2009 Dates (58 days):
To be announced

Land Cost:
GII only: $14,500 (6 or members),
$16,500 (4 - 5 members)
Supplemental oxygen: $1,200




Climbing grade: Advanced

The Gasherbrum peaks are part of Pakistan’s Karakorum mountain range, a remote frontier region where central Asia meets the Indian subcontinent. Located amid Pakistan’s incredible rugged mountain scenery in the Baltistan region, climbing in the Karakorum is a challenging adventure and the experience of a lifetime. GII is a beautiful pyramid that stands over 8000 meters very near K2. Combine this striking, relatively straightforward climb with Mountain Madness' quality base camp services, and you are guaranteed to have an excellent adventure. Our main objective is GII which we will climb expedition style. GII is an excellent first 8000 meter peak for a climber who has previous high altitude mountaineering ascents. For those of you who want to go that extra mile, we will be offering a 14-day extension to climb GI. GI will be a more challenging peak and will require a more advanced set of climbing skills.

We will meet in Islamabad to organize our gear, get a pre-trek briefing from the Ministry of Tourism, and enjoy the local sights and sounds before taking a short flight over the mountains to the scenic city of Skardu in the Indus River Valley. From there we will travel by jeep to the village of Askole, the last permanently inhabited location we pass. From this point on, the journey is by foot; first alongside irrigated fields in the high desert and then upward along rivers of ice deep into Pakistan’s Karakoram.

When we reach the Concordia, the junction of the Goodwin-Austin, Abruzzi, and other glaciers, we will have spectacular views of some of the world's greatest giants including K2 (8611m), Broad Peak (8047m), Gasherbrum II (8068m), Gasherbrum IV (7925m), Chogolisa (7665m), and Golden Throne (7240m).

We will climb this beautiful striking pyramid via the southwest ridge. Our team will fix ropes on all technical sections of the route. We will place four higher camps above base camp. Thirty eight days will be allotted for the climb which will give us plenty of time to make the summit attempt.

Price includes:
Hotel accommodations in the towns
Transfers
Scheduled restaurant meals in towns and camps
Domestic flight or private van to Skardu
All group cooking, trekking and climbing gear
Emergency oxygen
Satellite phone service
Porters
High altitude Pakistan porters
Mountain Madness Western guides

Price does not include:
International airfare to Islamabad
Restaurant meals not listed
Pakistan visa and airport fees
Items of a personal nature (personal gear, phone calls, laundry, alchol, etc.) 
Staff/Guide gratuities
Oxygen for summit attempt
Personal High Altitude Porters

QUALIFICATIONS: All climbers are required to have past high-altitude mountaineering experience. In addition, members should be able to ascend and descend fixed lines independently and be proficient with cramponing on steep ice/snow slopes. For an increased chance of success, members should also be in good physical condition. Our “Live Your Dreams” training program can help you gain any additional training or experience needed. Gasherbrum I will require more advance technical skills on steeper snow/ice and mixed terrain slopes.

If you have any questions, please call the Mountain Madness office for questions about preparation and training for the climb.

OUR GUIDING and SUPPORT STAFF:

Guide: We are pleased to introduce Phil Crampton to our high altitude guide team - he will be leading our Gasherbrum II and Cho Oyu expeditions in 2007. Phil was born and raised in Nottingham, England before moving at an early age to New York City to follow a career in advertising. His career in media has taken a back seat for the past fifteen years while his Himalayan guiding career has developed.

His love of the Tibetan mountains and their people is a passion that goes beyond his expeditions. In his free time he is a volunteer instructor at the Tibet Mountaineering Guide School in Lhasa where he teaches climbing techniques, English, and even cooking western style food. The school is one of the world's premier institutes for mountain guide training and offers the chance for local boys and girls from the villages surrounding Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma to complete a three-year course learning to read and write in conversational Chinese and English. In addition to the language training they are taught the mountaineering techniques required to assist expeditions, similair to their Sherpa cousins in Nepal.

Phil has organized and led nearly twenty expeditions in the Himalayas including eleven expeditions to 8000-meter peaks. He has successfully led expeditions to the summits of Aconcagua, Cho Oyu, Denali, Everest, Mustagh Ata, Pumori and Shishapangma. 2007 will see him climbing again on Everest, Mustagh Ata, Cho Oyu, and Gasherbrum II.

High Altitude Porters: We will be hiring the highest level Pakistani high altitude porters for our guided expedition of GII. Our climbing porters will be responsible for stocking camps above base camp.

MOUNTAIN SAFETY: Safety is the number one priority at Mountain Madness. Our Gasherbrum expedition is heavily supported by strongly experienced staff and has one of the highest staff to client ratios in the business. We provide a four-to-one client to porter support ratio, as well as a one-to-four American guide to client ratio. Continual communication with base camp is maintained through reliable VHF radios. A 24-hour communication satellite is also provided for personal and emergency use. Mountain Madness also provides additional oxygen in case of an emergency.

OUR PHILOSOPHY: Mountain Madness' main objective is to help you summit Gasherbrum safely with the greatest amount of personal fulfillment and fun. In order for us to achieve our goal we are dedicated to ensuring that you are properly prepared for the summit attempt. Mountain Madness offers a wide variety of mountaineering courses and a diverse range of high-altitude peaks, as well as focused individual attention to help clients prepare for the expedition. We recommend a climb of Aconcagua, Mustagh Ata or another high altitude peak. Our seminar prepares you for your trip by reviewing mountain skills and climbing logistics, and helping you develop camaraderie with the team.

