FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITION’S ZERO FOOTPRINT BASECAMPS

IF THEY CAN CLEAN UP AFTER BURNING MAN THEY CAN CLEAN UP AFTER A SEASON AT BASECAMP

ALEC J

THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM IS GENUINE WILDERNESS SO WE LEAVE IT THAT WAY. BECAUSE IT’S NEVER BEEN ASSAULTED WITH THE MASSES OF DEBRIS COMMONLY SEEN ELSEWHERE IN THE FIRST PLACE, IT’S EASY TO KNOW WHAT MARK WE ARE MAKING, DOUBLY IMPORTANT AS K2 NORTH SIDE’S BASECAMP IS ON GREEN PASTURE, NOT THE MOVING GLACIER SEEN IN PAKISTAN. WITH BASIC TECHNOLOGY WE KEEP THE SPRING WATER DRINKABLE, THE GROUND FREE OF HUMAN WASTE & THE SITES FREE OF GARBAGE. BECAUSE WE USE CAMELS FOR PORTERAGE, THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE CAN CARRY IN CAN BE A LOT MORE EFFICIENT, AND WE USE THIS TO OPTIMUM EFFECT BY HAVING BASECAMP & ADVANCED BASECAMP AT ZERO FOOTPRINT.

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TOILETS

WHAT GOES IN, COMES BACK OUT FOR PROPER DISPOSAL. TOILETS ARE ALWAYS MAJOR CONCERNS AT BASECAMPS AND RATHER THAN JUST PUT A TENT AND SOME ROCKS OVER A CREVASSE THAT NEEDS MOVING EVERY TWO WEEKS (AND USUALLY A DOUSING WITH GASOLINE…) WE USE AN ECO-TOILET SYSTEM TURNS THE WASTE TO DRY MATTER, KEEPS IT HYGENIC & IS EASILY PACKED OUT. THIS PLUS THE SIMPLE FACT OF FAR FEWER PEOPLE ON SITE AVOIDS THE LATRINES FROM THE PRIMARY WASTE & SANITATION FOCAL POINT.

FOR ‘LIQUID DEPOSITS’, AND TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT AT THE LATRINE, WE IMPLEMENT THE SYSTEM FOR PEOPLE TO USE A PISS BOTTLE IN BASECAMP TOO, PUTTING THE CONTENTS INTO A SEPARATE WASTE SYSTEM.

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ENERGY

OUR GOAL IS FOR THE 2023 SEASON TO USE ZERO LIQUID OR GAS FUEL AT OUR CAMPS, WITH ALL LIGHTING, COOKING & ELECTRICAL NEEDS GENERATED BY WIND & SOLAR. ASIDE FROM THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES, THIS ALSO MEANS LESS WEIGHT TO CARRY AND MORE RELIABLE SYSTEMS.

NOTHING DISRUPTS THE ATMOSPHERE OF A REMOTE BASECAMP LIKE THE SOUND & SMELL OF A GENERATOR STARTING UP. THOUGH IT HAS A CERTAIN ‘FRONTIER NOSTALGIA’ FOR SOME, THE ABSENCE IS NOT MISSED. THESE DAYS SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS ARE EASILY AT A LEVEL TO PRODUCE & STORE THE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS FOR A BASECAMP, ESPECIALLY ONE AS SMALL AS THE NORTH SIDE OF K2, AND OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH FRONTIER ENERGY COMPANY SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIES PUTS THINGS A STEP AHEAD OF THE ‘RECREATIONAL LEVEL’ SOLAR SET-UPS USUALLY SEEN AT BASECAMPS.

TO SUPPLEMENT OUR SOLAR SET-UP, STARTING 2022, WE WILL BEGIN USING WIND POWER AS WELL. LIGHT TO CARRY AND FILLING A GAP WHERE SOLAR CAN TAPER OFF (NIGHTS & BAD WEATHER), SMALL WIND GENERATORS TAKE THINGS TO A NEW LEVEL OF ZERO FOOTPRINT ENERGY SUPPLY THAT FITS PERFECTLY WITH THE SMALL CAMPS WE RUN.

