Arrival at K2 base camp

After six days of arduous hiking up the constantly moving and changing Baltoro we have arrived at our home for the next month. It was a bluebird day, the first in a week. Our immutable objective looms, growing ever larger as we trekked to its flanks; steeped in legend and tragedy.

Like a moth to the flame; my id knows it must be here, my ego knows I do not deserve this. These are abstractions and metaphor, linguistics for emotions are not my forte. It is strange to feel this lump in my throat and this strange fluid welling up at my eyes every time I plan my next three steps across the jagged ground well enough to steal a quick glance at the silent giant ahead. Opportunities to repeatedly live dreams seems extraordinary to this kid from Fullerton.

If struggles of our past and in love, loss, work, honoring life and finding balance builds walls; surely the friends and connections we make in our travels and adventures soften those calluses and renew our child-like wonderment. Whether we explore our back yards or far flung corners of the world, we are all threads woven together. My path has been charmed and blessed by all of you. I appreciate the support and wisdom shared for this journey and the next. Thank you.

As I direct the electronic keyboard on my phone and attach some photos to this email and then send these bits whizzing off to a satellite as photons that will eventually be transmitted and decoded in to other, higher frequency photons for your eyes and pattern recognition centers of your brains another team is setting off for advanced base camp. This is no ordinary team. It is a team of three Sherpani. Three women from a country with limited infrastructure and opportunity have chosen to prove themselves yet again. Times are changing, progress is wonderful.

As always, see Alan's videos and dispatches at http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/k2-2014/

Expedition Dispatches: http://madisonmountaineering.com/dispatches/k2/k2-14/

Map updates posted to: https://share.delorme.com/MatthewDuPuy
You can also SMS my satellite beacon (PLB) from this site.