Russell Brice is considered by many to be the top Mount Everest guide in the world, and perhaps the top Himalayan mountain guide.  He is a survivor of the golden age of mountaineering who pioneered of some of the most challenging routes up Mount Everest.  Today, he is very much a legend and operates the guiding company he founded, Himalayan Experience.  In the era of commercial mountaineering, he has been applauded for his organizational philosophy and safety record, and even forecasted some of the recent disasters on Everest.  Being in the thick of the action has also seen him dragged into public controversies, most of the time, in my opinion, by armchair critics, rivals or rogue clients.

Himalayan Experience also offers occasional expeditions to K2, the second highest mountain in the world but far more challenging than Everest.  The death rate on K2 is estimated to be almost 1 in 5, meaning that close to 20% of the people who try to climb it will die in the attempt, and this generally from a population of the top mountain climbers in the world.  There is little debate in the mountaineering community that  K2 is the king of mountains.  It is located in the Karakoram, a sub range of the Himalayas in northern Pakistan, and in close proximity to three of the world’s other fourteen 8,000m mountains.

I have always wanted to go to K2, not to climb it but to see it.  The Karakoram is known poetically as “The Throne Room of the Mountain Gods” for its massive scale and purity of mountain forms.  It’s remote, inaccessible, spectacular…an adventurer’s dream.  But it is in northern Pakistan, which presents a specific set of challenges.  There was only one person I could imagine contacting about my interest so when another couple expressed curiosity, I decided to write Mr. Brice.  To be candid, I wasn’t sure how he would respond.  He has many serious summit expeditions ongoing and in planning and his time is in great demand.  He probably meets a lot of hot shots with crazy dreams and I was merely looking to get to Base Camp.

“Russ”, as he signed his e-mails, could only be described as accessible and encouraging, answering correspondence himself and even hinting at some of his other projects, one of which was space-related.  I felt immediately welcomed into his world and I dare say I sensed that kindred spirit adventure.  That did not change over the next few months as our dialogue continued.  He was thoughtful, candid and did not understate the risks in order to grease business.  Among the concerns we discussed were the three weeks required and personal security.  Mr. Brice was firm on both – It would take a novice three weeks and although he considers the personal security risks lower than others might perceive them, he hires an armed escort and considers the remaining risk acceptable and just part of the adventure.

In the end, our group was not able to make it work but I finished the dialogue even more confident in my ability to do this one day.  It is obvious why Russ has such an outstanding reputation for his expertise and safety but he was also approachable and personable.