ON THE
NORTH SIDE
YOU NEED TO
GET IT RIGHT.
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IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT ALL 8000m PEAKS REQUIRE SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO CLIMB, WITH THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM NEEDING EVEN MORE THAN MOST OTHERS. SMALLER GROUPS, STEEPER CLIMBING, COLDER CONDITIONS & A DIFFERENT CLIMBING STYLE ALL MEAN DIFFERENT DEMANDS THAT EQUIPMENT NEEDS TO MEET.
UNLIKE THE POPULAR 8000m AREAS, THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 DOESN’T HAVE PORTERS WHO CAN RUN STUFF UP FROM NAMCHE OR A CROWD DOWN AT BROAD PEAK AND CONCORDIA WHO CAN SPARE A SET OF MITTS OR SWAP OUT SOME BOOTS.
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CLOTHING
SUITS FOR K2 NORTH SIDE CAN GET A FEW DAYS EXTRA USE BECAUSE THEY ARE PUT ON EARLIER. LIKE BOOTS, DOWN LAYERS ARE EVOLVING WITH MORE COMPANIES MAKING THEM AND DESIGNS BEING PUSHED. THE ARRIVAL OF THE DOUBLE SUIT CONCEPT SAVES SOME WEIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN AND IS WORTH RECOMMENDING. UNLIKE SOME OTHER 8000m ROUTES, THERE IS NO TIME SPENT WAITING IN LINE GETTING DANGEROUSLY COLD, SO SUITS CAN REFLECT THAT, BEING CHOSEN FOR ACTIVE CLIMBING RATHER THAN WAITING IN THE COLD.
WE LIKE THE DOUBLE SUIT SYSTEM (WHETHER FROM PHD OR ANOTHER VERSION) BECAUSE IN THE SMALL CAMPS YOU CAN KEEP THE INNER SUIT AND HARNESS ON WHILST SLEEPING, SAVING A LOT OF MESSING ABOUT WHEN SHARING A TENT.
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BOOTS
BOOTS FOR K2 NORTH SIDE NEED TO BE AS TECHNICAL CLIMBABLE AS YOUR FEET WILL ALLOW. THIS IS NOT A HIGH ALTITUDE TRUDGE LIKE EVEREST OR BROAD PEAK’S REGULAR ROUTES, THE NORTH RIDGE REQUIRES CLIMBING MIXED SECTIONS AND STEEP NEVE AND ICE UNLIKELY TO BE STEPPED OUT. THIS MEANS EXTRA ATTENTION PAID TO YOUR FOOTWEAR BY TRYING SEVERAL MODELS ON, THERMOFORMING OR SWAPPING OUT INNERS, AND WEARING THE RIGHT SOCKS. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO BORROW A FRIEND’S BOOTS AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. THANKFULLY DEVELOPMENT IN BOOTS FOR HIGH & COLD CLIMBING HAS MEANT MANY BOOTS AVAILABLE NOW HAVE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THE DAYS OF THEM BEING CLUMSY AND BULBOUS. NEW MATERIALS MEAN THAT THE LATEST BOOTS ARE NOT THAT MUCH HEFTIER THAN THE SORT OF THINGS MANY PEOPLE WEAR FOR WEEKENDS ICE CLIMBING.
WE RECOMMEND BRINGING WINTER ALPINE, IDEALLY 6000m BOOTS TOO FOR THE LOWER SECTIONS & TRANSITION OFF THE GLACIER.
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GLOVES
LIKE BOOTS, THE NORTH RIDGE HAS TECHNICAL SECTIONS WHERE A BIG MITT WON’T BE APROPRIATE. YOU WILL NEED TO HANDLE TWO TOOLS, MAYBE PLACE SOME GEAR AND DEFINITELY MANAGE TENTS, SO WE FIND A MID-WEIGHT CLIMBING GLOVE+MITT COMBINATION WORKS BEST.
ALL GLOVES USED FOR CLIMBING MUST HAVE RETAINER CORDS.
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SLEEPING
UNLIKE MOST BIG PEAKS THAT HAVE TWO BASIC CAMP OPTIONS WHEN COMMERCIALLY CLIMBED – BASECAMP AND EVERYTHING ELSE – THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2 HAS FOUR. YOUR SLEEPING SYSTEM NEEDS TO COVER THE PARADISE OF BASECAMP, THE GLACIER OF ADVANCED BASECAMP, THE FRONTIER OF ADVANCED ADVANCE BASECAMP (OR CAMP 1), THEN THE HIGH CAMPS ON THE MOUNTAIN.
THE IDEA OF BRINGING 4 INDIVIDUAL BAGS SOUNDS LOGICAL TILL YOU SEE WHAT’S INVOLVED WITH CARRYING THEM ALL, WHICH MEANS A DOUBLE OR TRIPLE BAG SYSTEM IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL WORK. WE HAVE FOUND A COMBINED WEIGHT OF 1800g COMPRISED OF 2 BAGS WEIGHING IN AT AROUND 700g / 1100g OR 3 BAGS AT 400g / 600g / 800g WORKS WELL. ALL BAGS NEED TO BE SIZED TO FIT TOGETHER OF COURSE (SOMETIMES THE INNER TWO CAN BE ZIPPED TOGETHER), AND IF THE OUTER-MOST BAG IS A HIGH QUALITY SYNTHETIC IT GOES A LONG WAY TO KEEPING THE WHOLE LOT DRY.
