Day 3 – Permit Granted

K2 Expedition 2015 Great news to report that the teams climbing permit to climb K2 has been finally arrived. Over night negotiations proved fruitful between our Expedition logistics ground crew company Nazir Sabiar & the final signature from the Pakistan civil aviation authority of nine required on the permit was achieved overnight allowing the expedition team to depart Islamabad. In Pakistan there seams to be a huge political battle with the Pakistani authorities insuring that a balance is found between high altitude Sherpas & Pakistani support in a ratio of 1:1.From the Pakistani view I can understand the Scenario ,ensuring they safe guard their own tourism employment….were just the political football.

The plan now is to fly by small light aircraft to Skardu village 2500mts tomorrow weather permitting into the Karakoram mountain range. Today Thursday the rest and final members of the the team have arrived in from China USA Australia and Spain and I can report that the complete team is now made up of 10 international mountaineers which has grown off the back of the Mt Everest summit bids been dashed with the recent earth quake in Nepal. Noel Hanna has sneaked in the back door (lol) flying in from southafrica. I’m so delighted to see him as his expertise bulks up the team as a world class mountaineer. Monique Richards number 2 lady climber in the world along with Arvid Lahti multiple Everest summiteer from Norway. finally professional climber Philippe Gatta Climbing over 200 summits & multi 8000mtr + makes up the K2 2015 seven summits team. The team to date looks super strong with highly experienced professional athletes seriously focused on the expedition.

For now it’s a final gear check with a short flight finger crossed in the morning so that we can crack on with a 6/7 day climb up through the Baltoro glacier to K2 basecamp.

“No mountain too high”

Jason K2