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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 8, 2018 - 07:29am PT
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When: 7:00 pm Thursday, July 19th
Where: Neptune Mountaineering, Boulder, Co.
All proceeds go to the Balti Children's Education Fund
In August I am leading a 16 day trek in the Karakoram Range of Pakistan. The trek will traverse the entire Biafo Glacier to Snow Lake, then over the Sim La Pass to the magnificent Latok/Ogre cirque on the Choktoi Glacier.
This will be the fortieth anniversary of the epic 1978 climb on Latok’s North Ridge by George Lowe, Jeff Lowe, Michael Kennedy and Jim Donini that after 22 days of continuous effort in often stormy conditions ended a hundred or meters or so from the summit plateau.
What followed was another four days of descent in continuous storm with no food and virtually no fuel replete with 85 mostly single anchor rappels.
In the forty years since our climb nearly thirty world class teams of aloinists have failed to finish the North Ridge....the closest team ended their climb 2,000 vertical feet below our high point.
In 2016 George and I along with Thom Englebach accompanied Thomas Huber’s team back to see if some evil mountain goddess was casting a spell. Thomas came back, once again, empty handed but is going back this year for another try.
This year there will be, in addition to Huber, two Russian teams and a Slovenian team trying to solve the riddle of Latok 1.
The show incorporates the 1978 climb and our 2016 visit along with some of the history of four decades of anguish on this singular peak.
Come see why Latok 1 has become the black hole of climber’s dreams!
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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bump, y'know, for the effort. but mainly for the imagery.
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Jim Clipper
Gym climber
from the ground up
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May as well be another planet. Can't get here from there? How 'bout a link to the fund, for those who can't make it.
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BruceHildenbrand
Social climber
Mountain View/Boulder
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Hey, I am actually in town for a good Neptune slide show. Should be fun!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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I'll be there!
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steveA
Trad climber
Wolfeboro, NH
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Jim,
Have fun with the Boulder crew. I'll be there in spirit.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2018 - 12:00pm PT
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Jim, I am calling it the “Balti Children’s Education Fund’” for the sake of simplicity for an American audience.
It is actually a German based non profit administered by Barbara Hirschbichter, a German educator, and Rasool her Skardu based husband. Thomas and Alex Huber are on the BOD. Bright children from remote mountain villages like Askole must relocate to Skardu in order to pursue their education beyond the fourth grade. The non profit provides free room and board for boys and girls from poor families. The below picture will explain a lot. Rasool is in the picture along with Thomas Huber.
CI have raised money from slide shows that I am going to present to Barbara and Rasool when I arrive in Skardu on 8/2.
Their current project is constructing a school with dorms for 300 children nearer to the villages. I will be visiting the site on my way to Askole.
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Don Paul
Social climber
Denver CO
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I'm looking forward to it!
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Wish I could be there.
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ddriver
Trad climber
SLC, UT
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Would like to do that trek.
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Jim Clipper
Gym climber
from the ground up
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^ Doesn't look like the most comfortable place to pitch a tent and get the campfire going.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2018 - 08:21am PT
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There will be many places on the trek where you will be off of the glacier on solid ground...even some meadows.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Social climber
Wilds of New Mexico
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Sounds like a great trek for a good cause in one of the most beautiful areas of the world!
Tea time in Skardu:
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Jim Clipper
Gym climber
from the ground up
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"Making the trek". I'm probably just being defensive, but I was thinking about being "there". Helluva a place to run a bed and breakfast.
Finally, there are many here with much more technical experience, but Donini's last picture, and the one uber (2nd?), might look great enlarged. Put a copy of them in the classrooms?
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2018 - 05:02pm PT
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Picture bump
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goatboy smellz
climber
Gulf Breeze
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Thank's for the heads up, looking forward to being back in town.
This show will be another highlight.
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Mtnclan
Mountain climber
California
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Brilliant pics of a brilliant place! I wandered up the Biafo and under the Ogre in 1887 as a young punk. My friend and I had the good fortune to be taken in by Joe Brown and Mo Antoine for dinner in their tent. They were retreating from the horrendous weather that all experienced that season. I highly recommend a trip there; I'll bet it's still comparatively wild country- we saw ibex, and fresh brown bear tracks! It is way less traveled than the Baltoro route.
Best of luck up there!
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