Avalanches and K2 at Neptune

Neptune Mountaineering, THE store in Colorado to pick up gear for just about any mountain-related adventure one can imagine, plays host to an interesting series of events that I have been enjoying very much of late. The store, which is worth a visit even if one isn't planning to buy anything, has devoted about a quarter of its space to what is referred to as "the museum." On display there are all manner of old pictures and pieces of historic mountaineering equipment like ice axes, crampons, and wooden skis. Rather charmingly, all the labels and explanations have clearly been typed on a home computer, cut out, and affixed to the wall. On certain evenings, shelving is pushed aside to make room for chairs, and a screen comes down from the ceiling if the speaker has need of it. All the events are free.

The first event I attended was a talk about the human factor in avalanches. Markus Beck, head guide at Alpine World Ascents, spoke to a group of around fifty people about why perfectly intelligent, sometimes very well-trained skiers, climbers, and snowmobilers put themselves in the path of avalanches and get into trouble. I didn't know much about avalanches, and so a lot of the first part of the talk, which breezed over the conditions that can cause them, was news to me and went a bit more quickly than I'd have liked. But I followed more easily when Markus got into the psychology that leads people to ignore risks. His talk was accompanied by a slideshow that included some pretty incredible video clips. I took several pages of notes and have decided I'd better learn more about avalanches. Luckily, a talk about avalanches and beacon use is scheduled for next week.

I enjoyed the avalanche talk, but the second event, which took place the following evening, was truly remarkable. Alan Arnette, the oldest man to have summited the formidable K2, spoke for 90 minutes about his experiences and had every person in the room (well over 100, I'm certain) spellbound. Alan climbs mountains to raise money for Alzheimer's research in honor of his mother. He summited K2 this summer on his 58th birthday and nearly didn't make it down to tell the tale, having developed a severe case of HAPE (high-altitude pulmonary edema) that filled his lungs with fluid and made it nearly impossible to breathe.

K2 is the second-highest mountain in the world, and although Everest is higher and therefore gets more press, K2 is a much more difficult adversary. Nearly 25% of climbers die attempting to conquer it compared to only 4% on Everest. This is due mostly to K2's structure; Everest is steep in places but tapers off occasionally, while K2 maintains a steady 30-45-degree angle slope from bottom to top. Having attended Markus's talk the night before I saw Alan, I knew that this is the range in which avalanches are most likely to happen, and sure enough, sliding snow is what kills most of K2's victims. Only a fraction of the number of people who have climbed Everest have tried to take on K2, and even fewer of those have made it to the top.

A photo of K2 and Broad Peak (to the left) from Alan's website that I hope he does not mind my using here to promote his career. There are lots more stunning images on his site.

Alan's slideshow was phenomenal, and as much as I enjoyed listening to him explain each image in person, I half wish it had been a documentary simply because I wish everyone I know could see what I saw . (Many of these images, and lots of other information about Alan's career and mission, is available on his fascinating website where one could easily wander for hours. And if Alzheimer's research is a cause you'd like to support, please consider doing so through Alan.) He took spectacular photos of his adventures and shot short videos during the arduous trip to base camp, during his (very short) acclimatization phase, and all the way up and then down the mountain. Watching these clips in which he reflects on his experiences while K2 looms behind him was pretty incredible. Alan is a very good speaker, and his talk was sometimes funny and always polished and fascinating. Because his experience was so harrowing, I was astonished to learn at the end that his goal is to climb all of the 8,000-meter peaks in the world within the next five years to continue raising money for research. There are 14 mountains on the list, and he's conquered three so far. Annapurna, the only mountain with a more deadly reputation than K2, is scheduled for spring of 2016. See his complete plan here. I sure hope he's careful.

By the way, those who are interested in learning more about K2 would likely enjoy The Summit, an excellent documentary about one particularly storied attempt to climb the mountain that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. It is gripping, harrowing, and fascinating.

I've got a few more events at Neptune on my agenda in the coming weeks, and I'm looking forward to learning more about the mountains that surround me in my new home. But I think I'll keep my distance from K2.