Even though we're now entering our third week of the expedition, it's still very early in the Karakoram climbing season.  In all, 15 expeditions have registered to climb K2 this year, but only three have arrived so far - our Shared Summits team currently forging our way past Camp 1 on an unclimbed rib to the east of the Abruzzi Ridge; a team of 10 Czechs who have advanced to Camp 2 on the Cesen route; and a team of 16 Russians who are just getting underway on the West face.  Over the next few weeks, the thin stretch of moraine at the base of K2, called the "strip", will be populated with the arrival of new teams - including Poles, Koreans, Germans, Americans, Italians, and Hungarians - all readying to take their shot at the Savage Mountain.

When they get here, they are sure to find what we have found - the double-edged sword of seemingly ideal, clear, sunny weather conditions.  These conditions expose in full view both the promise of grand climbing days on the way to a triumphant summit and the imposing peril and hostility of exposed crevasses, rock slides, avalanches, and falling seracs - the result of ever melting surfaces.  With each day, it becomes increasingly clear that a fluid sense of clarity, judgment, and purpose will be required of these climbers to stay on guard during their journey, for life and death decisions hang in the balance.

Since arriving at Base Camp just 12 days ago, the Shared Summits team has already lived the full range of this experience. Initially, the conditions bred enthusiasm for productive early reconnaissance trips and the quick establishment of well-positioned camps, strategies, and rope lines.  Instead, during our first week we encountered the frustration of forced rest days due to illness, a double crevasse rescue, and the reality that the East Face Route that we planned to climb for a year was, after inspection, impassable.

And yet in the face of this, there exists in the last few days, promising signs.  After repositioning advanced base camp (ABC) to launch an assault on an unclimbed rib to the east of the Abruzzi route, the team has enjoyed advances toward the establishment of higher altitude camps under the balcony of some of the most breathtaking views the climbers report having ever seen.  A few days ago Chris, Don and PV found a stable slab of snow under a rock overhang to set up Camp 1 at 6,100 meters.  Today they ascended another 300 meters spending much of the morning traversing the edge of an avalanche slope that has the potential to pour down over the ridge before safely traversing back to Camp 1.  And after finally recovering from a chest infection, Bruce will begin to lead the process of carrying additional supplies and equipment to ABC and join the team in ascending to Camp 2, and perhaps beyond, by week's end. 

As for the weather reports - in the coming days we are expecting the same conditions and hoping for a forecast of less frustration and continued triumph.

Joel Shalowitz