EXPEDITION ALPINISM DEFINED
OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE/RANT TRIGGERED A BIT OF RESPONSE – SOME CONSTRUCTIVE, SOME NOT – WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE ASKING JUST WHAT THIS ‘EXPEDITION ALPINISM’ THING IS. THIS IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
WE SOMETIMES TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT EXPEDITION ALPINISM IS AN OBVIOUS THING, FORGETTING WE ARE IN A SORT OF ECHO CHAMBER WHERE OUR AUDIENCE ALL SHARES COMMON IDEAS. BUT IT’S NOT LIKE THAT ANY MORE IT SEEMS, NOW THAT THIS VERY SITE HAS PICKED UP A BIT OF SPEED IN PLACES LIKE EVEREST BC AND AMONG THE ALASKA SCENE, AS WELL AS NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING READERS WHO HAVE COME VIA OUR INTERACTION WITH BRANDS FROM POLAND, FRANCE AND JAPAN.
SO HERE WE GO, WHAT WE THINKING EXPEDITION ALPINISM IS, UNASHAMEDLY THROUGH THE LENS OF WHAT WE OURSELVES PURSUE.
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ALPINISM MEANS CLIMBING IN THE BEST STYLE POSSIBLE, WHICH BASICALLY BOILS DOWN TO ABILITY OVERCOMING A ROUTES DIFFICULTY. HUMAN ABILITY IS TO BE ENHANCED, NOT REPLACED, AND THE BEST STYLE IS WHERE THE CLIMBERS CHANGE TO MEET THE MOUNTAIN, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
EXPEDITION MEANS TRIPS THAT ARE EXPLORATORY BY NATURE, GOING BEYOND WHAT ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES AND INDUSTRIES PROVIDE. EXPEDITIONS BEGIN WHERE COMMERCIAL TRIPS LEAVE OFF, AND ARE CONCERNED WITH SOLVING UNKNOWNS RATHER THAN REFINING ESTABLISHED DETAILS.
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OF COURSE THESE DEFINITIONS ARE ACROSS A SPECTRUM, BUT WE TRY TO KEEP THESE DEFINITIONS SIMPLE. IF THE DETAILS NEED TO BE ARGUED AND HAIRS SPLIT THEN WE LOSE INTEREST, SIMPLY BECAUSE IN THE PLACES WE GO SUCH AS XINJIANG AND THE TIBETAN PLATEAU WE DON’T NEED TO CONVINCE OURSELVES OTHERWISE, AND THE SCOPE FOR EXPEDITION ALPINISM IS SO VAST WE FIND NO NEED TO SCRAPE THE RIND. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WE NOTICE THE ARGUMENT WHEN IT ARISES IS PEDANTIC, STATISTICAL, AND LOADED FOR SOME OTHER AGENDA, ALL SYMPTOMS OF AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS BECOME CORRUPTED.
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BUT ELABORATE WE WILL, BECAUSE WE LIKE THE SUBJECT, AND BECAUSE WE OFTEN POINT THE FINGER OURSELVES IN ORDER TO GIVE IT.
HERE ARE THE VECTORS BY WHICH FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS DEFINES THINGS.
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ALTITUDE
THE TRIP MUST PUSH AGAINST ALTITUDE BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE ALL OTHER VECTORS OVERLAP.
‘ALTITUDE’ ALLUDES TO BEING ABOVE WHAT A NORMAL HUMAN CAN ACCLIMATE TO WITHOUT EFFORT, ie THEY MUST BE INTENTIONALLY COMMITTED TO THE OBJECTIVE AS A CLIMBER. THIS IS AROUND 4500m, ABOVE ALMOST ALL PERMANANT HABITATION, THEREBY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALTITUDE ITSELF IS A FACTOR AFFECTING LIFE FUNDAMENTALLY.
IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED SINCE MESSNER AND HABLER CLIMBED EVEREST WITHOUT O2 THAT HUMANS CAN GO TO THE HIGHEST POINTS WITHOUT IT (GIVE OR TAKE EVEREST IN WINTER WHEN THE AIR PRESSURE IS LOWER), SO THAT IS THE STANDARD.
