TEAMS NOT TOURISTS

WE’RE NOT KIDDING WHEN WE CALL OUR EXPEDITION GROUPS ‘TEAMS’. THIS IS NOT SOME SLEAZY WAY TO SOUND PRO OR ALTERNATIVE, IT IS EXACTLY HOW THINGS RUN.

AT THE FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL OF ACQUIRING PERMITS AND ORGANIZATION, WE PRESENT AS THE FTRE TEAM AND LOGGED AS AN INDEPENDENT AND CLEARLY DEFINED GROUP. THERE ARE NO BOTTOMLESS PERMITS WE JUST ADD RANDOM NAMES TO, OR DISPARATE PEOPLE WITH NO PRIOR CONNECTION. TO BOOK EVERYTHING WITH THE CHINA AUTHORITIES WE NEED TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED WITH A LAID OUT ORGANIZATION AND SYSTEM OF RESPONSIBILITY.

IN MANY CASES TEAM SIZES ARE LIMITED, TO MATCH THE LOGISTICS THAT INCLUDES VEHICLES, PERMIT ALLOWANCES AND CREW NUMBERS. IN MANY CASES NUMBERS ARE LIMITED PER MOUNTAIN, AND SOMETIMES EVEN NUMBERS PER RANGE. UNLIKE ELSEWHERE WHERE ENTIRE INDUSTRIES WILL FULFILL THE DEMANDS OF AN INFINITE NUMBER OF CLIMBERS, IN CHINA WHERE EACH PERMIT IS ARRANGED UNIQUELY THERE IS SERIOUS CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO HOW MUCH IS ALLOWED.

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THE UPSHOT OF ALL THIS IS THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING PROPERLY FUNCTIONING TEAMS, WHICH IN THE PLACES WE GO IS A SERIES OF EQUATIONS RELATING TO WHAT CAN BE SUSTAINED. MAYBE WE COULD HAVE GROUPS OF THIRTY PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T KNOW EACH OTHER, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN INDUSTRY TO PROVIDE THE SPECIFIC LOGISTICS IT WOULD BE COUNTER TO THE IDEAS OF SMALL-FOOTPRINT ALPINISM. LIKE MUCH OF CLIMBING WE ARE GOVERNED BY RATIOS OF CREW TO CLIMBERS WHETHER IT’S DRIVERS, TRANSLATORS, LIAISON OFFICERS OR CAMELS. THIS MEANS THERE IS A SWEET SPOT WHERE CLIMBING TEAM SIZE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE SUPPORT IT MUST HAVE, AND BEYOND THAT IT BECOMES MORE ABOUT LOGISTICS THAN ACTUAL CLIMBING.

WHEN LOGISTICS TAKES OVER, YOU HAVE TOURISM. THIS IS WHERE THE BACKEND DEMANDS MORE ORGNIZATION, RESOURCES AND RESPONSIBILITY THAN THE SHARP END, WHICH SKEWS COSTS AND MARGINS AND FRANKLY JUST ISN’T WHAT WE DO. THAT THE CHINA AUTHORITIES DOESN’T ENCOURAGE IT IS FINE WITH US BECAUSE THERE’S COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES WITHOUT GOING THERE, AND AS OTHER PLACES DEFNITIVELY SHOW, MORE PEOPLE DOES NOT EQUATE TO BETTER CLIMBING.

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WE FIND THE MAGIC NUMBER TO BE TEAMS BETWEEN 2 AND 6 CLIMBERS, DEPENDING ON OBJECTIVE. USUALLY THIS REVOLVES AROUND THE LOADS TO BE CARRIED AND THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE OBJECTIVE. WE USE A SERIES OF EQUATIONS LIKE A SLIDE RULE THAT ALLOW US TO TRIANGULATE THE TEAM TO ITS OBJECTIVE AND THE RESOURCES NEEDED, SOMETHING WHICH IS EVERY-EVOLVING AS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS IN CHINA PROGRESSES.

IN OUR EXPERIENCE, COMMERCIAL TOURISM OFFERS VERY LITTLE TO BASE OUR EQUATIONS OFF, BECAUSE IT RELIES ON THINGS LIKE LOW WAGES AND MINIMUM NUMBERS ONLY A HUGE INDUSTRY CAN SUPPORT. WHEN YOU HAVE LEGIONS OF MIGRANT WORKERS COMPETING TO CARRY YOUR STUFF YOU CAN PROVIDE TRIPS WITH TWENTY CLIMBERS, BUT WHEN YOUR PORTAGE IS WITH CAMELS, HORSES OR YOUR OWN EFFORT TO A MOUNTAIN NO ONE HAS GIVEN A NAME TO, THE SYSTEM TO GET YOUR GEAR THERE MUST BE UNIQUE.

