STEVE HOUSE, GEAR FOR NANGA PARBAT REAPPRAISAL; 20 YEARS ON

WE KNOW IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GEAR. WE KNOW THAT STEVE HOUSE AND VINCE ANDERSON DID WHAT THEY DID ON NANGA PARBAT IN 2005 OUT OF SKILL. WILL, AUDACITY AND VISION, WITH GEAR SOMEWHERE AFTER ALL THAT AS A FACTOR. STILL, THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT ASCENTS OF THE LAST FEW DECADES, SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO GROW IN MONUMENT AS TIMES GOES AND LITTLE LIKE IT IN PARALLEL HAPPENS SINCE, AND ANY INSIGHT INTO IT IS ONE WORTH HAVING, IF ONLY TO SHOW THE DIVIDE THAN TO REFERENCE ANY CORRELATIONS.

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMMON BASECAMP GAME, COMPARING THE GEAR LAYING AROUND TO WHAT WAS USED IN THE PAST. IN MOST CASES OLD GEAR CAN BE HARD TO REALLY JUDGE BECAUSE RECORD OF IT CAN BE ANECDOTAL, WITH EVEN FAMOUS ASCENTS GEAR – STUFF THAT THE HISTORY OF CLIMBING RESTS ON SUCH AS FINCHES DOWN SUITS – BEING ONLY KNOWABLE BY FUZZY PHOTOS.

STEVE HOUSE, ON THE OTHER HAND – NO DOUBT FUELED BY HIS SPONSORS – WAS EXPLICIT IN WHAT THEY USED (AND SAID THEY USED…). THIS IS NO SURPRISE HAVING BEEN MENTORED BY MARK TWIGHT, WHO WROTE THE MODERN DISERTATION ON ALPINE CLIMBING GEAR AND STYLE GUIDE TO THE SPORT, AND TO A CERTAIN GENERATION OF CLIMBER THESE VIDEOS SET THE BLUEPRINT THEY WORK TO. STILL, TWO DECADES LATER WE REGULARLY SEE CLOTHES AND GEAR THAT GETS TOUTED AS ‘WHAT STEVE HOUSE USED ON NANGA PARBAT’, USUALLY CLAIMED AS A STOP GAP FOR A DIFFERENCE IN PHYSICAL CONDITION (YES, HE WORE A 90g HOUDINI JACKET, BUT HIS RESTING HEART RATE WAS APPARENTLY 30BPM, SO, WELL, YOU KNOW…).

TO YOUNGER CLIMBERS THIS STUFF IS ARCHEOLOGY, RELICS AT BEST, RETRO BOOMER MORE OFTEN. AS IT SHOULD BE. WE OURSELVES KNEW THE ERA, FLOATING AROUND THE PAKISTANI KARAKORAM THE SAME TIME AS THIS, AND REMEMBER FULL WELL THIS EXACT SAME GEAR. OUR POINT IS THINGS HAVE MOVED ON, BUT THAT EVEN THEN HOUSE AND ANDERSON WERE WAY AHEAD OF THE NORMS, AND FEW OTHER ALPINISTS DID AS MUCH WITH SO LITTLE AS THESE TWO. YES IT’S RETRO AND FUNNY TO SEE NOW, BUT WHO AMONG TODAYS EMERGING ALPINISTS WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO COMMIT TO THE RUPAL FACE WITH SUCH A TINY BAG OF BITS? (SOUND OF CRICKETS CHIRPING).

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OUR FORMAT HERE IS TO SIMPLY GO THROUGH BOTH VIDEOS, COMMENTING ON EACH BIT AND SHOWING WHAT’S NOW AVAILABLE. THIS IS NOT TOO SERIOUS, LET ALONE EXHAUSTIVE, BUT IS JUST IDLE COMMENTARY. TO FIND THE VIDEOS SEARCH THE OBVIOUS AND YOU’LL FIND GOOD COPIES ON UPHILL ATHLETE. WE START WITH THE 16:55 ONE. ALL OLD STUFF WEIGHTS APPROXIMATED.