OUR STRATEGY: Because it's critical to acclimatize properly to maintain health and fitness and avoid altitude problems, Mountain Madness begins the slow acclimatization process with an exciting 7-day trek up the renowned Baltoro Glacier to establish base camp at 16,355 feet. Once arriving at base camp we will have 38 days dedicated for climb. We feel it’s prudent to allow enough time for acclimatization, health problems and inclement weather to reach your goal, the summit. On Gasherbrum II, we will establish Camp I at 5900 meters (19,350 feet), Camp II at 6400 meters (21,000 feet), Camp III at 6900 meters (22,530 feet), and Camp IV at 7400 meters (24,270 feet). Summit day consists of 2,200 feet elevation gain.

Our experienced guides and porters will fix ropes, stock camps and provide leadership and support for the climb. All team members are encouraged to help in this process. With the aid of high-altitude porters, this will allow you to carry lighter loads so you can save your strength for the summit bid. Unlike our higher 8000-meter peaks such as Cho Oyu or Everest, oxygen will be NOT be available for our summit attempt unless requested beforehand. If you are unsure, please feel free to talk to us about the use of oxygen. We can easily arrange the use of it for your summit attempt.

Team members leave for the summit around midnight to allow adequate time to reach the summit by mid-morning. Mountain Madness provides additional food, fuel and support for multiple summit attempts until Mother Nature deems the mountain unclimbable for the season. Mountain Madness equipment, service, and support are top-notch so you will have an outstanding chance at summitting.

If you decided to join us for our Gasherbrum I expedition, we allow an additional 14 days for the climb. Depending on weather and strength of the group, we may climb GI within our normal scheduled GII expedition time frame. Our route on Gasherbrum I will be via the Gasherbrum La and the Northwest Face. After acclimatizing on Gasherbrum II, we will go back down to Camp I on the Gasherbrum glacier or base camp to rest. We will then climb GI “Alpine style” placing two camps above Camp I on our way to the summit.

Environmental and Social Practices: Mountain Madness not only strives to offer the highest standard of service, but also to be the most socially and environmentally responsible adventure travel company in Asia. We hire outfitters who are socially responsible including making sure porters have adequate gear and equipment, proper shelter arrangements, proper food, cooking equipment and water, proper medical care for sick or injured porters, insurance where available, acceptable weight limits on loads, and fair wages.

Although there are many interpretations of "ecotourism," Mountain Madness believes that everyone benefits by choosing a company that is respectful of the environment and the local cultures. At Mountain Madness, we practiced ecotourism long before it became a buzzword and we have a broad understanding of the issues. We are always involved in training, conservation, and social development programs that ensure that the net impact of our company in Pakistan is positive.

WEATHER: The best time to visit the Baltoro region of Pakistan is May through September. June, July and August are the optimal climbing months. The weather in the Karakorum is unpredictable, so we allow plenty of time to climb the mountain. Storms can last for several days followed by days of balmy weather. Be prepared and bring everything on the equipment list.

MOUNTAIN CUISINE: The menu for our climb is specially prepared to provide a balanced diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, plenty of protein and carbohydrates. We choose food items that are easiest to digest at high-altitude. Our cooks undergo extensive culinary training, with many having previously worked as chefs in local restaurants. The cooks are particularly vigilant in their hygiene practices since contracting stomach bugs is common for visitors to the developing world.

Dinners typically include a main course of pastas and rice dishes served with vegetables, Chapatis, soup and salad. Lentils, beans, mutton or beef are provided with dinner for a protein source. Lunches at base camp consist of a hot meal similar to our dinner menu. Breakfast is your choice: granola, oatmeal, toast, eggs, paratha (local bread) and sometimes pancakes or French toast. Coffee, tea, hot drinks and snacks are readily available throughout the day.

Since it is difficult to eat at the higher camps, we offer a wide variety of tasty food. We do NOT serve your typical freeze-dried packaged meal, but delicious pre-cooked meals or pastas and rice dinners. In addition, there are plenty of teas, hot drinks, soups, and salty and sweet snacks to munch on including European sausages and cheeses. We cater to different dietary requirements and full vegetarian menus can be provided on request.

YOU ARE INVITED!
Mountain Madness invites family members, friends and enthusiasts to trek along with our Gasherbrum I and II team into base camp. Be part of the Gasherbrum Support Team and enjoy two days participating in the preparations at base camp. The trekking team will then depart and climb over the Gondogora La (5650 meters). On top of the pass there is a spectacular view of four 8000-meter peaks: K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum I and II.

HOW DO I SIGN UP? We require an application, climbing resume, and a $2,500 deposit for our Gasherbrum Expedition. Please call our office for an application, or download it from our website and fax it to 206-937-1772.

TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE: We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation and travel insurance. This comprehensive travel insurance provides coverage for trip cancellation and interruption, travel delays, loss of baggage and travel documents, baggage delay, medical expenses and emergency assistance. An insurance application is provided with all trip confirmations.

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