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2008 K2 and Broad Peak Expedition

Dispatch Seventy-seven: August 15th, 2008 (more photos below)

Day Seventy-seven: Islamabad; Debriefing, French Embassy, Hospital

Today, after staying up all night, I headed down to the business center of the envoy continental hotel to check email. After this, I had breakfast with Imran, my liaison officer. We then received a phone call from Ashraf Amman who had managed to get us a morning appointment with the Ministry of Tourism for our debriefing. He sent us a car, and went with us, as he thought it best to go after the debriefing, to Al Shiffa International Hospital to get my foot checked out. The debriefing was longer than usual as we had to deal with signed statements as to what happened to each of the deceased members of the expedition, the death certificates, and the usual mountain of paperwork. After my part was done, Ashraf and I headed over to the hospital. We went into the emergency department where one doctor looked at my foot; they then sent me over to get three X-rays, which was surprisingly fast for Pakistan, and then returned me to the room in the ER to await the results. Three doctors came and explained that I had torn two ligaments near my ankle. They told me that if I had torn the other, I wouldn’t be walking now, but since that one had managed to stay intact, all I needed was a cast to demobilize my foot. They sent me over to the Orthopedics department where I waited around an hour to see the doctor there. They questioned me in the “assessment” room and then sent me into the other room to get the cast put on. This was done by four doctors and only took around 20 minutes. After this, I paid the bill, and got a letter explaining what had been done and what would need to be done upon my return home. After this, I returned to my hotel to meet with the French Consulate regarding Hugues personal effects. We spoke around an hour, and I promised him the bags by 5:00pm. He left, and I went upstairs to complete the comprehensive list of items in each of the bags, quite a tedious task. He returned as promised and we completed some paperwork regarding the turnover of the bags. Afterwards, I headed over to the ATP office to wrap up things regarding my account with them and that of Hugues. When this was done, I headed over to the supermarket to pick up some things and then returned to the hotel to have dinner with Imran and some of his friends from the Pakistani Air Force. We went around the corner to have some ice cream, and then I split off from the group and got going on packing my bags for my flight home tomorrow. I went to bed around 3:00am.

 

In Photos:

Left: Me at the Pakistan Alpine Club Debriefing

Right: The French Consulate General after meeting with me in the Envoy Continental Hotel

Below Left: At Al Shiffa International Hospital being taken to Radiology for my X-rays

Below Right: The Emergency Department of Al Shiffa International Hospital