AFTER WEATHER, FOOD IS THE BIGGEST POINT OF LEVEREAGE AN EXPEDITION HINGES ON. WHEN DONE RIGHT, CLIMBERS SET THEMSELVES UP TO GET THINGS DONE – WHEN DONE WRONG IT’S AN UNWINNABLE BATTLE AGAINST RECOVERY, ENERGY & MORALE. HIGH ALTITUDE TRIPS ARE LONG ENOUGH THAT KCAL INTAKE, NUTRIENT INTAKE & VARIETY START TO TAKE A TOLL, ALL EXACERBATED BY THE HARDWORK AND METABOLIC AFFECTS OF ALTITUDE AND FURTHER COMPOUNDED BUT WHAT AN EXPEDITION CAN SIMPLY CARRY. EATING IN A BIG MESS TENT WITH A DOZEN OTHERS AND A KITCHEN CREW WORKING ROUND THE CLOCK IS ONE THING, BUT A SMALL SELF-CONTAINED EXPEDITION IS QUITE ANOTHER, WITH BOTH HAVING PROS & CONS.
FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS ARE MUCH SMALLER & LIGHTER THAN THE MAJORITY, WITH MEMBERS OFTEN TAKING CONTROL OF THE FULL FOOD & MESS DUTY. WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE, BY OPERATING IN CHINA, TO EAT ALMOST ANYTHING, MEANING INTERNATIONAL FOODS CAN BE PROCURED IN QUANTITY WITHOUT EXPENSIVE SHIPPING. FOR SAMPLES OF OUR MENUS SEE HERE
OUR GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION EATING ARE
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1) EAT PROPERLY
THE HIGH-TECH ‘EXPEDITION’ MEALS YOU FIND IN THE STORES WILL GET YOU THROUGH A WEEK ON A BIG WALL, BUT THEY DON’T WORK FOR 6 WEEKS IN TIBET – WE KNOW THAT THE HARD WAY. BEYOND ABOUT A WEEK – ESPECIALLY AT ALTITUDE – YOU NEED REAL FOOD TO STAY ON TOP OF THE GAME. IT’S THE ONE THING PEOPLE ALWAYS MENTION. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO EAT WHAT YOU NEED, NOT WHAT THE BLURB ON THE PACKET TELLS YOU YOU NEED. ‘PROPER FOOD’ MEANS EATING NOT JUST THE HIGHLY-PROCESSED STUFF AIMED AT OUTDOOR CONSUMERS – KEEP THAT FOR WHEN YOU’RE ON-MOUNTAIN AND HAVE NO CHOICE – WHEN YOU CAN, EAT STUFF THAT’S BEEN COOKED FROM REAL INGREDIENTS. WE’VE DONE THIS SUCCESSFULLY IN PORTALEDGES, IN CAVES, ON GLACIERS AND IN DOZENS OF HIGH CAMPS. THE IDEA OF ‘JUST CHUCKING SOME DEHY’S IN’ IS LAZY THINKING THAT WILL HAUNT YOU WHEN YOU SHOULD BE SUMMITING.
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2) VARIETY
A ROTATION OF ABOUT 5 MAIN MEALS SEEMS THE MIMIMUM TO STOP PEOPLE GOING NUTS. THE MORE THE BETTER REALLY. BIG CAMPS WITH FULL STAFF CHURN THIS OUT EASILY, BUT FOR SMALL TEAMS DOING THEIR OWN PLANNING IT’S A BIT MORE COMPLICATED – IN A GOOD WAY. A BASECAMP OF 20 PEOPLE IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP EVERYONE HAPPY, BUT 5 CLIMBERS CAN EASILY AGREE ON A SELECTION OF MEALS EVERYONE LIKES. SOMETHING WE FIND GOOD ON OUR TRIPS IS DOING DIFFERENT CULTURES FOOD OVER THE ROTATION, ie THAI, ITALIAN, INDIAN, JAPANESE, ENGLISH, MEXICAN, MORROCAN, CHINESE OF COURSE etc. ALL CAN BE DONE FAIRLY AUTHENTICALLY WITH BASIC SUPPLIES. AND NOT JUST DINNERS. IN BASECAMPS, WITH THE TIME YOU HAVE, THERE’S NO REASON TO JUST LIVE OFF RYE BREAD AND CHEESE WHEN YOU COULD BE ALSO EATING PAD THAI OR BAGELS OR SUSHI.
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3) EAT WHAT WORKS
ASIDE FROM THE TRAVEL ELEMENT THROUGH NEW CULTURES, THE HARDWORK PART OF AN EXPEDITION IS NOT THE TIME TO TAKE ON A NEW RADICAL DIET. IF YOU EAT MUESLI EVERY DAY AT HOME, KEEP DOING IT. IF RICE OR CURRY IS A STAPLE FOR YOU, THERE’S NO REASON TO STOP. IF YOU KNOW YOU CAN EAT TORTILLAS EVERY DAY, EAT THEM EVERY DAY. ESPECIALLY AT BASECAMP WHERE THE AMOUNT OF DOWNTIME MAKES YOU VERY AWARE OF EVERY EMOTION & STRESSOR, WHAT YOU EAT NEEDS TO BE SATISFYING & HAVE COMFORT VALUE, AND NOTHING IS WORSE THAN THINKING EVERY DAY THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT MORE GREEN CURRY PASTE, OR CAMAMBERT OR TINNED TUNA.
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4) GO ‘SLOW’
THE IMAGE OF JUMPING INTO A TENT TO EAT A FREEZE DRIED BAR AND SWILL SOME WATER BEFORE A TURBULENT NIGHT ISN’T WHAT EVERY MOUNTAIN-NIGHT IS LIKE – USUALLY THERE’S A LOT OF TIME. ASIDE FROM THE OCCASIONAL BIVY, EVEN IN HIGH CAMPS FOOD CAN BE REAL. THIS MEANS DON’T AUTOMATICALLY REACH FOR EXPENSIVE HIGH-TECH. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT YOU WILL HAVE THE TIME TO PREPARE & COOK SOMETHING DECENT, WITH MULTIPLE INGREDIENTS & A COUPLE OF ‘COURSES’, WHICH WILL FEED YOUR PSYCHOLOGY AS MUCH AS YOUR BODY. EUROPEAN CLIMBERS HAVE ALWAYS VALUED EATING STAGED MEALS, OFTEN WITH QUITE ‘REAL’ OFFERINGS LIKE NOODLE SOUPS & PASTA. EATING ONLY OUT OF A FOIL BAG DEPRIVES YOU OF THE COMFORT VALUE & COSTS TWICE AS MUCH – AND FROM WHAT WE SEE HAS A HIGHER RATE OF DIGESTIVE ‘REJECTION’.
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5) PERSONAL SNACKS
YOU WILL BE SPENDING FAR MORE KCALS A DAY THAN YOU CAN CONSUME IN 3 SIT DOWN MEALS, SO SORT YOURSELF AN ARRAY OF ‘OWN FOOD’ TO GRAZE ON – AND DON’T GO POACHING OTHERS UNLESS INVITED. SNACKS ARE PERSONAL AND AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR BRAIN AS YOUR STOMACH SO LIKE BOOKS, MUSIC & STRETCHING NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED AS SO. IT’S A BIG PART OF LIVING TO BE ABLE TO SIT IN THE SUN ALONE WITH A COFFEE AND BLOCK OF CHOCOLATE AND JUST TUNE OUT FOR A WHILE.
