BREAK THE CLICHES AROUND THE ALPINE START AND BEGIN THINKING ABOUT THE ALPINE FINISH, BECAUSE IN THE BIG WORLD OF HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINISM IT MAKES MORE SENSE
LOOK AROUND AND YOU’LL SEE A LOT OF ARTICLES AND INFORMATION ON GEAR, TECHNIQUES, DESTINATIONS, TRAINING AND NUTRITION, BUT THE ONE THING YOU DON’T SEE MUCH ABOUT IS STRATEGY, ESPECIALLY FOR ALPINE CLIMBING AT AN EXPEDITION LEVEL. THE REASON FOR THIS MOSTLY BECAUSE OF TWO THINGS, 1) SHORT ALPINE TRIPS OF LESS THAN A WEEK DON’T DIFFERE HUGELY FROM WEEKEND TRIPS, AND 2) ON LARGE COMMERCIAL TRIPS IT’S ALL WORKED OUT IN ADVANCE – YOU EFFECTIVELY FOLLOW A WELL LAID SCHEDULE HONED OVER YEARS OF SUCCESS.
WHEN IT COMES TO STRATEGIES FOR ALPINE STYLE ASCENTS IN AN EXPEDITION SETTING, OVER SEVERAL WEEKS, WITH A LOT OF GROUND TO COVER OUTSIDE OF JUST THE CLIMBING, WITH NO OR VERY LITTLE SUPPORT, IT QUICKLY BECOMES APPARENT THAT THE STRATEGIES YOU USE ARE AS IMPORTANT AS EVERYTHING ELSE COMBINED. STRATEGY IS THE UNIFYING ELEMENT THAT GIVES ALL ELSE CONTEXT, MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW YOU USE YOUR ENERGY. THE LIGHTEST GEAR IN THE WORLD AND BEING ABLE TO DO ONE-ARM PULLUPS MEANS NOTHING IF A STRATEGY ISN’T IN PLACE TO LET THEM WORK.
STRATEGY IS THE PLACE TO USE YOUR CREATIVITY, AND WHERE THINGS ON AN EXPEDITION VEER OFF THE MOST FROM NORMAL LIFE. WHEN THINGS GET HIGH, CONDITIONS GET COLD, TIME GETS EXTENDED AND RESOURCES ARE LIMITED, PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER FOR MORE THAN ABOUT A WEEK BECOMES AS MUCH ART AS IT DOES GAME THEORY. FROM THE OUTSET THE STAGE NEEDS TO BE SET THAT LINES YOU UP IN A WAY APPROPRIATE TO THE OBJECTIVE, TO PUT YOU IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME TO GET THINGS DONE.
A GLANCE AT FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITION’S TRIP SCHEDULES MAKES OBVIOUS HOW WE DO IT, WITH OUR PREACCLIMATION PROCESSES, ROAD APPROACHES, PORTAGE PHASES AND ON-MOUNTAIN STYLE, BUT EVERY OBJECTIVE CALLS FOR IT’S OWN STRATEGY AND DRAWS FROM THE SPECTRUM OF EXPERIENCE WE HAVE BUILT OVER TIME. OUR SUCCESS CAN BE MEASURED IN THE ASCENTS WE DO, PULLING OFF TECHNICAL FIRST ASCENTS, UNSUPPORTED, ON PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN 6000m PEAKS IN UNDER 2 WEEKS – SOMETHING UNHEARD OF A DECADE AGO.
HERE ARE OUR PRIMARY STRATEGIC TOOLS WE USE IN TIBET AND ACROSS XINJIANG
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DON’T JUST GO HARD
NOT ALL ROUTES – OR ALL OF ANY ONE ROUTE – NEEDS TO BE CLIMBED IN AN ALL OUT PUSH THAT SCRAPES YOU DOWN TO THE RIND. HAVING THIS AS YOUR ONLY OPTION MAY WORK FOR A LONG WEEKEND PUSH, BUT FOR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT TAKE 3 WEEKS OR A MONTH OVERALL IT’S MYOPIC, OFTEN MEANING ONLY ONCE CHANCE AT A SHOT.
WHEN YOU START PUSHING INTO ALTITUDE YOUR STRATEGIES START TO INCLUDE THINGS LIKE HIGH CAMPS THAT BREAK UP BIG BOUTS OF HARD CLIMBING, WHERE YOU CAN REGROUP AND PRIME TO GO AGAIN. THIS CAN BE AS LITTLE AS STAYING IN CAMP TILL THINGS COOL IN THE EVENING, OR HAVING A FULL DAY SOMEWHERE. THE POINT IS TO WEIGH UP THE ADVANTAGES OF TAKING A BIT MORE FOOD TO GET ENOUGH TIME ON THE OBJECTIVE TO NOT HAVE THE ONLY OPTION ONE OF PUSHING INTO THE RED. EXPEDITION ASCENTS USUALLY HAVE MUCH LARGER TIMELINES THAT OPEN UP POSSIBILITIES OF MULTIPLE ROUTE OPTIONS, WHERE BURNING IT ALL AWAY ON A SINGLE HARD & FAST ATTEMPT MIGHT NOT BE A GOOD USE OF TIME.