USING A CENTRALIZED COLLECTION & STORAGE CENTRE EASILY GENERATES ENOUGH POWER TO RUN OUR LIGHTING, CHARGING & COMMUNICATIONS DEMANDS, WITH EACH TENT HAVING IT’S OWN SUB-SOURCE BEYOND THE COMMON CENTRAL UNIT.

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WASHING (CLOTHES, KITCHEN, HANDS & BODIES)

STAYING CLEAN IS A BIG DEAL ON LONG TRIPS SO WE USE DEDICATED WASHING SET UPS FOR OURSELVES & OUR GEAR.

HANDS ARE KEPT CLEAN WITH GEL, ELIMINATING THE POOL OF WATER THAT INEVITABLY FORMS AT THE DOOR TO MOST MESS TENTS AND OUR SHOWER SET UPS HAVE A TUB FLOOR THAT PREVENTS GREY WATER GOING UNTREATED DIRECTLY INTO THE GROUND.

LIKE THE SHOWERS & LATRINES, CLOTHES WASHING IS INTO A TUB THAT PREVENTS A WATER-SCAR, AND USES LIQUID DETERGENTS WE CHOOSE FOR THEIR BIODEGRADABILITY. WE USE PRIMITIVE SYSTEM – IN BASECAMP WE HAVE THE TIME.

KEEPING KITCHEN & EATING-WARE CLEAN IS ANOTHER THING THAT OFTEN GENERATES POOLS OF GREY WATER, WATER-SCARS & FOCAL POINTS FOR GRIME, SO WE PUT EACH TEAM MEMBER IN CHARGE OF THEIR OWN 3 SETS OF EATING-WARE TO BE CLEANED & MANAGED AT A PLACE OUTSIDE THE ‘EATING ZONE’.

ALL GREY WATER IS TREATED TO REDUCE LARGE PARTICLE CONTENT, EACH PART DISPOSED OF SEPARATELY.

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FIRES

K2 NORTH SIDE IS KNOWN FOR ALLOWING CAMP FIRES, SOMETHING UNHEARD OF IN 99% OF OTHER +7000m PEAK BASECAMPS. THOUGH FIRES ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH SCARRING THE LANDSCAPE, AT K2 WE KEEP THINGS IN ORDER. SMALL FIRES AT SUGHET JANGAL HAVE BEEN PART OF THE HUNTERS & HERDERS LIVES FOR CENTURIES, TRADITIONALLY USING A MIX OF DRIED CAMEL DUNG, COLLECTED WOOD FROM THE RIVERS HIGH MARK & WOOD CARRIED BY PACK ANIMALS. THE AVERAGE STAY IN THE LOCATION WAS AROUND 10 DAYS (BUT COULD BE ENTIRE SUMMERS), SO WE KEEP TO THIS, NOT HAVING FIRES EVERY NIGHT NECESSARILY AND USING A PLACE PREVIOUSLY USED FOR THIS.

WE AVOID ANYTHING GOING INTO THE FIRE OTHER THAN WOOD & DON’T CUT STANDING WOOD FOR THE PURPOSE.

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FOR ALL THESE SYSTEMS & METHODS OUR BASECAMPS DON’T RUN LIKE ARMY BASES. THE RESULT OF THINGS BEING ZERO FOOTPRINT IS WE DON’T ACCUMULATE THE WORK-AROUNDS THAT ARE PART OF LIFE ELSEWHERE. OUR BIGGEST METHOD FOR REDUCING THE IMPACT OF A BASECAMP THOUGH IS SIMPLY BY SPENDING AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE THERE – A GLACE AT OUT ITINERARY BREAK DOWN CLEARLY SHOWS A K2 CHINESE SIDE TRIP ONLY HAS LESS THAN 10% OF IT IN BASECAMP, VASTLY REDUCING THE IMPACT. AT THE END OF A TRIP, WE GET TO LITERALLY SADDLE UP AND MOVE OUT OF BASECAMP ABLE TO LOOK BACK AND SEE NO SIGN OF OUR STAY THERE.