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STEVE HOUSE, GEAR FOR NANGA PARBAT REAPPRAISAL; 20 YEARS ON
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…
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THE 2023/24 ALPINE SEASON IN REVIEW
155 DAYS THAT INCLUDES 9 WEEKS IN REMOTE MOUNTAINS, 7 OF THEM AROUND 5000m, 2 WEEKS MID-WINTER IN THE MONGOLIAN GOBI DESERT, 65 NIGHTS IN TENTS AND BIVYS, 7 +5000m PURE ALPINE OBJECTIVES, 97 ESPRESSOS DRUNK, 4 PAIRS OF CRAMPONS WORN OUT, 4300kms DRIVEN, 22 HOTSPRINGS VISITED, 5 TOE NAILS FALLEN OUT AND 43 NEW…
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THE 2kg HIGH CAMP
A HIGHCAMPS ESSENCE IS TO BE LIVABLE AND ACTUALLY ON THE ROUTE. UNLIKE A TRADITIONAL CAMP ON A BIG ROUTE WHICH IS ONLY A PLACE TO STAY BETWEEN STAGES OF CLIMBING, A HIGHCAMP NEEDS TO BE SOMEWHERE YOU LIVE ONCE HAVING LEFT THE BASE. THIS MEANS SPACE TO HANG OUT, ACCESS TO BOTH WATER AND…
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ASCENT RATES
FROM AN EXPEDITION POINT OF VIEW ie MATCHING UP YOUR PLAN WITH YOUR ABILITY, NOTHING TICKS MORE BOXES THAN INTIMATELY KNOWING YOUR ASCENT RATE. NOTE THE WORD 'INTIMATELY'. THIS MEANS KNOWING THE NUMBERS, DEVELOPING THE ABILITY, USING WHAT YOU KNOW AND EXTRAPOLATING IT ALL TO YOUR OBJECTIVES.
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WINTER EXPEDITIONS
THE BULK OF OUR EXPEDITIONS HAPPEN DURING SOME DEFINITION OF WINTER, FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN IT IS WHAT WORKS. HAVING NO PART IN THE GREATER INDUSTRY THAT SERVES HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING, WE ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE MASS ORGANIZATION OF RESOURCES THAT SET THE SEASONS JUST AS IT DOES FARMING AND WATER SLIDE PARKS.…
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STOP TRAINING, DO WHAT WORKS
THE GOAL HERE IS NOT TO BE 'STRONG', WHATEVER THAT MEANS, BUT TO BE GOOD AT CLIMBING BY HAVING A CONDITION YOU CAN IMPOSE. WHEN STARING THROUGH THE BINOCULARS AT A ROUTE YOU MIGHT TRY, YOU SHOULD BE MATCHING UP WHAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN DO WITH WHAT YOU SEE THROUGH THE LENS. ANYTHING ELSE…
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ULTRALIGHT HYPERBARIC CHAMBER
UNTIL NOW THESE CHAMBERS WERE SOMEWHAT INVOLVED. THE STANDARD GAMMOW BAG WEIGHS ABOUT 8kg, PACKS TO ABOUT 40L AND NEEDS A LOT OF PUMPING. THEY ARE PORTABLE, BUT NOT THAT IMPRESSIVE, AND FEEL LIKE SOMETHING THAT HADN'T EVOLVED MUCH SINCE THE 1970s. THESE DAYS THEY CAN BE RARE TO SEE, AND PROBABLY DON'T EXIST WHERE…
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THE 10 ESSENTIALS; 2024 EDITION
10 ESSENTIALS LISTS ARE BULLSHIT - THE WORLD IS SIMPLY NOT THAT CONCISE AND NEAT - BUT THEY ARE FUN TO HAVE IF SEEN IN THE RIGHT WAY EVEN AS ONLY GIFT LISTS FOR THE LAZY CLIMBER. THESE ARE TEN THINGS THAT YOU WILL MISS IF YOU DON'T HAVE, AND SPEND TIME AND ENERGY TO…
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FUTUREFLEECE FROM THE NORTH FACE
FOR THE HIGH AND COLD STUFF WE DO WE HAVE FOUND FUTUREFLEECE BUILDS THE BEST BASE AVAILABLE TO LAY FURTHER INSULATION ON TOP OF, SOMETHING THAT REINFORCES THE 'BASE' IN BASELAYER PROPERLY. IT PUSHES BEYOND JUST BEING A SINGLE-FUNCTION ITEM AND EXTENDS INTO OTHER ASPECTS OF ADDRESSING HEAT LOSS, ie REDUCING EVAPORATION AND CONVECTION WITHOUT…
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TOO LIGHT ?
GEAR IS TOO LIGHT WHEN IT DOESN'T FUNCTION TO THE NECESSARY STANDARD, WHICH INCLUDES DURABILITY, SCOPE OF USE, STRENGTH AND REDUNDANCY. IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT NO CLIMBING GEAR IS MADE INTENTIONALLY HEAVY, MEANING THAT STUFF THAT IS BUILT FOR PURPOSE HAS NO NEED TO BE REPLACED BY SOMETHING THAT ISN'T.
