Carlos Pauner: GOING BACK HOME 

Copyright© Billy Pierson

In the Himalayas everything changes, in occasions with the speed of vertigo.  Yesterday we had taken off to look for the glory of Gasherbrum and today we are making up the luggage to go back home.  What happened?  The worst that could happen, just that thing that has no remedy.  Death has thrown its black shroud over these snowy landscapes.  The group of Germans who were a day ahead of us suffered a terrible tragedy.  The fresh accumulated snow and the general bad weather started off the accident.  The route fell on them, in the form of thousands and thousands of tons of snow, sweeping all the members to hell and wounding some of them.  Among them, Hiro, and old acquaintance, with whom I had the fortune and honor to climb Gasherbrum I a few years ago.  Now he struggles between life and death on the way to base camp.

Those who come back from above tell of the horror they lived, the danger in the high terrain and renounce to keep climbing.  I talk with my people.  I think that experience backs me and I know when it is time to risk and when it is not time to do it.  I look at the final part of the mountain.  Hundreds of meters of unstable snow remain above, the forecast points to a week of bad weather, base camp is almost desolated.  I have no doubts.  I will not risk my life, or the lives of my people in a suicidal attack with null chances of success.  In normal conditions, GII is not a complicated eight-thousand.  In fact it is constantly climbed.  This year it is still virgin.  It is clear.  It is not a good season.  We have not lost anything, just some days after the summit of Broad Peak and we were very lucky.  We are still alive.  We go back home, to reunite with ours, to celebrate the summit of an eight-thousand, to celebrate that we can still breathe, dream and climb mountains.  I just hope that my Japanese friend saves his life, that he holds on as he has done so far and that this mountain doesn’t take away the life of this brave warrior.  There will be a pending battle here, in the Karakorum.  But, it won’t be held now.

Carlos Pauner

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.

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Atomic

   Big Agnes

   Black Diamond

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   Chaco

   Cloudveil

   Columbia
   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Exofficio

   FiveTen

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Gregory

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps

   Hestra
   Helmets

   Helly Hansen

   HighGear

   HornyToad
   Ice Axes

   Julbo

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kelty

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Life is Good

   Lowa

   Lowe Alpine

   Lowepro

   Millet

   Motorola

   Mountain Hardwear

   Mountainsmith

   MSR

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Osprey

   Outdoor Research
   Patagonia

   Pelican

   Petzl

   Prana

   Princeton Tec

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Royal Robbins

   Salomon

   Scarpa

   Scott

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Sterling Rope

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Teva

   Thermarest

   Trango

   Tool Logic

   Trekking Poles
   Yaktrax
   and more here