BY THIS DEFINITION ‘ALTITUDE’ IMPLIES ROUTES LONG ENOUGH TO REQUIRE MULTIPLE DAYS, WHICH INCLUDES THE DEFINITION OF ‘EXPEDITION’, AND COVERS THE CLIMBERS ABILITY NOT JUST TO CLIMB BUT TO LIVE AND PERFORM OVER TIME. ROUTES ABOVE 4500m ALMOST ALWAYS MEAN COLD, SNOW AND A LOT OF VERTICAL GAIN, AND RELY ON A SKILLSET BIGGER THAN JUST THE TECHNIQUES OF CLIMBING.
ALTITUDE ALSO DEMANDS STRATEGY, BECAUSE OF IT’S IMPLICATIONS OF PHYSICAL EFFECT, ADAPTABILITY, RESOLVE AND PREPARATION – ALL THINGS THAT CANNOT BE BLUFFED, FAKED OR STUMBLED INTO WITHOUT ARTIFICAL MEANS SUCH AS O2 THAT REPLACE RATHER THAN ENHANCE ABILITY.
FINALLY, ALTITUDE IMPLIES VISION, THAT THE CLIMBER WANTS TO CLIMB ABOVE AND BEYOND THE PARAMETERS OF NORMAL SURVIVAL, AND INTO A PLACE ONLY CLIMBERS GET TO EXPERIENCE. TO PUSH AGAINST THE AFFECTS OF ALTITUDE IS A NOBLE AND YET SOMEWHAT RADICAL IDEA, INTENTIONALLY GOING AGAINST THE IDEALS OF COMFORT FOR SOME OTHER SET OF REWARDS. TO TAKE ON ALTITUDE WITHOUT ARTIFICAL MEANS THAT TRICK THE BODY IS TO FIND ALIGNMENT IN BOTH THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL WORLD, AND TO EXPERIENCE A RARE EQUILIBRIUM IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS TRULY EXTREME AND BEYOND THE CAPACITY OF MOST OTHER ORGANISIMS.
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REMOTE
BY DEFAULT, EXPLORATION IS BEYOND WHERE NORMAL LIFE TAKES PLACE, MEANING IT IS BEYOND WHERE THE PREDICTABLE AND DEPENDABLE REACHES OF THE WORLD EXTEND. THIS MEANS CLIMBERS HAVING TO EXERCISE JUDGEMENT, SKILL AND COMMITTMENT BECAUSE THOSE THINGS CANNOT BE PROVIDED ANOTHER WAY, AND ANY CLIMBING ITSELF TAKES PLACE ON TOP OF A PLATFORM OF UNKNOWNS.
IN ITS ESSENCE, REMOTE MEANS RISK, AND HAVING THE WHEREWITHALL AND INTEGRITY TO MITIGATE IT. DISTANT LANDS REACHED ONLY BY PROLONGED AND COMMITTED MEANS AMPLIFY ANY CONSEQUENCES, WHICH DRAWS ON THE ABILITY OF THE CLIMBERS TO RESPOND TO. REMOTENESS DEMANDS SKILLS IN TRANSPORT, LOGISTICS, NAVIGATION, RESEARCH AND SURVIVABILITY THAT FILTER MANY OTHERS OUT, ASKING A VISION AND CAPACITY BEYOND THOSE WANTING COMMERCIAL LEVELS OF PREDICTABILITY.
TO SIMPLIFY A FUNCTIONAL DEFINTION OF REMOTE, WE USE THE EASY VECTOR OF SOMEWHERE FAR ENOUGH FROM ESTABLISHED TRANSPORT IT REQUIRES ITS OWN PLANNING, WHICH PRETTY MUCH BOILS DOWN TO SEVERAL DAYS BEYOND ROADS THAT ARE ALREADY TENUOUS ie OVER SEASONAL PASSES, SUBJECT TO DAMAGE, UNMAINTAINED OR UNDOCUMENTED. PLACES LIKE THIS ARE UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY INFRASTRUCTURE, OR IF THEY DO IT WILL BE UNRELATED TO CLIMBING AND OFFERS NO ADVANTAGE.
