FIRST ASCENTS & HOW TO CHOOSE

THE CIRCLE OF CLIMBERS WHO HAVE DONE FIRST ASCENTS IS SMALL, WITH THOSE WHO HAVE DONE THEM IN THE HIMALAYAS SMALLER STILL. MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INTO SPACE OR PASSED SAS SELECTION THAN HAVE DONE FIRST ASCENTS IN TIBET OR XINJIANG, MAKING IT THE LEADING EDGE OF A SPORT THAT WITHOUT IT IS LOST.

THE BREAD AND BUTTER OF FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS IS FIRST ASCENTS. YES, WE GO TO THE CHINA SIDE OF K2, THE GASHERBRUMS AND ESTABLISHED PEAKS IN TIBET, BUT THE HEART & SOUL OF THE COMPANY IS FIRST ASCENTS. NOT ONLY DO WE FIND PLEASURE IN FIRST ASCENTS THEMSELVES, THE WAY THEY INFORM ALL THE OTHER ASCENTS WE DO IS WHAT SETS US APART FROMTHE REST OF THE HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING INDUSTRY.

ALL ALONG THE HISTORY OF CLIMBING FIRST ASCENTS HAVE BEEN MADE OUT TO BE THE SOLE DOMAIN OF ELITE CLIMBERS, BUT THIS IS ARGUABLE. FOR EVERY BIG FIRST ASCENT BY NATIONAL OR PROFESSIONAL TEAMS, THERE ARE OTHER FIRST ASCENTS DONE BY AMATEURS, PEOPLE ON HOLIDAY, GUIDED TEAMS, PIRATE TEAMS AND JUST OUTRIGHT ADVENTURERS, AND IN THE CASE OF FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS WE HAVE DONE ALL OF THEM. FIRST ASCENTS ARE A MATTER OF VISION, NOT SPONSORSHIP OR ELITISM WHICH WE FIND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT CLOUDS WHAT VISION MAY EXIST, WITH SIGNIFICANT FIRST ASCENTS BEING POSSIBLE ON COSTS AND TIMELINES THAT WILL SURPRISE MANY.

YES, YOU MAY NEED SERIOUS FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS TO DO THE FIRST ASCENT OF A NEW ROUTE ON A MAJOR KARAKORAM PEAK, BUT UNLESS YOU ARE DELUDED THAT WILL COME ON THE BACK OF PREVIOUS FIRST ASCENTS ON LOWER PEAKS. AS FIRST ASCENTS ARE A STYLE, JUST AS DISTINCT AS ANY OTHER IN CLIMBING SUCH AS ONSIGHT, COMMERCIAL OR AIDING, AND THAT STYLE IS ADVANCED ALONG A CURVE BEFORE IT CULMINATES ON THE HIGHEST PEAKS ON EARTH.

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FIRST ASCENTS CAN COME IN SEVERAL FORMS, FROM THE FIRST ASCENTS OF UNNAMED PEAKS, TO FIRST ASCENTS OF ROUTES ON ESTABLISHED PEAKS, AND FIRST ASCENTS OF FEATURES AND SUB-PEAKS THAT HAVE BEEN TRIED AND ATTEMPTED ALREADY. PSEUDO-FIRST ASCENTS ALSO EXIST WITH THINGS LIKE FIRST WINTER ASCENTS, FIRST IN ALPINE STYLE AND VARIATIONS OF ESTABLISHED ROUTES, WHICH INCLUDES ROUTES CHANGED BY THINGS LIKE EROSION AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

THE COMMON DENOMINATOR HERE IS THE CLIMBING OF PREVIOUSLY UNCLIMBED TERRAIN, WHICH CAN SPAN A COUPLE OF PITCHES TO ENTIRE MOUNTAIN RANGES AND MASSIFS PREVIOUSLY UNDOCUMENTED. AS WE LIKE TO SAY AT FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS; BEING THE FIRST TO TOP OF A PEAK IS CLIMBING ACHEIVEMENT, BEING THE FIRST TO THE BASE OF A PEAK IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.

FOR US, WE CONCERN OURSELVES MOSTLY WITH ‘FULL’ FIRST ASCENTS, MEANING FINDING AN UNCLIMBED PEAK AND GOING TO CLIMB IT. THIS USUALLY MEANS APPROACHING THROUGH PLACES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN VENTURED INTO BY CLIMBERS BEFORE (THOUGH OF COURSE ARE BACKYARDS OF THE LOCALS AND NOMADIC PEOPLE), BUT IN SOME CASES THERE ARE UNCLIMBED PEAKS AMAZINGLY CLOSE TO CLIMBED ONES. THE SCOPE OF TIBET AND XINJIANG MEANS THERE ARE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FULL FIRST ASCENTS THAN IT COULD TAKE LIFETIMES TO ATTEMPT, AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE CLIMB MULTIPLE IN A SINGLE SEASON. IN FACT, THE REALITY IS THAT UNCLIMBED PEAKS OUT NUMBER CLIMBED ONES, BY THAT MEANING INDEPENDANT PEAKS BEFORE WE EVEN GET INTO SUB-PEAKS AND FEATURES, SO REQUIREMENT TO CLIMB SOMETHING ESTABLISHED IS USUALLY KEPT ONLY FOR TRAINING.

