Dispatch 33 – Climbers Begin Summit Push

One of the massive crevasses we must cross in order to reach Camp I. The snow bridge visible on the right hand side of the photo is only safe to pass when the snow is hard (during a clear night with very low temperatures).
One of the massive crevasses we must cross in order to reach Camp I. The snow bridge visible on the right hand side of the photo is only safe to pass when the snow is hard (during a clear night with very low temperatures).

Today, I woke up at 7:30am and knew that the climbers still intending on attempting either Gasherbrum I or II had headed up in the night to higher camps. During the early hours of the morning, the weather was cloudy with some light rain/snow, which meant that the snow bridges that we use to cross the many crevasses enroute to Camp I and Camp II would be soft and much more dangerous, despite the early hour. I spent the day doing laundry and hoping that the climbers who headed up would be safe. A few climbers came down later in the day, some with altitude sickness, and others due to poor climbing conditions. In the end, most likely due to heavy snow on the way to Camp I, the Taiwanese decided to remain in Camp I for the night and head up to Camp II tomorrow to see how conditions are there.