Title:	17 days without a shower
Region:	Central Asia
Countries:	Pakistan
Date:	June 4, 2005
My Rating (out of 100):	65
	Hello everyone, This morning we awoke in Skardu to a beautiful mountain sunrise with snowcapped peaks all around us. The buzz of fighter jets overhead remind you that this mountain paradise is only a few short kilometers from the line of control with India. It is a long simmering war-zone. Our group is in two parts that consist of a trekking group of 4 people and a climbing group of 5. The climbers will stay at K2 base camp and we will continue on. K2 is one of the toughest mountains to climb and 1 out of 11 people who attempt to climb it don't return. In comparison, only 1 out of 29 people who climb Mt. Everest, don't make it back. Sitting at lunch today, I found it hard to think about these guys I am getting to know, and that there is roughly a 50% chance that at least one of them won't come back. This year has been a heavy snow year in the Himalaya, making the risk higher than it has been in the last 7 years. It has also made the season's start a little later and we are having some logistical problems. The pass we which to cross, Gondogoro La, does not have fixed ropes set up on it yet and this is a problem for our porters. The mountain rescue team is heading out to fix those ropes, but we won't know if it is done until we get there in about 10 days. If not, we turn back. Our cooks are packing food into containers for the 17-day journey that we are starting tomorrow. Our trekking group of 4 will have between 45 porters for the trip, some returning as their loads are used up. We will end the trip with 16 porters. The people in Skardu have proved themselves to be just as friendly and kind as the rest of the people I have met in Pakistan. It must be one of the friendliest places that I have traveled! Anyway, that's all I have to report for now. I'll be away from phones, Internet, everything...for the next 17 days. Cheers, Jonathan.