WEDNESDAY 30th SEPTEMBER 1998
I suppose you all thought we'd disappeared off the face of the earth as it's been so long since we've written anything for our web site. Well catching up on various things such as domestic re-decoration (aka -Payback for time missing), watching the additions to our financial deficit, just generally doing nothing and of course deciding "Who's writing the next web site follow on", are the main reasons for the gap. So I drew the short straw which allows for whatever could possibly flow from this corrupted mind!
With the shock of our L.O's demand for more ' Food money' upon our return to Islamabad and before signing our release forms from Pakistan (having eaten with us the whole time coupled with the large sum of monies given for his food at the outset), we successfully returned home with 99.9% of our equipment (customs having decided to take what they wanted - hope you can see the Gameboy with the headtorches!).
The hardest part of leaving was our Goodbyes to Mohammed and Ghulam at the Airport. They had shared with us their extraordinary personalities and kept us laughing and well fed with a variety of dishes from our restricted larder. They will remain in our thoughts until we meet again.
So we were off with the thoughts of indulgence of the ' Pints ' variety in mind.

We reached Dublin at ten past two in the afternoon on a Sunday which of course meant the worst possible scenario - " THE HOLY HOUR ". Approaches to the Airport Bar staff to tell the story of our woe was met with indifference. Our contemplated walk into the bar to the background music of ' The Boys are Back in Town ' looked disastrously lost to us. However a quick thinking member - who shall remain nameless - displaying an uncanny knowledge of where to go in such circumstances ( Hint - Garda ) suggested Forte's Hotel in the airport complex. Eureka! and with that evening faded with a few of uncle Arthur's pints of the black stuff after which we were all on our "merry" separate ways.
Ironically having spent so much time together, regularly thinking of home and missing loved ones, you now find a complicated mix of emotions in missing all your Expedition comrades - You just can't win.
The close living conditions and the fact that we all enjoyed many social moments together created a great friendly environment that added to the Team's strength. Moments shared by many trekkers and climbers from all over the world who joined us for Balti Dancing ( also available on video titled " Solo Interpretations of Balti Movements ) that broke the monotony of the incessant bad weather which stifled any real attempt on K2 by all of the Expeditions this year. We learned on our return that the remaining Teams had to make the same difficult decision as ourselves to leave Base camp for home as the pattern of weather continually deteriorated. On our part we are happy to know you are all safe and well.

For my part as I've the job to write this article I will use this opportunity to thank
EDDIE COOPER, AKA The Magnet for his ability to attract any illness that was about ( nothing to do with your dancing ), yet it did nothing to dampen his determination that took him to the summit of Broad Peak.
CALVIN TORRANS for his dedicated love of football, due to which, forgetting his whereabouts, headed the infamous rockfall contrary to popular belief that it fell and just hit him.
MARTIN DALY for his ability to open a cassette / radio repair business in such an inhospitable place.
IAN REA for his inability (through castigation of the Freestate) to get a reaction or a "rise" from his southern cousins. I suggest Viagra as we are impotent to political argument. Congrats to you and Moiré on the birth of your son Ethan.
PAUL DUNLOP for his ability to turn rock collecting and hole digging into a display of male prowess to attract beautiful women or should that be ' woman '.
DONIE O'SULLIVAN for his ability to observe a patient suffer for some time before administering medication, the suffering was all yours Eddie!
DES MURNANE for the many nights together................ OOPS !
And last but not least the two Dublin slappers. ???????????

Beginning to sound like Barry Mc Guigan now. A general expression of thanks goes out to all the unnamed individuals who assisted us throughout every stage of the Expeditions existence such an event requires a great many more people than those highlighted. Particularly I must single out a group of people and their company WORLDLINK, which sponsored our web page and our communications ensuring all in the mountaineering community could see and read what was going on high in the Karakorum. Billy Sunner, Danny Murray and Carol O' Reilly all worked on what must have been a painfully time consuming task, adding our reports and digital images to our site all of which they sponsored. We the whole team thank you very much. We have been a little consumed with our financial difficulties lately but have not forgotten all our sponsors presents, see you soon.

