SUITS FOR K2 NORTH SIDE GET EXTRA USE BECAUSE THEY ARE PUT ON EARLIER. LIKE BOOTS, DOWN LAYERS ARE EVOLVING WITH MORE COMPANIES MAKING THEM AND DESIGNS BEING PUSHED. THE DOUBLE SUIT CONCEPT SAVES WEIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN AND IS WORTH RECOMMENDING. UNLIKE SOME OTHER 8000m ROUTES, THERE IS NO TIME SPENT IN LINE GETTING DANGEROUSLY COLD, SO SUITS CAN BE CHOSEN FOR ACTIVE CLIMBING.

WE LIKE THE DOUBLE SUIT SYSTEM BECAUSE IN THE SMALL CAMPS YOU CAN KEEP THE INNER SUIT AND HARNESS ON WHILST SLEEPING, SAVING A LOT OF MESSING ABOUT WHEN SHARING A TENT.

THE NORTH RIDGE HAS TECHNICAL SECTIONS WHERE A BIG MITT WON’T BE APROPRIATE. YOU WILL NEED TO HANDLE TWO TOOLS, PLACE SOME GEAR AND DEFINITELY MANAGE TENTS, SO WE FIND A MID-WEIGHT CLIMBING GLOVE+PUFFY MITT COMBINATION WORKS BEST.

ALL GLOVES USED FOR CLIMBING MUST HAVE RETAINER CORDS.

BOOTS FOR K2 NORTH SIDE NEED TO BE AS TECHNICAL CLIMBABLE AS YOUR FEET WILL ALLOW. THIS IS NOT A HIGH ALTITUDE TRUDGE LIKE EVEREST OR BROAD PEAK AND THE NORTH RIDGE REQUIRES CLIMBING ROCK SECTIONS AND STEEP NEVE AND ICE. THIS MEANS EXTRA ATTENTION PAID TO YOUR FOOTWEAR BY TRYING SEVERAL MODELS ON, THERMOFORMING OR SWAPPING OUT INNERS, AND WEARING THE RIGHT SOCKS. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO BORROW A FRIEND’S BOOTS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. NEW MATERIALS MEAN THAT THE LATEST BOOTS ARE NOT THAT MUCH HEFTIER THAN THE SORT OF THINGS MANY PEOPLE WEAR FOR WEEKENDS ICE CLIMBING.

WE RECOMMEND BRINGING WINTER APPROACH BOOTS TOO FOR THE LOWER SECTIONS & GLACIER.

YOUR SLEEPING SYSTEM NEEDS TO COVER THE PARADISE OF BASECAMP, THE GLACIER OF ADVANCED BASECAMP, THEN THE HIGH CAMPS ON THE MOUNTAIN.

THE IDEA OF BRINGING 4 INDIVIDUAL BAGS IS UNREALISTIC WHICH MEANS A DOUBLE OR TRIPLE BAG SYSTEM IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL WORK. WE HAVE FOUND A COMBINED WEIGHT OF 1800g COMPRISED OF 2 BAGS WORKS WELL. ALL BAGS NEED TO BE SIZED TO FIT TOGETHER OF COURSE, AND IF THE OUTER-MOST BAG IS A HIGH QUALITY SYNTHETIC IT GOES A LONG WAY TO KEEPING THE WHOLE LOT DRY.

SLEEPING MATS CAN BE A COMBINATION, BUT THERE MUST BE A CLOSED CELL OPTION IN THE MIX. LIKE THE TRIPLE BAGS, WE HAVE SEEN A TRIPLE MAT SYSTEM WORKS WELL, COMPRISED OF TWO THIN FOAM LAYERS & AN INFLATABLE BETWEEN. IN THIS CASE THE INFLATABLE CAN BE A THINNER, FOAM-CORE ONE – SOMETHING THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WHEN TRYING TO INFLATE BY MOUTH ABOVE 7000m.

