I think the attitude with which you begin an event can often decide the fate of the player even before the game begins. At least that was true of our first hike up the mountain to Camp 1.

Danny was sick, so he stayed behind; with Chris out front we had Evan, Eric, Anna and myself. We each had light loads, maybe 30lbs, and light hiking boots. There was not meant to be any real snow on the way, so we planned on a "light and easy hike".

Just after breakfast we left our lush green Base Camp and stepped onto the gray glacier that constantly moves, churning rocks and boulders that come down from the mountains. The only challenge there was route finding. Since Chris was up ahead we all plugged in our music and began the slow forward roll, each of us watching our feet move, one out in front of the other.

When we stepped off the glacier onto the mountain proper it went up a steep scree slope winding around towards the Kinshofer Route.  This was the beginning of a hike that we would not soon forget. As we ascended, we spread out, each making steady progress up; not that it was easy, as the scree slope constantly moved. With each step the scree moved around your feet, gaining only half a step each time.

When Chris finally stepped into Camp 1 (some 45 minutes ahead of the rest of us) was when all the fun started, and for the first time that morning I looked up to where my footsteps were leading. I had found myself on a steepening ice slope with a bit of plastered grit on it. I was acutely aware that if I slipped I would be speeding down an ice chute into a pile of rocks at the base. Just then, my purchase failed and I found myself on all fours, peddling my feet madly, with my bare left hand trying to gain purchase and my right grasping the base of my trekking pole, trying to scratch it into the ice. When I finally flopped over the top of the slope, I jumped up quickly trying to see if anyone had seen my ridiculous and foolish struggle. Luckily no one had, as they were all in the middle of their own struggles. Eric, on his own path, found himself in a similar situation, only in the middle of a snow slope. He finally admitted defeat, and slide down on his arse back to the scree slope, controlling his speed with his trekking pole. Evan, having been the only one smart enough to bring crampons, followed a high road and was looking good... until he planted one foot into Camp 1 proper. Suddenly all the rocks he was standing on rolled out and he tumbled down the mountain, smashing up his knee. Anna-well Anna was lucky and smart enough to have learned from our mistakes, she simply walked across the easy weakness of the snow slope straight into Camp 1.

It was as if we were at a cocktail party, and casually turning around to meet Nanga Parbat, he grabbed our hand with a crushing seriousness and stared straight into our eyes as if to say, "There are no games here, I will demand your respect and your complete focus, oh and by the way, nice meeting you".

We will not be so foolish next time.

[ Also check out the video of the climb to Camp 1 and above HERE ]