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THE LIMITING FACTOR WITH FIRST ASCENTS IS CHOICE. YOU CAN’T CLIMB EVERYTHING, SO YOU NEED TO CHOOSE, AND WHEN YOU’RE LAYING DOWN YOUR MONEY, TIME AND LIVES IT PAYS TO CHOOSE WISELY. YES, WE HAVE DONE TRIPS WHERE WE JUST PICK A LOCATION AND CHOOSE WHAT TO CLIMB FROM THERE, BUT THAT IS ONLY ON TOP OF A LOT OF CONTINGENCY AND A GENERAL IDEA ABOUT THINGS LIKE ALTITUDE, TEAM COMPOSITION AND STYLE.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BY SOME CRITERIA WE PUT FORWARD THE BASICS HERE, TO REFERENCE AS A WAY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

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WHY?

THIS IS A VITAL THING TO AT LEAST REFERENCE, TO GIVE YOUR PERSPECTIVE SOME CLARITY.

NO ONE CAN ANSWER THIS FOR YOU AND THERE’S PROBABLY NO ONE ANSWER ANYWAY, BUT IT’S HELPFUL TO HAVE AN IDEA TO PRESENT BECAUSE AT SOME POINT YOU WILL BE ASKED. WE THINK IT WORKS TO HAVE MULTIPLE ANSWERS, TO COVER THE DIFFERENT WAYS IT WILL BE ASKED. YOUR MUM ISN’T GOING TO CARE ABOUT THE ESOTERICA OF ALPINE ETHICS JUST LIKE YOUR CLIMBING PARTNERS MAY NOT CARE WHAT YOU SAY AT DINNER PARTIES ONCE HOME, BUT IT ALL ADDS UP TO MAKE A PERSPECTIVE THAT FITS IT INTO YOUR LIFE.

BE AWARE THAT AT SOME POINTS THE WHY MATTERS, SUCH AS TELLING YOUR LOVED ONES, IMMIGRATION, AND US. NONE OF US NEED TO KNOW THE INTRICACIES OR BORING DETAILS, BUT AS THIRD PARTIES WE NEED SOMETHING TO WORK WITH FOR YOUR SAKE.

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CAN I?

THIS IS EASY – YES YOU CAN.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, FIRST ASCENTS CAN BE SIMPLE, RELATIVELY EASY AND QUICK. WITH THOUSANDS OF OPTIONS, ROUTES CAN RANGE FROM FUN STUFF RIGHT UP TO THINGS THAT PUT IT ALL ON THE LINE. THE CLIMBING ITSELF CAN BE ANY VARIATION, SO IF YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN’T IT IS SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT.

AT AN OUTWARD LEVEL, YES YOU CAN WHEN IT COMES TO RULES, REGULATIONS AND LOGISTICS. ALMOST ANYTHING CAN BE DONE SO LONG AS THE WILL AND RESOURCES ARE APPLIED. SOME STUFF MEANS MORE MONEY, OR MORE EXPERTISE OR MORE RESEARCH, BUT THE PLACES ARE MOSTLY OPEN AND THE OBJECTIVES ARE MOSTLY THERE.

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SHOULD I?

AGAIN YES, BECAUSE ALPINISM HAS ALMOST LOST WHAT WAS ONCE IT’S CORE REFERENCE, TO CLIMB NEW TERRAIN. TO BE CLEAR WE DON’T THINK THE MASSES SHOULD START LINING UP LIKE THEY DO FOR EVEREST, BUT IF HAVE THE CAPACITY OR YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO YOUR BIT TO KEEP A FINE SPORT ALIVE.

NOWHERE ELSE IS THE SAYING ‘WHO DARES WINS’ MORE APPROPRIATE, WHERE TO TRY WHERE OTHERS FANTASIZE HAS SUCH A GREAT DIVIDE. EVEN TRIPS THAT DON’T SUMMIT, PERHAPS SPECTACULARLY SO, CONTAIN SO MUCH MORE AND CONTRIBUTE SO MUCH MORE TO CLIMBING AS TO BE A DIFFERENT PARADIGM. EVEN AN EASY FIRST ASCENT TO 4500m EXCEEDS THE CREDABILITY OF 100 ON EVEREST.

