CRITICAL THINKING

GOOD CLIMBING AT THE HIGEST ALTITUDES IS BUILT ON THE BACK OF GOOD CLIMBING AT LOWER ONES, AND AS STEVE HOUSE PUT IT “TO DO HARD ROUTES AT 8000m START WITH HARD ROUTES AT 6000m”. CLIMBING BELOW 5000m OF COURSE IS A HUGE PART OF ANY PROGRESSION AS WE’VE DISCUSSED HERE, BUT AT SOME POINT…
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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…
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IT DOESNT HAVE TO BE FUN TO BE FUN…..BUT IT HELPS. THANKS TO THE WRITING OF HERZOG, TWIGHT, KIRKPATRICK AND COUNTLESS OTHERS THE IDEA OF FUN SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN STRAINED OUT OF EXPEDITION CLIMBING, TO THE DEGREE THAT NOT ONLY IS CLIMBING MEASURED BY THE SUFFERING, IT IS HARD TO CONVINVE SOME TO EXPERIENCE…
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THERE WAS A TIME WHEN CLIMBERS LOOKED AT MAPS AND OBSCURE PHOTOS, SAW SOMETHING THEY LIKED, THEN LINED UP AN EXPEDITION BEHIND IT. THE VERY UNKNOWNESS OF AN OBJECTIVE WAS REASON TO DO IT, THE URGE TO GO WHERE THERE WAS NOTHING DOCUMENTED, AND TRY AND DO SOMETHING NEW. FROM THIS NEW FORMS OF CLIMBING…
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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

THE CIRCLE OF CLIMBERS WHO HAVE DONE FIRST ASCENTS IS SMALL, WITH THOSE WHO HAVE DONE THEM IN THE HIMALAYAS SMALLER STILL. MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INTO SPACE OR PASSED SAS SELECTION THAN HAVE DONE FIRST ASCENTS IN TIBET OR XINJIANG, MAKING IT THE LEADING EDGE OF A SPORT THAT WITHOUT IT IS LOST. THE…
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THIS LATEST SEASON WAS THE BUSIEST ON EVEREST AND ALSO THE FILTHIEST. MORE PEOPLE LEAD TO MORE STUFF BEING CARTED UP THERE, MORE PEOPLE SPENDING MORE ACCUMULATVE HOURS IN THE CAMPS, AND IN THE END EVEN THE SHERPAS WERE APALLED WITH WHAT THEY SAW. IMAGES OF CAMP 4 – NOT THE LOWER CAMPS, BUT THE…
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YOUR HEAD IS A DATA CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT AND AS SUCH NEEDS TO BE TREATED LIKE ONE WITH FUNCTIONAL STRATEGY. IT IS A FINELY TUNED MECHANISM FOR THE INPUT OF INFORMATION AND ENERGY, AS WELL AS A MECHANISM FOR COMMUNICATION, SO KEEPING IT FREE OF INTERFERENCE IS A PRIMARY GOAL. CLIMBERS REGULARLY CONSIDER SLEEPING SYSTEMS…
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THE PROOF IS PLAIN TO SEE – EXCELLENCE ON 8000m ALPINE ASCENTS IS MASSIVELY INFLUENCED BY VOLUME OF LOWER ALTITUDE CLIMBING, AND OF THAT ASCENTS TO AROUND 3000m TOP THE BILL. WE GET ASKED ALMOST DAILY WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOR BIG ASCENTS IN THE KARAKORAM AND TIBET, AND AS ALWAYS TIME…
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LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, THE FOOD ON OUR TRIPS IS DIFFERENT TO WHAT YOU WILL FIND ELSEWHERE. CHINA IS CHINA, WHICH MEANS ANYTHING YOU COULD WANT TO EAT EXISTS. THERE’S NO INGENIOUS RECREATIONS OF FOREIGN MEALS, INSTEAD WE SIMPLY DRIVE TO COSTCO AND BUY WHAT WE WANT. COFFEE BEANS ARE ROASTED BY AUSTRALIANS IN CHENGDU, THE…
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