Jake’s K2 Blog #10: The throne room of the Gods

Goro 2 (4300m) to Concordia (4600m)

Another day trekking up the glacier, very similar terrain to yesterday, however today’s destination is rather special.

Concordia (4600m) is the confluence of two main glaciers, the Upper Baltoro Glacier and the Godwin Austin Glacier (which runs down from K2), as well as a number of smaller glaciers. This almighty T-Junction is the best mountain view point in the world (on clear days!). We’d arrived into Concordia in low cloud and snowfall, and visibility was down to about 500m, so no chance of seeing anything interesting.

On my last trip, conditions stayed like this for the next 3 days, so we never actually got a decent view of K2 until we were in BC (and by that point, being at the base of it, your perspective is completely skewed).

However, this year, it hasn’t disappointed – by about 4pm, the cloud had lifted and dissipated and we had the most incredible view of all the mountains around us. K2 (8611m) to the north, stands majestic and omnipotent, dominating the horizon of that valley. The gigantic bulk of the aptly named Broad Peak (8050m) fills the NE skyline, with the Gasherbrums to the East. Directly to our South is the impressive Mitre Peak (6070m), which is still unclimbed, and from our viewing angle, you can see why! Countless other incredible peaks surround us – it really is the throne room of the gods!

To see K2 again with my own eyes is a dream come true. I’m not apprehensive or daunted, but excited and inspired about the adventure we’ll have over the next 5/6 weeks. I’m am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to return for a third time, and notwithstanding all the support from my employer IDG, and my sponsors, of course my true gratitude is to my wife Saskia for being so incredibly supportive of me following my selfish, and ultimately rather pointless dream. It was by lovely coincidence that I received a lovely long email from her today – which of course makes me miss home, her and our two girls, but also spurs me on to complete my mission safely and successfully and return to them as soon as possible.