FIRST ASCENTS DEFINITIVELY ASNWER THE QUESTION OF ‘AM I A TOURIST?’. YOU ARE NOT. EXPLORER, NAVIGATOR, CARTOGRAPHER, RESEARCHER, TRAVELLER, OBSERVER – YES. BUT NOTHING IS FARTHER FROM BEING A TOURIST.

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CHOOSING PEOPLE

UP FRONT; NOT EVERYONE IS CUT OUT FOR FIRST ASCENTS. SOME FOLK NEED THE SECURITY AND EXPERIENCE OF LOTS OF KNOWN FACTORS, OR DON’T WORK WELL IN A TEAM THAT NEEDS TO FIGURE THINGS OUT AS THEY GO. SOME PEOPLE ARE MOTIVATED ONLY BY THE SUPERFICIAL IDEA OF NAMING A PEAK (OFTEN AFTER THEMSELVES), AND SOME PEOPLE SIMPLY LACK THE APTITUDE TO FACE THE UNKNOWN ON THIS SCALE.

GOOD TEAMS ARE WHEN EVERYONE SHARES THE PLEASURE OF PULLING OFF A CAPER, WITH EACH PERSON WORKING AS A PART OF THE WHOLE. THE EXPECTATION OF HARD WORK IS A GIVEN, AND THOSE WITH THE MENTALITY FOR FIRST ASCENTS TAKE IT ON OUT OF CURIOSITY AND HUMOUR.

BY FAR WHAT MATTERS MOST IS A SENSE OF FUN AND FRIENDSHIP, TO GO SOMEWHERE WITH FRIENDS AND GET SOMETHING UNIQUE DONE. WHEN THE ROUTE AND CLIMBING IS ITSELF SO OBSCURE YOU NEED TO CONNECT TO OTHER MORE KNOWABLE THINGS, TO GET YOU THROUGH THE TIMES WHEN YOU WONDER WHY YOU ARE THERE.

FIRST ASCENT TEAMS ARE NOT MADE UP OF DRONES WHO CLIMB LIKE MACHINES, THEY ARE MADE UP OF CLIMBERS WHO IDENTIFY ALSO AS EXPLORERS, ADVENTURERS AND MAYBE PIRATES AND ASCETICS. COLLECTIVELY THE TEAM MAINTAINS IT’S OWN UNIQUE CHARACTER, BECAUSE EVERYONE IS ALLOWED TO EXPRESS WHAT IT IS THEY WANT FROM THE EXPERIENCE.

ESTABLISHED FRIENDSHIPS ARE USUALLY GOOD BUT IT IS NOT UNKNOWN FOR THINGS TO FALL APART UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF A FIRST ASCENT. LIKEWISE CLIMBERS MEETING FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN FORGE FRIENDSHIPS BUILT ON THE SPECIFIC DEMANDS OF THE TRIP ITSELF, LEAVING OUT ANY HISTORY THAT CAN SABOTAGE A TRIP.

CHOOSE TEAM MATES YOU WANT TO DISCOVER STUFF WITH, BECAUSE IF YOU’VE NOT BEEN TO TIBET AND XINJIANG BEFORE THEN ONLY HALF OF WHAT AWAITS YOU IS THE CLIMBING. THE BEST TEAM MATES ARE THE ONES WHO CAN COPE WITH THE FOOD, CULTURE, TRAVEL AND RANDOMNESS, WITH ENQUIRING MINDS, TOLERANCE AND FUN. WE’VE SEEN WORLD CLASS CLIMBERS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO HANDLE THE CULTURE SHOCK OF TIBET, AND HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL PEOPLE BACK HOME WHO WERE CRUSHED BY THE IDIOSYNCHRACIES OF XINJIANG. SOME PEOPLE WON’T EVER GET THERE, BUT FOR OTHERS IT JUST TAKES THE RIGHT FACTORS, AND A GOOD TEAM CAN NAVIGATE THIS TOGETHER JUST LIKE THEY WILL THE HUNDRED OTHER DIFFICULTIES A FIRST ASCENT PRESENTS.

