In July 2024, we went to the Baltoro Glacier in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan in a rather large and diverse group. The group consisted of hikers, rock climbers and hunters of eight-thousanders.
Rock climbers targeted the 1,000+ metre rock towers of Trango and Shipton Spire with peaks around 6,000 metres above sea level, while high-altitude climbers headed for K2 and Broad Peak.
A few days after us two lady climbers from Krkonoše joined us at the Baltoro glacier aiming to climb Gasherbrum I.
Since the airlines lost my backpack with climbing gear, I went on a hike below K2 with hikers and mountaineers. This turned out to be a rather lucky decision. The changeable weather didn't favour climbing too much and so the hikes below K2 and later from Trango base camp below Shipton Spire were the most interesting experiences for me. Among other things, I was able to spend more time with local porters.
It is notorious that in the Karakoram and Himalayas most things are transported with the help of porters. What is less well known is that over three quarters of a century a distinct subculture has developed around the seasonal occupation of porter, consisting of a specific work rhythm, finding and arranging deals, negotiating prices, preparing food and sleeping. The prize structure is also interesting, with tips playing a large part of the earnings.
I hope that the porter tradition will be included on the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List before porters are displaced from tourist and expedition routes by transport technologies such as jeeps, cargo drones and helicopters. Less well-known is that horses, mules and donkeys also carry loads. And few people even notice the incredible terrain these four-legged workhorses are capable of tackling. Their masters aren't too careful with them as well.
In the two weeks or so I spent with the horses and porters, I never once saw anyone pet the horse. After all, both the porters and the horsemen are very hard on themselves when it comes to enduring discomfort. And they are extraordinarily physically fit and agile, just like their equines. I think we can be glad that we still experienced things the "old-fashioned" way on our expedition this year.
Only a team of four climbers led by Mato Krasňanský made it to the top of Trango Tower. Together with fellow climbers Franta Bulička, Tomáš Buček and Mišo Mikušinec they spent two weeks in the wall in a portaledge, and despite the bad weather they slowly but surely ascended via the little climbed Piola route.
The rest of us will have to come back next time. Fortunately, there are also beautiful shorter paths and rocks around the base camp under the Trango towers where you can have fun bouldering.
Kája Grohová and Lenka Erlebachová succeeded on Gasherbrum. Honza Tráva Trávníček and his Nepalese friend Subin climbed Broad Peak with oxygen.
Dušan Stoupa Janák