GOING HARD NEEDS TO ORCHESTRATE WITHIN A BIGGER EXPEDITION STRATEGY – YOU NEED TO PLAN FOR WHAT COMES BEFORE AND AFTER A HARD PUSH, SOMETHING THAT NEEDS CAREFUL CONSIDERATION WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE A LARGE BACKEND OF MESS STAFF, LUXURY BASECAMPS AND HOTELS CLOSE BY.
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SEASON
GOING LATER IN THE SEASON AND PREPARING FOR THE COLD CAN MEAN THINGS ARE MORE STABLE IF YOU PLAN FOR IT. THE TRADE OFF MEANS CLIMBING MORE IN THE DARK BECAUSE DAYS ARE SHORTER, WHICH ALONG WITH THE COLD IS A MAJOR SET OF FACTORS TO STRATEGIZE AROUND. THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT SOME EXTRA BATTERIES FOR YOUR HEADTORCH.
PUSHING INTO SEASONS AFFECTS EVERYTHING FROM THE FUEL YOU NEED, THE TIME YOU SPEND ON STUFF LIKE MELTING FOR WATER, THE LOADS YOU’LL CARRY AND WHERE YOU WILL GO – BUT THE BENEFITS ARE USUALLY WORTH IT. GET YOUR HEAD AROUND THE SHORT DAYLIGHT HOURS AND ROUTES THAT CAN BE TOO RISKY A FEW WEEKS EARLIER COME INTO CONDITION.
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NIGHT
USE THE NIGHTS. SOMETHING ELITE FRENCH & POLISH CLIMBERS REALIZED TO AN INCREDIBLE LEVEL IN THE 80’s WAS TO CLIMB IN THE OFTEN MORE STABLE CONDITIONS OF NIGHT, USING THE WARMTH OF DAY TO REST.
NIGHT CLIMBING, AS AN INTENTIONAL TACTIC, NEEDS PREPARATION BUT HAS A LOT GOING FOR IT. GEAR NEEDS TO SCALE UP A BIT AND YOU NEED TO REFINE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS TO MAKE UP FOR REDUCED VISABILITY, BUT WHEN WORKED OUT OPENS UP A SIDE TO ALPINISM MANY AVOID. EVEN JUST KEEPING NIGHT CLIMBING FOR EASY STUFF MAKES AN EFFICIENT USE OF TIME, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE REALIZED THAT REAL NIGHT CLIMBING IS INTENTIONAL.
NIGHT CLIMBING NEEDS TO BE WORKED INTO THE STRATEGY AROUND REST PHASES AND OTHER FLUCTUATIONS OF CLIMATE TO AVOID BECOMING THE FAST TRACK TO EXHAUSTION. BURNING THROUGH THE NIGHT OVER A WEEKEND IS NO BIG DEAL, BUT OVER A WEEK ON A PEAK IT BECOMES THE THING YOU ORBIT AROUND. A VERY EFFECTIVE STRATEGY IS TO AIM YOUR CAMPS FOR THE EARLY MORNING, CLIMBING AT NIGHT TO A BIVY SITE LOCATED FOR THE DAY, THEN RESTING IN RELATIVE WARMTH UNTIL THE AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES STABILIZE AGAIN. ELITE CLIMBERS COMBINE THIS WITH A LIGHTER GRADE OF GEAR – SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
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6000m PEAKS
NOWHERE IS BETTER FOR WORKING OUT STRATEGIES THAN 6000m PEAKS. TIME SPENT HERE BRINGS PROBABLY THE BEST ADVANTAGE OF ANY TIME AND MONEY SPENT TOWARDS AN 8000m GOAL. 6000m CLIMBING GIVES YOU THE FULL SCALE OF 8000m ASCENTS, OFTEN WITH SIMILAR AMOUNTS OF ELEVATION GAIN, BUT LETS YOU CLIMB HARD ENOUGH TO KEEP THE TECHNICAL CURVE, WITH ENOUGH ACCLIMATION PRESENCE TO LET YOU WORK WITH IT.
ROUTES LIKE THE K2 NORTH RIDGE FUNCTION MORE LIKE EXTENDED 6000m ASCENTS RATHER THAN THE WANDERING TRADE ROUTES MOST 8000m CLIMBING ARE; STEEP, MIXED TECHNIQUES, DIRECT AND QUICKLY GAINING ELEVATION, MEANING A BASE OF 6000m CLIMBING GIVES YOU A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE.
