THE APPROACH

A GOOD APPROACH IS A HIGHLIGHT OF A TRIP, AND A BAD ONE IS HELL. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO IS HOW YOU ORCHESTRATE THINGS. GOING TOO HIGH TOO FAST, BEING LOST, HAVING TOO TIGHT A TIMELINE, GETTING THE LOAD STRATEGY WRONG, TEAM ISSUES AND NOT BEING PREPARED.

YOU WILL SEE MANY WORDS WRITTEN ABOUT THE CLIMBING AND THE GEAR, AND BEING IN CAMP AND THE DRAMAS OF UP HIGH. BUT YOU WON’T SEE MUCH ABOUT THE APPROACH DESPITE THIS BEING THE FORMATIVE PART OF ANY TRIP.

PERHAPS THE QUINTESSENTIAL DIVIDE BETWEEN COMMERCIAL AND INDEPENDANT EXPEDITIONS IS THE APPROACH, WHERE IN MANY WAYS HIGHLY COMMERCIAL TRIPS DON’T HAVE ONE. SOME LITERALLY DON’T, ARRIVING BY HELICOPTER, AND OTHERS CAN REDUCE THEM TO A SIMPLE HIKE, WHERE ALL THE ISSUES AROUND MOVING YOUR STUFF UP TO THE MOUNTAIN HAVE LITTLE TO DO WITH YOU.

REAL APPROACHES – ONES WHERE YOU APPROACH A PEAK, PERHAPS AS THE FIRST CLIMBERS EVER TO DO SO – ARE A SORT OF ORDEAL, A VITAL TIME WHERE YOU LEAVE THE KNOWN WORLD AND ENTER ONE MADE UP OF WHERE YOUR PSYCHE MEETS TOPOGRAPHY. THE OBJECTIVE OF CLIMBING IS A POWERFUL ATTRACTOR, FAR MORE THAN SIMPLY WALKING THROUGH A LANDSCAPE, AND HAS THE GRAVITY TO PULL CLIMBERS IN DESPITE LEVELS OF RISK AND EFFORT THAT WOULD BE IRRATIONAL UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.

THE APPROACH IS THE BIT BETWEEN WHERE YOUR TRANSPORT ENDS AND YOU GET TO DUMP ALL YOUR GEAR SOMEWHERE YOU WILL CALL HOME. THIS PHASE IS AN EVENT IN ITSELF, UPON WHICH THE REST OF AN EXPEDITION IS BUILT, AND DESERVES ATTENTION AS MUCH AS THE CLIMB. ESPECIALLY WITH FIRST ASCENTS, THE APPROACH NEEDS CAREFUL PLANNING REGARDING TIMELINE, EFFORT AND ROUTE BECAUSE ONCE COMMITTED IT CAN BE HARD TO CHANGE COURSE, AND ERRORS AT THIS STAGE CAN COST THE WHOLE TRIP.

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TIME

EVERYONE TRIES RUSHING IT IN AND EVERYONE FINDS OUT THE HARD WAY, THINKING THE RULES WON’T APPLY TO YOU IS MANY PEOPLES FIRST MISTAKE. AN EXTRA DAY FOR APPROACH WILL ALMOST ALWAYS BE MADE UP FOR, PROBABLY MANIFOLD, WHILST THE EFFECTS OF BURNING OUT TOO SOON LITTER THE VALLEYS OF THE HIMALAYAS.

NOT EVERY DAY NEEDS TO START AT 0300 OR END IN THE DARK – THAT IS A SYMPTOM OF BAD PLANNING MORE THAN IT IS OF TENACITY AND PERFORMANCE. SURE, SMASHING OUT FAST APPROACHES FOR MULTIDAY TRIPS HAS ITS PLACE, BUT FOR MULTIWEEK TRIPS EVERY HOUR BURNED TOO HARD AT THE START HAS TO BE MADE UP ELSEWHERE. THIS IS NOT WHEN YOU WANT TO BE EATING INTO YOUR RESERVES, HARD WORK SURE, BUT NOT SOME KIND OF COMPETITION. PLAN YOUR DAYS TO BE SUSTAINABLE, WITH PLENTY OF DOWNTIME, THAT INCLUDES TIME TO TEST AND ADJUST THE ROUTE AND CHECK OUT VANTAGE POINTS AND THINGS LIKE WATER SOURCES.