For all the people who followed and forwarded on our reports from Base Camp your interest was much appreciated by all the team. We are currently amalgamating our slides with a view to producing a slide show and dates and venues will be added to this site very soon. Another useful item for those interested, the software used by us is available from Declan Peate at DeskTop Systems (desktop@iol.ie) for $249.00 . Declan is responsible for our digital image transfer software which is very easy to use. Thanks Declan.

That's about it from me. We intend to add a little more information to the site on slide shows, a calendar we are producing and other fund raising items very soon. So for now SLAN.

ANON.

WEDNESDAY 9th SEPTEMBER 1998
Neglected but not forgotten; adjusting back to 'normal life' plus the odd pint of the black stuff. Our web site will be updated shortly with information relating to the software used to transmit digital images and where to get same.
Additional images not received or transmitted and more details on the happenings since our last report on the 13th August will also be added to the site. The additional images are with our freight currently awaiting customs clearance in Ireland having been efficiently delivered home by DHL. So don't despair there is plenty more to be added . We are trying to see if we can scan in some of our slides also . Watch this space!

THURSDAY 13th AUGUST 1998
Living in an environment such as the Karakorum definitely plays on ones emotions. This was very evident on the last morning saying our goodbyes at dawn to our new made friends at K2 Base Camp. Tears were shed and goodbyes were said and our little international brigade marched its way past Concordia to Ali Camp. Most of the team were in no hurry to reach our day's destination and were happy to dander down the moraines enjoying the views as the valley opened up, savouring wide expanses for the first time in ages. The change of scenery did wonders for the mind!! Losing the porters however was a bad idea. Tracks are virtually non existent and the marker cairns are sparse. Without our porters to guide us we lost our way several times, adding an extra 3 hours of unnecessary walking to our day. Soaked by the rain and wrecked after a long 8-hour walk, we were glad of Mohamid's tea, or as he calls it "Balti whiskey" and digestive biscuits.

The welcomed rest didn't last long as we had to leave at 1.30am that night to cross the Gondolora pass, an impressive gateway into the Hushe valley. This pass was the subject of great debate as many horror stories had filtered their way back to Base Camp...."I hear you need fixed ropes to get over", "do you reckon we'll need crampons?", "the Japanese expedition couldn't get over yesterday, the weather is making it impossible".
No matter what was the case, we were going to go over the pass. There was no way we were back down the Baltoro glacier. We had had enough glaciers!! Despite our own reservations, we left for the pass in full moonlight. The glacier was beautifully lit and the atmosphere really magic. It took one and a half hours to reach the slopes of the pass and the long steep slog up the pass began. The porters were amazing, with cheap plastic "speed" shoes and 25 Kg barrels on their backs, they climbed the pass in darkness and snowfall in less than one hour. I'm sure they could climb any of the mountains out here if they wanted to!!

Crossing the Gondolora pass is not easy. The trekking groups who also stayed at Ali Camp took almost 22 hours just to get to the other side, but I can honestly tell you, after 2 months of living on a glacier the green valley of Hushe is just a beautiful site. Just to see green, flowers, trees and to hear birds singing feels like pure paradise. All of us were really glad to be approaching civilisation again and our first glimpse of it was at a camp site one and a half hours after the pass, where one can buy chips, yes CHIPS, at the side of a glacier!!! Well after 2 months of Jipatis, dal, rice and corned beef curry, you can imagine for yourselves how long a plate lasted!!! We didn't want to leave this oasis, but our next camp site was another 6 hours down the Masherbrum glacier, (Mohamid's reckoning was 4 hours, but a Balti hour is a bit like a Donegal mile, you can bet your life its always gonna be longer than what's been said!!)
That days walk was hard for everyone who made it. The fastest it took anyone was 12 hours. The rest from 12 to 13 hours, a really hard days effort. The last day of our walkout was definitely the most enjoyable. Only 2 hours down the valley to the village of Hushe was green, green, green, green. Wow! Just what the doctor ordered.
The village children were just great. "Pen, pen", "chocolate, chocolate", "photo, photo", "sweet, sweet". These were our first greetings on entering the village. After 2 hours of dishing out the goods to them we were on a jeep for our final call before Skardu; Mohamid's village, Marzigound.

