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WHAT WE DO IS WORKING CLIMBING, AND THIS MEANS A WORKING RECRUITMENT PROCESS, AND IN THIS CASE THE ‘INTERVIEW’ IS AN EXPEDITION. WORKING CLIMBING INVOLVES A LOT OF OTHER STUFF THAT IS NOT JUST ACTUAL CLIMBING, AND WE NEED TO SEE AN APTITUDE FOR ALL THIS BEFORE GIVING SOMEONE RESPONSIBILITY.

IN OUR CASE, BEING A WORKING CLIMBER INVOLVES LONG PERIODS AWAY IN OBSCURE AREAS RUNNING THINGS SO OTHER PEOPLE CAN HAVE THE TRIPS OF THEIR LIVES. BEFORE YOU CAN TAKE ON SOMEONE ELSES BIG IDEAS YOU NEED TO TAKE ON YOUR OWN, AND THAT MEANS EXPERIENCING OUR EXPEDITIONS FIRST HAND THROUGH THE EYES OF A TEAMSTER, WHICH MEANS BEING ONE.

WE CALL THIS THE INTERVIEW BECAUSE IT IS WHERE QUESTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS ARE ADDRESSED IN REAL TIME. WE’VE BEEN TO INTERVIEWS, WE KNOW HOW THEY WORK, AND WE KNOW EVERYONE SAYS WHATEVER WORKS TO GET THEM THROUGH THE DOOR. THIS IS FINE PROBABLY ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE BARELY DOCUMENTED MOUNTAINS ON THE FAR SIDE OF SOMEWHERE YOUR GOVERNMENT TELLS YOU NOT TO VISIT.

FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS FOCUS IS GOING DEEPER, HIGHER AND WITH LESS FOOTPRINT INTO THE NORTH KARAKORAM AND PARTS OF TIBET, WHICH INCLUDES OBJECTIVES LIKE K2, THE GASHERBRUMS AND BROAD PEAK,AND FIRST ASCENTS WITHOUT NAMES, SO THE INTERVIEW ENCOMPASSES THIS. WE APPRECIATE THAT PEOPLE HAVE CLIMBED ELSEWHERE, INCLUDING JUST OVER THE OTHER SIDE OF SOME OF THESE PEAKS, BUT ALTHOUGH THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE CLIMBING IT MEANS LITTLE FOR THE REST OF WHAT WE DO, WHICH IS THE PART WE ARE PAID FOR.

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DURING THIS INTERVIEW WE NEED TO SEE FIVE THINGS – HUMOUR, ENGAGEMENT, OVERVIEW, PROBLEM SOLVING AND WORK CAPACITY, AND WE NEED TO SEE IT AT A DEGREE OF APPTITUDE FOR THE PLACES AND PROCESS, NOT MERELY GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. OUR CREWS LOVE THE CULTURES, THE FOOD, THE WEIRDNESS, THE POSSIBILITIES AND THE JOBS THAT NEED DOING, AND THE COHESIVENESS OUR TEAMS ARE BUILT ON COME FROM THIS AS MUCH, IF NOT MORE, THAN THE CLIMBING.

FOR SOME THIS ALL COMES NATURALLY, FOR OTHERS THEY NEED IT REVEALED, AND FOR SOME PEOPLE THEY FIND IT IS NOT WHAT THEY THOUGHT. WORKING CLIMBING IS VERY DIFFERENT TO AMATEUR OR EVEN PROFESSIONAL CLIMBING, AND NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO BE UP WORKING THINGS OUT WHEN THE OTHERS HAVE GONE TO BED OR RUNNING ROUND TOWN LOOKING FOR GAS CANISTERS WHEN THE TEAM IS DRINKING COFFEE.

CHINA, TIBET AND XINJIANG ALSO COME WITH THEIR OWN LEVELS OF IDIOSYNCRACIES, THAT INCLUDE THE ABSENCE OF ANY ‘CLIMBING INDUSTRY’ TO PROVIDE A BLUEPRINT FOR SOLUTIONS. INTERVIEW EXPEDITIONS INITIATE PEOPLE INTO THE PROCESS OF SIMPLY GETTING SHIT DONE, IN A WORLD UNTO ITSELF WITH ITS OWN RULES, SYSTEMS AND LOGIC. THIS INCLUDES TRANSPORT, SECURITY, SOURCING, FINANCES, COMMUNICATIONS, LIAISON AND ADMINISTRATION – ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED ANSWERS FOR BECAUSE TEAMSTERS HAVE PAID YOU TO KNOW.

WORK IS WORK, AND WE NEED CREW TO TAKE UP PARTS OF OUR EVER-EXPANDING ENTERPRISE, WHICH MEANS SHIFTING YOUR AIMS FROM SIMPLY CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN. OUR GUYS SEE SUMMITS AS SIMPLY TRANSIENT ELEMENTS IN A MUCH BIGGER PROCESS WHERE THE REAL KICKS ARE IN PULLING OFF TRIPS AS COMPLEX AS BANK ROBBERIES, WHICH IS A PARADIGM SHIFT AWAY FROM BEING A MERE GUIDE OR ATHLETE.

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HOW IT WORKS

THIS IS AS ‘SIMPLE’ AS DOING A TRIP, EITHER ONE YOU INITIATE YOURSELF OR ONE OF THE FEW THAT IS AN OPEN TEAM. EITHER WAY YOU NEED TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS RIGHT THROUGH FROM THE START, WHICH INCLUDES ALL THE FUN AND GAMES OF MONEY, PERMITS, EQUIPMENT DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY. 

WE WILL GIVE YOU A REVISED COSTING THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT BEING A PROSPECTIVE CREW MEMBER, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMICS INVOLVED FROM THE INSIDE FOR PEOPLE WHO INVEST A LOT IN THIS. WE DON’T ATTRACT THE HIGH ROLLERS WITH LARGE DISPOSABLE INCOMES TO SPEND ON STATUS ASCENTS, AND AS WORKING CLIMBERS OURSELVES THE MONEY IS AN EVER-PRESENT ELEMENT.

ON THIS INTERVIEW TRIP YOU GET SOME INSIGHTS THAT DON’T CONCERN REGULAR TEAMSTERS, RELATING TO THE PARTS WHERE THE JOB VEERS OFF FROM THE FUN. THIS IS PREDOMINANTLY APPTITUDE AND RELATES TO THINGS LIKE CONDUCT UNDER FATIGUE, LEADERSHIP,  VISION AND ABOVE ALL – PROBLEM SOLVING. THIS IS NOT A ‘TEST’ BECAUSE THERE ARE NO REAL RIGHT ANSWERS, BUT THINGS THAT EXPOSE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT GIG FOR YOU.

WE ADMIT FREELY WHAT WE DO IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY, AS NOT EVERYONE LOVES THE OBSCURITY, THE RESPONSIBILITY AND THE COMPLEXITY INVOLVED. THOSE THAT DON’T FIND OUT FOR THEMSELVES AND WE RESPECT THAT BECAUSE THEY TRIED WHERE MOST JUST DIDN’T. AND THOSE THAT DO, WELL THEY FIND THEMSELVES A NEW HOME IN SOMETHING AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF MOUNTAINEERING.

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CONTACTING US IS THE FIRST STEP.

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