Mike and Don: Broad Peak 2005: Diego's Lucky Horseshoe; was the Porter as Lucky?

Dispatch #3: July 3 Diego's Lucky Horseshoe; was the Porter as Lucky?

The once-feared trek up the Baltoro has been stripped of much of its difficulty. The presence of the Pakistan Army all the way up the glacier has resulted in much trail construction and elimination of many of the formerly difficult climbs over slabs. However, difficulty and danger are two different things.

The morning of our rest day at Paiju, Deigo (ITA) was stretching

outside the mess tent before breakfast. I walked over and he showed me a horseshoe that he'd found. I explained that in the USA, you mount the shoe on your wall with the open end up and it will fill with good luck. We decided to take it to Base Camp and put it in the mess tent.

The next day we headed for Urdokas, the longest day of the trek to base camp. We finally got onto the Baltoro Glacier and hiked up and down the moraines along the true left bank. Grasses, sedums, and various legumes dotted the landscape. We arrived in Liligo and ate lunch with the Trango group going in and out of the clouds.

The trail to Urdokas hugs the side of Liligo Peak and other unnamed peaks. We walking along, digesting lunch when the roar of a rockslide filled our ears. We looked up in horror to see a dust cloud erupt about 600 meters up the slabs above the trail and about 500 meters in front of us. Microwave-sized blocks bounced and blasted the slabs, finally strafing the trail. There were literally hundreds walking the trail that day, and we were certain that somebody had to be in the area pelted by the rocks.

I hiked on, afraid of what we would see. I arrived and found a number of our group huddled around somebody. It was Diego, with a small but nasty tear on the outside of the knee where a large rock had grazed him. He and Max (ITA) were the only two in the rockfall zone. They had scrambled for cover as the rocks flew past them. It was still dangerous so we got Diego up and moving into a safer area. He eventually hiked slowly to Urdokas, where Don prepared to examine and treat his wound.

Nazir, our guide, came in and said that there was a doctor in camp. Don went to check it out and came back with a whole herd of doctors! Turns out a National Geographic team was in the area, and they had a dozen or more doctors, medics, etc. and they just happened to be at Urdokas. Quicker than you can say "3-0 silk" they put four stitches in his skin, and no permanent damage was done. I think Diego drained all of the luck out of the horsehoe that day!

The next day we continued our walk to our first camp on the glacier, named Goro 2. At one point Don appears, yelling for our L.O. We rush ahead and find a porter with an apparent serious case of HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema). This life-threatening illness can strike anyone in the mountains, and the porter had the classic signs--crackling sounds in the chest and fast respiration. Don immediately went into stablize, package, and transport mode as we would do in the USA. But helicopters don't come for porters (unless you're willing to fork over $9000 cash). The porter said that somebody else gave him medication earlier in the day, but we didn't know what. One dose of the right meds could save him, but two could kill him. The best we could do is send a note to the docs in Urdokas (several hours down the glacier) and have the porter carried by his comrades. Did he make it? We don't know.

Now, some editorial commentary [from Mike]. Ninety-nine times out of one hundred a porter who say's he's sick just wants a pill. It's that one other time that a porter will die because some Westerner just willy-nilly hands out pills. If you don't know what you're doing, don't give them anything. Even aspirin can be deadly! If you give them something, write down what you gave them (even if it's just candy) and when. Pin it to their shirt. I'm also amazed at the number of trekkers and climbers that don't know the first thing about altitude illness and how to use the drugs they brought with them. It's just plain dumb. There's no excuse for ignorance these days. End of editorial rant.

We're in Broad Peak Base Camp. It snowed nearly 25 cm last night, but it's melting fast. Today we're resting and doing essentials (like building a toilet). Time to finish sorting the barrels and get organized. We might actually climb someday! Mike

Updates

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

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