July 1, 2010

 Even though Alexey and I knew that the weather was going to be bad, our goal was to try to push as high as we could toward Camp 2 on GI. Our first push got us to Camp 1 at 5926m. We spent a day acclimatizing there which means we spent 2 nights. We got up yesterday morning after the second night here and even though visibility was extremely poor, winds were high, and it was snowing, we made our way up along the glacier and up the ice fall towards Camp 2. We understand that Camp 2 is about 6500 m, but we haven’t made it there yet. Last night we camped just below Camp 2 about 6400m. Even though the weather is really bad with blowing snow and high winds, we don’t mind very much because we are dressed warm in our mountain gear and can get warm in the tent

 There is a ton of snow up here and it has filled in the crevasses. We’ve hit a few small ones, but nothing very big. Today we went up another 100m and think we found the way up into the pass.

 We feel satisfied that we have reached this high on GI and spent a good amount of time acclimatizing on the mountain. Tomorrow morning we will pack up, leave a stash of gear here, and head back down to Camp 2 and then to Base Camp where we plan to rest for a few days.

June 27th, 2010

Travel in Pakistan has been difficult this year with poor weather beating up the roads and delaying flights into Skardu. Once again we were unable to fly up north and were forced to endure the grueling 24 hour bus ride up the Karakoram Highway - this time in non-stop fashion. I woke up in Skardu with my right cheek sporting an impressive macramé waffle pattern, courtesy the dirty window curtain I drooled on during the final 8 hours of the trip. Apparently, I can still manage to sleep practically anywhere required...

We'll depart base camp at 4am, so instead of a long text dispatch, I'll let a few photos do the talking for now. More to follow... Don

Click on pictures to enlarge

DON'S  SUPPORT TEAM IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE DON'S NEW SPONSOR:

06.08.2010 – VANCOUVER, B.C. – Westcomb, manufacturer of Canada-built outdoor apparel of the highest quality, will engage Canadian alpinist Don Bowie as a sponsored athlete, tapping his high-altitude expertise for product development, and employing him as a brand ambassador through public appearances.

Moving forward, Westcomb will help sponsor Bowie’s expeditions to the high peaks of the world and employ his feedback in product design and function. Bowie will also represent Westcomb at speaking engagements in retail stores and elsewhere, and contribute content to Westcomb’s marketing and social media programs.

“I’ve put Westcomb gear to the test in the most extreme environments in the world, and it’s refreshing to be sponsored by a brand that not only makes apparel for those kinds of wild places, but a company that’s so focused on quality that they’re committed to building everything in a factory steps away from their offices in Vancouver,” Bowie said.

Bowie has used Westcomb apparel on his expeditions to the Himalaya and elsewhere for a number of years, including on his successful 2007 Expedition to K2. That expedition was featured on an hour-long program on NBC’s Jeep Wide Word of Adventure Sports the following year.

But for Bowie, and for Westcomb, this sponsorship arrangement reflects a deepening commitment between the two.

“From day one, there has always been a mutual respect between what we’re doing and what Don’s doing, and we’re excited to be at a place where it makes sense to deepen the relationship,” said Westcomb founder Alan Yiu. “As an athlete Don is extremely disciplined, and he exemplifies the passion and perseverance needed to succeed. As well, his purist style of climbing light, fast and unsupported resonates with our values. We look forward to incorporating his skills, both in terms of getting more extensive design input on our gear and also having him help us tell our story.”

Bowie, who is now based in Bishop, Calif, this past summer embarked on his eighth Himalayan/Karakoram expedition, a new route attempt on the north face of Gasherbrum III. In 2007, he, Bruce Normand, and Chris Warner summited K2 without supplementary oxygen, making Bowie the 4th Canadian to ascend the notorious peak. In 2009, he endured 75 grueling days on a Broad Peak winter expedition before resigning to high winds and extreme cold. For his part in the rescue attempt of Inaki Ochoa on Annapurna, Bowie received the Spirit of Mountaineering Commendation at the 2009 Piolets d’Or Awards, and the Gold Medal of Merit in Sport from the Government of Navarre, Spain.

For more on Bowie, visit www.donbowie.com

About Westcomb

With 100 percent of design and manufacturing based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Westcomb uses its ‘True Form’ design philosophy to create functional, uncomplicated gear of the highest quality workmanship. Each and every Westcomb piece is a product of precision thinking, thoughtful design, extensive development and constant refinement. The company, founded in 2004, partners with the world’s leading material innovators – names like Schoeller, eVent, Polartec and Pertex – to engineer technically advanced gear constructed with the most cutting-edge materials available, often creating industry ‘firsts’ in the process. Westcomb’s offices are located steps from its manufacturing facility, which has decades of experience building outdoor clothing of the very highest quality. The company’s design philosophy and unique manufacturing arrangement has led it to international accolades, including a Backpacker Editors’ Choice Award, a Skiing Magazine Best in Test Award, four APEX Design Awards from Polartec as well as an ISPO ‘Brand New’ award.

 For more information about Westcomb, visit www.westcomb.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/westcomb