Here we spent the night meeting the locals and feasting on fine Balti food. It was great to eat fresh vegetables and meat after such a long time. The next morning turned out to be chaotic. We had a barrel full of medicines left over from the expedition and Mohamid spread the word round the village. By 7.30am about 70 people came looking for help. Having no doctor we did what we could, giving out bandages, antiseptic cream, pain killers, etc. It was really heart breaking for us, as we wanted to help these people so much but couldn't as we didn't know enough about their ailments and the medicines. We think that one solution to a lot of the sicknesses in this village is to fix their broken water supply. It broke last year in a land slide and since then there has been no fresh water available for the people. They only require a new pipe, approximately 2km long to carry spring water to the village, as apposed to the unclean water than runs through the lane-ways at the moment.

Due to the expedition shortfall, which stands roughly at ten thousand pounds, the team must raise these monies to pay off its debt over the coming months. However, after our experience in Marzigound, we would also like to help bring fresh water to Mohamid's village, which like most things in life will not come cheap. As a result we are inviting both commercial and private interests to assist us in raising funds to bring clean water to Marzigound, a resource which will make a massive difference in the lives of the people of this village. More details about this will follow at our slide show and the website.

Thanks for tuning in,

The expedition climbing team.

SATURDAY 8th AUGUST 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
Having our base camp first on the K2 Base Camp strip has had its benefits with every trekking "party" coming to visit. Cabin fever suffered by the climbers, due to the enforced captivity of bad weather, is broken with the variety of interesting conversations that the variety of interesting conversations bring. We have had quite a diversity of groups visiting us over the past couple of months and all have been welcomed by tea, coffee, biscuits and anything else we had to offer. We would like to thank them for their company. This sadly is now about to end.

With great disappointment we have decided to call in our porters to begin the journey out of the mountains. It is impossible to continue as each day brings a steady stream of delights such as, snow, sleet, rain, hail, wind and sun, all within the same 24hr period. With over 2 years of organisation behind us we came to Pakistan to attempt 2 mountains over 8000m - without bottled oxygen, lightweight alpine style and without high altitude porters.
This we achieved on Broad Peak, but were continually harrassed by very bad weather on K2 making it impossible to make any meaningful progress passed Camp 2.

Individually the climbers, who have focused on these objectives for so long now, display the disappointment both personal and collective such a decision entails. Their disappointment extends in their feelings, to all who have helped and assisted the team, both in sponsorship and in personal terms. In this respect the whole team wishes to thank everyone as without their help and support this first Irish Expedition to Broad Peak and K2 could not have taken place.

News travels fast amongst the camps here. With everyone back down off the mountain, still without Camp 3 fully established, all the Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Americans and Balti staff descended on our Base Camp to party the night away to traditional Balti music which consists of four singers, the leader being Mohamid our cook, and two plastic kerosene drums!!! Everyone has to take their turn at dancing solo, which is brilliant crack to watch as everyone basically makes a fool of themselves in front of the whole crowd. Excellent!!
We will have a very international group of climbers leaving the mountains with us. As winter time is closing in fast over here in the Karakorom, 5 Italians, 2 of the Turkish, 1 Spanish and 1 Canadian will be joining us when we leave. The small contingent remaining hope for a chance on the mountain, we wish them all the best in their attempts for the summit. All there is left for us to do now is to pack up and wait for our porters to come and take us over the Gondokhoro pass.

THURSDAY 6th AUGUST 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
K2 Base Camp, so often a lively and friendly place where all the climbing teams socialise together, has become for most of the climbers, a difficult environment as serious decisions are required as time moves on. Important considerations such as the approaching winter season and constant bad weather, with only one good day since our last report, puts a sad prospect for success for all the teams here at K2 Base Camp. Already the Spanish and Turkish team have set their departure date on the 16th of August. At present all 7 members are on K2 between Camp 1 and Camp 2. The outlook for any real progress looks frustratingly futile as dark grey clouds surround K2 from Camp 2 upwards. This would suggest another sad retreat to Base Camp and possibly end their attempt on the summit. The Italians, although with a flight date of the 15th of August from Islamabad, have decided due to playful superstitions not to set a date to leave Base Camp.
Personally, I believe the obstacle of deep snow on the shoulder will stiffle the teams restricting progress beyond this pint or the next few days. It is with this knowledge that our team discusses the reality and possibility of any future attempt. Emotionally charged by their strong desires to climb this "Mountain of Mountains" the team is noticeably upset by the prospect of being unsuccessful without the opportunity of any real attempt. Having spent so many days looking at this shrouded monolith, believing she will grant the chance to climb to her summit, it would appear such a wish will not be granted to any of the teams this year. (We are over 5000m and at present it is bucketing down with rain!!!!!)

SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
Looking up the moraine where all the expeditions have taken up temporary residence, the mood is very mellow, everyone is milling around at a snails pace and the most strenuous activity seems to be washing and not a bad day for it either. The only team on the hill are the Yanks who are reportedly pushing their way up to Camp 3 to dump a cache of gear. Everyone else is down and now waiting impatiently for the full moon!!!! Yes, as if cabin fever and home sickness wasn't enough, moon madness has finally reached the Godwin Austin glacier!! Three continuous weeks of bad weather has finally taken its toll and with all faith in science, satellites and meteo forecasts from Brazil worn thread bare, a rumour that the full moon will bring the spell of weather necessary for a summit bid has been grasped most fervently by nearly all the climbers here; I guess we all need something to believe in. Grasping at straws I hear you say??

The weather in the Karakorum has been the major factor dictating the pace of progress here on K2; as myself (Paul) and Eddie found out on our first attempt. When we were at Broad Peak Base Camp, we were often wondering at the slow progress of the other teams on K2, (after 5 weeks the high point was still only Camp 2!!). We were soon to find out why. Four days ago we left for Advanced Base Camp (ABC), the following morning reaching Camp 1 via a series of scrambly rocky sections and steep sustained snow slopes. It didn't take long for the familiar afternoon cloud and snow to come and compliment the cold gusty winds that were already buffeting us and forcing us to a day of confinement to our small cramped tent.

At 5.00am next morning we woke again to more unfavourable conditions, but knowing that time was running out for us we knew we really had to press on, always hoping that the next day might be better. The ground to Camp 2 (6800m) is steep mixed climbing, the easiest sections are Scottish grade 2, with a lot of grade 3 sections and the crux, Houses Chimney, which is just before the camp, we reckoned deserved grade 4. We found the climbing hard going considering the altitude, heavy loads on our backs and the strong winds blowing at us. Camp 2 turned out to be a graveyard of old shredded tents and other climbing paraphernalia, a testimony to the high winds that whip around the ridge and across the site and it was very strong winds that day that forced us to crawl straight into one of the American tents on our arrival. Conditions outside made it impossible for us to dig out a site and to pitch our tent, so we tied it and some other gear off to an old fixed rope and bailed as quick as we could back to ABC.

Being up there for ourselves, we NOW know why progress has been slow on this mountain; the climbing is hard and high winds and low cloud, which always cling onto the mountain from Camp 2 upwards, are making life almost impossible for all the climbers attempting K2. A combined effort by the Turks, Spanish and Italians have now meant that fixed ropes open the way up to Camp 3 for anyone who wants to use them. However, reaching Camp 3 isn't really the heart of the problem, it's what lies above that which lingers in our minds. Because of the continuous bad weather, deep snow is now bound to have accumulated on the shoulder, the bottle neck and the summit slopes. This is sure to make the going difficult and dangerous, if not impossible.

This is bound to be the case, as similar conditions high up on Broad Peak have stopped a strong Slovak team and a very strong Polish team, some of whose members have climbed eight of the fourteen 8000m peaks, from getting past the col at 7800m; this is still lower than your last camp on K2!!

After a long discussion at breakfast this morning, we reckoned we need a stable weather period of around 7 days to successfully summit and get back down safely. That breaks down as four days to climb up and summit and three days beforehand to clear the deep snows high up. At the moment sitting here in what has been a considerably sustained period of bad weather it's really hard to believe that such a window will ever come in time. I guess like all the rest of the climbers here on the glacier, we'll just have to wait and see what the full moon brings!!!
Until next time, bye for now,
Paul.

