Nuno Caetano: GASHERBRUM II 2004 - PAKISTAN

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GASHERBRUM II 2004 Pakistan

French-Portuguese Expedition

OVERVIEW: This expedition consists of Nuno Caetano, from Portugal, and 10 more climbers and scientists from France. Their mission is to summit Gasherbrum II (8035m/26,260ft) as well as to conduct an original scientific experiment involving the effects of environmental pollutants on the ozone layer, by taking various ice samples from Baltoro glacier. (Glaciers trap air bubbles, and scientists can determine atmospheric compositions from glacial ice samples, not unlike the research done in polar regions.) The team plans on arriving in Islamabad at the beginning of July and returning from their expedition at the end of August.

EXPEDITION MEMBERS

1. Nuno Caetano, 26, Madeira, Portugal.

2. Jean Louis Manesse, 29, Chalon sur Saone, France.

3. Nicolas Sieger, 35, La Rochelle, France.

4. Frederic Heymes, 28, Vizinobres, France.

5. Thierry Segonne, 29, Megeve, France.

6. Mathias Mougenot, 28, Epinal, France.

7. Pierre Feuillet, 56, Herault, France.

8. Bruno Decoret , 57, Lyons, France.

9. Rigis Vanhasbrouck, 48, Nevers, France.

10. Claire David. 32, Paris, France.

11. Claudie Decoret, 56, Lyons, France.

Expedition to Pakistan July-August 2004
On line from the Expedition

Saturday, 10 July 2004: I just received word from Jean-Louis and Nuno:

All goes well in Islamabad! 50 porters already left yesterday (Friday, 9 July) and the alpinists will leave tomorrow (Monday, 11 July) for Skardu. It will take them two days by Jeep along the famous Karakoram highway, which goes along the Indus River, before arriving at K2 Motel where all the expeditions meet again. Sophie.

History of the Gasherbrum II

1889-1929 The international expedition headed by the Swiss G.O. Dyhrenfurth studies possible ways to the top of the Gasherbrum II and gets to 6250 meters on the south flank. 

1956: First ascent via the southwest spur by an Austrian expedition headed by F. Moravec. Fritz Moravec along with Josef Larch and Hans Willenpart starts from a bivouac at 7700 meters via the east spur to the summit on 7th. 

July 1975: Second ascent by a French group, 19 years after the first ascent. During this expedition, the first victim at the Gasherbrum has to be lamented. In this year, three expeditions get to the summit, among others a Polish women team headed by W. Rutkiewicz. 

1979: A Chilean and a German expedition succeeded in the 6th and 7th ascent. 

1982: R. Messner Summits with two Pakistanis.

1984: During the legendary double ascent of two 8000 peaks, Messner and H. Kammerlander get to the summit of Gasherbrum II and afterwards Hidden Peak. Counting and registration is more complicated during the following years because some illegal teams got to the summit. Both peaks belong to the less frequently climbed 8000 peaks. Per year, only 2 to 3 permits are given.

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