K2, KARAKORAM & TIBET PRICES NOW AVAILABLE

IT’S BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, HUNDREDS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHINA AUTHORITIES, A LOT OF CHANGES AND ENDLESS PATIENCE, BUT WHERE OTHERS GAVE UP LONG AGO WE HAVE PREVAILED. WE SAID WE’D OPEN UP TRIPS TO PLACES LIKE THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 AND WE HAVE.

IF YOU’RE LOOKING AT THIS SIGHT THEN YOU WILL ALREADY KNOW WE HAVE LITTLE ASIDE FROM SURLY EMAILS CONNECTING US TO 8000m EXPEDITIONS ELSEWHERE, AND THESE TRIPS ONLY CONFIRM THIS. AS THE 8000m JUGGERNAUT RAMPS UP WITH RECORD NUMBERS OF PERMITS, DEATHS, TICK LISTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA COVERAGE, WE ARE PREPARING TO GO INTO AREAS UNTOUCHED FOR YEARS. OVER THAT TIME THE WORLD HAS MOVED ONWARDS, INCREASING THE DIVERGENCE BETWEEN WHAT GOES ON BETWEEN THE TWO STYLES, WITH OUR TRIPS BEING THE LAST CHANCES TO SEE WHAT 8000m WILDERNESS USED TO LOOK LIKE.

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TRIP COSTS REFLECT THESE YEARS OF CHANGES, AND TO OUR ASTONISHMENT WORKED OUT EVEN LOWER THAN EXPECTED, BEING AMONG THE CHEAPER TRIPS TO K2 AND THE KARAKORAM THAT ARE INTERNATIONALLY LEAD. OF COURSE WHERE THE MONEY GOES ON OUR TRIPS IS VERY DIFFERENT BECAUSE IT OPERATES WITHIN A DIFFERENT ECONOMY, AND HAS DIFFERENT FACTORS TO ADDRESS AND DIFFERENT VALUES INSTILLED. THINGS LIKE REAL LIVING WAGES, CUSTOM EQUIPMENT, ADVANCED INFRASTRUCTURE, RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS AND PREACCLIMATIZATION ALL ARE UNIQUE TO THESE TRIPS, SUPPLANTING THE USUAL COSTS OF OXYGEN SETS, MASS COMMERCIALISM AND A PERMIT SYSTEM THAT LEAVES A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

THESE TRIPS TAKE PLACE IN A DIFFERENT PARADIGM TO 8000m TRIPS ELSEWHERE, NOT CATERING TO THE MASSES WHO COVER A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ABILITIES. WHILST NO ONE NEEDS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL OR ELITE CLIMBER, THESE TRIPS ARE NOT FOR ROOKIES WHO HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING BEFORE.

FOR THOSE WORKING THEIR WAY THROUGH AN ‘APPRENTICESHIP’ OF THIS SORT OF CLIMBING, WE PRESENT AN OPTION THAT DOESN’T CULMINATE WITH HAVING TO JOIN THE CROWDS AT EVEREST. WE OFFER THE ALTERNATIVE, THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE HISTORICAL CURVE OF HIGH ALPINISM, CONTINUING UPWARDS WITH GREATER ETHICS RATHER THAN STALLING RIGHT AT THE FINAL PHASE.

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TO FIT OUT THIS CURVE OF HIGH STANDARD ALPINISM WE RUN TRIPS IN A DIRECT PIPELINE TO OBJECTIVES LIKE THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2, PLOTTING ACROSS 5000, 6000 & 7000M ASCENTS, ALL WITHIN GOOD STYLE. EVERY TRIP BUILDS ON THE CONCEPTS OF CLIMBING BETTER AND WITH MORE SELF-RELIANCE, AS WELL AS FAMILIARIZING WITH THE IDIOSYNCRACIES OF CLIMBING WAY OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRIAL NORMS.

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SO THIS IS IT, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE WAITED, STUCK WITH US ANDKEPT THE DREAM, TO THOSE WHO DARE COME THE SPOILS AND THE CHANGE TO BE PART OF THE BETTER ALTERNATIVE. SO EVERYONE IS CLEAR, OUR AIM IS NOT TO OPEN UP THE NORTH SIDE TO WHAT WE KNOW ARE THE FAILURES OF ELSEWHERE, BUT TO DEFEND THE LAST REAL HIGH ALTITUDE WILDERNESSES SO ALL CLIMBING HAS A WORTHY CONVERGENCE POINT.