THURSDAY 30th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
There are many facets to climbing mountains but none more frustrating than mixed weather. Hidden for the past few days, K2 lies behind a veil of thick cloud. With ABC stocked, Eddie and Paul stayed last night at ABC to get an early start on the Abruzzi ridge. They safely reached Camp 1.
As the morning wore on more heavy cloud moved up the valley and a light sprinkling of snow dusted the ground. Calvin, Martin and Conor's planned ascent to ABC will be delayed until tomorrow morning. This turned out to be somewhat fortunate as a group of trekkers, some from Ireland, arrived to give a welcomed break of chat and craic.

Currently on the mountain the Italians, Spanish, Turkish and Americans are spread between Camp 1 and 2. To date they have spent a considerable amount of time trying to establish Camp 3 but again and again are frustrated by the mixed weather. As regular communications with the various teams confirms, strong winds still create an impossible climbing environment.

Sadly we have been aware of some other difficult developments on Broad Peak. We understand two climbers are currently lost. With no radio, we are unaware of their true predicament but fear the developing conditions can only complicate any situation they may be in. All the climbing community living here pray for their safety and are standing by to assist in any way they can.

SUNDAY 26th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
Another farewell, embracing shaking of hands, a sad moment as our Doc, DONIE, bids goodbye to all at Base Camp. Days and dates are forgotten by all but prior commitments mean he must leave now. All the team are up at 5.00am, not just to say our farewells to Donie but to pack up tents, gas, food and other gear to establish advanced Base Camp (ABC). So, as Donie disappears down the Godwin Austin Glacier, four members - Calvin, Martin, Paul and Conor - move up the glacier to set up ABC.
The terrain moves from moraine to avalanche debris. This deposited 2 weeks ago stretches right across the valley at approximately a quarter of a mile long - a huge avalanche which we saw from our Broad Peak Base Camp, but the distance from the event masked the size of the fall until we stood upon it today.
Continuing on we cross the ice falls where the glacier cascades over a steep drop. Small ice bridges over deep crevasses must be crossed, weaving through a complex terrain of tottering ice towers to reach the lateral morain at the bottom of the Abruzzi ridge.
With ABC now in place we are all ready to get started on the climb, weather providing - whoops there's that nasty word again!!!!!

FRIDAY 24th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
Having repacked everything once again into 25kg porter loads, we have moved Camp World Link to the base of K2. Here we join a number of other teams from around the world - America, Italy, Spain and Turkey, all gathered to attempt K2. Most have been here for a number of weeks now and are presently trying to establish Camp 3 at approx 7000mts, a process hampered by strong winds and changeable weather.
We enjoy lunch at the Spanish Camp as our kitchen is yet to be re-established, learning the progress of each of the other teams. Acclimatisation is paramount on these high peaks and our period on Broad Peak will be very beneficial to all our team as we start our accent of K2 in the next couple of days.
This morning -24th- we awoke to encounter four inches of snow covering everything. Overnight the whole area was transformed from stoney moraine to a visually bland environment. Such is the nature of this area that a change in wind direction can mean bad weather - Bring on the China wind!

WEDNESDAY 22th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
Three members leave for home, a difficult mental distraction, but now we move Camp World Link closer to K2 to start the climb on probably the most difficult mountaineering challenge any mountaineer could undertake. K2 dominates the whole area here, rising steeply from base to summit, cutting through the jet air streams, affording little respite for the climber.

Conor O'Connor and Mohamad Ali, our cook, established a site at the base of K2 to move camp World Link.
Over the next two days we will move to begin our attempt on K2's elusive summit.

Paul Dunlop and Donie O'Sullivan are returning to Base Camp due to a rapid deterioration in the weather. Once again they reached the high Camp 4 at 7300 mts only to be disappointed by this all too familiar change in weather patterns.

MONDAY 20th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
After a period of necessary rest and indifferent weather two members are poised for a summit attempt on Broad Peak.
It now being the height of the season there are Poles, Slovaks, French and Japanese on the mountain and this poses its own problems.
CALVIN TORRANS was hit by a stonefall near Camp 1 which was knocked off by someone above and after suffering subsequent headaches and nausea decided to retreat.

MARTIN DALY did likewise.

