K2 skied!!! rock and ice mag

[Scotsman50]

Incredible. You have big cajones!

Congratulations, not only did you ski the bottleneck but themz pretty nice turns man!

[Toadman]

Okay Dave, I'm going to bust your balls a little. First, maybe I missed it but where's the detail on the snow conditions? Was it dust on crust, blower pow? Did you huck any 50' crevasses? And next time could you do it without O2?

But seriously that's pretty sweet. Any close calls or did you ski it all the way down, switch to the dirt road?

[verbier61]

congrats, D! and sorta good you did it in the year when michele fait left us there

[D Watson]

Thanks for the love everyone. Toadman, it's all on the site- K2tracks.com

Snow conditions etc. The bottleneck was a bit sketch, super variable snow. This is from an email I sent Fred Ericsson, who was Michele's partner and will try to ski it next year.

The skiing was good, funky snow up high, as usual. Awesome weather but not enough people to help break trail. bummer. The skiing up top looks mellow, 30-45 degress but probably wind effected snow-big strugi- deep sugar-styrofoam-white ice-, etc.. If the traverse is filled in with snow it is easy- but very exposed. Bottleneck is awesome, good steep pitch with great exposure but because it is so hard to breath- it is difficult to enjoy. I skied it at around 3:30-4 pm and the sun was off of the slope, making the snow punchy. Breakable crust with sugar under and white ice here and there. Each turn was different snow and feeling. needed speed to keep the tips above the crust and had to jump with each turn to make sure the skis come around- a fall is fatal.

If you can ski it earlier in the day, when the sun is on it, it will me much more enjoyable- buttery turns.

The shoulder was awesome, look out for crevasses, very thin snow bridges. I went down the abruzzi- camp 4 to camp 3 was great, best turns of the trip. rap down to camp 2 and ski to abc. Super fun 45 degree for 4500 ft vert. frozen and shave-able corn.

It was a very heavy winter but there was less snow on the Cesen than last year which was a very lean winter. All the snow was blown off of the Cesen and dumped on the Abruzzi. The ski conditions on the Cesen are highly dependent on what the winds do in the winter. The bottleneck as well, super rocky this year, years past it is filled in fat with no rocks and lower angle (prob 50-55).

There was some sweet boot-top sugary pow from the shoulder down to camp 3 (7850-7300m). Really awesome to let the ski run with such mind-blowing exposure-SUPER STOKED!! Thanks for making me remember how rad that was. I love sharing the experience but life here is so busy right now I rarely have time to think about the descent- it gets me SUPER PUMPED when I do. SKIING IS SO FUN!
sorry- too much coffee
more to come on price and gear used, oxygen use etc. Peace!

[Liveezy]

WOO! First descent. Good job Mr. Watson!

[splat]

Thanks for jumping on here, Dave. Oxygen use is what I was wondering about. Kris Erickson said that skiing off Cho Oyu was a breathless gasper, even with O2, after just a few turns, but it looks like you linked a few out the bottom, for sure. Props just for climbing that beast. The skiing is definitely a boner. If you're not totally spancered with skis, let me know if you'd like some lightweight carbon/glass Bros.

[chuckh]

<snip>
There was some sweet boot-top sugary pow from the shoulder down to camp 3 (7850-7300m). Really awesome to let the ski run with such mind-blowing exposure-SUPER STOKED!! Thanks for making me remember how rad that was. I love sharing the experience but life here is so busy right now I rarely have time to think about the descent- it gets me SUPER PUMPED when I do. SKIING IS SO FUN!
sorry- too much coffee
more to come on price and gear used, oxygen use etc. Peace!

Fantastic trip Dave, gnarly congrats and thanks for sharing follow-up details!

[SkiED]

Thats cool but your website is horrible, difficult to find anything on it.

[Kya]

!! FKNA !!

[TyWebb]

sick...thanks for sharing!

[gimpy]

team america FUCK YEAH!!!!!! congrats

[NorthernSpotted...]

Thats cool but your website is horrible, difficult to find anything on it.

Yeah, if you're retarded.


Dave, that's some strong work. You and Bill Briggs should get together and argue over who has bigger balls.

Anyway, I plan on skiing Mt Washington, the toughest mountain in New England, next winter. I'll let you know how it goes...

[randosteve]

What's next Dave...the Grand Teton??

Seriously though...that's some strong work. Thanks for sharing with the TR and photos. I'd be happy to break trail for you if you ever do make it to the Tetons.

[D Watson]

A few things about using supplemental oxygen. The systems we use are not closed systems like SCUBA, where your tank has air and it is like breathing at sea level. We use an open system and the cylinders have O2 in them, the mask has 2 one-way valves (each direction) with every breath you draw some air into the mask and the small hose to the tank continuously supplies O2 from the tank. It helps but it is certainly not like being at sea level. If you are at 8000m it is like being at 7000m.