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PREACCLIMATION
RALF DUJMOVITZ SAYS IT PERFECTLY; “SHOW UP ACCLIMATED AND GET CLIMBING”.
AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU NEED TO ACCLIMATE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER AND A PREACCLIMATION PROCESS AWAY FROM THE RISKS AND STRENOUS DEMANDS OF AN APPROACH IS SIMPLY A WAY TO SWAP OUT SOMETHING THAT CAN DRAIN YOU FOR SOMETHING THAT PRIME YOU FOR OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE.
PREACCLIMATING AT REAL ALTITUDE FIRST MEANS YOU GET ON THE APPROACH IN CONDITION, MEANING MORE EFFICIENT CARRIES, MORE PREDICTABLE TIMELINES AND THERFORE GETTING TO THE BASE OF THE OBJECTIVE WITH MORE IN THE TANK. BECAUSE YOU POTENTIALLY ONLY NEED TO ACCLIMATE TO WITHIN A DAY OR TWO OF YOU EXPECTED FINAL HIGH POINT, IT CAN BE ENTIRELY POSSIBLE TO LAUNCH FROM +5500m – AN EASILY ACCLIMABLE ALTITUDE SOMEWHERE LIKE TIBET AND HIT HIGH POINTS BEFORE THE FULL EFFECTS OF HIGH ALTITUDE REEL YOU IN.
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TEAM SIZE
LONGER TRIPS WITH LONG APPROACHES BENEFIT FROM MORE THAN 2 CLIMBERS, WITH ATC BELAY DEVICES MAKING IT EASY TO BELAY 2 SECOND CLIMBERS AT A TIME ON EASIER GROUND. 3 CLIMBERS CAN PORTAGE 2-3 WEEKS WORTH OF GEAR AND FOOD, AND ON THE ROUTE CAN SHARE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL LOAD MORE SUSTAINABLY.
EQUIPMENT-WISE, 3 CLIMBERS WILL FIT INTO TENTS NOT MUCH BIGGER THAN 2 CLIMBERS WILL, AND WONT REQUIRE A FULL SECOND SET OF GEAR TO CLIMB IN 2 TEAMS AS 4 CLIMBERS WILL.
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ROUTE CHOICE
GO STEEP. MOST OF THE ROUTES WE GET ON ARE VERY STEEP WITH VERY FEW OPTIONS TO SLEEP ON THE ROUTE WHICH HELPS TO STAVE OF THE TEMPTATION TO BIVY. ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES HERE IS THAT EVERY MOVE FOREWARD IS MOVEMENT UPWARDS, WITH VERY LITTLE WASTED WANDERING AROUND.
PICK ROUTES THAT REFLECT YOUR GEAR. IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH HANGING BELAYS, PORTALEDGES, ICE HAMMOCKS etc THEN INTENTIONALLY WORK THAT INTO THE STRATEGY TO GIVE YOU AN ADVANTAGE, LIKEWISE THE INVERSE IS TRUE – DON’T PLAN ON GETTING BY WITH MINIMAL GEAR OF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO. EXPEDITION CLIMBING DOESN’T HAVE THE SAFETY NET LIKE WEEKEND CLIMBING DOES AND A NIGHT GETTING IT WRONG DOESN’T JUST BECOME AN EARLY RETREAT TO THE CAR. LEDGES NEED TO BE PORTAGED, SHOVELS NEED TO BE CARRIED, RETREATS WILL NEED DAYS. BUT, MATCHING INTERESTING GEAR TO INTERESTING ROUTES IS WHERE ALPINISM EVOLVES AND HAS HUGE CROSS-OVER WITH OTHER OBJECTIVES AS YOUR EYES OPEN.
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PSYCHE
STRATEGY IS THE PRODUCT OF CREATIVITY, GALL & CLARITY AND WITH ALL THAT IN PLACE CAN UNLEASH IMPRESSIVE LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE. GOOD TRIPS ARE ONES WHERE THE MOTIVATION IS HIGH TO PLAN AND EXECUTE GOOD WELL, NOT JUST THROW DOWN PHYSICAL ABILITY. HARD CLIMBING FOR 20hrs STRAIGHT WHEN IT’S AN EXPECTED PART OF THE PLAN IS ALPINISM AT IT’S FINEST AND A FAR DEPARTURE FROM STUMBLING INTO DIFFICULTY BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T EXPECT IT.