PAUL DUNLOP and DONIE O'SULLIVAN should today reach the high Camp at around 7300mts and hopefully will summit tomorrow. Their previous attempt was hampered by a faulty stove at this same camp. Dehydrated O'Sullivan, in runners parlance, blew up at 7500mts and whilst Dunlop reached the col at 7800mts he declined to go alone.

In the next few days a handful of porters will arrive not only with fresh food but with the added task of shifting Base Camp forty five minutes up the glacier and closer to K2. This will take between three and four weeks for an attempt on the summit.
EDDIE COOPER this morning left early with the minimum intent of establishing advance Base Camp at the foot of the Abruzzi Ridge; but knowing Eddie's enthusiasm it would not be surprising if he leapt up the lower part of the ridge, just to have a look.
One member, IAN REA, has decided to leave tomorrow unable to endure the separation from his heavily pregnant wife. Tomorrow, he and the 1st Base Camp manager TERRY O'CONNOR and fund raiser DES MURNANE leave for a three day trek out via the Gondloro pass and the Hushe Valley.

At K2 Base Camp there are Italians, Americans, Spaniards and Turks and we have heard only that they have established Camp 2. Given that at least four camps are required this probably counts as slow progress but we have also heard about wrangling over who should be fixing ropes.

Without any weather forecasts, timing an attempt on any summit is a matter of trusting in experience and sniffing the air. So far there has been no really bad weather. Viewed optimistically this gives grounds for believing in the efficiency of a fast attempt on K2. Viewed pessimistically it is possible that a deteriorating weather pattern might preclude such an approach - we can only wait and see.

On a more mundane but practical note, it seems someone has tried to offload a huge E-mail which our underpowered computer system cannot cope with. After our last report we suspect this may have been the full contents of a recent Irish Times. Please desist from this in future. We still haven't got the system cleared and it will only be cleared with direct intervention in Dublin.

THURSDAY 16th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
The Baltoro is harsh; it has a harshness which can be shrugged off when spirits are up but which can also induce a wearying, vacant ennui, when spirits are slack. There is always a buoyancy after coming down from any mountain. In the Alps this will last for a few days and if weather precludes any further activity much can be found to distract the mind from boredom.
Here novelty is extinct and if bad weather sets in, the inside of ones head is reduced to a series of impulses, seeking solace and comfort. Novels are consumed in a day. One wakes in the morning dreaming of wives, families and home. If this reverie continues into waking hours after breakfast, the day may become a long internal lament for release. You wonder how you ever thought you could endure three months away from home. Am I that stupid??

We were all packed up and ready to go on Broad Peak this morning. However, waking at 3.00am revealed low cloud and high temperatures. It has drizzled and rained all day and the barely shifting cloud is down to about 5300m.
Paul has gone collecting scree samples for his Geography degree dissertation. At one stage half of us scuffled outside Terry's tent like corner boys at a Bookies. A copy of the Irish Times would be devoured from headlines to small ads. We are so socially starved a provincial paper from Ballina would suffer the same fate. How are things is Belmullet anyway?? We are down to our last half bottle of Bushmills. Ye Gods!!!

MONDAY 13th JULY 1998.....from Base Camp World Link
Expeditions really are exciting, aren't they? If it wasn't for the few other expeditions on the morains, the round of social relationships would be unbearably sparse. The intense physical exhaustion after recent attempts necessitate at least 4 to 5 days rest. What do we do when lolling about Base Camp?

A Swiss team has just left which put 4 members on top of Broad Peak. This was impressive, but 2 of them had just come from climbing another 8000m peak - Shisha Pangma in Tibet. One came from Ecuador and was able to train at over 6000m at weekends; the fourth was supposedly called Robert, we suspect he was really Wotan the warrior and had just dropped down from Valhalla for the ascent. Our consciences are only partially salved!!!
Two nights before they left, we were invited to a traditional fondue, into which certain green horns dropped their bread and potatoes with alarming frequency. This has been the cultural highpoint so far.

The weather has changed to its former unstable pattern with high winds at altitude and occasional snow showers. Sitting outside is only moderately comfortable but it is better than endless hours of isolated reading in ones tent.

Last night in a desperate but ultimately successful attempt at self generated fun, even some of our dedicated anti-footballists stayed up late for a world cup final party - a mediocre frenzy was generated by small amounts of liquor the worst of which was our own putrid and unready homebrew!!