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TEAMWORK

THIS IS WHERE THE GROUP DYNAMIC SETTLES AND IS THE WRONG PLACE FOR EGOS. THERE ARE NO PRIZES FOR THE BEST APPROACH, SO NOTHING IS TO BE GAINED BY PERSONAL DEFENSES, INSTEAD IT IS A TIME TO SHAKE ALL THAT LOOSE AND JUST GET EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE TO THE MOUNTAIN.

TEAMS GET STRUNG OUT WHEN THE ROUTE ISN’T WELL DEFINED, OR PEOPLE GET LEFT BEHIND, OR GET CUT OUT OF THE PROCESS. LONG LONELY HOURS STEWING AWAY UNDER LOAD IS WHERE MALEVOLENT IDEAS FESTER, AND NOT EVERYONE HAS THE SAME IDEA OF TRAIL ETTIQUETTE OR PERSONAL SPACE.

PLAN TO MOVE AS A TEAM, LINKED BY COMMUNICATION, WHICH DOESN’T NEED TO BE WALKING IN FORMATION AND CAN BE AS SIMPLY LINKED AS WITH LOGIC. KNOW THE DAYS PLAN, WITH EVERYONE INFORMED OF THE ROUTE, AND A SERIES OF PLAN B, C, D & E’s WITH THE GOAL JUST TO GET EVERYONE ARRIVING. WORRY ABOUT THE DAY AHEAD, NOT THE FINAL BASECAMP, AND ENJOY WHERE YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING. THE CLIMBING WILL COME AND THE TEAM WILL RESET FOR THAT, BUT RIGHT NOW YOU JOB IS TO GET THERE AS HAPPILY AS POSSIBLE.

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THE ROUTE

THE FASTEST WAY BETWEEN TWO PLACES IS THE WAY YOU KNOW.

APPROACH ROUTES ARE NEVER WHAT YOU THINK THEY WILL BE FROM THE MAP, THOUGH YOU NEED FAMILIARITY WITH THE MAP VIEW TO HAVE THINGS ORIENTED AND IN PERSPECTIVE. MOUNTAIN TERRAIN RARELY AFFORDS A CLEAR VIEW OF THE LEAD UP TO A PEAK, AND ON A FIRST ASCENT IS USUALLY A DISTANT VIEW OF THE PEAK WITH A LOT OF UNKNOWN IN BETWEEN.

NAVIGATING THROUGH ALL THIS IS A MIX OF RESEARCH FROM MAPS AND SATELLITE IMAGES, EXPERIENCE, INTUITION, LOGIC AND LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, TO FORM A 3 DIMENSIONAL PICTURE AND HOW TO DO IT. RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE MULTI-LEVELLED, ACROSS VARIOUS SOURCES, AND NEEDS TO BE RECORDED IN ANALOG FOR USE IN THE FIELD. EXPERIENCE REPLACES GUESSWORK AS EVEN A DROP OF FAMILIARITY BEATS A TON OF THEORY IN A PLACE LIKE TIBET OR XINJIANG, WHERE EVERYTHING FROM THE CLIMATE TO THE CULTURE CHANGES THE WAY MOUNTAIN AREAS ARE ACCESSED.

