Broad Peak Attempt and Garbage Clean-Up. I returned to Pakistan with a double objective: to remove as much garbage as possible from the Karakoram and to climb Broad Peak if possible, which would have been my third 8000er. 1 chose to make a lightweight attempt with Ang Furi Sherpa, who had been with me on Everest and had made with me the summits of Cho Oyu and Shisha Pangma. On June 7, we placed Base Camp at 4900 meters below the standard route. For the next ten days, we had daily snowfall, but on June 11, we climbed to 5800 meters with loads. When we went back up on June 17, we placed a tent at 6400 meters at Camp II. On the 20th, we climbed to Camp II with an extra tent to be placed at 6900 meters. Bad weather did not let us try for the summit until June 24 when we reached 7700 meters before strong winds forced us back. Our second try started on July 1, but it snowed heavily at Camp II and that stopped us. On July 7, we left Base Camp and on the 8th, we carried our tent to 7300 meters. On July 9, we left at 3:30 A.M. and climbed in knee-deep snow. Finally, some 30 meters below the foresummit, I knew the only choice was to turn back. Even so, it was after midnight when we reached our tent. During two months, and with the help of Balti porters, we collected all kinds of garbage during the approach march and at Base Camp. This we separated, burned what we could and crushed the metal. We then packed it into bags and made 25-kilo loads for the porters to carry out. Altogether, we removed over one ton of garbage, 800 kilos of which we took to Skardu to be recycled. I hope that my efforts to erase the mistakes of the past will send the message that we must all work together to preserve and protect these beautiful and remote areas.

Magda Nos King