Category: TRIPS & EXPEDITIONS

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)

IN 2025 WE HAVE LARGE BLOCKS DEVOTED TO VARIOUS REGIONS AND OBJECTIVES, CAPITALIZING ON CONDITIONS ACROSS AN AREA THE SIZE OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. WITHIN THIS REGION ARE THOUSANDS OF OBJECTIVES INCLUDING THE WORLDS HIGHEST, REMOTEST, MOST OBSCURE AND LEAST ATTEMPTED MOUNTAINS, THAT AWAIT THE RIGHT CLIMBERS WITH THE RIGHT STUFF TO CLIMB THEM.

BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1st AND DECEMBER 16th 2024 WE ARE ON EXPEDITION IN TIBET AND THE KARAKORUM. WE EXPECT NO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS DURING THIS TIME. PLEASE SEND ENQUIRIES AS USUAL, AND THEY WILL BE ANSWERED IN ORDER OF ARRIVAL AND PRIORITY ON RETURN. IT IS BUSINESS AS USUAL UNTIL THE DAY OF DEPARTURE.