INTUITION IS BASED ON CONFIDENCE IN YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ESOTERICA OR GUESSWORK, INSTEAD IT IS YOUR FACULTY TO PERCEIVE. GOOD INTUITION MAKES THE MOST OF MINOR CHANGES AND DETAILS, THAT ALONE MAY MEAN LITTLE UNTIL PUT IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHERS.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE IS VITAL, AND ALL TRIPS SHOULD BE GATHERING INFORMATION FROM AS FAR AHEAD AS POSSIBLE, AS THOSE WHO LIVE AT THE LAST STOP DON’T ALWAYS HAVE THE BIGGEST PERSPECTIVE. LOCAL WORKERS WILL KNOW ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE AREA, BUT OFTEN IT IS WORKERS FROM OUTSIDE WHO KNOW WHAT LIES BEYOND WHAT CAN BE SEEN.

LOGIC NEEDS PRACTICE AS IT COMES ALONG A SPECTRUM, AND THE LOGIC OF HERDERS DIFFERS FROM THE LOGIC OF CLIMBERS IN WHAT THE LOGIC IS FOR. WHILST WE SEEK MOUNTAINS SO PEOPLE AVOID THEM AND SO THEIR VIEW OF THE TOPOGRAPHY IS DIFFERENT, WHICH REFLECTS IN THEIR RESOURCES AND IDEAS ABOUT TIME.

ANIMAL TRAILS FOLLOW ANIMAL LOGIC WHICH CAN BE VERY PRAGMATIC, THOUGH DEPENDING ON THE ANIMAL WILL MEAN HOW LOGICAL THAT IS. FEW ANIMALS SEEK TO CROSS MOUNTAINS RATHER THEY ARE LOOKING FOR WATER, SHELTER OR PREY, THOUGH SOME SUCH AS GOATS, DEER AND ANTELOPE PASS THROUGH STEEP TERRAIN IN SIMILAR WAYS TO HUMANS SO THEIR TRAILS CAN BE UTILIZED.

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ALTITUDE

EVEN WITHOUT THE EFFECTS OF HIGH ALTITUDE, EVERY APPROACH IS SPENT SCRUTINIZING THE RATE OF ASCENT. THROW ISSUES AROUND ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS IN AS YOU START GETTING ABOVE 4000m, AND METERS UPWARDS SOON OVERTAKE THE MILES FORWARD.

A TEAM SHOULD BE PREACCLIMATED – ALL OURS ARE – WHICH MEANS THE JOURNEY TO 5000m SHOULD BE FAIRLY EVEN, BUT ASCENT RATES STILL NEED TO BE MONITORED TO BE EXTRAPOLATED TO PLAN FURTHER AHEAD.

IT IS FAR BETTER TO ASCEND A BIT SLOWER THAN SO FAST IT IS HARD TO RECOVER, BECAUSE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER YOU NEED TO CATCH UP BUT ONCE ABOVE ABOUT 5000m THE CAPACITY FOR THAT DROPS OF FAST. A WEEK TO 5000m MAY SEEM MORE EFFICIENT THAN TAKING 7 OR 8 DAYS, BUT NOT IF YOU THEN NEED TO RECOVER RIGHT WHEN YOU COULD BE STARTING TO CLIMB.

THE BEST APPROACHES SEAMLESSLY GO FROM ARRIVING TO CLIMBING, OFTEN HOLDING OFF ON EXTENDED REST PERIODS TILL WELL ON THE ROUTE. THIS IS TO MAKE THE RECOVERY RELATING TO THE CLIMBING, NOT TO SIMPLY THE ACT OF GETTING THERE. BECAUSE IF YOU ARRIVE TRASHED YOU ARE WASTING TIME AND ENERGY WITH LITTLE TO SHOW FOR IT.

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LOADS

CONSIDER YOURSELF A FOOL IF YOU CUT CORNERS ON YOUR APPROACH PACK AND FOOTWEAR.

IN SOME PLACES THIS MATTER IS VOIDED BY THE USE OF PACK ANIMALS, BUT EVEN THEN THEY DON’T USUALLY GO THE FULL WAY, ESPECIALLY IF THERE’S GLACIERS. THIS MEANS AT SOME POINT YOU WILL NEED TO CARRY, WHETHER IT’S FOR A WEEK OR FOR A DAY.

