THE 10 ESSENTIALS* OF HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINE CLIMBING
IN THIS CASE ‘ESSENTIAL’ MEANS THINGS AT THE ESSENCE OF ALPINISM, SO THESE ARE THE 10 THINGS THAT SET ALPINE STYLE HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING APART FROM THE SAFARI VERSION. SOME THINGS ARE ATTRIBUTES THAT GIVE CLARITY AND DIRECTION TO TRIPS WITH MANY UNKNOWNS, OTHER THINGS ARE BITS OF GEAR THAT MAY BE ALIEN TO THE GUIDED CLIMBER.
AS ALWAYS, NONE OF THIS MEANS ANYTHING WITHOUT REAL WORLD USE AND GOING THROUGH THE GRINDER OF RAW EXPERIENCE. ALPINISM HAS DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS AND DIFFERS BETWEEN HOW IT READS ON PAPER AND HOW IT PLAYS OUT, AND THOUGH WE MAY NOT BE SURE WHAT IT’S DEFINED BY, WE KNOW WHAT IT ISN’T.
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1) INTEGRITY
THIS ISN’T THE CORNY ASPERSION ON CHARACTER, BUT THE REAL MEANING OF INTEGRATING A WHOLE SET OF VALUES INTO YOUR ACTIONS. THESE VALUES OF BIG ALPINISM ARE NOT NECESSARILY ANY BETTER THAN THE COMPETITION (OK, MAYBE THEY ARE…), BUT THEY ARE FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT WITH LESS OVERLAP THAN IT MAY APPEAR.
THE HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINIST HAS TO COMBINE AND EQUILIBRILIZE A RANGE OF THINGS AS VARIED AS THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TO WHAT THEY TELL THEIR LOVED ONES BACK HOME. WITHOUT THE STANDARDIZED ELEMENTS AND CLEARLY LAID OUT TROPES, FINDING A COMFORTABLE HEADSPACE WITH BIG ALPINISM CAN BE COMPLICATED AND OBSCURE. ANY GEAR SHOP WILL SELL YOU THE ENTIRE 8000m COMMERCIAL MINDSET, WHERE WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT YOU GET ISN’T TOO FAR REMOVED, BUT THE TRAPPINGS OF INDEPENDANT ALPINE CLIMBING IN HIGH AND REMOTE PLACES ARE HARDER TO FIND.
INDEPENDENT BIG TRIPS QUITE LITERALLY NEED TO BE INTEGRATED INTO YOU LIFE, BECAUSE UNLIKE COMMERCIAL TRIPS THERE ARE FEW CLEAR ELEMENTS. THE INTERNET WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE ABOUT EVEREST OR DENALI, BUT IT WON’T EVEN ABOUT MOST 7000m PEAKS, SO THE RESPONSIBILITY IS YOURS ACCROSS SEVERAL FIELDS OF KNOWLEDGE.
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2) TECHNICAL GLOVES
YOU WON’T BE YARDING FIXED LINES AND PLUNGING AN AXE ALL THE WAY, SO YOU NEED PROPER GLOVES FOR PROPER CLIMBING WHICH IS NO MINOR THING. THERE IS NO ONE OR EVEN TWO GLOVES FOR THIS, YOU WILL NEED A RANGE SPANNING MITTS DOWN TO LINERS. FULL CONDITIONS GLOVES AND MITTS ARE NOT CHEAP AND DESERVE YOUR DOLLAR. IF WHAT YOU ARE CLIMBING IS COLD THEN A SET OF SUPER LIGHT, SUPER HIGH LOFT DOWN MITTS THAT CRUSH DOWN TO LIVE INSIDE YOUR JACKET, FOR IMMEDIATE WARMTH WILL BE A LAYER OF INSURANCE BETWEEN YOU AND THE SURGEON.
TECHNICAL GLOVES NEED TO HANDLE FIDDLY GEAR LIKE PITONS, AND THOSE JAPANESE WORK GLOVES MAY BE FINE FOR A DAYS ICE CLIMBING BUT DON’T DRY OVERNIGHT. THEY DO THOUGH HAVE A PLACE FOR DIGGING (WHICH IS WHAT THEY ARE MADE FOR), AND SAVE YOUR GOOD GLOVES FROM THE INEVITABLE SOAKING.
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3) DOWN SOX
WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN YOU WILL BE MUCH COLDER AT NIGHT SO THIS IS A WAY TO HELP KEEP YOUR FEET WARM ENOUGH TO SLEEP. DON’T SETTLE FOR CHEAP LODGE BOOTIES UNLESS YOU THINK 10 TOES IS MORE THAN YOU NEED, LOOK FOR THE FLUFFIEST, HIGHEST FILL DOWN YOU CAN AFFORD.