THIS ALSO MEANS PLACES ONLY REACHABLE BY YOUR OWN BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS, THAT REQUIRES INTENT AND FORTITUDE TO SUPPLANT OBJECTIVES THAT ARE EASY. REMOTENESS ITSELF IS AN OBJECTIVE, THAT APPEALS TO CERTAIN CHARACTER TRAITS TO VISIT PLACES UNAFFECTED BY COMMON EXPERIENCE. THIS IS AN AMPLIFICATION OF THE CORE CLIMBING DESIRE TO BE BEYOND THE MUNDANE, TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE AND INTEGRITY TO HAVE TOTAL RESPONSIBILITY.
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SELF-SUSTAINED
WHEN AN INDUSTRY DOESN’T GO THERE YOU NEED TO DO THINGS YOURSELVES, WHICH MEANS DEVISING EVERY DETAIL AND OWNING THE RESULTS. BEING SELF-SUSTAINED ITSELF IS A GOAL IN ITS OWN RIGHT, THEN AIMING THAT AT A REMOTE PEAK GIVES IT AN OBJECTIVE TO DIRECT IT.
BEING SELF-SUSTAINED ON THE MOUNTAIN IS A FUNDAMENTAL OF ALPINISM, AND IS SOMETHING TOTALLY DICTATED BY HOW SELF-SUSTAINED THINGS ARE ON THE APPROACH. UNTIL THE LAST FEW DECADES SELF-SUSTAINED APPROACHES FOR HIGH ALTITUDE PEAKS WAS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE, BUT ADVANCES IN RESOURCES HAS MADE THIS A DEFINING VANGUARD OF MODERN CLIMBING, WITH THE LEGIONS OF SUPPORT CREW NOW A LEFT OVER FROM THE PAST.
IN THIS ERA, IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TO DO SELF-SUPPORTED ASCENTS OF 7000m PEAKS, WITH NO INDUSTRIAL SUPPORT ONCE LEAVING TOWN. CLIMBING TEAMS WITHOUT PORTERS, CARRYING THEIR OWN SUPPLIES AND USING WELL THOUGHT-OUT STRATEGIES, GET EVER CLOSER TO THE 8000m MARK. FOR ALL THE NOISE AND POSTURING AND GIGGLES OVER STATISTICS, THIS IS THE TRUE LEADING EDGE OF ALPINISM.
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SELF-DIRECTED
WHERE LITTLE INFORMATION EXISTS, THE ABILITY FOR SELF-DIRECTION IS A DEFINING ATTRIBUTE OF CLIMBING. SELF-DIRECTION IS THE ANTITHESIS OF COMMERCIALISM BECAUSE IT MEANS TAKING THE ENTIRE LOGISTICS PROCESS UNDER CONTROL, AND DIRECTING IT AT SOMETHING IT HAS NOT BEEN DIRECTED AT BEFORE.
SIMPLY USING COMMERCIALLY ESTABLISHED LOGISTICS ONLY TO GET OFF THE TRAIL RIGHT AT THE END, DOESN’T REALLY CONSTITUTE AN EXPEDITION BECAUSE IT GOES NOWHERE NEW, AND CALLS ON NOTHING FROM THE CLIMBER REGARDING GREATER VISION, STRATEGY AND COMMITTMENT. PUT ANOTHER WAY, IF THE LOGISTICS EXISTS IT IS NOT SELF-DIRECTED.
NOW THIS OF COURSE IS ALSO ACROSS A SPECTRUM, AND NOWHERE ON EARTH IS COMPLETELY UNKNOWN. TO BE FUNCTIONAL WE DEFINE THIS AS SOMEWHERE WHERE PRE-EXISTING LOGISTICS EXISTS, WHERE THE ROADS ARE KNOWN, THE APPROACH AND CAMPS ALREADY EXIST, THE PEAKS ARE NAMED, AND THE AUTHORITIES ALREADY HAVE A PERMIT FOR IT.