AFTER BAD FOOD CHOICES, THE BIGGEST REASON WE SEE FOR FAILURE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE STUFF RELIABLY ON THE APPROACH. A GOOD PACK WILL ALLOW YOU TO CARRY THE MAXIMUM SUSTAINABLE LOAD, SO A BAD ONE IS SOMEWHERE BELOW THAT WHICH FAST BECOMES INEFFICIENCY OR EVEN INJURY.

IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT YOU WILL GET ANOTHER 10kg ONTO A WELL FITTED AND WELL DESIGNED PACK, WHICH IS 10Kg YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO BACK FOR WHEN YOU ARE FERRYING LOADS. 10kg IS A LOT, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 20 AND 30kg, WHICH BECOMES THE DIFFERENCE WITH HOW YOU CARRY.

LOADS OF THAT MASS NEED TO BE COMPACT, BALANCED, HANDLEABLE AND SECURE, AND IN THE CASE OF EXPEDITIONS WON’T ALWAYS BE LIKE THOSE FOUND IN HIKING. THAT 20kg LOAD MIGHT BE HARDWARE, OR IT MIGHT BE FUEL AND FOOD, AND BOTH CARRY DIFFERENTLY AND NEED A PACK THAT WILL DO IT, WHICH MEANS A SPECIFIC DESIGN.

TRUE APPROACH PACKS ARE LARGE, WELL BALANCED, AND TOUGH, AND SIMPLE TUBES WITH COMPRESSION THAT LEAVE LITTLE TO BREAK BUT ALLOW MAXIMUM LOAD STABILIZATION. THEY ARE LIGHT ENOUGH TO NOT ENCROACH ON THE WEIGHT OF OTHER GEAR, AND HAVE GRAB LOOPS AND FITTINGS THAT HANDLE THE ABUSE OF THE WEIGHT AND LOGISTICS. GET THIS RIGHT AND YOU OPEN UP NEW WAYS TO CLIMB BY ALLOWING YOU TO GET GEAR TO MORE ADVANTAGEOUS PLACES. GET IT WRONG AND YOU ARE A SLAVE TO A BIT OF GEAR THAT ISN’T DOING ITS JOB.

APPROACH LOADS WILL HURT, THAT’S THE PRICE OF ENTRY. BUT IT SHOULD BE A FUN HURT THAT IS PART OF ALIGNING YOUR PSYCHE TO THE TASK AHEAD. YOU SHOULDN’T BE DAMAGED OR DESPAIRING, BUT YOU SHOULD BE EARNING YOUR PROGRESS, SO THAT WHEN YOU DUMP IT AT BASECAMP YOU HAVE THE MOMENTUM OF EFFORT BEHIND YOU.

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APPROACH GEAR

DON’T TREAT THE APPROACH AS SOME PERIPHERAL ASIDE TO BE DONE IN OLD TRAIL SHOES AND A FEW REDBULLS, BUT JUST AS MUCH DON’T OVERDO THINGS WITH A WHOLE LOAD OF TRINKETS AND MARKETED JUNK. COMPANIES LOVE ADDING THE WORD APPROACH TO THEIR LEXICON BECAUSE IT SOUNDS SOMEHOW TECHNICAL, BUT REALLY WHAT YOU NEED IS GEAR FOR THE WORK OF YOMPING FROM ROADHEAD TO BASECAMP.

YOU WILL NEED GOOD SHOES ON YOUR FEET, THAT PROTECT YOUR ANKLES AND HAVE TRACTION, AND CAN TAKE MICROSPIKES OR CRAMPONS TO SAVE YOU FROM NEEDING YOUR CLIMBING BOOTS. APPROACHES THAT HAVE MORE THAN A RIVER OR TWO WILL BENEFIT FROM SOMETHING YOU CAN WEAR THROUGH THE WATER, KEEPING YOUR APPROACH SHOES DRY BUT REDUCING THE CHANCE OF A SLIP OR BROKEN TOE.

