Category: CRITICAL THINKING
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COLDER, HIGHER, FASTER: CLIMBING TO COUNTER CLIMATE, INDUSTRY & STYLE
WE PRESENT WHAT WE ALWAYS HAVE, WHICH IS TO PUSH INTO THE FUTURE COMBINING THE BEST OF THE WHAT'S GONE BEFORE AND WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. WE SEE EXPEDITION CLIMBING AS A LIVING, BREATHING THING WITH IT'S BEST DAYS AHEAD OF US, AND THE PROBLEMS OF THE INDUSTRY BEING THE SIGNS IT'S TIME TO…
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CHINA FOR CLIMBERS
IN CHINA 'MOUNTAINS' IS A VAST THING, ENCOMPASSING AS MUCH AS THE REST OF ASIAS MOUNTAINS PUT TOGETHER. IT GEOGRAPHCALLY COVERS HALF A DOZEN PROVINCES, DOZENS OF ETHNIC GROUPS AND THOUSANDS OF OBJECTIVES, AND TAKES US TO THE BORDERS OF NINE OTHER COUNTRIES. THIS IS NO SMALL OR NICHE THING, AND OUR LITTLE COMPANY COVERS…
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INSULATION CONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR HIGH ALTITUDE
AS WE GEAR UP FOR OUR RETURN TO HIGH ALTITUDE WINTER CLIMBING IN TIBET WE HAVE BEEN REAPRAISING THE INSULATION OPTIONS OUR CLIMBERS ARE WEARING. THIS IS POINT OF REAL INNOVATION TO THE DEGREE WE HAVE ABANDONED OUR EARLIER RECOMMENDATIONS, AND FOUND LIGHTER, MORE VERSATILE AND WARMER OPTIONS BY COMBINING VARIOUS METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION. WE…
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INSULATED CLOTHING FOR 6000-7000m WINTER ASCENTS*
INSULATED CLOTHING IS CURRENTLY A REAL AREA OF INNOVATION. AS CONDITIONS FALTER IN THE TRADITIONAL SEASONS FOR THE HIMALAYA AND KARAKORAM, WINTER BECOMES MORE AND MORE OUR FOCUS, WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN CLOTHING MATCHING PERFECTLY WITH COLD ASCENTS IN TIBET AND XINJIANG. WE HAVE BEEN ADAMANT ABOUT INSULATION SYSTEMS BEFORE, BEING IN A NICHE WHERE THE…
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OFF-SEASON TRAINING
CLIMBING SEASON, HOWEVER YOU DEFINE IT, COMES FAST, IS INTENSE, THEN IS ALWAYS GONE TOO SOON. A WELL PLANNED SEASON IS SPENT DOING WHAT YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR, AND RARELY HAS THE TIME TO WORK OUT STUFF THAT NEEDS REPETITION AND PRACTICE TO BE EFFECTIVE. FOR US THE ‘ON’ SEASON IS AUTUMN AND WINTER, WITH…
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THE BUSINESS OF MAKING EXPEDITIONS HAPPEN
WE SPECIALIZE IN EXPLORATORY EXPEDITIONS, TO REMOTE AND OBSCURE PLACES FOR SIGNIFICANT OBJECTIVES. EVEN OUR MOST FAMILIAR TRIPS ARE USUALLY WITH THE IDEA OF NEW ROUTES OR DONE IN NEW CONDITIONS, AND AT THE VERY LEAST OUR TRIPS WILL BE LIGHTER AND MORE AGILE THAN HOW THINGS WILL HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE BASED OFF OUR…
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OUR ARTICLES, EXPLAINED
‘CRAP’ ‘BARELY LITERATE’ ‘BIASED’ ‘INSULTING’ ‘INTENTIONALLY PROVACTIVE’ ‘WRONG’ ‘PROPAGANDA’ THESE ARE SOME OF THINGS SAID ABOUT THE CONTENT OF WHAT WE PRESENT HERE, AND THOUGH THE CRITICISMS MAKE UP ONLY A SMALL PART OF OUR INTERACTION WITH THE CLIMBING INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY, THEY NEVERTHELESS REPRESENT THE DIVIDE BETWEEN WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO…
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THE APPROACH
DONE WELL THESE THINGS ARE FUN AND THE SIGN OF REALLY GOING REMOTE, AND PERSOUSAL OF GREAT CLIMBING LITERATURE SHOWS THEY WERE ONCE AN INTEGRAL PART OF EXPEDITIONS. WHERE NOW INDUSTRIAL IDEAS ATTEMPT TO SHAVE APPROACHES OFF TRIPS, VIEWED AS WASTING TIME AND THEREFORE MONEY, REAL EXPEDITIONS VAUNT THE APPROACH AS THE SIGN THINGS ARE…
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RIPCORD INSURANCE NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING EXPEDITIONS
PART OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PROVIDE INSURANCE & RESCUE OPTIONS TO OUR CLIMBERS, SO WE RESEARCH AND CONTACT PROVIDERS THAT CLAIM TO COVER SUCH THINGS, AND ASK DIRECTLY. OUR MOTIVATION IS ONLY TO PREVENT A NASTY SURPRISE SHOULD AN INSURANCE CLAIM EVER BE NEEDED, AND PROVIDERS WHO BACK WHAT THEY CLAIM WE ACTIVELY PROMOTE.…
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CHANGES TO THE K2 NORTH GLACIER
SINCE CHINA HAS REOPENED WE ARE BUSY RESTARTING TRIPS AFTER 3 YEARS. THIS INCLUDES TO THE NORTH SIDE OF K2, AN AREA NOTORIOUSLY REMOTE AND LITTLE DOCUMENTED, THAT HAS SEEN NO PRESENCE UP THE GLACIER IN OVER A DECADE. EVEN IN THE BUSIEST OF YEARS THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORAM USUALLY SAW NO ONE…
