Grasping An Opportunity Sandpoint Man To Venture To Pakistan For Expedition

The summit is secondary.

Experience is what excites Sandpoint native Aaron Lish about being a part of a summer climbing expedition on Broad Peak in the Himalayan mountains.

“The ultimate thing is to go climb a big peak, to be on an expedition like this,” Lish explained. “Just being in Pakistan alone will be really wild.

“If it works out we have good weather, I am in good enough shape and (we) summit (at 26,400 feet) that would be a nice cherry on top.”

A rare cherry as well. Lish is just 24 and this will be his first major climb. The average age of mountaineers is between 30 and 40.

Books introduced Lish to climbing as a sixthgrader. A short time later, he started to scale rocks.

For the past two years, Lish has instructed indoor climbing classes and done some private guiding as a graduate student in exercise science at Northern Michigan University.

When a couple of former climbing partners organized a 1995 expedition to Nepal, Lish wanted to go. But their permit was full.

Later, Lish learned of the Broad Peak expedition via an advertisement in a climbing magazine. Despite the $5,000 cost, he sent a climbing resume and was accepted.

“I want to see how I like (high-altitude climbing),” Lish said. “It may be I’m not cut out for being out in the rock and ice environment for two months.”

The eight-member team will assemble July 1 in Toronto and expects to reach Pakistan on July 15.

In the month after their arrival, the climbers will establish three base camps by hauling supplies up and down Broad Peak, the 12th highest mountain in the world.

“Rock climbing is much more gymnastic,” Lish said. “Mountaineering is quite different; much more slogging with the heavy pack.”

To prepare, Lish worked to strengthen his lower body. The former prep and collegiate cross country skier and distance runner utilized both sports.

He climbed indoors and skied during the winter. Lish moved outdoors in the spring, running hills and hiking while carrying jugs of water weighing 50 pounds, which is about how much gear Lish will pack on Broad Peak.

Lish spent the month of June training at 12,000 feet in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains.

“Once we get the camps up and everybody acclimates, we could summit in 20 days,” Lish said.

That is, if the weather cooperates.

“We’ll be on snow all the time and cold conditions,” Lish said. “Because of the lack of oxygen you have to protect your extremities. The wind chill definitely plays into it. The daytime temperatures at base camp will be 10 to 20 degrees warmer, ranging from 30 to 0 degrees up high.

“I think I’ve got a pretty good sense of judgement as to what I’m going to want to do,” Lish continued. “The mountains are always going to be there. There is no sense trying to do something stupid. You may as well be safe.”