Category: CRITICAL THINKING
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THE BUSINESS OF MAKING EXPEDITIONS HAPPEN
WE SPECIALIZE IN EXPLORATORY EXPEDITIONS, TO REMOTE AND OBSCURE PLACES FOR SIGNIFICANT OBJECTIVES. EVEN OUR MOST FAMILIAR TRIPS ARE USUALLY WITH THE IDEA OF NEW ROUTES OR DONE IN NEW CONDITIONS, AND AT THE VERY LEAST OUR TRIPS WILL BE LIGHTER AND MORE AGILE THAN HOW THINGS WILL HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE BASED OFF OUR…
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OUR ARTICLES, EXPLAINED
‘CRAP’ ‘BARELY LITERATE’ ‘BIASED’ ‘INSULTING’ ‘INTENTIONALLY PROVACTIVE’ ‘WRONG’ ‘PROPAGANDA’ THESE ARE SOME OF THINGS SAID ABOUT THE CONTENT OF WHAT WE PRESENT HERE, AND THOUGH THE CRITICISMS MAKE UP ONLY A SMALL PART OF OUR INTERACTION WITH THE CLIMBING INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY, THEY NEVERTHELESS REPRESENT THE DIVIDE BETWEEN WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO
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THE APPROACH
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…
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RIPCORD INSURANCE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING EXPEDITIONS
PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROVIDE INSURANCE & RESCUE OPTIONS TO OUR CLIMBERS, SO WE RESEARCH AND CONTACT PROVIDERS THAT CLAIM TO COVER SUCH THINGS, AND ASK DIRECTLY. OUR MOTIVATION IS ONLY TO PREVENT A NASTY SURPRISE SHOULD AN INSURANCE CLAIM EVER BE NEEDED, AND PROVIDERS WHO BACK WHAT THEY CLAIM WE ACTIVELY PROMOTE.
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CHANGES TO THE K2 NORTH GLACIER
SINCE CHINA HAS REOPENED WE ARE BUSY RESTARTING TRIPS AFTER 3 YEARS. THIS INCLUDES TO THE NORTH SIDE OF K2, AN AREA NOTORIOUSLY REMOTE AND LITTLE DOCUMENTED, THAT HAS SEEN NO PRESENCE UP THE GLACIER IN OVER A DECADE. EVEN IN THE BUSIEST OF YEARS THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM USUALLY SAW NO ONE
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SICHUAN MOUNTAIN GUIDE: MAPPING THE NORTH EASTERN HIMALAYA
TO DO WHAT WE DO TAKES A HUGE RESERVOIR OF UNIQUE KNOWLEDGE, THAT COMES FROM A CLIMBERS EYE SO IT COVERS ALL THE DETAILS. OTHER SOURCES HAVEN’T COME FROM LONG HOURS ON FOOT, MAKING SICHUAN MOUNTAIN GUIDE UNIQUE IN THE WORLD OF EXPEDITION PLANNING. EACH OF US AT FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS RUNS OUR OWN
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STRAIGHT ARM STRENGTH TRAINING
IF YOU’RE TRAINING SPECIFICALLY FOR HIGH ALTITUDE THEN THE VAST AMOUNT OF YOUR TIME AND EFFORT WILL BE GOING ON SUSTAINABLE ENDURANCE. EVEN THE MOST ELITE TRAINING SCHEDULES FOR ALPINISM VERY RARELY BREAK MORE THAN FIVE HOURS A WEEK DEVOTED TO UPPER BODY STRENGTH, WHICH MEANS EVERY MINUTE COUNTS AS BEING PRODUCTIVE. WE HAVE LONG
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THE 5000m TO 8000m PROGRESSION
GOOD CLIMBING AT THE HIGEST ALTITUDES IS BUILT ON THE BACK OF GOOD CLIMBING AT LOWER ONES, AND AS STEVE HOUSE PUT IT “TO DO HARD ROUTES AT 8000m START WITH HARD ROUTES AT 6000m”. CLIMBING BELOW 5000m OF COURSE IS A HUGE PART OF ANY PROGRESSION AS WE’VE DISCUSSED HERE, BUT AT SOME POINT
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TEAMS NOT TOURISTS
WE’RE NOT KIDDING WHEN WE CALL OUR EXPEDITION GROUPS ‘TEAMS’. THIS IS NOT SOME SLEAZY WAY TO SOUND PRO OR ALTERNATIVE, IT IS EXACTLY HOW THINGS RUN. AT THE FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL OF ACQUIRING PERMITS AND ORGANIZATION, WE PRESENT AS THE FTRE TEAM AND LOGGED AS AN INDEPENDENT AND CLEARLY DEFINED GROUP. THERE ARE NO BOTTOMLESS
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FUN
IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE FUN TO BE FUN…..BUT IT HELPS. THANKS TO THE WRITING OF HERZOG, TWIGHT, KIRKPATRICK AND COUNTLESS OTHERS THE IDEA OF FUN SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN STRAINED OUT OF EXPEDITION CLIMBING, TO THE DEGREE THAT NOT ONLY IS CLIMBING MEASURED BY THE SUFFERING, IT IS HARD TO CONVINVE SOME TO EXPERIENCE
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