MAKING IT HAPPEN. EXPEDITIONS 107: STEPPING OFF
MORE THAN ONE CLIMBER HAS CONFIRMED THE TRIP, SORTED THE TEAM, BOUGHT & PACKED THEIR GEAR, TRAINED, BOOKED FLIGHTS AND GOT THE STAMPS ONLY TO IMPLODE AS THE TRIP STARTS. SEVERAL TIMES WE’VE WATCHED AS WE STEP OFF IN A FOREIGN PLACE, LOADED UP AND FOCUSED, THEN PEOPLE WHO UNTIL THEN HAD SEEMED FINE CRUMBLE. THIS ARTICLE IS TO TRY AVOID THAT BY ADDRESSING SOME FACTORS THAT SEEM COMMON TO THE SCENARIO.
DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS? SOME PEOPLE LIKE THE IDA OF A TRIP MORE THAN THE ACTUAL DOING OF IT. THE MOTIVATION MAY WANE SINCE THE INITIAL PLAN, THINGS MIGHT HAVE CHANGED. THE PERSON GETTING OFF THE PLANE MAY NOT BE THE PERSON WHO SIGNED UP 6 MONTHS BACK. YOU NEED TO ASSESS YOUR MOTIVES AND FIND WAYS OF APPLYING THEM OTHERWISE TRIPS FEEL OUT OF CONTROL. WHINING ABOUT SMALL DETAILS THINKING IT WILL MAKE THINGS WORK OUT DOESN’T HELP. YOU NEED TO DEFINE WHAT IT IS THAT IS FAILING AND CHOOSE FROM THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO RESOLVE IT.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE SCALE? IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO 6000m IT’S EASY TO THINK IT’S EASY, ESPECIALLY WHEN SOLD TRIPS LIKE ISLAND PEAK OR ACONCAGUA THAT ARE MORE SAFARIS THAN WHAT WE DO. COMING FROM THE UK OR NZ TOO YOU MAY FIND 12HR DRIVES ON THE EDGE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE. FOR MANY THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF CULTURES LIKE CHINA OR AFGHANISTAN CAN BE CONFRONTING; THAT PEOPLE THERE DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR WESTERN VALUES. TIBET ISN’T LIKE RICHARD GERE SAYS IT IS.
DID YOU CONSIDER ALL THE ELEMENTS? YOU KNEW THERE’D BE CLIMBING, WALKING OR PADDLING BUT DID YOU HEAR THE BITS ABOUT SHOPPING IN MARKETS, STOPPING AT CHECK POINTS AND VISITING GOVERNMENT OFFICES? THE SIMPLE FACT WE ARE OFF THE TOURIST TRAIL MEANS WE ARE DOING THINGS OFTEN WITH NO PRECEDENT. SOME PEOPLE LOVE IT ALL AND TAKE PLEASURE IN THE LEFT-OF-FIELD STUFF AND BRUSHES WITH AUTHORITIES – OTHERS SEE IT AS RAIN ON THEIR PICNIC. TO GET TO 1000m OF CLIMBING WILL PROBABLY BE 1500m OF SCREE AND GLACIER. TO PUT IN AT A 1M2/S TRICKLE PROBABLY MEANS PORTAGING YOUR BOAT MILES OVER SNOW.
THE TRANSITION FROM HOME LEAVING THE COMFORTS OF FAMILIARITY, SAYING GOODBYES, LONG FLIGHTS, BAD FOOD, TIME ZONES AND FOREIGN IMMIGRATION CAN BE ROUGH WHEN JUST AS YOU GET YOUR FEET ON THE GROUND THE ONSLAUGHT OF A BIZARRE NEW CULTURE HITS. IT’S GOOD TO BASELINE ON ARRIVAL, TAKE TIME TO FEEL THINGS OUT – LOOK AT A MAP – WATCH SOME LOCAL TV, EAT AND SLEEP.
IT’S NOT A HOLIDAY THERE WON’T BE A TRANSFER BUS TO SHUTTLE YOU TO THE RESORT. FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS START AND FINISH AT THE DEEP END, THERE’S WORK TO DO. THERE’S ALWAYS TIME FOR A BEER IN THE EVENING; AFTER THE FOODS BEEN BOUGHT, PORTIONS BAGGED UP, CLIMBING GEAR SORTED OUT, PADDLES REPAIRED, PORTALEDGES TESTED, PERMIT MEETINGS FINISHED, LIAISON OFFICERS BRIEFED, EXTRA GEAR FOUND, WEATHER CHECKED, ROAD CONDITIONS CHECKED, VEHICLES CHECKED, FUEL BOUGHT AND CREW ARRIVED. PROBABLY ONLY 1 BEER AS TOMORROW WE ROLL OUT AT 0430 WHICH MEANS GETTING UP AT 0330 FOR COFFEE, FINISH PACKING, CLEAR THE ROOMS, GET EVERYTHING TO THE VEHICLES, RE CHECK THE WEATHER, RECHECK THE ROADS, MEET THE LO, DOUBLE CHECK THE ROOMS, GET PASSPORTS READY, ANOTHER COFFEE, STOP FOR WATER AND GET OUT OF TOWN BEFORE THE TRAFFIC. YOU CAN RELAX IN THE CAR.
CULTURE SHOCK THIS HAPPENS AND IT’S NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF. IT’S EXPECTED TO A DEGREE TO BE OVERWHELMED BY VERY DIFFERENT PLACES WHEN THERE’S NO TOURIST BUBBLE TO KEEP THINGS SANITIZED; AND PEOPLES REACTIONS TO BEING OVERWHELMED IS THE ISSUE. THERE’S THE 3 OLD OPTIONS PRETTY MUCH. FIGHT; GET DEFENSIVE OR BLAME OTHERS. FLIGHT; GET AWAY, ANYWHERE, OR SHUT DOWN. PLAY; THE GOOD REACTION, DROP ANY SERIOUSNESS FOR A DAY OR TWO, HAVE SOME FUN LOCAL STYLE, FOLLOW YOUR CURIOSITY. THE CHOICE PEOPLE MAKE IS USUALLY BASED ON WHO THEY THINK THEY NEED TO SHOW THEMSELVES AS, THE MORE EGO IT SEEMS THE WORSE IT IS.
WHAT CAN BE DONE? WHEN THINGS GET INTENSE STEP BACK AND COMMUNICATE. RAISING A PROBLEM ABOUT THE FOOD OR DISTANCES AS SOON AS IT COMES TO MIND GETS EVERYONE FINDING SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN COMPRESSING IT TO THE POINT OF NO SOLUTION. HAD A BAD FLIGHT? EAT, SLEEP AND CHILL OUT – NO ONE MAKES GOOD DECISIONS WAITING AT IMMIGRATION, DON’T SET BAD WHEELS IN MOTION.
AT TIMES THE RELENTLESS ONWARD DRIVE CAN BE HALF THE ISSUE; IT’S TRUE MOST TRIPS DO DOUBLE TIME TILL WE HIT THE TRAIL. BUT FOR THE SAKE OF TEAM SANITY IT’S ALWAYS WORTH PULLING BACK IF WE NEED TO DIGEST A LITTLE.
THE THING HERE IS NOT NOT BE REROUTED BY THE SUDDEN TEMPORARY SENSE OF DISORIENTATION WHEN BEING SOMEWHERE NEW. FEELING AFFECTS IS FINE AND EXPECTED, MANAGING THEM SO THEY DON’T STALL THE MACHINE IS IMPORTANT.