LIKE GLOVES, WHEN HI SPEC ENOUGH THESE CAN LIVE IN YOUR JACKET FOR IMMEDIATE WARMTH ONCE YOU GET INTO THE TENT. GOOD ONES WEIGH ONLY ABOUT 100g AND CRUSH DOWN TO FIST SIZED, THOUGH FOR SOME REASON ARE OVERLOOKED BY THE MAIN MARKET SO USUALLY COME FROM COTTAGE PRODUCERS.
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4) INTENT
BIG ALPINE WANTS AND ASKS DIFFERENT THINGS, AND THE INTENT THAT GETS YOU FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM TO A ROUTE NO ONE HAS HEARD OF IN A PLACE THEY CAN’T PRONOUNCE IS VERY UNLIKE WHAT YOU SEE ON COMMERCIAL TRIPS. CLIMBERS THAT DO THIS STUFF ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE, AND RESPONDING TO DIFFERENT STIMULI, AND DO THINGS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS THAN THOSE CLIPPING THE FIXED LINE.
FOR MANY THE INTENT IS TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, TO HAVE AS A GOAL BEING AS FAR FROM OTHER SORTS OF EXPERIENCE AS POSSIBLE. THIS CAN MEAN FIRST ASCENTS AT A SUPERFICIAL LEVEL, BUT THAT IS OFTEN JUST A CATCH PHRASE FOR A WHOLE MATRIX OF INTENTIONS ABOUT SELF-SELECTION, SELF-RELIANCE, SELF RESPECT AND SELF-DETERMINATION.
SELF-DIRECTED TRIPS CAN BREAKDOWN WHEN INTENT IS LOST, WITH TOO MANY ‘WE’LL SEES’, ‘WE’LL WORK IT OUT LATERS’ AND DISTRACTIONS. THE THING THAT PULLS TEAMS THROUGH IS A SHARED INTENT WHERE MULTIPLE IDEAS CONVERGE, AND EVERYONE IS CLEAR WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH ALL THIS FOR.
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5) VISION
VISION IS A CORNY WORD, LONG AGO HIJACKED INTO MEANINGLESSNESS BY THE SELF-HELP AND MOTIVATIONAL CROWD, BUT IT STILL HAS A PLACE IN SOMETHING AS FRACTALISH AS ALPINISM.
THIS STUFF REALLY HAS NOTHING BUT VISION, BECAUSE UNLIKE SAFARI CLIMBING WHICH HAS THE INTEREST AND AUDIENCE OF ANY MAINSTREAM SPORT, CLIMBING UNNAMED PEAKS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RANGE AT THE WRONG TIME OF YEAR HAS NO REAL FOLLOWING SO RELIES ONLY ON IT’S OWN CONCEPTS TO MAKE HAPPEN.
PUT ANOTHER WAY, WITHOUT THE VISION ALPINISM DOESN’T HAPPEN. WHEREAS COMMERCIAL CLIMBING EXISTS AS AN INDUSTRY THAT SELF-SUSTAINS, HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINISM HAS NO INHERENT EXISTENCE OTHER THAN THOSE WHO DO IT MAKING IT SO. NOTHING ABOUT IT EXISTS AS A STANDALONE, DEDICATED ROLE LIKE THE GUIDES, PORTERS, HELICOPTERS etc OF COMMERCIAL CLIMBING – IF ALPINIST DON’T SHOW UP ALPINISM DOESN’T EXIST BEYOND AN IDEA.
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6) 5mm CORD
GUIDED CLIMBERS DON’T NEED STUFF LIKE THIS BUT YOU DO, AND 20m OF 5mm EACH WILL HAVE COUNTLESS USES FROM TYING DOWN TENTS TO EXTENDING RAPPELS, V-THREADS, HANDLINES, STRAPPING STUFF TO PACKS AND HAULING LIGHT LOADS.
LONG ENOUGH AMOUNTS OF CORD FORM A PART OF YOUR ‘GET BACK HOME KIT’ WHICH IS GEAR AND SKILLS THAT HELP YOU ESCAPE OR HUNKER DOWN. STASHED IN A LITTLE BAG WITH A TINY KNIFE THIS IS JUST PART OF YOUR PERSONAL GEAR, KEPT WITHIN EASY REACH FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS ON THE GO.
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7) APPROACH PACK
COMMERCIAL TRIPS WITH PORTERS DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THESE ARE, AND THE MARKET REFLECTS THAT WITH BARELY HAVING ANY EXAMPLES. IF ANYTHING SETS HI ALT ALPINISM APART IT IS THE NEED TO MOVE WEEKS WORTH OF GEAR UP LOW GRADE TECHNICAL TERRAIN, AND ANYONE WHO HAS DONE THIS KNOWS HOW VITAL THE RIGHT PACK IS.
