Category: CRITICAL THINKING
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LEADING FROM THE FRONT; EXPEDITION ALPINISM
WE’VE BEEN BOUYED RECENTLY BY REPORTS OF CHRISTOPHE PROFIT, ONE OF THE FINEST GUIDES IN THE EUROPEAN ALPS, GOING VIGILANTE AND REMOVING BELAY STAKES FROM A SERIOUS ROUTE ON MONT BLANC WITH THE EXPLICIT INTENTION OF CONFRONTING AUTHORITIES OVER WHAT ALPINISM IS TURNING INTO. AS A LIVING LEGEND, PROFIT HAS FACED OFF TO BOTH THE…
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CHINA; WHAT’S IT LIKE?
OUR TOP FIVE ENQUIRIES ARE 1) HOW TO HANG A BLADE 2 STOVE (ASK US), 2) CAN WE GET DEALS ON SAMAYA TENTS (YES IF YOU’RE ON OUR TEAMS), 3) HOW MUCH TO GO TO K2 NORTH RIDGE (WATCH THIS SPACE), 4) WHY ARE THERE SO MANY SPELLING MISTAKES (WE ARE CLIMBERS WRITING FROM PHONES…
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REOPENING CLIMBING IN CHINA
IT’S BEEN A LONG HAUL BUT NOW THINGS ARE REOPENING AND WE ARE RESURRECTING EXPEDITION CLIMBING IN THE PARTS OF TIBET AND XINJIANG WE GO TO THE RIGHT WAY. COVID 19 SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN, AND IN THAT TIME CHINAS PLACE IN THE WORLD HAS CHANGED, AS HAS THE CLIMBING INDUSTRY, THE CLIMBING MEDIA, AND THE…
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“THE THINKING PERSONS EXPEDITIONS”. CLIMBING AS EDUCATION
THE FINEST THING SAID ABOUT OUR TRIPS IS BEING CALLED “THE THINKING CLIMBERS EXPEDITIONS”. WE DON’T ALWAYS GET GREAT PRESS, HAVING BEEN CALLED STATE AGENTS, RADICALS, WANNABES, HASBEENS, RIP-OFFS, RACISTS, CAVALIERS, DELUSIONAL, AND PART-OF-THE-PROBLEM, SO WHEN SOMEONE WHO HAS ACTUALLY BEEN CLIMBING WITH US GIVES US PRAISE WE FEEL COMPELLED TO EXPLAIN IT. . THE…
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THE FOWLER BIVY SCALE
IT IS ABSURD TO TRY TO QUANTIFY BIG ALPINE ROUTES WITH GRADES AND VECTORS THAT COME FROM THE RECREATIONAL CLIMBING WORLD. HOPELESS ATTEMPT ARE MADE THAN INCLUDE LONG STRINGS OF NUMBERS AND SYMBOLS AND MEMES, WITH THE BEST WE FEEL BEING THE RUSSIAN SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE REMOTENESS AND TIME ON ROUTE, THOUGH WHICH…
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GOODBYE JIAOTONG FANDIAN, THE CHENGDU TRAFFIC HOTEL
IF YOU CLIMBED IN EASTERN TIBET ANY TIME IN THE LAST 30 YEARS YOU PROBABLY PASSED THROUGH THE JIAOTONG FANDIAN, OR THE TRAFFIC HOTEL, IN CHENGDU. TO SAY THIS PLACE HAD A PIVOTAL ROLE IN CLIMBING HISTORY IS NOT TO WAX LYRICAL. . THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE OPTIONS FOR TRAVELLERS IN CHINA WERE…
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UNIQLO MARNI MITTENS
NOT EVERYTHING FOR ALPINE CLIMBING NEEDS TO BE SUPER-EXPENSIVE, SPEC-MADE, HARDCORE GEAR FROM THE BIG BRANDS. OVER THE WINTER OF 2022/23 WE GOT A LOT OF DAYS AND NIGHTS CLIMBING, ALMOST ALL OF THEM AT SOME POINT USING THE MARNI GLOVES FROM UNIQLO. “UNIQLO?” YOU MIGHT SAY, AND YES, THE JAPANESE STREETWEAR COMPANY BETTER KNOWN…
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PREVENTING ASPHYXIATION WHILST CLIMBING
DON’T THINK IT CAN’T HAPPEN. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EFFECTS OURSELVES AND WITNESSED AT LEAST ONE FATALITY BECAUSE OF IT. ASPHYXIATION FROM TOXIC GASES AND LACK OF AIR IS A REAL HAZARD WITH EXPEDITION CLIMBING . SERIOUS CLIMBING MEANS COOKING INSIDE A TENT OR SNOW HOLE BECAUSE IT IS NOT REALISTIC OUT IN THE OPEN…
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K2 CHINA NORTH SIDE: SAVING THE LAST ‘REAL’ 8000m EXPERIENCE
K2’S OVER-COMMERCIALIZATION AND WHAT WE ARE DOING ABOUT IT K2’S SOUTH SIDE IS NO LONGER THE REMOTE & EXISTENTIAL CLIMBING EXPERIENCE IT ONCE WAS. AS THE 8000m INDUSTRY AS DEVOURED ALL OTHER OF THE WORLDS 14 HIGHEST PEAKS, SO IT’S ARRIVED AT K2. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN K2 WAS SET APART FROM OTHER 8000m…
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CLIMATE CHANGE & EXPEDITIONS: GETTING YOU OFF THE GRID FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN
FOR A START, WE DON'T BELIEVE IN CLIMATE CHANGE - WE LIVE WITH IT. IN A BUSINESS THAT COVERS ICE, GLACIERS, RIVERS, DESERTS & SEASONS AS A FUNDAMENTAL, BELIEF HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT WHEN THE EXPERIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS THE VERY MEDIUM WE ARE CLIMBING ON. ANY POLITICIAN OR DENIER WHO THINKS…
Recent Posts
- SO YOU WANT TO WORK WITH FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS?
- GAINING MY EDGE
- THE EXPEDITION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED
- WILL GADD & THE FORMALITY OF ACTUALLY OCCURING
- CLIMBING AS A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR BODY