WHERE TRAIL RUNNING SHOES ARE OK FOR THE KHUMBU AND BALTORO, THEY ARE NOT FOR THE APPROACHES WE DO, AS THEY DON’T HANDLE THE WEIGHT OR THE NEED TO KICK INTO STEEP TERRAIN.

CLOTHING SHOULD BE SIMPLE AND PROTECT YOU FROM THE ELEMENTS, AND ALLOW YOU TO ACCESS WATER, SNACKS AND NAVI GEAR WITH MINIMAL SLINGING OF YOUR PACK. THINGS LIKE HEADTORCHES, GLOVES, SUNGLASSES AND MAPS NEED TO BE WITH YOU ALL THE TIME SO YOU ARE FAIRLY INDEPENDENT ON THE TRAIL, AND YOU WILL ALWAYS NEED INSULATED LAYERS, A SHELL AND SOMETHING TO SIT ON IN CASE OF UNPLANNED STOPS.

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STRATEGY

IT’S GREAT WHEN YOU CAN JUST LUMP A PACK UP A ROUTE, DUMP IT AT BASECAMP AND CALL IT DONE – BUT FEW EXPEDITION APPROACHES GO THAT WAY. MOSTLY APPROACHES ARE EXERCISES IN NAVIGATION, LOGIC, ASSESSMENT AND PROJECTION, WHERE PLANS ARE MADE AND REMADE AS TIMES GOES ON AND PROCESSES PLAY OUT AND CAN BE USED TO PREDICT WHAT COMES NEXT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE TIME IT TAKES AND HOW IT CAN BE PROJECTED FORWARD, SO OTHER PHASES IN THE WHOLE EXPEDITION CAN BE LINED UP.

VERY OFTEN THERE IS NO ACTUAL BASECAMP, SIMPLY A LOCATION YOU ARE AIMING FOR THAT WILL BE DETERMINED WHEN YOU GET THERE. THIS BOOKEND NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED IN REGARDS TO DAILY MILEAGE AND THE EFFORT NEEDED TO GAIN ALTITUDE, RATHER THAN BEING SLAVES TO SOME IDEA THAT WAS DECIDED FROM A MAP.

PLAN ON COMFORTABLE STAGES AND CONSIDER ANY EXTRA A BONUS, AND DO YOUR PLANNING WITH SIMPLE EQUATIONS ABOUT LOADS, MILES AND TERRAIN. WE HAVE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE WE BASE ON WHERE WE GO, BUT ALWAYS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REALITIES OF THE TEAM WHICH ARE ALWAYS UNIQUE.

IN THE CASE OF PACK ANIMALS, THINGS ARE MORE COMPLEX, AS MOST TEAMS WON’T TRAVEL AT THE SAME RATE AS THE ANIMALS, SO YOU NEED TO PLAN AROUND YOUR CAMPS, THE GEAR NEEDED FOR THAT AND WHAT YOU NEED DURING THE DAYS.

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OBSTACLES

EVEN THE BEST PLANNED ROUTES CAN COME AGAINST OBSTACLES LIKE RAVINES, VERTICAL SECTIONS, FAST WATER, GLACIERS AND WEIRDNESS, THAT IN OUR TIME HAS INCLUDED ILLEGAL MINES, BANDITS, EARTHQUAKES AND NOMADS WITH DOGS.

THESE THINGS ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEAMWORK TO DEVELOP, AND ARE THE NORM ON TRIPS, NOT AN ANOMALY, SO SHOULD BE PLANNED FOR NOT AVOIDED AT THE COST OF COMPLEXITY. YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FORESIGHT AND SUPPLIES TO CROSS RIVERS OR TRAVEL DOWN THEM, OR OPEN DESSERT OR PASSES, OR STRING TOGETHER PATCHES OF SNOW YOU ALWAYS HAVE WATER.