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WE CAN NAME A TEAM WHATEVER WE WANT, BUT ON PAPER WITH THE AUTHORITIES IT GOES DOWN AS FTRE WITH ONE OF US A NAMED LEADER. THIS CAUSES SOME CONFUSION OVER THE WAY ‘LEADER’ GETS INTERPRETED, BUT SIMPLY MEANS THE PERSON WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERFACING THE TIPS ORGANIZATION, NOT NECESSARILY ON THE MOUNTAIN. IT IS ACTUALLY THE WAY MANY OF THE GREAT TEAMS OF THE PAST WERE ARRANGED, INCLUDING THOSE LEAD BY BONINGTON AND AND WIELECKI, WHERE THEY WERE NOT THE STAR CLIMBERS BUT THEY WERE MASTER LOGISTICIANS.

THE AUTHORITIES VIEW THE LEADER TO BE THE ONE WHO OVERSEES MANY JOBS IN ORDER TO GET A TEAM TO, UP AND BACK FROM, A MOUNTAIN. IN THIS CASE THE POSITION IS PROPORTIONATELY MORE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONAL BACKEND THAT BEGINS AND ENDS WEEKS EITHER SIDE OF ANY CLIMBING, AND INCLUDES THINGS LIKE MENUS, CARGO SHIPPING, DRIVING PLANS, ASCENT RATES, HOTEL BOOKINGS, HIRING DRIVERS, LIAISON MEETINGS, VISA ADMINISTRATION AND BUYING SUPPLIES. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS REQUIRES A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF CHINA ITSELF, AND IS FAIR TO SAY VERY FEW CLIMBERS HAVE THIS TO A DEPENDABLE LEVEL.

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TEAMS

OFTEN OUR TEAMS ARE A BUNCH OF FRIENDS, WHO HAVE DREAMED UP AN OBJECTIVEHEY WANT TO CALL THEIR OWN. THEY PULL TOGETHER THE GEAR, KNOW HOW THEY WANT TO CLIMB, AND WANT US FOR THE LOGISTICS AND MAYBE TO OVERSEE ON THE MOUNTAIN.

IN THESE CASES WE DO ALL THE BACKEND SO THEY CAN ARRIVE IN CHINA AND GET CLIMBING, PROVIDING ALL THE OPTIONS ALONG THE WAY. THEY CHOOSE HOW TO RUN THE FOOD, PORTAGE, ALTITUDE SCHEDULES AND STYLE OF ASCENT, WHICH CAN BE ANYTHING FROM FULL MESS AND HORSES TO COMPLETELY SELF-SUPPORTED. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE HOW TOURISM WORKS, WHERE YOU ARE LIMITED TO THE OPTIONS A LARGE ORGANIZATION MUST WORK WITH, AND AT THE END OF A TRIP YOU CANNOT CALL YOUR OWN. TO THE CONTRARY, A TRIP WITH US MEANS YOU ARE PART OF EVERY DECISION WHERE WE CAN ALLOW IT, SO THE TRIP IS TRULY YOURS. IF YOU WANT TO EAT RED M&Ms ON A BIG WALL ON A NORTH SIDE IN WINTER WE CAN DO THAT, AND YOU WILL FAST COME TO SEE THE LIMITS ARE THOSE OF VISION, NOT RESOURCES.

OFTEN THESE ARE PEOPLES FIRST TRIPS OUTSIDE OF THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRY, WHERE THEY CAN BE INVOLVED ALL THE WAY IN AN EXPERIENCE THAT DOESN’T EXIST WITHOUT THEM MAKING IT. THESE SORT OF TEAMS RUN ON THE IDEA OF DOING SOMETHING UNIQUE AND WORKING IT OUT AS THEY GO, WITH ONE OF THE TEAM GOALS BEING TO DO THINGS THEMSELVES.

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SOLO

THERE’S SOLO AND THERE’S SOLO, ONE IS A SINGLE CLIMBER PAIRING WITH AN FTRE LEADER TO CLIMB AS A TEAM OF TWO. THIS IS VERY RARELY THE TRADITIONAL GUIDED RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE WE AVOID ACTUAL GUIDING, BUT IS A GENUINE TWO-PERSON TEAM CLIMBING WITH SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. SOLO, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS CLIMBING ALONE ON THE MOUNTAIN, THOUGH TO SOME DEGREE THERE WILL BE AN FTRE PRESENCE SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE WHETHER IN BASECAMP OR THE LAUNCHING TOWN.