Today a Polish team arrived with designs on Broad Peak, of which 2 of their members intend to try a new route and have that lean and angular look of those who eat 8000m mountains on a regular basis.
As for us, one more try is scheduled for Broad Peak and after that attention will have to shift to K2 if there is any hope of a serious attempt there.
Hail bounces off the page as I write. Agh!! not another session in the tent struggling with the repressed sexuality of Victorian literature! And another teatime looking at the half shaved, sunscabbed bakes of my team mates!! Oh for flowers and female companionship!!!

FRIDAY 10th JULY.....from Base Camp World Link
Progress and success on the world's highest mountains sometimes remain beyond factors of pure technical skill. Pure physical fatigue and lassitude brought about by altitude can weaken the best of climbers. Walking about Base Camp at 5000m., already higher than Mont. Blanc, still can take the breath away after three weeks residence.
Our progress so far is a mixture of elation and disappointment........
* EDDIE COOPER HAS BECOME THE 1st IRISHMAN TO CLIMB BROAD PEAK 8045m., which he did on the 8th July. This is the 10th highest peak in the world.

* IAN REA was with him on this summit attempt but turned back approx. 200m. from the top.
Ironically, in order to save weight, a debilitating factor at these heights, the pair gambled on not taking a rope. However the final ridge proved more difficult and exposed than expected and Rea felt the risk, for him, unjustified.
The pair returned to Base Camp on the morning of the 9th.

Our two cooks, Mohamed and Ulam, and our Base Camp manager Terry O'Connor greeted the pair fifteen minutes out from camp with cold drinks and an unusual Pakistani victory sash made out of string and low denomination bank notes which was placed over Coopers head. They then proceeded to lead the pair, chanting, singing and beating an old drum back to the tents. A victory banner had been erected and a celebration breakfast laid out and the proceedings were immeasurably livened up by the new arrival of our second and replacement Base Camp manager Conor O'Connor and our major fund raiser Des Murnane. They and their few porters, after a suitable rest, drummed and danced furiously exhibiting their newly acquired skills of Pakistani hand dancing - white men with no rhythm and not a woman in sight!

Meanwhile, today the 10th, the other team members, viewed through binoculars and with occasional conversations on portable radio, seem to have met with disappointment.
* MARTIN DALY and CALVIN TORRANS have turned back from 7100m., sounding totally exhausted.

* Above them DONIE O'SULLIVAN and PAUL DUNLOP seemed to be making a good summit attempt but O'Sullivan turned back at about 7500m. and Dunlop went on to about 7800m.
It is unlikely that fatigue thwarted Dunlop, as along with Cooper he is the strongest of the team. More likely he had similar reservations about going on alone on the steep summit terrain. We won't know the full story until their return tomorrow.
Meanwhile, despite four northern born members, Cooper gets to be the only one to wear a sash; and not an Orangeman in sight!

TUESDAY 7th JULY........from Base Camp World Link
On the morning of the 5th of July, Eddie and Ian left Base Camp and went straight to Camp 2 (6400m). The weather still looked bad.
The Swiss had gone up to Camp 2 on the 4th and were going to wait for good weather.

On the afternoon of the 5th, the weather turned bad with high winds and snow . The Swiss had moved to their Camp 3 (7400m) in the morning. Both teams decided to stay up and see what happened on the 6th.

The morning of the 6th turned out great and at 3.00am we could see the three man Swiss team at the col (7600m), on their way to the summit. Eddie and Ian moved to their Camp 3 (7100m).

Calvin, Martin, Paul and Doni left Base Camp on the 7th for Camp 2, while Eddie and Ian moved to the Swiss Camp 3 (7400m) and will join two Swiss climbers to try for the summit of Broad Peak on the 8th. The weather looks like it will hold for the 8th.

THURSDAY 2nd July 1998............from Base CampWorld Link
The weather pattern on the Baltoro so far has provided no long and clear stable periods which would give a sufficient window for an attempt on Broad Peak summit. We are getting 2 or 3 good days alternating with 3 or 4 poor. Fortunately the poor weather is not very bad and we have had no very heavy snow falls.