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CHOOSING A BIG PICTURE

IS THIS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT OR ARE YOU AIMING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER IN THE FUTURE? THE CONTEXT YOU FRAME A FIRST ASCENT IN DICTATES MUCH, INCLUDING THE YEARS YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU TO GET IT ALL DONE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY ASPIRATIONS ABOUT SERIOUS BIG ASCENTS SUCH AS WITHOUT O2 OR DIFFICULT ROUTES THE TOURISTS DON’T TAKE, THEN FIRST ASCENTS ARE WHERE YOU BUILD THE CONFIDENCE AND INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF ALPINE STYLE. THE HISTORICAL PROOF IS ALL TOO CLEAR ON THIS, THAT CLIMBERS WITH BACKGROUNDS IN LOWER FIRST ASCENTS WERE THE ONES DOING THE BEST STUFF ON 8000mers. THIS IS EXACTLY WHY 8000m CLIMBING HAS STALLED, BECAUSE THE BACKEND HAS BEEN LOST, PROVING THAT MORE INDUSTRIAL ASCENTS EVEN WHEN DONE FASTER DON’T EVER RESULT IN CUTTING EDGE STUFF LIKE NEW ROUTES, OR EVEN REPEATS OF LESSER KNOW ESTABLISHED ONES. VANGUARD 8000m ASCENTS ARE SIMPLY BUILT ON VANGUARD ASCENTS OF LOWER PEAKS.

BUT OF COURSE NOT ALL BIG PICTURES NEED BE THE REVOLUTION OR RETURN TO A BETTER LEVEL OF 8000m CLIMBING. PLENTY OF OTHER BIG PICTURES EXIST OR ARE THERE TO BE THOUGHT UP. THIS CAN BE ANYTHING FROM SERIAL ASCENTS OF CONTRIVED LISTS LIKE THE MOST REMOTE PEAKS OR 7000m NORTH FACES, OR HIGH ALTITUDE BIG WALLS OR SIMPLY JUST TO PURSUE THINGS LIKE PUSHING SEASONS, SPEED OR STYLES.

IN CHINA ESPECIALLY, THE RULES FOR EVERYTHING ARE DIFFERENT, INCLUDING CLIMATE, TOPOGRAPHY AND LOGISTICS. THE LIMITATIONS OF NEPAL AND PAKISTAN DON’T APPLY FOR THINGS LIKE MONSOONS, SEASONAL ACCESS, ALTITUDE GAIN AND ACCESS, MEANING NEW FORMS OF CLIMBING CAN BE DEVELOPED, TO THEN BE TAKEN TO THE KARAKORAM OR NOT.

FOR SOME CLIMBERS THEIR BIG PICTURE HAS NOTHING TO DO WHIZZ BANG CLIMBING AT ALL, AND FIRST ASCENTS MAY BE JUST THE VEHICLE FOR OTHER IDEAS. THE MOST REMOTE AND FRAGILE WILDERNESSES ARE THOSE OF HIGH ALTITUDE, AS ARE THE STARTING POINTS FOR THE WORLDS HIGHEST RIVERS, HABITATIONS AND ANIMALS. SIMPLY PUT THESE PLACES ARE AMONG, IF NOT THE, LEAST OBSERVED ENVIRONMENTS, ALREADY DISAPPEARING BEFORE WE EVER KNOW WHAT WAS THERE. WITH THE RETREAT OF GLACIERS ALL HIGH ALPINE AREAS ARE CHANGING, AND TO VISIT THEM NOW IS TO WITNESS A REMARKABLE TIME IN HISTORY.

SOME OF OUR TRIPS HAVE BEEN AS MUCH ABOUT CARTOGRAPHY AS CLIMBING, TO GET FIRST HAND VIEWS INTO GEOGRAPHICALLY IMPORTANT PLACES. SATELLITES AND BIG CAMERA LENSES ONLY PROVIDE THE DATA FOR PLANNING, AND THE REALITY ON THE GROUND IS ALWAYS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. FIRST ASCENTS BROADEN OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD, IF ONLY TO SEE HOW IT IS CHANGING. WE’VE SEEN GLACIERS DISAPPEAR, CITIES GO UP, FOUND REMNANTS OF CULTURES, GONE TO THE SOURCES AND TERMINATIONS OF RIVERS, LINKED UP SNOW PATCHES AND LAKE SYSTEMS, LOCATED WATERSHEDS AND CONFLUENCES, FOUND THE ACTUAL THRID POLE, FOLLOWED HERDS OF ANIMALS, DODGED BORDER GUARDS AND FOUND HUMAN REMAINS – ALL IN THE NAME OF FIRST ASCENTS, AND SOMETIMES COMBINED IN A SINGLE TRIP.

WE THINK THAT BIG PICTURES CAN BE NO LESS GRAND THAN THOSE OF SHIPTON, KUKUCZKA, CROWLEY OR BUHL, AND CAN BE MUCH MORE EXPANSIVE THAN ONLY CLIMBING MOUNTAINS. BIG PICTURES CAN BE AS PROFOUND ESOTERICALLY AS THEY CAN OUTWARDLY, FROM TRIPS OF A LIFETIME TO SIMPLY LIFESTYLES – SO LONG AS YOU DON’T ACCEPT LIMITS YOU SET BY YOURSELF.