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100L KIT BAG

STILL POPULAR, THOUGH NOWDAYS HEAVY AND OVER-DESIGNED COMPARED TO THE BIG DYNEEMA CAMEL BAGS WE USE. THEN PROBABLY 2kg / NOW >1kg FOR OUR 120L CAMEL BAG.

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ROPES, 8.1mm X 50m & 5mm X 55m STATIC

STILL A RADICAL CHOICE EVEN WITH TODAYS TRIPLE RATED OPTIONS AND DEDICATED KEVLAR TAG LINES. THEN PROBABLY 2.2kg AND 1.75kg, NOW 1.6kg AND 1.75kg

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ICE TOOLS

DECEPTIVELY QUAINT, BUT AWESOMELY SIMPLE. NOW THEY WOULD ALL BE REPLACED WITH CARBON COMPOSITES. THEN 612g X 3 AND 415g, NOW 370g EACH.

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CRAMPONS

THE MODIFICATIONS SEEM FUNNY NOW THAT CRAMPONS CAN BE SO MUCH LIGHTER, THOUGH WORTH NOTING THAT HE USED VERY ORDINARY ONES RATHER THAN AGRESSIVE MONOPINTS EVEN WHEN HE STATES ITS AN ICE ROUTE. THEN 1kg A PAIR, NOW 630g A PAIR.

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ICE SCREWS

INSANELY FEW CONSIDERING, EVEN IF SOME WERE LEFT BEHIND. THEN 169g AND 189g EACH, NOW 100g AND 120g EACH

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PITONS, WIRES, CAMS, BINERS, BELAY DEVICE, CORD AND SLINGS

NOT ACTUALLY MUCH HAS EVOLVED HERE, OTHER THAN REFINEMENT. YOU STILL WON’T BEAT TITANIUM PITONS – IF YOU CAN FIND THEM – SO NOTHING TO SAY THERE. WIRES TOO HAVEN’T CHANGED MUCH TO WORRY ABOUT, NOR HAVE BINERS. CAMS IN THIS CASE HAVE A BIT, WITH THOSE OLD METOLIUS ONES WEIGHING ABOUT 100g FOR THE BIG ONE AND AROUND 60 FOR THE SMALLER ONES. NOW THOSE SIZES CAN BE AROUND 80g AND 60g WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT MATTER. BELAY DEVICES ARE NICER TO USE NOW, BUT STILL THE SAME BASIC PRINCIPLES.

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HARNESS

IT’S ACTUALLY SURPRISING TO SEE THIS HARNESS, AS EVEN BACK THEN NEWER, LIGHTER ONES WERE AROUND. HARNESSES LIKE THAT WEIGHED AROUND 400g, COMPARED TO ALPINE HARNESSES NOW THAT ARE AROUND 150g.

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HELMET

HE CLEARLY STATES THIS IS A HARDSHELL, SOMETHING SEEN LESS AND LESS ON BIG PEAKS THESE DAYS, AND SOMETHING THAT SHOULDN’T CHANGE SOMEWHERE LIKE BIG MIXED ROUTES. THOSE SALAMANDER HELMETS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BUT ONLY REALLY IN STYLE SO AS LIKE-FOR-LIKE ANY DIFFERENCE HERE DOESN’T MATTER.

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BOOTS

(COUGH COUGH) THE SPANTIKS SHOWN HERE WERE NOT THE BOOTS THEY WORE ON THE CLIMB, INSTEAD WEARING EITHER BARUNTSES OR NUPTSES DEPENDING ON SOURCE, AS SEEN IN THE PHOTOS. FORGIVABLE, AND A NOD TO SPONSOR LA SPORTIVA, BUT IT JUST GOES TO SHOW KIDS THAT NOT EVERYTHING IS WHAT IT IS SAID TO BE. BY TODAYS STANDARDS, SPANTIKS WERE HEAVY AT 2500g, THOUGH TO BE FAIR BARUNTSES WERE THE SAME (AND ARGUABLY HAD A BETTER LINER). WHAT IS MENTAL THOUGH IS THESE ARE CONSIDERED 6000m BOOTS, BEING PUSHED TO WELL OVER 8000m IN A REAL CASE OF ‘DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME’. A SIGN OF HOW MENTAL HOUSES CLIMBING COULD BE, THIS IS SOMETHING ALMOST UNHEARD OF SINCE (DISCOUNTING ANY UNSPOKEN STUFF WITH USING 8000m LINERS). NOWDAYS 6000m BOOTS COME AT 2000g A PAIR, AND THE SPANTIKS 2500g WILL GET YOU A FULL 8000m BOOT.

