Relaxing in Scardu before we set off
We woke up at 5 to watch the sunrise. It was too cloudy to get the colors but beautiful nonetheless . We sat outside enjoying the morning and Kristen came over to give us the download of what happened. Turns out she thinks she was just severely dehydrated. It might have been a food borne illness as well so she’s taking antibiotics just in case. Their hospital visit was quite the adventure. First, the driver drove like a bat out of hell catching air over all the speed bumps along the way to the state hospital . We thought the driving yesterday was scary? Leslie saw him going 90 km/hr which is 60 mph down the tight streets, honking at people to get out of the way. Manzoor and Azam called in the infantry to help Kristen get to the hospital. She said everyone at the hospital was just so incredibly nice .. next level compassionate. Kristin also related that she was rushed for an ultrasound to check her appendix healthy and a young boy, in apparent pain was already waiting for his turn. His father, seeing Kristen’s condition demanded that she go first. The hospital also had a ton of guys working, everyone with their own job much like you see in Japan, one director, one manager, one organizer, one doer. The Dr really wanted to go an appendectomy, Kristen assured him that that was not the issue. An ultrasound occurred anyway. She got some meds and hydration. And, all for free. What an adventure before the adventure just so happy she got through the hard part. She is now on the mend and hoping to get well enough for the trek.
At breakfast we had the absolute pleasure of meeting Sanu Sherpa. He’s making his was to climb all the 8k peaks for the third time! He’s done Everest 10 times, every mountain in Pakistan, and many more incredible feats. This man is a true legend and still comes across as humble. Mind blown. We also met another climber who successfully managed to climb K2 2x in 24 hours. First climb was breaking trail and setting all the ropes up the route. Insane. Both of these Nepalis men are the best on the planet so cool to get to meet and talk about their feats.
We went into town to try our 10th attempt at getting cash from an ATM. It’s Monday so the market was bustling. Success with the ATM, although each transaction max was $30 so multiple transactions had to happen. Andy got two scarves for the hike. They are nice and light to help with the dust, $4 total. Being around all these Pakistani men, I’m touched how affectionate the men are toward each other. I saw 3 military men holding hands as they walked down the street. Now for how women are treated…. at the hospital Kristen witnessed a woman with obvious signs of domestic abuse. Other than that the community is extremely tightly knit and apex hospitable.
The sun was out all day so we were in the shade. All we can hope for is cloud cover on our hike. Even basecamp isn’t cold, about 50 or more during the day. The colder temps help when hiking. We spent the day relaxing and talking through our packing strategy. Leave the big puffy coats or take them since our bags are very light and we, of course, are going to the ever-changing weather patterns of the Karakoram Mountains. Puffy jackets are coming as insurance. We also moved all our travel plans up 2 days, which was no small feat with crappy WiFi. Turns out we are getting back from our hike in the 20th and the schedule gave a cushion day in case the flight is cancelled and we have to drive back. Either way, we’ll make our flight and we won’t be able to handle 2 full days in Islamabad since we’ve seen all the major sights. Plus is think we’ll be ready for the next country after the hike anyways. InshaAllah.
We got the hike lowdown from of group of Australians who had just returned. Overall they highly recommend the hike, then they go into how hard some of the days are, the heat is brutal, it’s dusty, the walking terrain is very uneven (boulder fields … small and large boulders the entire way- I hate bouldering). Another great tip was bring snacks because you may not eat for 12 hours the day we go to we the pass. Pack adjusted again. I think the one guy called it “spicy”. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Kristen joined us for dinner and ate a bit. She’s going to need all the energy she can get to recover and build her strength back. The generousness of the people here is humbling. Kristen asked if they had bananas, and they sent a runner into town to get them for her. Manzoor is also trying to determine how to make the hike better for her. Turns out there’s a little known fact that one can take a house the first 3 days on the trail (Mabey even more). That’s definitely a good idea for her so she can have more time to recover, plus that’s kinda bad ass. We had dinner with Manzoor, Azam, and our crew started to gather. We have Azam as our guide, Ali as the chef, Ibrahim as the assistant chef, and Nazir as the kitchen boy.
My body has been resting for enough days. Time to get this party started. Tomorrow we drive to the first camp spot. This drive is, I’m told, is a harrowing 6-7 hour journey. Cool cool. 6 days to get to trailhead. New record