During the last good period we made very good progress to the site of Camp 3 (7100m). Martin and Calvin ferried some food and equipment to this site, whilst Paul, Eddie, Ian and Donie persevered with heavier loads and spent the night at this camp on 31st of June. At this altitude Ian felt nauseous and ate hardly anything, Donie ate a lot and then threw it all back up a few hours later, Paul had headaches and the usual cold feet; meanwhile Cyber Cooper ate like a horse despite suffering chest pains from a suspected cracked rib, sustained from a crevasse fall 2 weeks ago.

Any hopes of going on to Camp 4 (7400m), and then the summit (8047m) were squashed by the onset of bad weather on the 1st of July. Strong winds and blowing snow forced all of us and the Swiss team back to Base Camp. Amazingly what had taken 3 hard days to ascend took only 5 to 6 hours to descend, which puts into perspective the extreme difficulty of moving upwards with loads at these altitudes.
The positive side of our retreat is that everyone should now be well acclimatised for a serious attempt on the summit. We have all achieved personal height records, but are all optimistic of going higher still; the top of Broad Peak is tantalisingly close from Camp 3.

Today has given the worst weather of the expedition, real Scottish driek, emphasising the wisdom of our retreat. All we need is a good spell, and as our cook Mohamad says " InshAllah, all members reach summit, then party."

MONDAY 29th JUNE... From Base Camp World Link
Bad weather up till the 27th stopped any further progress on Broad Peak.
On the 28th all six members left for Camp 1 . Weather is now coming from the North so we are expecting a good few days of settled weather.
On the 29th the team moved to their high point at Camp 2 (6400m) and arrived at 9.30am. All the members are moving a lot faster on the mountain and are feeling a lot stronger in themselves. They are now moving Camp 2 up another 200m so they can push Camp 3 on the 30th as high as possible.
The Swiss team are just ahead and are moving 4 members to Camp 3 on the 29th.

WEDNESDAY, 24th June....
All members of the team have now successfully spent a night at Camp 2 on Broad Peak (6400m). The terrain below Camp 1 involves a long snowy couloir with a short icy section (Scottish grade 2) and then an open snow slope to a perfect camp site perched on a rocky crest at 5900m. Here there is enough room for four or five tents. We are sharing this site with the Swiss expedition, some of whose members, just back from Shisa Pangma, are going like steam trains.

There are two ways to Camp 2, the original Austrian route which is purely on snow, or a slightly steeper mixed variation to its left. Members took both ways in ascent and descent, but found the former dangerously avalanche prone after a nights light snowfall and subsequent wind blown slab.

Two Bibler tents and some fuel and food have been left at our high point (6400m) which is an exposed wind blown site. All members are resting at Base Camp in the hope of a more stable weather pattern. Depending on its arrival and its duration we will make either an attempt to reach 7400m (Camp 4) or the summit. A summit attempt we believe will take between 6 or 7 days, spending nights at 5900m, 6600m, two nights at 7000m, one night at 7400m and then a long day to the summit.

An Italian team for K2 has just past through today with at least six attractive women, one of whom is a doctor. Our own doctor, the distinguished Mr D. O' Sullivan is in danger of obsolescence!!!!

SUNDAY, 21st June...
All of the members of the climbing team were back to Base Camp on the 19th, a little battered from a lot of crevices up at K2 advanced Base Camp.
On the 20th, Eddie and Ian left Base Camp for Camp 1 at 5900m on Broad Peak.
The next day (21st) the remaining four climbers Clavin, Martin, Paul and Doni also left for Camp 1 on Broad Peak, while Eddie and Ian went up to Camp 2 (6400m) and part of the way to Camp 3 (7000m), then back to Camp 2 to stay the night.
Weather does not look like holding.

WEDNESDAY, 17th June...
Irish K2 Expedition arrived on the 1st of June and left Islamabad on the 2nd of June for Base Camp.
After 12 days (3 days on bus and jeep and 8 days walking ) we reached Base Camp (for Broad Peak).
On the 16th, after some bad weather, the 6 climbers started to do some climbing on some smaller local peaks to start their acclimatization process and hope to be away from Base Camp for 3 to 5 days.
On the 17th of June a Swiss expedition of 7 joined us at Base Camp to climb Broad Peak also.