Ever since I told my plans about going to Broad Peak people reacted in different ways. Some think it´s cool and wish you good luck. Other say congrats even tho you have not even got to basecamp yet. Other question your plan and some say that you have too little experience to try a 8000 m mountain without oxygen. That you should at least summit a mountain that is 7500 m first.
And if summit is your only goal than you better come ready for it. But for me, that is not the important thing. The experience is the important thing. Going to the summit is a bonus. I´m going on this expedition to see how my body reacts to higher altitudes than I´ve been on before and then it doesn´t really matter if the mountain is 7500 m or 8000 m. Maybe I stop at camp 3 – 7100 m. Or I get as high as the col on 7800 m. Who knows how far I will get? It´s not about the summit.
Some say it´s crazy to climb without oxygen. But if oxygen makes the conditions of climbing a 8000 m mountain like climbing a 6500 m mountain then it´s not really climbing a 8000 m mountain, is it? Of course I would use it in an emergency situation. But I´m curious of how my body will react to higher altitudes without it. If I can´t climb all the way to the top then I have to climb lower mountains in the future. It´s not harder than that. It´s all about testing the limits.
I think my main problem will be the cold. But that´s a whole other issue and another blog post!
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