BOTH VERSIONS ARE DOABLE, BUT REQUIRE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION, AND A TRUE SOLO CLIMBER IS NOT NECESSARILY ANY LESS OF A THING TO ARRANGE. THE SOLO ASCENTS YOU SEE ON THINGS LIKE EVEREST ARE ONLY SOLO FOR THE ACTUAL CLIMBING – IF EVEN THAT – AND STILL RELY ON A HUGE TOURIST INDUSTRY AND OVERSIGHT MAKING THEM MORE ALONE THAN ACTUALLY SOLO.

WE CAN ARRANGE THE CLOSEST THNG POSSIBLE TO A FULL SOLO HIGH ALTITUDE ASCENT, INCLUDING TO 8000m PEAKS IN THE CHINA KARAKORAM WHERE YOU WOULD BE THE ONLY CLMBER ON THAT SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THESE ARE PROFOUNDLY VISIONARY IDEAS, THE LIKES OF WHICH HAVE NOT REALLY BEEN DONE BEFORE, BUT ARE NOT ACTUALLY THAT FAR BEYOND THE SMALL TEAM SELF-SUPPORTED TRIPS WE HAVE ALREADY RUN FOR YEARS. TO THIS EFFECT IT IS A MATTER OF DEFINING WHERE ‘SOLO’ ACTUALLY APPLIES, THEN LINING UP THE LOGISTICS IN A PLACE WHERE IT IS EASY TO EXECUTE. SOMEWHERE LIKE TIBET OR THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM WHERE THERE IS ALMOST NO OTHER PRESENCE, THERE ARE FEW PROBLEMS WITH THE INTRUSION OF OTHERS THAT WOULD BLOW A TRUE SOLO ASCENT. GET IN TOUCH IF THIS IS A CONCEPT YOU WISH TO FURTHER PURSUE.

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JOINING A TEAM

YES YOU CAN JOIN A TEAM, BUT IT’S NOT AS EASY AS CLICKING A LINK THEN SEEING YOU IN CHENGDU.

OUR TEAMS EXIST BEFORE THEY ARRIVE IN CHINA, WITH ALL MEMBERS HAVING ENGAGED EACH OTHER TO WORK OUT BASICS WELL BEFORE. THIS MEANS ACTING LIKE A TEAM FOR MAYBE A MONTH AL LEAST ALREADY, KNOWING WHO WILL BRING TO IT WHAT AND DECIDING THINGS LIKE FOOD, TIMELINE AND STYLE. BECAUSE THESE TRIPS ARE UNIQUE IT ISN’T POSSIBLE TO PRESENT AN EXISTING MODEL TO ADHERE TO, AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE TRIP IS THEIRS.

WE ALMOST ALWAYS GET THINGS RIGHT, AND WHEN WE DON’T IT’S DUE TO FAILURES TO COMMUNICATE THINGS LIKE HOW MUCH PRECISION IS NEEDED. THINGS THAT MAY NOT SEEM IMPORTANT FROM HOME REALLY MATTER WHEN YOU’RE OUT THERE, SO ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS CENTRAL TO A TEAM THAT COMES TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME. ACTUAL CLIMBING IS USUALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, WHERE WE NEED TEAM COHESION IS THINGS LIKE TENT ARRANGEMENTS, MENUS AND LOADS. GET THE LOGISTICS RIGHT AND TEAMS FUNCTION SMOOTHELY, BUT OVERLOOK DETAILS OR LEAVE THEM TO CASUAL CHANCE AND A TEAM INVITES ISSUES.

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ALL OF THIS IS WELL OUTSIDE THE NORMAL PARAMETERS OF TOURISM, AND TIMELINES AND COSTS REFLECT THAT. WHILE ALL THE PIECES ARE THERE, EACH TRIP ARRANGES THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND 3 WEEKS IN TIBET IS JUST AS INVOLVED AS 3 MONTHS GOING TO 8000m FROM AN ORGANIZATION PERSPECTIVE.

THE RESULT HERE IS THAT EVERY TEAM REALLY FUNCTIONS AS SUCH, AND ANY SUCCESS IS THAT OF THE MEMBERS NOT THE COMPANY. YES, YOU ENGAGE US TO WORK OUT AND RUN THE NUTS AND BOLTS BECAUSE IN CHINA THAT’S THE ONLY OPTION, BUT THE CLIMBING IS YOURS AND YOU OWN IT IN THINGS LIKE REPORTS AND ANY MEDIA.

THIS IS THE ANTITHESIS OF INDUSTRIAL CLIMBING WHERE UNNAMED GUIDES, ROPE FIXERS, PORTERS AND LEADERS ACTUALLY MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS, ON TOP OF WELL ESTABLISHED LOGISTICS AND STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR YEARS AND ‘TEAM’ IS JUST A NICER TERM FOR TOUR GROUP.