Gasherbrum 1 2004
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Gasherbrum 1 (8,068 m), Pakistan - 2004 Expedition: independent private Dutch expedition with Henk Wesselius Expedition leader: Katja Staartjes Team: Henk Wesselius, Katja Staartjes and Aminullah + Jhan Baig (Pakistan) Route: Japanese Couloir, northern side Top: 25 July 2004, whole team More information: www.gasherbrum.nl |
Dutch expedition
They spent months preparing. End of may 2004, the couple Henk Wesselius and Katja Staartjes set off for the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan to scale Gasherbrum 1 and 2 - two of the world’s fourteen mountains higher than 8,000 metres, standing at 8,068 and 8,035 m high, respectively. The Dutch climbing duo were supported throughout the expedition by two Pakistani climbers: Aminullah and Jhan Baig.
Bad weather
Pakistan’s 2004 climbing season was characterised by poor weather conditions: endless drifts of snow, alternating with high-altitude storms that lasted for days, and only a few days of fine weather. Various expeditions had to return home empty-handed.
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Click to enlarge photos
Top achievement
The patience and perseverance of the Dutch expedition however were richly rewarded: Katja, Henk, Aminullah and Jhan Baig finally planted their feet on the G1 summit on 25 July on a beautiful, sunny day. The peak was reached partly owed to the excellent teamwork with two other groups: the strong team of Ralf Dujmovits (Amical, Germany, also with Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and Hirotaka Takeuchi) and a Spanish team led by Carlos Pauner.
The most significant aspect of this climb? The total experience: the small team, the independence, searching and following the route, the difficult conditions and the excellent collaboration with the other teams.
Although the successful top-class expeditions to these Pakistani “eight-thousanders” usually start from around 20 June, the three teams were the first to reach the summit in 2004 on 25 July. And Katja and Henk were the first Dutch nationals to reach the Hidden Peak, as the G1 is also called.
A fatal fall
Unfortunately, the fun at the top was quickly overshadowed during the descent when the Spanish climber José Antonio Anton suffered a fatal fall. A terrible end to a beautiful and top-class experience.
Eventually it was decided not to climb Gasherbrum 2. The remaining time was limited, the bad weather was once again predicted and, of course, the accident also had a role to play. Sometimes it is better to simply cherish what you have already achieved.
During the expedition a daily report was published on the website www.gasherbrum.nl. Many photographs can also be viewed here.
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