EXPECT LOADS TO BE ABOUT 100L AND WEIGH AT LEAST 25kg, WHICH DISQUALIFIES 99% OF PACKS, AND WALKS A FINE LINE BETWEEN BEING STRUCTURALLY STRONG AND VERY LIGHT. OVER 25kg EVERY ADDITIONAL FEW HUNDRED GRAMS YOU REALLY FEEL, AND THE REAL TEST IS IN THE RETURN WHEN YOU ARE EXHAUSTED. A LOT OF GEAR HAS BEEN LEFT BEHIND BECAUSE IT JUST COULDN’T BE CARRIED OUT AGAIN, SO EVERY USELESS GIMMICK ON A PACK TRANSLATES TO TRASH ON A MOUNTAIN.
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8) CLIPPERS
THE SINGLE-AXE CROWD MAY NOT KNOW WHAT THESE ARE, BUT ANYONE JUGGLING TWO TOOLS AND ICE SCREWS ON STEEP TERRAIN KNOWS THEM AS STANDARD. CLIPPERS USUALLY RACK STUFF BUT CRITICALLY GIVE ANY EASY AND FAST WAY TO SECURE A TOOL SO YOU CAN USE YOUR HANDS, IMPORTANT FOR ABSEILING AND SECTIONS OF FREE MOVES.
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9) MONKEYS FIST TIE IN
TYING IN TO SLEEP IS A CHARACTER BUILDING AFFAIR AND THE KNOWING ALPINST HAS A MONKEY FIST READY TO GO. BY ITS NATURE, IF YOU ARE TYING INTO A BIVY THINGS ARE SOMEWHERE OUT ON THE EDGE, AND NOT REALLY THE TIME TO MAKE ONE AS THEY DO NEED A BIT OF ATTENTION.
THESE THINGS ARE TINY BUT REALLY CHANGE THE WAY THINGS GO WHEN NEEDED MOST, BRINGING EXTRA SECURITY TO WHAT IS A SIGNATURE OF POTENTIALLY HAVING PUSHED TOO FAR. THOUGH ACTUAL ACCIDENTS FROM FAILING TO TIE IN ARE RARE, PLENTY OF BAD NIGHTS HAVE BEEN CLOCKED UP, WHERE HAVING A MONKEY FIST HANDY WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE JERRY RIGGING OUT.
IN THE OFF SEASON THEY MAKE A GOOD, SMUG KEY RING.
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10) TOOL LEASHES
EVEN THE HARDEST ICE CLIMBER KNOWS THERE’S A TIME WHEN THE CONSEQUENCES OF DROPPING A TOOL ARE TOO HIGH, AND CLIPS IN HAPPILY WHEN IT COMES. THESE ARE NOT THE LANKY SINGLE AXE LEASHES THAT DROOP FROM THE HEAD OF AN AXE, BUT THE SPRUNG, DOUBLE LEASHES THAT CLIP TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HAND RESTS AND ARE A NECESSARY EVIL. EVEN IF NOT USED, ANY SERIOUS ROUTE ON A BIG PEAK WILL HAVE LEASHES CARRIED, AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE YEARS BETWEEN GETTING THEM OUT.
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11) GUILE
TODAY, ALPINISM PARTLY EXISTS AS THE POLARITY TO INDUSTRIAL CLIMBING, KNOWINGLY UPHOLDING VALUES THAT HAVE BEEN ERODED ELSEWHERE. THIS DOESN’T MEAN ANIMOSITY, BUT THE DAYS OF ‘IT’S ALL JUST MOUNTAINEERING ‘ ARE OVER, AND THOSE WHO SIDE WITH ALPINISM KNOW THEY ARE NOT WHAT THE MAINSTREAM LIKES.
WE LIKEN IT TO SKATEBOARDING, ANOTHER MAVERICK SPORT, WHERE ANY ATTEMPT TO MAKE IT MAINSTREAM IS TREATED WITH SUSPICION AND SCORN. ALL ARE FREE TO JOIN IN, BUT MUST LEAVE THEIR COMMERCIAL EXPECTATIONS AT THE DOOR, WHICH NEEDS A STRAIN OF GUILE TO CREATE THE DIVIDE THAT KEEPS THINGS DISTINCT. ALPINISM NOW IS ABOUT NOT BEING SAFARI CLIMBING, AND NO EFFORT TO CLEAN UP THE QUAGMIRES OF EVEREST AND K2 WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH TO RESURRECT THAT INDUSTRYS REPUTATION.
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*10, 11, WHATEVER. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN CLICKBAIT FOR THE SEARCH ENGINES AND FODDER FOR THE AI TRAVEL SITES.