round to using them.
16. Injury fears
Friday 26 June, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
We have a full day's rest at Base Camp today. I spend most of this morning lying in my tent reading. I'm concerned about the wound on my left ankle, caused by my boots rubbing. One layer of skin has been pulled off completely and the boot began rubbing on the second layer as I came down yesterday. I can't afford to have two layers of skin getting pulled off every time I wear the boots, so I dress the wound and hobble around in my boots on the moraine outside my tent trying to figure out the problem and make them more comfortable. The right boot was rubbing in Nepal last month, but now seems to be OK, but the left boot remains a problem. Of course, if I can't fix it I'll just have to climb through the pain and discomfort, but my ill-fitting boots remain my biggest concern to summit success.
Phil is going to let the Sherpas decide which day we go back up the mountain. Our next foray will take us up to Camp 2 to spend the night before returning to Base Camp to rest. We need the Sherpas to establish the camp for us, and it's important they're well rested before they go back up again. When he was told he couldn't fix the route to Camp 3, a bored Gombu, the sirdar and ultimate decision-maker for the Sherpa team, spent the afternoon digging a posh toilet in the snow at Camp 1. This morning I hear shouts and laughter outside my tent and peer out to see all five of them dragging a barrel of glacier water up the ice slope beside our camp. They do this three times to provide our kitchen crew with plenty of water for cooking, and seem to be enjoying themselves – so much for letting them get rested!
In the afternoon while I'm playing cards in the dining tent with Gorgan, Gordon and Michael, Phil comes in to say they've decided to take another rest day tomorrow, and we'll set off early again up the mountain on Sunday. Although he only arrived in Base Camp three days ago, Michael will be coming with us, which means he will have caught up with us and be on the same climbing schedule. Providing he is
Most people around the table are laughing, but a few of us are wincing. Personally I find the story pretty amazing.
“How on earth did he manage to freeze his dick?” I ask. “I've heard of frostbite in the fingers and toes, but never in your penis. Surely it just doesn't get cold enough for that?”
I look at Phil. If anyone's heard of other cases of frozen members it's likely to be him.
“Dude, on Denali it's so cold you have to pee through a sock,” he replies.
“How cold?”
“Minus fifty. It's easily cold enough to freeze you dick off having a piss.”
It's not anything like as cold here, however. Last night in the tent at Camp 1, the temperature didn't get any lower than -15º C.
“Surely you can't get frostbite having a piss here,” I persist. “Your dick's not out for long enough?”
Phil agrees. “Ali G's been doing something perverted with his dick, that's for sure.”
We all agree that Arian, as the base camp networker on our team, should be tasked with finding out how Ali obtained his unfortunate injury.
Just before dinner, Gombu, Pasang and Temba return from their rope fixing above Camp 1. The route is now fixed all the way to Camp 2, and the workload was shared between our Sherpas and the Pakistani high altitude porters on the Jagged Globe team. Although our sirdar Gombu was keen to fix the route all the way to Camp 3, David Hamilton, leader of the Jagged Globe expedition, wants to ask all the other teams in Base Camp who are planning on using our fixed ropes for $300 a head before any more of the route is fixed. If nobody pays up, then the ropes will only be fixed just before our two teams need to use it, and then pulled down straight afterwards. Another consideration is that if the route to Camp 3 is fixed too early, fresh snowfall may bury the ropes before we get round to using them.
16. Injury fears
Friday 26 June, 2009 – Gasherbrum Base Camp, Pakistan
We have a full day's rest at Base Camp today. I spend most of this morning lying in my tent reading. I'm concerned about the wound on my left ankle, caused by my boots rubbing. One layer of skin has been pulled off completely and the boot began rubbing on the second layer as I came down yesterday. I can't afford to have two layers of skin getting pulled off every time I wear the boots, so I dress the wound and hobble around in my boots on the moraine outside my tent trying to figure out the problem and make them more comfortable. The right boot was rubbing in Nepal last month, but now seems to be OK, but the left boot remains a problem. Of course, if I can't fix it I'll just have to climb through the pain and discomfort, but my ill-fitting boots remain my biggest concern to summit success.
Phil is going to let the Sherpas decide which day we go back up the mountain. Our next foray will take us up to Camp 2 to spend the night before returning to Base Camp to rest. We need the Sherpas to establish the camp for us, and it's important they're well rested before they go back up again. When he was told he couldn't fix the route to Camp 3, a bored Gombu, the sirdar and ultimate decision-maker for the Sherpa team, spent the afternoon digging a posh toilet in the snow at Camp 1. This morning I hear shouts and laughter outside my tent and peer out to see all five of them dragging a barrel of glacier water up the ice slope beside our camp. They do this three times to provide our kitchen crew with plenty of water for cooking, and seem to be enjoying themselves – so much for letting them get rested!
In the afternoon while I'm playing cards in the dining tent with Gorgan, Gordon and Michael, Phil comes in to say they've decided to take another rest day tomorrow, and we'll set off early again up the mountain on Sunday. Although he only arrived in Base Camp three days ago, Michael will be coming with us, which means he will have caught up with us and be on the same climbing schedule. Providing he is
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