CRITICAL THINKING

“The punk ideal is self-knowledge and the alpinist uniquely positioned to test the validity of his or her knowledge and capability. Be honest or get dead.” – MARK TWIGHT

IF YOU REMEMBER THE 1990s YOU WEREN’T THERE, AND THOUGH MUCH OF THE GEAR OF THE ERA IS BEST LEFT TO THE PAST, THE NORTH FACE WENT AHEAD AND REVAMPED SOME OF THEIR ‘CLASSIC ERA’ DESIGNS TO APPEAL TO TODAYS HIPSTER MARKET AND ACCIDENTLY NAILED IT FOR EXPEDITION CLIMBERS AS WELL

THE MAIN ISSUE WITH FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE IS LEARNING THE LESSON, BECAUSE ONCE EXPOSED THE RISK OF FUTURE INJURY INCREASES. ANALYSIS OF WHAT LEAD TO IT SHOULD BE THOROUGH AND INCISIVE, AND THE LESSONS HEEDED. THE CLIMBER WHO ALLOWS IT TO HAPPEN TWICE NEEDS TO APPRAISE THEIR MINDSET AND FACE THE GAPS IN THEIR BEHAVIOUR, BECAUSE IF SOMETHING SO BASIC IS SLIPPING THROUGH YOU NEED TO ASK WHAT ELSE IS

ONCE ISSUED, IMMIGRATION ENTERING CHINA IS EASY, AND THIS SAME VISA WILL SEE YOU THROUGH ANY CHECKPOINTS, HOTEL BOOKING AND PERMIT CHECKS THAT ARE COMMON IN THE SENSITIVE AND REMOTE AREAS WE USUALLY CLIMB IN. CHINA VISAS COVER THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, WHICH MEANS XINJIANG AND TIBET ARE PART OF THAT, NEEDING NO SPECIAL ADDITIONS TO THE VISA ISSUED FOR ENTRY.

IN OUR WORLD EVERY GRAM SAVED ON PACK WEIGHT BECOMES FUEL, FOOD AND INSULATION, WHICH WHEN COMPARED TO REGULAR PACKS EQUATES TO AN INCREDIBLE EXTRA WEEK OF SUSTAINMENT. THIS FURTHER EXTRAPOLATES TO ANOTHER 1000m OF CLIMBING OR ANOTHER WEEK INTO WILDERNESS OR TWO WEEKS INTO WINTER, WHICH ARE VERY REAL NUMBERS IN A VERY REAL WORLD, FAR FROM THE REACH OF MOST CLIMBING ELSEWHERE

IN 2024 FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS OBTAINED THE FIRST PERMITS TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE K2 MASSIF SINCE 2011, INCLUDING THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 ITSELF. THE OBJECTIVES WERE A +6500m FIRST ASCENT, OBSERVATIONS OF GLACIAL CHANGES OVER THE PAST DECADE, RECCE OF THE NORTHERN CHINA SIDE OF K2 IN EARLY WINTER CONDITIONS, AND A BRIEF VISIT TO THE CHINA SIDE OF THE GASHERBRUMS.

THIS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED.

THERE’S A LOT GOING ON HERE

WE BARTERED OUR SOULS AT THE CROSS ROADS OF TURKESTAN AND TIBET A LONG TIME AGO, IN EXCHANGE FOR GAINING ACCESS TO THE LARGEST COLLECTION OF UNCLIMBED HIGH ALTITUDE PEAKS ON EARTH. WE WILLINGLY HANDED OVER ANY PLACE IN THE COMMERCIAL CLIMBING INDUSTRY, TO HAVE PERMISSION TO PLACES FAMOUS FOR BEING KNOWN AS FORBIDDEN

AS MUCH AS WE CAN SELL THIS AS ‘RETRO’, ‘PROTO’, ‘RETURN TO’, ‘OLD SKOOL’, ‘STRAIGHT EDGE’ OR ‘RAW DOG’ WE ARE NOT – WE SIMPLY DO ALPINISM AT ITS MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD, WHICH IS TO GO CLIMB COOL STUFF IN AMAZING PLACES WITH AS LITTLE BULLSHIT AS POSSIBLE.

“WE HATE TO ADVOCATE COOKING INSIDE TENTS, FRANKEN-STOVES, AFTER-MARKET PARTS AND PATCHED TOGETHER HEAT EXCHANGERS TO ANYONE, BUT THEY’VE ALWAYS WORKED FOR US” – HUNTER S THOMPSON (SORT OF)