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TENT

THEY USED A BLACK DIAMOND FIRST LIGHT, KNOWN BECAUSE THERE’S THE AWESOME FAMOUS PHOTO, WHICH ACTUALLY IS STILL PRETTY LIGHT FOR THE OLD YELLOW MODEL AT AROUND 950g. THEY WEREN’T STRONG THOUGH, AND CERTAINLY WERE NOT WATERPROOF, BUT GAMBLING ON A GOOD WEATHER WINDOW THESE WERE NOT CONCERNS. SAMAYAS TENTS TODAY COME IN THE SAME AND CAN BE LIGHTENED FURTHER WITH THE COURAGEOUS APPLICATION OF GOOD SCISSORS TO HIT 750g, AND DO SO MUCH STRONGER.

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SLEEPING BAG

THIS PART GOES INTO SERIOUS CUSTOM INNOVATION, AND IT’S INTERESTING HE DOESN’T SHOW IT. WHAT HE DESBRICES IS A TWO PERSON BAG, WITH SYNTHETIC INSULATION IN THE TOP HALF ONLY. NOW, WE KNOW INSULATION HAVING WORKED WITH PRIMALOFT BEFORE, AND ASSUMING WHAT’S IN THE BAG HE’S HOLDING IS IT, IT’S A DAMNED SKINNY BAG. SYNTHETIC INSULATION IN 2005 WAS NOT WHAT IT IS NOW, AND EVEN WITH THE BAG BEING HOODLESS AND HALF FILLED, THAT IS ABOUT A 2 SEASON BAG. AND WE DON’T DOUBT IT. HOUSE & ANDERSON CLIMBED ON THAT EDGE, AND KNEW WHAT A SHARED BAG, WITH THEIR CLOTHING ON, FOR ONLY A FEW NIGHTS COULD BE GOT AWAY WITH. THIS BAG SAYS MORE ABOUT THEIR ASCENT THAN EVERYTHING ELSE PUT TOGETHER, AND EVEN TODAY IS STILL A BIG DEAL.

TODAYS MATERIALS COULD PROBABLY GET THIS TO ABOUT 50% LIGHTER, USING NANO-PROOFED DOWN AT POLISH 1000FP, OR MAYBE 30% LIGHTER IF STICKING TO SYNTHETIC INSULATION, MORE IF TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF EVOLVED CLOTHING AND SLEEPING MATS. AS AN ESTIMATE WE’D SAY THAT UNSHOWN BAG TO BE AROUND 900g, PUTTING A POSSIBILITY TODAY AT 400-600g.

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SLEEPING MAT

THESE HAVE EVOLVED, WITH INSULATED MATS AT DOUBLE THE R-VALUE OF THE ONE SHOWN NOW COMMON. LIKE TENTS, THE WEIGHT HASN’T CHANGED MUCH (STILL AROUND 350-400g FOR A 3/4), BUT THEY ARE VASTLY WARMER.

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HEAT EXCHANGER POT

THIS IS ANOTHER CUSTOM INNOVATION THAT HAS NEVER REALLY TAKEN OFF – THE EXCHANGER AROUND THE POT THAT INCREASES EFFICIENCY. THAT SPRINGY THING HE HAS THERE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN REDUCING HEAT LOST, AND GOES RIGHT WITH HIS NOTIONS ABOUT THE CONDUCTIVITY OF ALUMINIUM vs TITANIUM ONCE YOU KNOW HOW THEY WORK.

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STOVE

THAT’S AN MSR WINDPRO WHICH WAS THE CHOICE OF THE DAY, BUT WHICH CAN BE BETTERED NOW CONSIDERABLY. THAT WEIGHTS ABOUT 200g AND PUTS OUT A VERY ORDINARY 2000kcals/h. BY COMPARISON, THE PRIMUS ULTRA SPIDER WEIGHS THE SAME BUT PUTS OUT +3000kcals/h, WHICH MELTS A LOT OF ICE FASTER AND BETTER HEATS THE TENT SPACE WHICH MAKES IT MORE EFFICIENT.

