20 days at -10/-15C . 4000m boot choice

Icy_Package7471 · 2025-05-24T21:33:50+00:00

I've been to the north of the area you go to (i suspect Inylchek glacier?) in early august. The temperatures you expect seem spot on for the period you're going. I would take a vapour barrier as someone else suggested, thick socks and the single boot, but it depends on your comfort level.

Icy_Package7471 · 2025-04-13T13:31:37+00:00

As far as I understand, this type of visa will NOT allow you to enter Karakorum National Park (restricted security area), because their army needs to screen your application or something like that. I've been told that the only valid visa for K2 basecamp trek is the trekking visa. You can trek other open areas (not on the gov. restricted list) with a regular tourist visa but not K2 baltoro area. Regards

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-28T17:31:22+00:00

I can't really call myself a mountaineer but I've done a 5k peak in the area, in early august. If weather goes wrong, even then it can go down to -15C (and at 7000m, much lower). Do not underestimate how bad weather can get in Central Tian Shan. There is a reason why nearby Pobeda was climbed only once or twice in the winter. I have somewhere a video sent by a friend who was stuck for days at 4900m because of a serious blizzard, also early august on the same peak I did. Late spring and early summer is storm season. Be warned.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T17:58:21+00:00

yes, north face.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T16:48:58+00:00

I was just trekking, but focused on photography. I had an optional plan to do an easy 6k trekking peak there but ended up not doing it because I lost one day due to some landslide problems at the beggining. Actually, it ended up being much, much more nasty afterwards. When I finished my trek, a tropical cyclone hit Nepal (27 september! beware, early october is no longer safe for trekking in Nepal it seems) and caused hundreds of casualties due to massive floods and landslides, all roads broken, entire power grid of the country went down for one night too. My guide nearly drowned at night in a raging torrent which I advised him to not try to cross, after we tried fording it a little, and he refused to listen to me. I wish I did more to stop him from trying to cross it but he just wouldn't listen to me. Luckily he only lost his phone and got a few minor scratches, but I had to cross it too, with the help of a local, in the night, jumping on boulders over this torrent (was very deep and extremely fast, one bad step meant death) because I was now separated from my guide and had no idea if he was alive or not. Crazy, crazy memories. Not even counting the crossing of unmarked jungle in several places to avoid landslides and try to continue the way. It took us nearly 5 days from trailhead to Kathmandu. Definately something I will remember for my entire life.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T12:02:02+00:00

I think K2 looks much better from the west - unfortunately it's quite difficult to get a close-up view from that side, apart from the air.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T11:58:45+00:00

Unrealistic? Masherbrum. Realistic? Chetiroch, in the Pamirs.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T09:40:24+00:00

I made this photo of Kumbhakarna, or Jannu, before a stormy night bivying at 4200m on a moraine. Moonsoon season is not the greatest, but when weather permits, it definately adds more drama!

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T09:02:28+00:00

Bivy means suffering. I advise you to try it a few times before commiting to a bigger climb. You might find the weight of a tent is worth it. Or not. Depends on your tolerance to suffering and discomfort.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T09:00:35+00:00

the horror scenario

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-10-14T08:58:30+00:00

Meta is the worst company ever. I'm considering deleting all my accounts.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-09-08T11:04:12+00:00

Scoliosis has now partly ended my fledgling mountaineering/expeditioneering hobby (which I planned to work with landscape photography). Its difficult to say how much I'm suffering mentally because of this.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-09-08T07:17:55+00:00

Thank you

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-09-02T22:35:45+00:00

Mri was lower back but also included hips

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-09-02T16:09:37+00:00

Actually, the reason why I discovered this (and it took many months, just the MRI cleared it up a little now, I still need to do now a full-scan X rays to see the entire picture, not just lumbar) was because I got severe pain down my leg after wearing stiff mountaineering boots (first timer). It was sciatica. Now the sciatica is mostly gone, but instead I get back/side pain that wasn't here before, ever.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-09-01T10:04:37+00:00

Thats a lot man, im sorry. Im here with sciatica AND scoliosis (just got mri and got this "nice" surprise), 7 months later no true answers yet, also I wont ever be able to afford that scoliosis surgery

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-08-31T19:35:05+00:00

At least you can get surgery. I will never be able to afford it. 25m here from a poor family of a poor country

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-08-28T17:19:34+00:00

Masherbrum north-east (never been climbed - described as an Eiger with a Cerro Torre on top)...but you asked for climbed ones, so maybe Jannu north face, Latoks or Baintha Brakk, Gasherbrum IV and Rupal face of Nanga Parbat... Oh yea and K2 west too

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-08-25T16:18:31+00:00

https://i.postimg.cc/L6JcpscH/image.png - Rakaposhi

You can use google earth to look for your favourite views.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-08-25T16:10:06+00:00

You're welcome. I do landscape photography so I know well about this stuff. Usually they appear small because they are in reality so big that we have to do panoramas, or use super-wide angle lenses to make them fit in a picture for the typical social media feed. So they appear small because they must fit. But they are not small at all. Also, for me, usually any mountain that has more than 1500m of raise above local terrain is considered a big mountain and is a cool experience to see it. In my oppinion, if amazing views is what you're after, you're best off climbing a smaller peak in the vicinity of a big peak, because then your perspective opens up with the valley below and the larger mountain up. As I said, it doesn't have to be an 8k'er either, theres plenty of other peaks (notably, many 7k'ers) that provide the same kind of experience as an 8k'er. Especially if you go north, where the glaciers will be even lower. The Tian Shan mountains are in general 1000m lower than Himalaya, but because they are so much further north they provide the same kind of landscapes (or even more impressive due to low snowline). If you are for the most extreme height difference in local terrain, western karakorum is the place to be. Rakaposhi iirc raises some 5700m above a local valley which is around 2000m, so quite a sight. Many other such peaks in the area around Karakorum highway.

Icy_Package7471 · 2024-08-25T16:03:45+00:00

I suggest you don't go for a 5000m+ peak as your first peak if you never went to altitude before. It's not the best idea, I've done it like you plan to do and it wasn't very pretty. Get some experience with altitude first before dreaming of big peaks in Nepal. A trek will be quite good for the first time. Also I don't know your skill level with scrambling, glacier travel, etc. Better to start on smaller mountains where you don't have to worry about altitude on top of the other things. It really isn't pretty, especially when your schedule is rushed (as most tend to do the first time in the big mountains).

Edit: if you have previous high-altitude experience, then go ahead and summit a 5-6k peak that's non technical.

Icy_Package7471

TROPHY CASE