Category: CRITICAL THINKING
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MAMMUT TAISS LIGHT GTX REVIEW
ONCE MODIFIED, THESE ARE THE BEST APPROACH FOOTWEAR FOR OUR TRIPS WE'VE KNOWN IN YEARS. WE NOW WEAR THEM IN ON THE FLIGHT AS OUR ONLY BOOTS OTHER THAN DOUBLES, FINDING THEM LIGHT ENOUGH AROUND TOWN AND EASILY RUGGED ENOUGH RIGHT UP TO WHERE IT'S TOO COLD. A CASE COULD BE MADE FOR PAIRING THESE…
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FIXING: SHORT vs ROUTE
SHORT FIXING IS WELL WITHIN THE PARADIGM OF ALPINISM, AND DOES NOT REDUCE ACTUAL CLIMBING TO ASSISTED VIA FERRATA. YOU STILL NEED TWO TOOLS, YOU STILL ACTUALLY CLIMB, BUT IT SPEEDS THINGS UP BY REDUCING THE TIME SPENT ON PITCHING. IT TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF THE SECONDING CLIMBERS EFFORT WHICH HELPS KEEP FRIED MINDS…
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CHENGDU FOR CLIMBERS
WE HAVE RUN TRIPS THROUGH CHENGDU FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, AND GOING BACK TO THE 1980s EVERY MAIN EXPEDITION TO TIBET HAS STAGED FROM HERE. THE HISTORY OF CLIMBING NORTH OF THE HIMALAYA ADORNS THE HOTELS AND GEAR SHOPS OF CHENGDU, HAVING HOSTED MANY OF THE GREAT ALPINISTS HEADING WESTWARD TO TIBET.
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EXPEDITION SANITY
SANITY IS OVERRATED, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. NOT ALL ASPECTS OF A PSYCHE RETOOLED BY EXPEDITION CLIMBING ARE HEALTHY, AND MENTAL STATE NEEDS TO BE OBSERVED TO REMAIN PROPORTIONATE AND SYMMETRICAL WITH OFTEN DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS. THE OLD POP PSYCHOLOGISTS AFFIRMATION THAT YOU ARE NOT CRAZY IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT…
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FTRE CUSTOM SUMMIT PACKS
OUR GEAR COMES FROM THE BEST IN THE INDUSTRY, COMPANIES THAT PUSH WHAT MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS CAN DO. WE PRESENT THEM WITH ENDLESS BIZARRE AND RADICAL IDEAS TO SOLVE PARTS OF OUR TRIPS, BUT SOMETIMES WE FIND THE LIMITS OF WHAT THEY WILL DO, THEY FIND THE LIMITS OF THEIR PATIENCE WITH US, AND…
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THE FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS READING LIST
WE KNOW THERE ARE A ZILLION CLIMBING BOOKS OUT THERE, BUT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT APPLY TO WHAT WE DO IN CHARACTER AND LOCATION IN BOTH TIME AND GEOGRAPHY. YOU WON'T FIND TOUCHING THE VOID, THE SAVAGE MOUNTAIN OR ANYTHING BY JON KRAKAUER, ANDY KIRKPATRICK OR HERZOG BECAUSE THEY LACK HALF OF WHAT OUR…
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THE BELIEFS OF FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS
WE GET SOME STRANGE EMAILS - THE WEIRDER THE BETTER WE SAY - AND COUNT SEEING "ARE YOU SATANISTS?" IN THE SUBJECT BAR AS BEING RIGHT UP THERE, ALONG WITH EMAILS FROM THE BAND IRON MAIDEN AND THREATS OF LEGAL ACTION FROM AN INDUSTRY WHOSE BAD PRACTICES WE WON'T BE SILENT ON. NOW IT'S NOT…
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BLUE ICE HARFANG TECH CRAMPON REVIEW
FOR US, AT ALTITUDE, PAIRED WITH A HYBRID BOOT THIS IS A BIG DEAL, WHERE TAKING 100g OFF EACH FOOT IS REAL MONEY. THE OLD MILITARY CLICHE THAT 'A POUND ON YOUR FEET IS WORTH TEN ON YOUR BACK' MAY OR MAY NOT BE REALISTIC, BUT IF EVEN HALF TRUE THE HARFANG TECHS HAVE THEIR…
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STEVE HOUSE, GEAR FOR NANGA PARBAT REAPPRAISAL; 20 YEARS ON
TO YOUNGER CLIMBERS THIS STUFF IS ARCHEOLOGY, RELICS AT BEST, RETRO BOOMER MORE OFTEN. AS IT SHOULD BE. WE OURSELVES KNEW THE ERA, FLOATING AROUND THE PAKISTANI KARAKORAM THE SAME TIME AS THIS, AND REMEMBER FULL WELL THIS EXACT SAME GEAR. OUR POINT IS THINGS HAVE MOVED ON, BUT THAT EVEN THEN HOUSE AND ANDERSON…
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THE 2023/24 ALPINE SEASON IN REVIEW
155 DAYS THAT INCLUDES 9 WEEKS IN REMOTE MOUNTAINS, 7 OF THEM AROUND 5000m, 2 WEEKS MID-WINTER IN THE MONGOLIAN GOBI DESERT, 65 NIGHTS IN TENTS AND BIVYS, 7 +5000m PURE ALPINE OBJECTIVES, 97 ESPRESSOS DRUNK, 4 PAIRS OF CRAMPONS WORN OUT, 4300kms DRIVEN, 22 HOTSPRINGS VISITED, 5 TOE NAILS FALLEN OUT AND 43 NEW…
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