PSYCHE FOR A GOOD STRATEGY TURNS THE REWARD OF A TRIP FROM BEING JUST ABOUT A SUMMIT TO BE THE PULLING OFF OF A CAPER. IT’S NOT HARD TO IMAGINE BANK ROBBERS FEEL THE SAME WAY. GOOD PSYCHE INCLUDES A LEVEL OF AUDACITY, TO COMBINE QUALITY ALPINISM ON AN OBJECTIVE THAT IMPRESSES ONES PEERS, AND THIS CAN COME IN MANY FORMS SPANNING TECHNICAL PROWESS TO REMOTENESS AND A PEAKS REPUTATION.
‘STRATEGIC PSYCHE’ IS A COMBINATION OF TEAM CHARACTERS, TRIP COMPLEXITIES, KEEPING IN CONDITION AND DEPTH OF VISION – WHEN EVERYONE IS ON BOARD FOR A MATRIX OF GOOD REASONS, IDEAS ARE FLOWING AND MEMBERS FEEL PURPOSE THEN EXECUTING A STRATEGY FEELS LIKE A BAND ON STAGE.
GOOD STRATEGIC PSYCHE IS WHAT GETS REMEMBERED MOST, SUMMIT SUCCESS OR NOT.
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STRATEGIES TO WORK WITH
YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED THE WORD ‘INTENTIONALLY’ COMING UP A LOT HERE, AND THAT’S THE ESSENCE OF AN ALPINE STRATEGY. EXPEDITION ALPINISM CLIMBING ALREADY HAS ENOUGH INHERENT VARIABLES TO MAKE THE RISK OF TURNING IT INTO CLIMB-BY-NUMBERS EFFECTIVELY NULL, MEANING A GOOD STRATEGY IS INSPIRATION NOT REDUCTION TO DRUDGERY. STRATEGIES ABOUND, OFTEN BEING THE MOST COMPELLING ELEMENT IN THE RECOUNTING OF CLIMBING TALES, AND LIKE ANY GOOD NARRATIVE THE BREAKS FROM THE EXPECTED ARE WHAT GIVES A STRATEGY LIFE.
GOOS STRATEGIES BOTH FIT THE OBJECTIVE AND MOLD THE OBJECTIVE TO SOME DEGREE INTO FORM. GOOD STRATEGIES PULL A CLIMBABLE ASCENT OUT OF WHAT CAN OTHERWISE APPEAR AS UNDOABLE, AND THIS IS A MATTER OF DISMISSING THE COMMON CLICHES OF CLIMBING.
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BREAK THE CLICHES AROUND THE ALPINE START AND BEGIN THINKING ABOUT THE ALPINE FINISH, BECAUSE IN THE BIG WORLD OF HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINISM IT MAKES MORE SENSE. YES, GETTING GOING AT 3AM HAS IT’S REASONS, BUT IT’S ALSO THE COLDEST PART OF THE DAY AND IN WINTER YOU MAY NOT REALLY NEED THAT WHEN THE WHOLE DAY IS ALREADY COLD. NIGHTS THAT DIDN’T GO WELL – AND THERE’S A THOUSAND REASONS FOR THAT – RARELY BECOME BETTER WHEN THERE’S THE BOOKEND OF A 0230 ALARM WAITING, AND READJUSTING YOUR VIEW TO CLIMB SO AN ALPINE START ISN’T MANDATORY THE NEXT DAY CAN SET A MOMENTUM FAR MORE SUSTAINABLE WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT A LONG TRIP.
IN TIBET AND XINJIANG, PARTICULARLY IN THE COLDER SEASONS WE OFTEN CHOOSE TO GO IN, WE REGULARLY PLAN BIG FIRST DAYS ON ROUTE, CLIMBING THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT TO GAIN ELEVATION, THEN GETTING GOOD REST AND PREPARATION IN SOMEWHERE WARM BEFORE GETTING INTO THE HEART OF THE ROUTE. OVER SEVERAL DAYS THIS IS FAR MORE SUSTAINABLE – AND FUN – THAN THE SINGLE PUSH ALL-OUT STYLE THAT WORKS FINE WHEN YOU HAVE A VILLAGE WAITING TO STUMBLE BACK TO BUT NOT WHEN IT’S A WEEK BACK THROUGH MOUNTAINS ON FOOT.
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IN A TIME WHEN COMMERCIAL CLIMBING CAN DEFINE WHAT 6000-8000m LOOKS LIKE, STRATEGY HAS BEEN LOST FROM THE DISCUSSION, BUT RERAISING IT IN PLACES LIKE TIBET AND THE NORTHERN KARAKORAM BRINGS IT BACK TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NEW BREED OF CLIMBERS LOOKING TO HEAD TO THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN BLANK ON THE MAP UNTIL NOW. EVEN ON PREVIOUSLY CLIMBED ROUTES, NEW STRATEGIES CAN REINTERPRET THINGS USING ELEMENTS NOT ON THE TABLE UNTIL NOW. THIS IS EXCITING STUFF – THE FUTURE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE ASCENTS IS HUGE.
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