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CHOOSING YOUR SKILLSETS

BE READY TO CLIMB ANYTHING, BUT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT.

IT IS THE COLLECTIVE SKILLSET THAT MATTERS ON A FIRST ASCENT, AND NOT EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE A VIRTUOSO ALPINIST. YOU NEED TO POOL YOUR ABILITIES, FORTIFY YOUR EFFORTS AND PUT AWAY YOUR EGOS WHEN IT’S TIME TO GET THE JOB DONE.

DISCERN WHAT YOUR IDEAS ARE THEN SET ABOUT WORKING ON THE SKILLS YOU WILL NEED IN TRAINING. TIBETAN PEAKS USUALLY HAVE LOTS OF ICE, INCLUDING GLACIAL STUFF, WHILST THE KARAKORAM HAS HUGE AMOUNTS OF STEEP SNOW AND ROCK BUTTRESSES. GET AS GOOD AS YOU CAN WITH FINDING AND PLACING BASIC GEAR ACROSS BIG PITCHES, AND HANDLING ROPES SIMPLY, ESPECIALLY ON RAPPELS. YOU NEED SOLID ‘BREAD AND BUTTER’ SKILLS, NOT FANCY GYMNASTIC GRADES, AND NEED TO BE ABLE TO ROLL THEM OUT ON AUTOPILOT AFTER DOUBLE-DIGIT HOURS OF BRAIN-FRYING ALTITUDE.

DON’T OVERLOOK EACH PERSONS BASIC SKILLSET, WHICH SHOULD INCLUDE FAMILIARITY WITH AID TECHNIQUES, ICE, ROCK AND BIVYS. SHIFT YOUR VIEW TO INCLUDE YADING ON GEAR, STEPPING IN SLINGS, AND HAMMERING METAL BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO BE THE GUY WHO STALLS AT 6000m BECAUSE BACK HOME YOU NEVER LEARNED TO FRIG A FEW METERS OF BLANK ROCK. FIRST ASCENTS ARE TOLERATED, NOT FOR BAD BEHAVIOUR, BUT FOR PROGRESS BY FAIR MEANS TO USE THE GEAR YOU SET OUT WITH.

UNDERSTAND THAT THE CLIMBERS YOU IDOLIZE USUALLY CLIMBED NO BETTER THAN YOU, THEY SIMPLY APPLIED IT TO BETTER OBJECTIVES AND IN WAYS MORE FEARLESSLY. THE STUFF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AT 60m THEY FEEL GOOD WITH AT 6000m, AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU IS THE VISION AND COMMITMENT TO REALIZE IT.

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PLANNING

INVEST IN YOUR PLAN A, BUT ALWAYS HAVE PLANS B, C & D READY.

WE LIKEN FIRST ASCENTS TO BANK HEISTS; THEY HAVE A HUGE AMOUNT OF METICULOUS AND CREATIVE PLANNING, WITH A FINAL SHORT BOUT OF EXECUTION WHERE NOTHING IS EXPECTED TO GO TO PLAN. IF YOU LIKE OCEANS ELEVEN YOU SHOULD LIKE PLANNING FIRST ASCENTS, AND THE PLANS THAT YOU WEAVE TO MAKE THE UNKNOWN DOABLE.

PLANNING THESE TRIPS IS A MATTER OF OVERLAPPING FACTORS, SOME KNOWN SOME NOT, AND BRIDGING THE GREY AREAS WITH GOOD JUDGEMENT. IF EVERYTHING WAS KNOWN THERE WOULD BE NO ATTRACTION, AND NOTHING BEATS THE FEELING OF GETTING A PLAN RIGHT.

FULL FIRST ASCENTS OWE AS MUCH TO PLANNING THE APPROACH AS THE ACTUAL CLIMBING, WHICH INCLUDES ACCLIMATIZATION AND IS NEVER AS DISTINCT AS THINGS LIKE TRIPS TO EVEREST. REMOVE THE HUGE INDUSTRY WHERE ENTIRE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE SET UP TO FUNNEL TOURISTS TO SOMETHING LIKE EVEREST JUST BY FOLLOWING THE SIGNS, AND YOU GET TO PLAN SOMETHING UNIQUE THAT BEGINS AT THE AIRPORT.