With that said, there is still a whole lot of huffing and puffing up there. You can't breath fast enough, super quick shallow breathes like your in labor or something. This is what it's like any time you are not standing still.

You just can't effin breath. In the bottleneck I could only do one turn then try to catch my breath, one turn- stop, one turn-stop. It is so hard to breath that you can't enjoy the skiing. You are just trying not to pass out and fall over which would result in not going home.

If you are walking or rappelling you can get into a rhythm with your breathing, but while skiing, the world is going by much faster and it requires so many more muscle groups to keep it together that you just cant get into a good breathing rhythm unless it is mellow terrain with good snow.

I was able to links turns on the shoulder (8000m) because the slope was still in the sun and the snow was buttery.

That's one reason I use it. Another is not wanting to fry my brain, which does happen. Talking with the guys who went without O2 after the climb, they don't remember shit, if they do remember something, it is usually off, who was there, who said what, who did what- they fried their brain for the sake of style.

Another reason, climbing in ski boots- super cold feet. They all have tech high altitude boots. I have a huge plastic ski boot with metal buckles all over it with metal crampons sucking away any heat I can generate. Using O's definitely helps keep your hands and feet warmer. I like having toes. Many guys there were missing fingers, toes even hands! That's ef'ed up!

Last reason I'll discuss here. I want to be strong up there, not some withered up version of myself about to kick the bucket. The guys who did not use O's were one step above worthless for breaking trail above 8000m. Some of the strongest high altitude bros in the world were there and they couldn't do shit once the snow got more than knee deep.

Enough about that. Gear next.

[D Watson]

Steve, I'd love to come to the ski the Grand with you. And you can break trail all you want!

[Teleboater]

Nice work Dave - just a suggestion here to help you recoup some $$ - through some Google Adsense ads on your site but integrate them in a non obtrusive way - you can choose to show image ads and get some decent revenue from this. Get some press releases written and submit them to free directories which will bring you traffic. You could also write a full story of the trip and simply put it in an ebook format which you could sell on your site for like $9 and if it is put together well with pics, beta etc you should get some buyers. Might not pay off everything but you'll be suprised at what you could bring in. Hope that helps and well done!

[randosteve]

Steve, I'd love to come to the ski the Grand with you. And you can break trail all you want!

That's the spirit Dave! FREE lodging in JH for anyone that has skied on K2!

It's really cool that you are sharing your experiences with us. I dream of doing the things that you are doing in the big mountains some day. I have the opportunity to ski from about 23K this fall, so your take on some of this stuff is great.

[Trackhead]

they fried their brain for the sake of style.

Perhaps quote of the day or month. Good stuff.

[samthaman]

is this the same dave watson that used to be in the meathead movies and went to UVM, then was at gulmarg a season or so ago? if so FKNA...

You gonna be at Gulmarg this season too?

[powstash]

Few if anyone will ever realize how freaking awesome your accomplishment really is but I'm sure the fact that you're willing to share details in a most humble way to a bunch of unknown kooks who happen to love skiing perhaps as much as yourself paints a clear picture for all of us about you. Fantastic work Dave!

[mc_roon]

rock on dave! i think i will be seeing you in gulmarg this season...

sam - he's one and the same. I was watching a meathead film with allen when i was out in vermont last september and when he came out i laughed my ass off.

[mmmm...pow!]

That's pretty badass, JONG! Seriously, I'd cry if I had to walk up a couple flights of stairs in ski boots.

[Rasputin]

Congratulations DW, you certainly have earned the TGR big swinging dick of the year award. That shit is off the hook.

edit: since DW was good enough to post this pic elsewhere on TGR, I thought it best to plug it into this thread. The triangles being base camps 4, 3, and 2 from the top down:

[Marius]

that is sick.
great job, dave!

one question: what is your answer to the big question in alpinism: why do you set yourself at this big (not really controlable) risks of dying up there?

[D Watson]

^Marius - I try not to set myself against anything, if it doesn't feel right, I don't go for it. I listen to the mountain and listen to the guys with the most experience. I've had some awesome partners to learn from. With only 4 8000er expeditions under my belt, I have just enough experience to go get myself killed. My buddy George has summited Everest 9 times. When he makes a suggestion- I listen.

As long as the weather is good, and will continue to be good and I'm feeling strong, prepared (mentally, emotionally and with skills) the risk can be quite manageable. It also depends on the route. K2 only has a few slopes to worry about and the serac up top is a craps shoot. I just try to minimize the time in the truly dangerous places.