SLEEPING MATS CAN BE A COMBINATION OF INFLATING & CLOSED CELL, BUT THERE MUST BE A CLOSED CELL OPTION IN THE MIX. LIKE THE TRIPLE BAGS, WE HAVE SEEN A TRIPLE MAT SYSTEM WORKS WELL, COMPRISED OF TWO THIN FOAM LAYERS & AN INFLATABLE BETWEEN. IN THIS CASE THE INFLATABLE CAN BE A THINNER, FOAM-CORE ONE – SOMETHING THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE WHEN TRYING TO INFLATE BY MOUTH ABOUT 7000m. SOME CORD OR TAPE HOLDS THE WHOLE LOT TOGETHER.
WE ALSO RECOMMEND BRINGING A VERY LIGHT BIVY BAG (ie NOT ONE WITH A POLE & BUG MESH).
A LARGE PIECE OF THIN, REFLECTIVE-SIDED FOAM FOR THE TENT FLOOR ON THE GLACIER MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN LIVABILITY.
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CLIMBING
K2 NORTH SIDE NEEDS TWO TOOLS. A SINGLE AXE MAY BE FINE FOR LOW DOWN, BUT PRETTY SOON YOU WILL NEED FOUR POINTS OF CONTACT TO PROCEED.
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FIXED LINES
THERE WILL BE SOME FIXED SECTIONS BUT IT WON’T BE LIKE THE FULL-LENGTH LINE TO THE SUMMIT FOUND ELSEWHERE. THE NORTH SIDE WILL HAVE TRAVERSES THAT REQUIRE ANY ASCENDER TO BE RIGGED WITH A RETAINER ‘BINER WHICH MUST BE A LOCKING OVAL TO PREVENT ROPES JAMMING IN THE TEETH.
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CRAMPONS
THE AMOUNT OF ROCK ON THE NORTH RIDGE MEANS CRAMPONS TAKE AN EXTRA BEATING. WE SUGGEST INTERCHANGABLE DOUBLE OR VERTICAL FRONT POINTS, AND IDEALLY RELATIVELY SHORT OTHER TEETH FOR WALKING ON ROCK. THERE WILL BE NO LADDERS AFFECTED BY UNUSUAL CRAMPON DESIGNS.
WIRE OR BASKET BAILS ARE BOTH FINE, EACH WITH PROS & CONS. BRING A SET OF PIECES, CABLE TIES & A SMALL 2mm CABLE & CRIMPING SET FOR IF THINGS BREAK.
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OXYGEN
THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM HAS BECOME ASSOCIATED WITH THE ABSENCE OF USING SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN. NOT ONLY DOES THE STYLE OF CLIMBING REFLECT THIS CHOICE, BUT PROCURING BOTTLES IS A COMPLEX AND EXPENSIVE PROCESS. WE SEE THESE AS GOOD REASONS TO CONTINUE WITH THE O-LESS TRADITION.
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CARRYING
WITHOUT THE REGIMENT OF PORTERS, SHERPAS & HAPS, THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM REQUIRES TEAM MEMBERS TO CARRY EVERYTHING NEEDED BEYOND THE CAMEL DUMP AND ON THE MOUNTAIN, AND BACK AGAIN. FOR THIS, PROPER EXPEDITION PACKS ARE NEEDED.
EXPEDITION PACKS DIFFER FROM TREKKING PACKS IN THAT THEY ARE STRONGER, SIMPLER & LIGHTER. THIS SORT OF PACK COMES IN A VOLUME OF ABOUT 70 – 110L, HAS NO EXTRANEOUS BITS TO BREAK, HAS MINIMAL POCKETS AND COMPARTMENTS THAT ADD WEIGHT, AND IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE SACK READY TO DUMP LOTS OF GEAR INTO AND CARRY FOR HOURS.
FOR THE CARRIES UP THE GLACIER WE RIG 100L CHEM BARRELS DIRECTLY ONTO EMPTY PACKS, SO ACCOMMODATION FOR THIS IS IMPORTANT.
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LIVING
THE ISOLATION OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM MAKES LIVING OUT THERE FOR A FEW MONTHS A MUCH DIFFERENT PROSPECT TO THE TENT VILLAGES ON THE BALTORO OR KHUMBU. THINGS WILL NEVER BE AS ‘CIVILIZED’ BUT THEY CAN STILL BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE ADDITION OF SIMPLE ITEMS LIKE A CUSHION TO SIT ON, A TENT LIGHT, THINGS TO AMUSE YOU LIKE READING MATERIAL, BINOCULARS, MAPS, SKETCH PADS, & PACKING SYSTEMS THAT MAKE THINGS EASY TO ORGANIZE.
A PERSONAL STOVE LETS YOU WANDER OFF ON DAY HIKES OR MAKE MIDNIGHT SNACKS, AND AN INTEREST IN THE UNIQUE GEOGRAPHY HOLDS COUNTLESS OPPORTUNITIES TO DOCUMENT A PLACE THAT HAS VERY LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT IT.