FOOD, TIMELINES, LOADS, NAVIGATION, FUEL, ALTITUDES, WATER AND A DOZEN OTHER THINGS ALL GET PUT TOGETHER IN A ONE-OFF EQUATION SO A FEW PEOPLE MIGHT STAND ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN AND IT’S A HIGH ART WORTH LEARNING. SET AGAINST WHAT A WEAK HUMAN CAN DO IN A 3 DIMENSIONAL ENVIRONMENT, PLANNING ALL THE ELEMENTS IS AS MUCH CREATIVE AS IT IS ACEDEMIC. YES THERE ARE ESTABLISHED EQUATIONS AND LIMITS AND PROCESSES, BUT MOST HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED ELSEWHERE AND NEVER FITTED INTO TIBET. EVERYONE KNOWS INCIDENTS WHEN THE RULES DIDN’T APPLY, AND HALF THE FUN OF CLIMBING IN CHINA IS FIND NEW WAYS TO BEND THEM. THE WAY THINGS WORK SOUTH OF THE HIMALAYA, OR IN ALASKA OR EUROPE, ISN’T ALWAYS THE SAME WHEN TRANSPOSED TO SOMEWHERE LIKE XINJIANG.

THESE DIFFERENCES ARE WHAT FRAMES A TIBET OR XINJIANG TRIP, AND THROWS PLANNING INTO HYPERDRIVE, AND FINDING NEW WAYS TO DO THNGS IS THE BEST PART OF THE JOB. WHILST THE WORLD WALLOWS IN FILTH AND A STAGNANT INDUSTRY ELSEWHERE BECAUSE A DINOSAUR MODEL IS FINDING IT’S FAILINGS, NEW PARADIGMS OF CLIMBING ARE EMERGING IN CHINA UNHEARD OF ELSEWHERE.

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RESEARCH

START WITH GOOGLE EARTH AND A COFFEE AND BE READY TO HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN, BECAUSE WHAT IS OUT THERE NORTH OF THE HIMALAYAN DIVIDE IS A UNIVERSE OF CLIMBING.

NARROW DOWN WHAT YOU LIKE THE LOOK OF THEN START GOOGLING EVERYTHING YOU CAN FIND, WINNOWING DOWN IMAGES, REPORTS AND INFORMATION FROM ANYWHERE YOU CAN TO FORM A DOSSIER. NEVER OVERLOOK SEARCHES IN OTHER LANGUAGES, BECAUSE THE JAPANESE, RUSSIANS, POLISH AND IRANIANS HAVE BEEN GOING TO THESE PLACES LONGER THAN ANYONE WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH, AND THE CHINESE OF COURSE HAVE A VAST AMOUNT OF INFORMATION OUT THERE.

GET USED TO THE NAMES, AND ROADS AND CITIES AND SURROUNDING PEAKS, SO YOU KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE AND CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION. SEE WHAT PEOPLE LIVE WHERE, WHAT THEIR LANGUAGE AND HISTORY IS, SO YOU CAN THINKING OF THESE PLACES 3 DIMENSIONALLY, NOT JUST AS A CLIMBER. IN PLACES WHERE NO CLIMBING HISTORY EXISTS – BASICALLY EVERYWHERE OTHER THAN A FEW SPOTS LIKE K2 AND MINYA KONKA – YOU NEED TO PIECE TOGETHER OTHER WAYS TO INTERSECT WITH WHAT’S THERE BECAUSE THERE WON’T BE A TOUR WAITING.

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DECIDING COSTS

NINE OUT OF TEN OF OUR TRIPS ARE WORKING PEOPLE, USUALLY WITH FAMILIES, TAKING HOLIDAYS FROM WORK THAT THEY HAVE SAVED UP FOR. FORGET CONRAD ANKER AND PEOPLE COVERED IN LOGOS AND ON THE PAYROLL OF BLACK DIAMOND WITH CUSTOM GEAR, THE PEOPLE DOING FIRST ASCENTS WORK NORMAL JOBS AND FLY ECONOMY.

THE POINT IS THAT SUCH THINGS HAVE THEIR COSTS, BUT ARE WITHIN NORMAL WAGE TOLERANCES, WHICH DOESN’T MEAN THEY ARE CHEAP BUT THEY CAN BE SAVED FOR IF YOU REALLY WANT IT. MOST TRIPS COST THE SAME AS ANY OTHER BESPOKE ITINERARY, AND MOST OF OUR CLIMBERS SAVE OVER ABOUT A YEAR FOR IT. OF COURSE SOME TRIPS LIKE K2 ARE SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS, BUT EVEN STILL THOSE CLIMBERS ARE NORMAL, WHO PAY FOR IT ALL BY MAKING CHOICES THAT GET THEM THERE.

WE COST THINGS AS WHAT THEY ARE – UNIQUE EXPEDITIONS – SO EVERYTHING CAN BE TWEAKED AND ARRANGED TO MEET REAL WORLD PRICES. WE DON’T SET MANY OF THE COSTS, INCLUDING WAGES, LOGISTICS AND PERMITS WHICH ARE SET BY THE CHINA GOVERNMENT, BUT WE CAN ADJUST MANY OTHERS TO MEET THE RESOURCES OF CLIMBERS.