WE ALSO RECOMMEND BRINGING A VERY LIGHT BIVY BAG AND A LARGE PIECE OF THIN, REFLECTIVE-SIDED FOAM FOR THE TENT FLOOR ON THE GLACIER.

WITHOUT THE REGIMENT OF PORTERS, SHERPAS & HAPS, THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM REQUIRES TEAM MEMBERS TO CARRY EVERYTHING NEEDED BEYOND THE CAMEL DUMP AND ON THE MOUNTAIN. FOR THIS, PROPER EXPEDITION PACKS ARE NEEDED THAT ARE STRONG, SIMPLE & LIGHT. THIS SORT OF PACK COMES IN A VOLUME OF ABOUT 70 – 130L, HAS NO EXTRANEOUS BITS TO BREAK, HAS MINIMAL POCKETS AND COMPARTMENTS THAT ADD WEIGHT, AND IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE SACK READY TO DUMP LOTS OF GEAR INTO AND CARRY FOR HOURS.

FOR THE CARRIES UP THE GLACIER WE RIG 130L BARRELS DIRECTLY ONTO EMPTY PACKS, SO ACCOMMODATION FOR THIS IS IMPORTANT

K2 NORTH SIDE NEEDS TWO TOOLS. A SINGLE AXE MAY BE FINE FOR LOW DOWN, BUT PRETTY SOON YOU WILL NEED FOUR POINTS OF CONTACT TO PROCEED.

THERE WILL BE SOME FIXED SECTIONS AND TRAVERSES THAT REQUIRE AN ASCENDER TO BE RIGGED WITH A LOCKING OVAL BINER TO PREVENT ROPES JAMMING IN THE TEETH.

THE AMOUNT OF ROCK ON THE NORTH RIDGE MEANS CRAMPONS TAKE AN EXTRA BEATING. WE SUGGEST INTERCHANGABLE DOUBLE OR VERTICAL  FRONT POINTS, AND RELATIVELY SHORT OTHER TEETH FOR WALKING ON ROCK. THERE WILL BE NO LADDERS AFFECTED BY UNUSUAL CRAMPON DESIGNS.

WIRE OR BASKET BAILS ARE BOTH FINE. BRING A SET OF PIECES, CABLE TIES & A SMALL 2mm CABLE & CRIMPING SET FOR IF THINGS BREAK.

THE ISOLATION OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM MAKES LIVING OUT THERE FOR A MUCH DIFFERENT PROSPECT TO THE TENT VILLAGES ON THE BALTORO OR KHUMBU. THINGS WILL NEVER BE AS ‘CIVILIZED’ BUT THEY CAN STILL BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE ADDITION OF SIMPLE ITEMS LIKE A CAMP CHAIR, A TENT LIGHT, THINGS TO AMUSE YOU LIKE READING MATERIAL, BINOCULARS, MAPS, SKETCH PADS, & PACKING SYSTEMS THAT MAKE THINGS EASY TO ORGANIZE.

A PERSONAL STOVE LETS YOU WANDER OFF ON DAY HIKES OR MAKE MIDNIGHT SNACKS, AND AN INTEREST IN THE UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY HOLDS COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES TO DOCUMENT A PLACE THAT HAS VERY LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT IT.

POWER SOURCES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM ARE LIMITED TO WHAT WE CAN CARRY, WHICH BOILS DOWN TO SOLAR. WE ARE WORKING ON WIND AND HYDRO BUT DRAMATIC SHIFTS IN THE GLACIER PUT THIS A FEW YEARS AWAY, SO UNTIL THEN PLAN FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS OFF GRID.

PANELS WORK WELL, BUT SHOULD BE BASED AROUND BATTERY STORAGE, AND MINIMAL DEVICES NEEDING POWER. A MIX OF EXTRA BATTERIES AND PANELS SHOULD KEEP CAMERAS, PHONES, KINDLES AND LIGHTS EASILY CHARGED.

NOTE THAT BEYOND THE LAST ROAD PHONES WON’T CONNECT AND DRONES ARE BANNED.