K2: Askole to Jhula

I left Askole at 6:25 AM this morning and arrived in Jhula at 11:15 AM. A combination of high temperatures and very rugged terrain made for a difficult trek. Everything you hear and read about the trek to K2 base camp is real. Unlike the well maintained trails in the Khumbu on the way to Everest Base Camp, the trails here are a combination of loose rock, high and dangerous exposure and even deep sand. Nonetheless it’s very scenic as you climb along the river and you’re surrounded by magnificent looking peaks. This also made for an arduous task because it seems every time I looked up to enjoy the scenery, my foot twisted on a rock and almost sprained an ankle. You really can’t keep your eyes off the trail or something bad will happen. The weather is HOT HOT HOT and was begging for any cloud cover. It felt like I was crossing the Mojave Desert or Sahara albeit at high altitude close to 3,300m/11,000ft. Some members are dehydrated and a fellow climbe from a local team trekking with us fainted for a few minutes but he’s now OK. We’ll take a much needed rest this afternoon, eat an early dinner and shoot for another early start tomorrow morning to Paiju.