THERE’S SEVERAL WAYS TO KEEP COSTS DOWN WITH A FIRST ASCENT, INCLUDING CHOICE OF OBJECTIVE, HOW YOU EAT AND THE STYLE OF YOUR CLIMBING. REMOTENESS, ALTITUDE AND OBSCURITY ALL HAVE THEIR COSTS, JUST AS FANCY FREEZE DRIED FOOD FROM HOME COSTS MORE THAN CHOICES IN-COUNTRY. STYLE PERHAPS IS THE BIGGEST COST FACTOR, AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR IDEAS SET BY WHAT THEY HAVE KNOWN IN NEPAL, WILL BE SURPRISED THAT OTHER STYLES CAN COST VERY DIFFERENTLY.

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DECIDE YOUR TIME FRAME

HAVE YOU GOT TWO WEEKS OR TWO MONTHS? BECAUSE THAT’S FUNDAMENTALLY WHAT WILL DECIDE YOUR OBJECTIVE AND STYLE, WITH MORE TIME HAVING MORE OPTIONS AND CONTINGENCY AND OPPORTUNITY.

WE’VE DONE FIRST ASCENTS TO ALMOST 6000m ON UNDOCUMENTED PEAKS WITHOUT SUPPORT IN UNDER THREE WEEKS, BASED ON METICULOUS PLANNING, EXPERT EXECUTION AND KNOWING THE WEATHER. BUT WE’VE ALSO BLOWN TRIPS, WHERE CLIMBERS WANTED TOO MUCH TOO FAST, WHERE A FEW EXTRA DAYS WOULD HAVE RESOLVED ALL THE PROBLEMS.

BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR TIMELINES BECAUSE NO ONE REGRETS A FEW EXTRA DAYS, TO EAT BETTER, SLEEP BETTER AND GET MORE INTO THE GROOVE OF THE TRIP. CHINA IS ALREADY FAR MORE EFFICIENT THAN ANY OTHER HIGH ALTITUDE COUNTRY, SO YOU CAN PLAN WITH ENOUGH TIME TO DO THINGS PROPERLY.

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CAPACITY

SKILLSET IS ONE THING, THE CAPACITY TO EXECUTE IT ALL IS ANOTHER, AND THE BEST CLIMBER BECOMES USELESS IF THEY CAN’T GET TO THE PEAK. FIRST ASCENTS BY DEFINITION INVOLVE DECISIONS AND ACTIONS THAT MUST BE FORTIFIED WITH THE CAPACITY TO ADDRESS UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, BE IT YOMPING BIG LOADS OR CLIMBING THROUGH DARKNESS OR THE STRESSES OF DESCENTS ON MINIMAL GEAR.

EVERYONE THINKS THEY ARE UP FOR IT, BUT EVERYONE HAS THEIR LIMITS, AND WE FIND IT QUITE COMMON THAT PEOPLE DON’T REALLY KNOW THERE OWN. MAYBE YOU DID LUMP A 50kg PACK ONCE, TEN YEARS AGO, BUT HAVE YOU DONE IT AGAIN SINCE? DO YOU REALLY CLIMB 5.13 OR M8 CONSISTENTLY? WAS YOUR TIME AT -30c ON A MOUNTAIN OR DOWNTOWN? WE’VE MET CLIMBERS WHO DID EVEREST BUT NEVER SET UP TENT AND OTHERS WHO SEVERLY MISREPRESENTED THEIR EXPERIENCE, EFFECTIVELY HOBBLING WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN GOOD TRIPS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY THEY ARE. AT IT’S WORST IT’S DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS, SO IN OUR INTERESTS TO CALL OUT, BUT MOSTLY IT’S POINTLESS OR EXPENSIVE OR BOTH.

SKILLS CAN BE LEARNED, FITNESS TRAINED, EXPERIENCE GATHERED – THERE IS NO REASON TO MISMATCH THE CAPACITY WITH THE TRIP. WE KNOW FIRST ASCENTS WAITING WITH DIRECT SIGHT OF TOWN, AND OTHERS THAT CAN BE DONE AS THE LEARNING CURVE ITSELF. IN FACT WE HAVE CLIMBERS WHO HAVE MADE THEIR ENTIRE PROGRESSION THAT OF FIRST ASCENTS, DEVELOPING IN A WAY IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL NOW. BY INCREASING DIFFICULTY, ALTITUDE, REMOTENESS AND STYLE, THIS GENERATION OF CLIMBER WILL BE INCREDIBLE ONCE THEY MEET MATURITY.

BE SQUARE WITH YOURSELF, BE SQUARE WITH US, AND THE THINGS YOU CAN DO FAR OUTWEIGH WHAT CONNING YOURSELF WILL.

