AND who is this enchanting Gori — Gori Gori O Banki Chori, coming in my dreams? She is the most magnificent mountain in the world, Everest pales in front of her awesome splendour, an aloof diamond of snows hidden in the heart of the Karakoram. The Chinese call it Qogir, the Baltis, Chigori and the world at large, Mount Godwin Austin. And of course it is more commonly known as K2, the second highest mountain on this planet, Earth.
These are the days when the 50th anniversary of its conquest is being celebrated on media and in Baltistan, although I do not see the point of celebrating an event which polluted the eternal innocence of this king of mountains. The Italian mountaineer Mr Lino Lacedelli, who along with Achille Companoni (I am not responsible for the correct spellings of these gentlemen’s names; I am sure they cant spell my name either) set foot on K2 is personally present in Skardu to take part in celebrations.
It is almost thirteen years ago when Shah Gori and I were face to face for the first time in the icy wilderness of Concordia. The night before, it was absolutely freezing and I was sure that I had turned into a snowman and I will not be able to open my eyes that were full of crystals. There was a dim glow on the flaps of my tent, I slithered out of my icy sleeping bag like a lazy old python and peeped outside.
The frozen vastness of Concordia was still under the blanket of semi-darkness, some of the highest mountains in the world guarding it were only visible due to the glow of snows covering them from head to foot. But lo and behold, the left shoulder of the giant broad peak was glimmering with the very first rays of the sun that was rising from the Chinese side. My heart missed a beat, the rays indicated that the skies were clear today, if the view of Broad Peak was crystal clear then the great K2 will not be engulfed by the thick clouds like yesterday.
I hurriedly put on my thick down jacket and gloves and came out of my tent. The sky was cloudless, clear and deep blue, from here a small strip of K2 was visible and it was totally lit by the early rays. I held my breath like a hunter who spots a mythical golden bird in the jungles of fairy meadows, fearing that the slightest movement will warn him of a presence and he will fly away forever.
I retrieved my camera form my tent and treaded softly on the debris of Boltoro like a cat-thief and reached the spot from where I hoped to see the K2 in full glory.
At the end of Godwin Austin glacier stood my Shah Gori, stamped on a dark blue sky like a white pyramid. I was breathless not due to the height of Concordia, but the view stunned me and I was afraid even to blink my eyes. Who knows when I open them again, K2 may not be there?
I, a fat old yak was actually leading a six member expedition called “Tarar’s K2 Kahani”. None of us was an experienced trekker and it was a journey of fear and misgivings which finally brought us in the lap of Concordia yesterday. We had survived the death drops over river Braldo and the gaping and waiting crevasses of Baltoro glacier.
The K2 track was devoid of any Pakistanis that year and we were the only local “Pagal Group”. I remember meeting a female British trekker along with her guide who were coming back from Concordia and we were informed that it is snowing in Concordia and one could not see a glimpse of K2 for last many weeks. This particular female trekker, from her looks or body contours, did not indicate at all that she was a ‘she’. I just guessed by her name that she is most likely a female. Anyway, she was surprised to meet us on her way back and asked, “It is amazing that I did not meet a single Pakistani trekker in these regions, how come you are here?”
The flirtatious, old man or old yak as I am, I said “As a matter of fact I came to see you, not the K2.”
“Oh, really” the suspected lady smiled.
“I am telling you the truth and nothing but the truth.”
“How come?”
“Well I read somewhere that if you journey towards the throne room of mountain gods, cross the river Braldo and on the other side there will be a sandy area full of blue bushes; if you wait a while you will come across the most beautiful girl in the world, and there you are. Now my mission is accomplished, I have seen the most beautiful girl in the world and from here I will go back.”
“Not really”, she blushed, establishing finally her female status and left.
“Tarar sahib”, Shahid, one of my team members who had elevated himself to the post of deputy leader personally addressed me. “Have some fear of Allah, how could you lie so blatantly, she was not even ordinary.”
“Look Shahid, I am sure she is aware of her ordinary looks but from now on whenever she will look at herself in a mirror she will say to herself, no the mirror is wrong, a crazy old man on my way back from K2 told me that I am beautiful and he said that he was telling the truth. My one compliment will make rest of her life bearable, one should not hesitate to tell such innocent lies off and on.”
Perhaps it was the magic of that single lie that the weather had cleared after many a days and the majestic K2 was in front of me in full glory.
The man and the mountain, there is a spiritual relationship between these two. Prophet Ibrahim stood on a mountaintop watching the sunrise and considered for a moment that the sun is the creator of all things. Prophet Musa faced the burning bush on top of the Sinai and received the Ten Commandments, chiselled in Sinai stones. Hazrat Isa is known for his “Sermon on the mount” and above all our own, Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) climbed the Jabl-e-Noor where in the cave of Hira he received the Command of Iqra.
I was standing at the edge of Baltoro flowing into one of the greatest ice masses in the world, Concordia.
Needless to say at this early hour it was bitterly cold and one felt naked, despite the heavy armour of mountain clothing. And standing amidst a world of eternal snows all alone and right in front of you, loomed the full might of the greatest ice pyramid in the world. It was an eerie experience.
The famous explorer, Younghusband wrote in his notes “It is amazing that such a great mountain was never named, perhaps despite its great height it cannot be seen from any human habitation, it is hidden in a far off mountain range and stands amongst such peaks that are no less equal to its beauty. The nearest village lies at the end of at least six days travel. A mountain which was higher than my wildest imaginations, I could see its full height because I was standing a few miles away from it.”
Kurt Dumberger the famous mountaineer says “From certain angles the shape of K2 is like a perfect triangle, chiselled to perfection like a diamond. It will be apt to call it the Koh-i-Noor, mountain of light.”
The Balti legends declare that K2 is the bridge between the world and skies. After the Italian pair, the first woman to reach its peak was the Pole, Wanda.
Wanda was a fascinating character. Whenever she descended from the mountains she was exhausted by the effort of climbing and the liaison officer accompanying her was exhausted with her. She died somewhere in the Himalayas; as the seaman’s grave is the sea, a mountaineer’s grave is the snow.
The very first Pakistani to summit K2 was Ashraf Aman from Hunza, a very dear friend and a very talkative dreamer. It is said that even if you fall into deep crevasses, Ashraf Aman will keep on narrating the fascinating tales of mountaineers and mountains along with the concept of Tibetan Buddhism, till the time that both of you freeze to death.
Once when I told him that I had reached the peak of Ratti Gali in 1955 with the Govt. College expedition and we were awarded the “Colour” for mountaineering, he jokingly touched my feet and said “Tarar sahib then you are my Ustad”.
I asked Ashraf Aman the same old question, what were your emotions when you stood on top of the second highest mountain in the world?
AND who is this enchanting Gori — Gori Gori O Banki Chori, coming in my dreams? She is the most magnificent mountain in the world, Everest pales in front of her awesome splendour, an aloof diamond of snows hidden in the heart of the Karakoram. The Chinese call it Qogir, the Baltis, Chigori and the world at large, Mount Godwin Austin. And of course it is more commonly known as K2, the second highest mountain on this planet, Earth.