SELF-DIRECTED BASICALLY STARTS WITH FINDING SOMETHING UNCLIMBED, THEN PUTTING TOGETHER ALL THE PIECES TILL YOU STAND AT THE BASE OF THE ROUTE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR TRIPS DO, MEANING THEY ENTAIL A GOOD DEGREE OF RECONNAISANCE AND RESEARCH, WHICH IS PART OF THE FUN BUT WHICH DOESN’T FIT WITH ANYONE WANTING A PREDICTABLE ESTABLISHED PROCESS.
SELF-DIRECTED MEANS BEING ACCOUNTABLE, MAKING DECISIONS FROM THE FRONT, HAVING A THIRST FOR WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER AND HAVING DEVELOPED THE SKILLS FOR PLANNING – ALL THINGS THAT ARE ATTRIBUTES OF CLIMBING ITSELF, IMPOSED ALMOST FRACTAL-LIKE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SCOPE. TO BE SELF-DIRECTED ON THE CLIMBING IS ON TOP OF BEING SELF-DIRECTED ON THE APPROACH, WHICH IS ON TOP OF BEING SELF-DIRECTED WITH LOGISTICS WHICH MEANS BEING SELF-DIRECTED IN YOUR RESEARCH AND PLANNING, AND AT SOME ULTIMATE LEVEL HAVING A SELF-DIRECTED VISION.
THE RESULT OF ALL THIS SELF-DIRECTION IS TOTALLY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE, THAT IF YOU’RE LUCKY MEANS NAMING A MOUNTAIN, BUT IF NOT IT DOESN’T MATTER. THESE SORTS OF THINGS ARE CAPER-LIKE, ALMOST LIKE PULLING OFF A BANK ROBBERY, WHERE THE OLD SAYING ‘WHO DARES WINS’ PUTS WHATEVER THE RESULT IS INTO A SEPARATE PARADIGM FROM OFF-THE-RACK TRIPS.
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PUT ALL THAT TOGETHER; ALTITUDE, REMOTE, SELF-SUSTAINED AND SELF-DIRECTED, AND IT’S NOT HARD TO SEE WHAT THE AIM IS. IT IS ALSO NOT HARD TO SEE THE SCOPE FOR IT.
WHEN YOU STOP WHEEDLING AROUND AT THE EDGES AND TRYING TO SHOEHORN SPLIT HAIRS TO MAKE MARGINAL CLAIMS ABOUT WHAT DOES OR DOESN’T CONSTITUTE ‘REAL’ CLIMBING,, THIS IS A POWERFUL LENS BY WHICH TO FIND OBJECTIVES THAT PUSH THE EVOLUTION OF ALPINISM. INDEED BY INVERTING THE PARADIGM, LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE ALTITUDE, REMOTENESS, SELF-SUSTAINMENT AND SELF-DIRECTION DO NOT OR CANNOT EXIST, YOU ARE LEFT WITH A LOOK AT THE PLACES WHERE GREAT CLIMBING CAN STILL HAPPEN.
RATHER THAN THIS DEFINITION BEING EXCLUSIVE AND PEDANTIC, IT INSTEAD SHOWS THAT THE SCOPE FOR SERIOUS EXPEDITION ALPINISM IS HUGE, AND THAT THE IDEA THAT HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING – INCLUDING ON 8000m PEAKS – IS DEAD, IS WRONG. FOR THOSE WILLING TO SEE, THE GREATEST ALPINE ASCENTS ARE STILL BEFORE US, DESPITE THE CIRCUS OF WHAT COMMERCIAL MOUNTAINEERING HAS BECOME. OBJECTIVES EXIST STILL TO BE CLIMBED IN THE FINEST STYLE IN WAYS BARELY EVEN RECOGNIZED.