Now it’s crunch time. One month until Shishapangma - the final 8000m summit of the 14 highest peaks in the world. The end of 3 years of dedication, persistence, success stories; and deadly ones too.
Over the past three years, I have spent more time in the death zone than with my family, at home, or living a regular day-to-day life. For me, this has become my 'new normal'. The last expedition for myself and my team was in 2023, when I summited Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II in Pakistan - aiming to do so without supplemental oxygen.
The journey began with a trek from a village in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, called Skardu. Infamous as the gateway to the Karakoram, this small yet picturesque village brings the magic of the mountains to life with colorful murals of past climbers, locals chatting about the next big conquest on the savage K2, and small mountaineering shops filled with images of inspiring Pakistani climbers.
We set off from Skardu with the sun blazing down, riding in the back of a snazzy pink 4x4, with Pakistani music blasting from the ancient stereo. We watched the increasingly beautiful landscape of the Gasherbrum region like excited dogs, our glacier sunglasses on, savoring every moment.
Once we arrived in Askoli, the last town before the trek to basecamp, we set up camp and had dinner as a team, getting to know one another under the peach trees. The trek is long and arduous, with winding trails that turn into boulder crossings, glacier hills that never seem to end, and towering mountains that stare down at you ominously. The mountains of the Karakoram are dark, raw, and dangerous.
We reached the Gasherbrum basecamp after a few days of trekking, and made plans with the rest of the team to climb Gasherbrum II (G2) first, followed by Gasherbrum I (G1). The problem with this plan was that Gelje, my partner, and I wanted to climb without oxygen, although the rest of the team wanted to tackle the mountain in one go, without proper acclimatization. We decided that it was safer to go as a team than go it alone in Pakistan. And in the end, I summited G2 with oxygen, after two failed attempts on it without.
G1 was a different story. After plenty of rest and food at Camp 1 - a camp shared by both mountains - the weather cleared, and this time I could attempt G1 in my own style. Gelje and I, along with a team of four others, went for the summit. The weather however was extremely windy, with 60 kph winds at the summit whipping in every direction. The cold was deadly. Without oxygen, I felt ten times colder than the rest of the team and had to swap my gloves every five minutes to keep frostbite at bay. Additionally, the wind was so strong that my eyes were freezing over, so I had to switch to my Freebirds™ goggles without opening my eyes, clinging for dear life to the 40-degree slope we had to traverse to reach the summit. As soon as I got the goggles on, I breathed a sigh of relief and continued to summit my first 8,000-meter peak without supplemental oxygen.
Now, as I write this, I am training hard for my forthcoming summit attempt on Shishapangma; preparing both my equipment and my mind. I know attempting Shishapangma - the final summit in my 14 peak pursuit - will be a tough expedition. It will be a challenge not just because of the tragic events that occurred in 2023 which will leave a lasting mark on the mountain, but also because of the pressure I have placed on myself to successfully complete this last peak. However, this time, I vow to enjoy and respect the mountain, taking as much time as I need to acclimatize well, and take it all in.
Follow Adriana on Instagram: @adri.brownlee