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DONE WELL THESE THINGS ARE FUN AND THE SIGN OF REALLY GOING REMOTE, AND PERSOUSAL OF GREAT CLIMBING LITERATURE SHOWS THEY WERE ONCE AN INTEGRAL PART OF EXPEDITIONS. WHERE NOW INDUSTRIAL IDEAS ATTEMPT TO SHAVE APPROACHES OFF TRIPS, VIEWED AS WASTING TIME AND THEREFORE MONEY, REAL EXPEDITIONS VAUNT THE APPROACH AS THE SIGN THINGS ARE AUTHENTICALLY EXPLORATORY.

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…AND WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

THE RETURN IS A WHOLE OTHER PARADIGM. EXHAUSTED AND FILTHY THE JOURNEY BACK TO THE TRAIL IS ALWAYS A TIME OF DEEP SELF-REFLECTION, UNDER THE LOAD OF WHAT STUFF YOU HAVE LEFT AND HOW THINGS WENT ON THE CLIMB. EVEN IF YOU ATE ALL THE FOOD AND LEFT HARDWARE ON THE ROUTE THE PACKS NEVER SEEM MUCH LIGHTER, A BLEND OF DETERIORATING CONDITION AND FOOD AND FUEL BEING REPLACED WITH GRIME AND DAMPNESS.

THE APPETITE FOR MULTIPLE CARRIES IS ALWAYS PRETTY LOW, MEANING IDEAS BECOME ABOUT GETTING DOWN IN A SINGLE GO BASED ON THE MINDSET OF IT ALL BEING DOWNHILL. THIS OFTEN WORKS – JUST – WITH SOME IMPRESSIVE LOADS CARRIED, BUT NEEDS TO BE WEIGHED AGAINST THE RISK OF INJURY.

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LEAVING STUFF BEHIND

WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF LEAVING TRASH ON MOUNTAINS, SO ANYTHING THAT CAN’T BE ORGANICALLY DISPOSED OF WILL BE CARRIED BACK OUT. THE ONLY (RARE) EXCEPTION TO THIS IS WHEN WE KNOW WE WILL RETURN TO THE AREA IN WHICH CASE SOME GEAR CAN BE STASHED, OR IF OTHER CLIMBERS WILL CAN USE STUFF LIKE FUEL CANISTERS AND FOOD. BUT THESE ARE RARE EXCEPTIONS, NOT TO BE RELIED ON, AND THINGS NEED TO BE STASHED PROPERLY TO NOT BECOME TRASH DOWN THE LINE.

WILDLIFE DOES NOT NEED HUMAN FOOD, THOUGH THINGS LIKE BREAD, FRUIT AND RICE CAN BE CYCLED BACK INTO THE ECOSYSTEM. THEY CERTAINLY DON’T NEED HUMAN PACKAGING SO CAMP SITES NEED TO BE MADE SCRUPULOUSLY CLEAN BECAUSE ANIMALS WILL VISIT AS SOON AS THE LAST HUMAN LEAVES. AT HIGH ALTITUDE UV AND COLD WILL EFFECTIVELY FREEZE DRY MOST THINGS, WHICH NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IF THEY WILL THEN DEGRADE INTO POWDER OR BE PETRIFIED FOR YEARS.

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IN THE END, EXPEDITIONS ARE CAPERS, AND FUNCTION AS HOLISTIC EVENTS WHERE EVERY PART CONTRIBUTES TO THE WHOLE. THE SIGN OF COMMERCIALISM IS AS MUCH THE ABSENCE OF REAL APPROACHES AS IT IS THE USE OF OXYGEN AND CHEAP LABOR, AND THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF ALPINISM ALWAYS ENTAIL APPROACHES THAT FORM THE BASIS FOR WHAT COMES ON TOP.