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CHOOSING GEAR

THINGS LIKE BIG WALLS, WINTER ASCENTS AND LIGHTENING ASCENTS REQUIRE EXPENSIVE GEAR THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD. YES, YOU CAN CLIMB SOME STUFF WITH BASICALLY WHAT YOU WOULD USE ON A WEEKEND IN SCOTLAND, BUT START TOYING WITH IDEAS ABOUT PORTALEDGES, EXTREME CONDITIONS AND CUSTOM SPECIALIST GEAR AND THE EQUATION STARTS TO CHANGE.

MORE IMPORTANT THAT WHAT YOU BRING ON A FIRST ASCENT IS WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND, AND NO ONE KNOWS THE BUZZ OF EXCISING STUFF FROM THE LIST LIKE A FIRST ASCENTIONIST. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR NOVEL, UNTESTED GEAR OR PEDANTIC ORGANIZATION, AND CLIMBING CONFIDANTLY WITH CONCISE SELECTION OF STUFF YOU KNOW HOW TO PUSH THE LIMITS ON IS WHERE THE CRAFT OF ALPINISM STARTS TO BECOME POETRY. CAN YOU DO THIS NONSTOP IF YOU GET THE BASECAMP RIGHT? COULD YOU USE SNOWHOLES INSTEAD OF TENTS, OR THREADS INSTEAD OF WIRES?

THE BEST FIRST ASCENTS ARE ESSENTIALLY ‘ONSIGHT’ WHERE OBJECTIVE AND STYLE ARE MATCHED WELL TO THE GEAR. RESEARCHING THE ASCENT AND ROUTE, DETERMINING HOW YOU WILL CLIMB IT, THEN OUTFITTING YOURSELF IS A REAL SKILLSET TO GET GOOD AT, SO YOU TURN UP TO CLIMB WITH THE RIGHT STUFF FOR THE TASK.

ESPECIALLY ON UNSUPPORTED ASCENTS – WHICH MANY FIRST ASCENTS ARE – HAVING TO CARRY EVERYTHING YOURSELF QUICKLY MOTIVATES A CLIMBER TO CHOOSE WELL. ADVANCES IN MATERIALS AND DESIGN HAVE MADE HUGE IMPACTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND EXPLOITED WELL HAVE CHANGED WHAT CAN BE DONE, RATHER THAN HOOSING MORE GEAR THAT MONEY CAN BE PUT TOWARDS LIGHTER, STRONGER AND MORE ERGONOMIC STUFF, AMPLIFYING THE EQUATION TO EVEN GREATER POTENTIAL BY REDUCING WEIGHT AND COMPLEXITY, AND INCREASING RESILIENCE.

AWAY FROM THE GEAR FETISHISM THAT PLAGUES CLIMBING, THIS IS WHERE REAL PROGRESS CAN HAPPEN AND IS AN EXCITING THING, BUT INVOLVES CHOOSING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. LOOSING 300g ON A TENT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN A LIGHTER PACK, BECAUSE IT MAY MAKE MORE SENSE TO REPLACE THAT 300g WITH 1500kcals OR MORE FUEL. THIS IS WHERE YOUR RESEARCH COMES IN, SO ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT LOADS YOU CAN CARRY YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN FILL IT.

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SO…

THE FINAL WORD IS THAT FIRST ASCENTS ARE THERE FOR THE DOING – WHEN THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO DO THEM STEP UP TO THE PLATE. WE HAVE ACTUALLY BE HERE BEFORE, IN THE LATE 90s & EARLY 2000s WHEN MANY OF THE WORLDS FINEST CLIMBERS DESCENDED ON TIBET ESPECIALLY AS IT OPENED, ONLY FOR THE CLIMBING SCENE TO TURN AWAY AND DROP THE BALL. SIGNIFICANT FIRST ASCENTS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN NOW, THEY HAPPEN OF COURSE BUT TRENDS LAY ELSEWHERE INCLUDING THE SERIAL ASCENTS THAT MAKE THE HEADLINES, THAT HAVE DISGUISED LOGISTICS AS CLIMBING TO AN UNDISCERNING AUDIENCE.

THE MYTH HAS CREPT IN THAT THERE’S NOTHING LEFT TO CLIMB, AN ABSOLUTE FALACY THAT BELIES NOT EVEN HAVING LOOKED AT A MAP WHICH IS THE LOWEST BAR. IN MOST CIRCLES WE HAPPILY LET THIS MYTH PROPIGATE, FEELING THE LAST HIGH ALTITUDE WILDERNESSES NEED TO BE DEFENDED NOW THEY ARE SO RARE, BUT TO THOSE WITH THE WHEREWITHALL TO HAVE READ THIS FAR WE ARE HAPPY TO SHOW HOW IT’S DONE.