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PIOLET d’OR

THESE CAN BE CONTROVERSIAL BUT NOT IN THIS CASE, AND THIS WAS BACK WHEN THERE WAS A SINGLE AWARD. ONE OF THE LAST RECENT ASCENTS ON AN 8000m PEAK THAT STUNNED EVERYONE, CLIMBING SOON TOOK A TANGENT THAT NOW MAKES THIS STUFF LOOK LIKE LEDGEND.

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VIDEO 2 – CLOTHES

SHOFTSHELL PANTS

THERE’S NOTHING TO SAY HERE AS THESE ARE STANDARDS, LIKE WIRES AND BINERS SOME THINGS HAVE ALREADY HIT FULL EVOLUTION.

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SOCKS

ALL FOOTWEAR HAS MOVED ON, AND BETTER DOUBLE BOOTS HAVE BETTER LINERS, MEANING A NICER FOOT INTERFACE THAN THOSE OLD BOX-LIKE INNER BOOTS WHICH NEEDED THE SPACE THEY LEFT FILLED. SYNTHETIC SOCKS NOW DRY FASTER, AND LINERS INSULATING BETTER MEAN THE SOCK NEED DO NO MORE LINE THE FOOT, WITH MANY CLIMBERS GROWING OUT OF THE WOOLEN SOCK THING YEARS AGO.

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LAYERS

MAYBE BECAUSE HE WAS THE POSTER BOY FOR PATAGONIA, BUT THESE DAYS IT’S ALARMING TO SEE HOW MANY LAYERS HE WORE AND CARRIED, AND BY TODAYS DEVELOPMENTS IN MATERIALS ALL THAT COULD BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN HALF. NEWER FABRICS BREATHE BETTER AND NEWER INSULATION WORKS BETTER TO TRAP THERMAL ENERGY, NEEDING LESS DISCREET LAYERS TO DO WHAT HE USES SEVERAL TO, BETTER ADDRESSING THE TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES ACROSS ALTITUDE.

IN A WAY, THIS DOES THOUGH EXPLAIN THE NOTORIOUSLY LIGHT SHELL, GOING OVER SO MANY LAYERS AND NEEDING ONLY TO BLOCK WIND. COMBINED WITH CONFIDENCE IN FORECASTS AND THE SPEED AT WHICH THEY WERE CLIMBING, PLUS THE BIG SYNTHETIC BIVY JACKET, THEN IN THE HANDS OF AN ALPINIST LIKE THIS SUCH CHOICES MAKE SYSTEMATIC SENSE. WITH THE BELAY PANTS THIS COMBINES AS PERHAPS THE FURTHEST EXTENSION OF THE ‘ACTION SUIT’ CONCEPT AT THE TIME, AND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED AND REDUCED NOW TO FEWER MOVING PIECES. THE ADVENT OF NANO-TREATED DOWN FURTHER CHANGES THINGS, AS DOES MATERIALS LIKE FUTUREFLEECE AND ALPHA THAT ACT LIKE 1.5 LAYERS.

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ALL UP, WHAT STEVE HOUSE PRESENTS HERE CAN SHOW SIGNIFICANT EVOLUTION, BUT ANY ALPINIST WHO COPIES WHAT’S HERE WORD FOR WORD WILL STUFF HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM. WEIGHT WISE, ACROSS THE BOARD IT ALL CAN NOW BE >5000g LIGHTER (REMEMBER SOME OF THIS IS SHARED), BUT THAT WOULD ALTER SUCH AN ASCENT IF NOT IN KCALS SPENT THEN IN KCALS CARRIED. TO REITERATE; TREATING THIS AS A SHOPPING LIST DOESN’T TRANSLATE TO A NEW ROUTE ON NANGA PARBAT, BUT IT PROVIDES PART OF THE VISION OF WHAT THE GREAT ASCENTS AHEAD OF US WILL ENTAIL.