February 7, 2012 – Life in the base camp

ZDue to bad weather conditions – snowfall and strong wind – the expedition had to spend the last couple of days in the base camp. So, let’s have a closer look at the base camp itself.
The Polish expedition shares the base camp, i.e. the mess tent and the kitchen, with international expedition of Gerfried Goshl due to social and strategic purposes. Thus, we have to warm up only one mess tent with double amount of fuel and we may enjoy international company.
Moreover, we maintain a friendly relationship with a neighbouring Pakistani military base by exchanging pleasantries and playing chess.
A typical day in the base camp starts with breakfast at 8 AM – however, not everyone appears. Generally speaking, the meals determine the daily rhythm. The temperature in the mess tent is usually between 5°C and 20°C, depending on the number of people and heaters that do not function all at once due to economical reasons.

Base camp kitchen

If the power generator is cooperating (sometimes it is not), we enjoy electricity between 4:30 PM and 8:30 PM. Then we usually charge our electronic devices, work on reports, photos and films. After supper (at approx. 7:00 PM) we sometimes watch films. In short, we spend time in the base camp reading, playing board games, working on reports, visiting and being visited by Pakistani soldiers and preparing set offs to the camps on the mountain. Furthermore, we spend a lot of time repairing our power generator. The braver ones may take a bath (it is necessary to melt and heat up ice and take into account pouring hot water over oneself in a threshold of the mess tent in 10°C), but even the most determined individuals enjoy it only once a week.

Every participant of our expedition has a personal tent, where he/she stores personal belongings and sleeps. Nights in two down sleeping bags and on several foam pads are quite comfortable despite the fact that in the mornings the inner surface of a sleeping bag is quite dank – or simply wet. Apart from personal tents, mess tent and kitchen tent there are also storage tent and toilet tent, the last being the most exposed to damages connected with poor weather conditions. As far the wind has not caused any major damages in the base camp, apart from the first couple of days when we had to strengthen the mess tent.

View of the base camp

Regards,
Artur, Adam, Janusz, Agna

Breaking news, February 8, 2012, 5 PM local time
Adam and Janusz are in camp 2, while Artur and Shaheen are in camp 1. They plan to establish camp 3 if the weather does not change.