Christine Boskoff was next.
CHAPTER 5
BROAD PEAK
TUCKED INTO THE BORDER BETWEEN Pakistan and China, 26,401-foot Broad Peak ranks high on the list of 8,000-meter peaks for those in the game of summiting all fourteen. Though steep in sections, the mountain lacks any sheer vertical walls, and there’s little technical climbing required. Broad Peak’s wide summit stretches a mile long, offering stunning views of nearby K2 and both Gasherbrum I and II.
Accessing Broad Peak requires a trek of a week or more from Askole, the last village in Pakistan connecting climbers to the rest of the world. The hike to base camp funnels expeditions directly along the top of the Baltoro Glacier, a thirty-five-mile-long, three-mile-wide expanse of breathtaking beauty. Dividing the Indian subcontinent from Tibet, this part of the Karakoram Range packs in a few 8,000-meter peaks along with many just below that height, like younger siblings but nearly as formidable. An intoxicating stretch of rock and ice reaches a pinnacle at the convergence of the Baltoro with the Godwin-Austen Glacier. Known as Concordia, the intersection gives climbers their first views of K2 and Broad Peak. The sight has been known to stun and shock mountaineers in such a way that some climbers immediately wither, surrendering any hope of making it to the top.
IN JULY 1995, KEITH AND Chris took leave from their Atlanta jobs to climb Broad Peak. It would be the first attempt at this altitude for both of them. After years of partnering with Keith, Chris was going to get the chance to test her fortitude with others, including Scott Fischer. Scott had gathered a team of friends suited to the challenges of the mountain. He’d also hired Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa, a high-altitude guide, who had become a trusted team member after summiting Everest with Scott. This climbing season bridged the gap between Scott’s 1994 clean-up expedition to Everest and the Everest expedition he was planning with clients for the next year.
When they arrived, Broad Peak Base Camp bustled with activity. Its proximity to K2 meant that climbers attempting that lofty peak need only take an easy hike of an hour to visit with those on Broad Peak. The Mountain Madness camp welcomed climbers both established and unknown. Among the more famous was Peter Hillary, the son of legendary alpinist Sir Edmund Hillary. He’d be attempting K2 with British mountaineer Alison Hargreaves, who just months earlier had reached the summit of Mount Everest without the assistance of Sherpas, fixed ropes, or bottled oxygen.
Unlike Chris, Alison had climbed for decades before arriving at K2 in 1995. But like Chris, she’d risen without much initial notice in the sport of mountain climbing. In a field packed with men, the women in Europe who’d gained notoriety had often been heralded more because of their gender than their accomplishments. This move ran counter to Alison’s core, just as it did with Chris, who thought of herself as a climber and not as a “female climber.” Following her recent success on Everest, Alison knew that her passion for climbing raised eyebrows. The reason: she was the mother of two young children. The press and critics within mountaineering communities created a narrative that accused her of “acting like a man” and attempting to “have it all.” As a leading professor of sport sociology at Brunel University in London put it: Alison’s “heroism was conditional upon her safe return to her children. No such demand is placed upon men: their deaths are the purest symbols of heroism.”
Nevertheless, she carried forth with a life dedicated to both climbing and her children. Writing in her journal at K2 Base Camp, Alison said, “It eats away at me—wanting the children and wanting K2. I feel like I’m being pulled in two.” Being a father to young children and a mountaineer himself, Scott respected Alison in a way others didn’t. At Broad Peak Base Camp, he and Alison chatted about kids and Everest. High-end coffee and booze flowed while satellite phones stayed busy as the K2 alpinists checked in with the outside world.
Chris and Keith watched at a distance, setting up their tent and planning to move higher onto the mountain. They’d come to Broad Peak at the same time as Scott’s team but planned to climb independently. Nonetheless, they couldn’t help noticing the staging going on all around. The Mountain Madness camp buzzed with life, and the expedition members and high-altitude support team looked comfortable with their surroundings and their leader. Scott’s energy radiated to those around him. Though they’d heard of his accomplishments, the Boskoffs felt secure in their own. They busied themselves preparing gear while absorbing the fact that they’d finally made it to the foot of an 8,000-meter peak. Camp itself was a mess of tents, each one serving a purpose for cooking, sleeping, or getting medical attention. Chris couldn’t get enough of taking in the scene and the divergent personalities of the climbers and support staff.
Scott seemed the antithesis of Chris but also a potential match. His charisma allowed him to easily navigate a multitude of personalities, while Chris guarded her privacy. She and Keith kept to themselves, focusing on their goal of summiting. In a sport that required patience and calculation, Chris worked to find the balance. Her determination was an asset but also a danger as she longed for a summit. Her hunger for the top meant she was prepared to persevere, but she was still apt to overlook small details that more seasoned climbers noticed. Meanwhile, Scott felt a symbiotic relationship with the mountains and was content to wait as long as it took for the perfect weather window to move higher.
During a day of rest, Scott invited Chris and Keith over to his camp nearby. “You’re pretty new at this, I hear?” he asked the couple as they pulled up camp chairs.
“Compared to you? Big time,” said Keith, with a laugh. His broad smile put Scott at ease. Both men were from the East Coast, animated as they spoke.
“I can tell you, the big peaks—there’s nothing like it,” Scott said. “I did Everest last year and am hoping to go back again next year.”
“You think you’ll stick with it?” Chris asked as she reached for the mug of coffee Scott offered her.
He’d been on expeditions with women before, but Chris’s aura was more purposeful. It was less about the trappings and more about the experience. “I don’t know,” he said. “It’s what I do and I do it well. I’ve got a company to run and it helps to get publicity for these big peaks, but there are plenty of other things I’d like to get done. I’ve got a couple of kids at home. They’d like to see more of their dad, and I’d love to be around for them more than I have been.”
“You know, Chris is going places,” Keith said. He looked at his wife, amazed at his good fortune. “We’ve got solid business experience between us. Wonder if we could help out somehow?”
“Oh yeah?” Scott waved to his guides who were organizing gear just beyond the tents, then focused on Chris. “You’ve not done any of the big peaks, but you’re a decent athlete and you feel okay up here at fifteen thousand feet?”
Chris shrugged. “Truth be told,” she said, “I suck at sea level. But I’ve got the right genes. I feel good, the altitude doesn’t bother me, and I’m fast.”
“You’ve got this,” Scott said, grinning. “Stick with us for the climb and then let’s talk about ways I can get you involved in Mountain Madness. I think I’d be decent at running a business if there weren’t other things I’d rather be doing.”
Raising her eyebrows, Chris glanced at Keith as he leaned back in his chair, smiling. “Sounds good,” she said. “We’re gonna make a push for the summit tomorrow and see what happens.”
“Tomorrow?” Scott cautioned, “You see those weather reports calling for wind and snow up top? Avalanche danger is real up there. Just chill down here for a bit. You’ve got oxygen for the final summit bid, yes?” He’d stopped paying attention to the guides, now compelled to understand the logic in Chris and Keith’s