WE TAKE THE SAFETY OF OUR TEAMS VERY SERIOUSLY AND THIS INCLUDES THE ANIMALS THAT WORK WITH US.

WE ALREADY HAVE NO PRACTICES THAT ENDANGER THE HORSES AS WAS ONCE COMMON ON KARAKORAM TRIPS, SOMETHING WE HAVE WORKED WITH IN A JOINT EFFORT WITH THE XINJIANG MOUNTAINEERING ASSOCIATION, AND OVER THE COURSE OF DEVELOPING THE NEW GENERATION TRIPS TO THE NORTH KARAKORAM WE NOW HAVE PROTOCOLS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE CAMELS DURING THE RIVER CROSSINGS. IN THE PAST CAMELS HAVE BEEN INJURED & DROWNED DURING CROSSINGS, FROM STUMBLING AS THEY FORD THE +1m DEEP RIVERS THAT THEN INUNDATES THE LOADS THEY CARRY – ALREADY AT UP TO 80kg AND OFTEN CONTAINING EQUIPMENT THAT DOESN’T FLOAT – CARRYING THEM AWAY. AS TRADITIONAL AS THIS MAY BE, IT’S A LEVEL OF CRUELTY OBVIOUSLY UNACCEPTABLE TODAY, AND IS SOMETHING EASILY RESOLVED BY THE USE OF PLASTIC BARRELS.

FOR ORGANIZATION WE USE 120L BARRELS HOLDING AROUND 20-25kg EACH. USING THE SAME METHODOLOGY AS FOR OUR RIVER DESCENTS, THIS PROVIDES A FLOATING ‘LIFE JACKET’ FOR A STUMBLING CAMEL WITH BUILT IN REDUNDANCY JUST LIKE A MULTI-CHAMBERED RAFT, AS WELL AS SYSTEMATIC ORGANIZATION FOR LOADING AND FURTHER CARRIES UP THE GLACIER.

OUR CAMEL SAFE REQUIREMENT MEANS THAT ALL LOADS NOW MUCH FIT THE 45cm DIAMETER OPENING OF THE BARRELS, WHICH INCLUDES PRE-LOADED PACKS READY FOR THE CARRIES BEYOND THE RIVER CAMPS. SOME PACKS WE HAVE SEEN ON PREVIOUS EXPEDITIONS HAVE TROUBLE MEETING THIS CRITERIA DUE TO HAVING LARGE FRAMES, AND INCLUDES SEVERAL WELL-KNOWN TREKKING PACKS AND MANY DUFFELS.