Mountain Madness Gasherbrum II 2005: Skardu

Dispatch Two: June 12, Skardu  Our plane flight from Islamabad to Skardu on June 10th was canceled at the last minute, so we piled in a van and drove the Karakoram Highway instead.  We arrived in the bustling town of Skardu late last night after nearly 24 hours of driving on a winding mountain road.  After a good night's sleep, today was spent preparing for our trek to basecamp.  We packed our loads, bought more food and supplies and met some other expeditions heading into the mountains.  Tomorrow we have a 6-7 hour drive by jeep to the trailhead at Askole where we will met our support staff.  The weeklong trek up the Baltoro Glacier begins the next morning.   Everyone is doing well and having fun.  We are all anxious to get out of the cities and into the big mountains. Cheers,  Charlie

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