Background
Dispatch 1
Dispatch 2
Dispatch 3
Dispatch 4
Dispatch 5
Dispatch 6
Dispatch 7
Dispatch 8
Dispatch #1: Once More Down the Rabbit Hole
Things are never as you expect, as Alice found out. Actually, so far there have been few surprises. Don Bowie and I arrived within a few hours of each other and finally met face-to-face. Don's a climber from Bishop, CA who's done a lot of good hard routes in remote places. Don will be writing his own observations for the web dispatches so you can get his take on things as well.Our story so far...We've spent the past few days in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, waiting for things to happen. Actually all is on schedule. We are on a permit with Czech, Italian, Polish, and other American climbers (the latter two groups are not here yet). Don and I have been hanging out with the Field Touring Broad Peak crowd, and their names may crop up as we cross paths with them in the future.
Here's an example of one of our days in the big city:
June 20. It was 116 degrees in Rawalpindi today. It sounds better in Celsius-47 degrees. We’re staying at the Shalimar Hotel (whose slogan is "luxury coupled with economy") in Pindi, the old city. The newer city of Islamabad has the government offices, embassies, and major businesses. The heat and sun, combined with endless exhaust fumes, car horns, dust, and occasional whiffs of garbage kept me inside for most of the afternoon. I went for a walk this morning with Jim Sparks, and between our two faulty memories we discovered the shopping district nearest our hotel (maybe a mile away at most). I didn't buy anything, but did locate the Kentucky Fried Chicken and Subway (not that I plan on eating there). This afternoon, like yesterday, saw jet lag snare me. The urge to sleep was overwhelming, though it seems strange that it hits about 4 PM (which is 6 AM at home).
We're all tired of buffet meals already (a serious disadvantage since that’s what we get for the next 7 weeks), so we went to the Pearl Continental Hotel for dinner in their cafe. The PC is supposedly $250 per night and is a real classy joint. They have a pianist who earnestly plays in the lobby while recorded music spills out of the sound system at the same time, an aural contradiction that seems appropriate in Pakistan. After dinner we walked out into the darkness with the heat wrapped around us, much more enjoyable without the sun beating down from above.
Jim, Sean, and Francis dining at the Pearl Continental. Neither Don nor I indulge in pink drinks.
Yesterday we were told that our briefing with the Ministry of Tourism was today and that we'd leave tomorrow. It turns out that the rest of the climbers on our permit aren't even here yet! A closer look at our itinerary confirms the timing. I did want to get to town a couple of days early, so it’s my own fault. Yesterday we (Iqbal, our ATP escort, and various climbers) went to the ATP office and did a bunch of logistics and then attacked a grocery store, where we decimated the Tang and Pringles supply. Iqbal then took us to the gigantic Faisal Mosque, where we had to leave our shoes at the entrance. I was in sandals-no socks- and I lacked the Eastern aplomb to walk calmly barefoot across the hot, polished stone which had been broiling for some hours in the fierce sun. I quickly learned to stay off the dark stone and keep to the white marble. After a visit to a wonderful overlook of the two cities, we were heading to a museum when Don roused himself enough to notice that we were all virtually asleep. We begged off the rest of the tour and headed back for a short catnap. Three hours later Don and I awoke.
My partner Don and I arrived at the same time as a bunch of climbers from the Field Touring team (the outfit I went with last year) so we've been hanging around with them. Until we start the trek our schedule will be filled with a large dose of tedium, interspersed with injections of frantic activity. Right now I'm happy for a couple of days of relative boredom; the three weeks prior were wall-to-wall busy. Adjusting to the rhythms of the country and the people takes time, and we've not been here two days yet.
Francis and Don by the pool at the Shalimar Hotel, our home in Pindi.
It’s about 10:15 PM and Don's snoozing. I'm about to follow, even though I napped again today. Tomorrow we're supposed to play cricket at 9 AM, hopefully before it breaks 100 degrees. After that, who knows?
Boredom drove me to a few miles on the treadmill. Room temperature, 40 degrees Celsius. Is that hot? You figure it out!
We leave for Skardu tomorrow (June 23). As our official leader (a Czech) will not be here for ten days, our Liason Officer, Major Anwar, asked that I serve as official 'leader' for the time being. It felt like a scene from The Wizard of Oz ("...In view of your ability to speak English, and your experience here in the past, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Expedition Leader, with all the privledges blah blah blah..."). This means, in reality, nothing other than I arrange the tips for staff and try and communicate with the climbers who speak little or no English so they know when we're moving during the trek. Each group is totally independent on the mountain.
I'm sitting in the lobby of the P.C. using their wonderful wireless internet that's way fast. That's the only reason I downloaded the city panorama. By the way, it requires Quicktime. Click and hold the mouse and it'll scroll the direction you move. The old city of Pindi is in the back right, and the government buildings are to the left. Faisal Mosque to the far right.