OUR UNIQUE K2 PRE-ACCLIMATION HAS YOU AT THE BASE OF THE NORTH RIDGE WEEKS EARLIER THAN A NORMAL ITINERARY

OUR PREACCLIMATION REVOLUTIONIZES TECHNICAL HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING IN TIBET SO WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING IT TO OUR 7000 & 8000m KARAKORUM NORTH ASCENTS. THIS IS AUTHENTIC, ACTUAL ACCLIMATION, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE COMBINED WITH A WHIRLWIND TRIP THROUGH RARELY SEEN PARTS OF TIBET. NOTHING ARTIFICIAL, LACKING EVIDENCE OR INVASIVE AT HOME – JUST WELL APPLIED OLD-SCHOOL METHODS

USING TIME-PROVEN METHODOLOGY THIS PRE-ACCLIMATION PROCESS USES A VERSION OF OUR TIBET ACCLIMATION SCHEDULE FOR AROUND 12 DAYS, PREFIXED ONTO A DIRECT FLIGHT TO KASHGAR THEN AN EXPEDIATED APPROACH TO K2’S BASECAMP AT 5000m.

THIS REDUCES OVERALL TRIP LENGTH BY 20% AND REPLACES TRADITIONAL ACCLIMATION FROM THE INTENTIONALLY SLOWED APPROACH OVER THE HIGH PASSES THEN THE SLOW PORTERAGES UP TO BASECAMP BEYOND WHERE THE CAMELS CAN GO.

THIS PREACCLIMATION SCHEDULE ALLOWS FOR GENUINE METABOLIC ADAPTIONS MADE AT REAL ALTITUDE IN A VERY RELAXED & COMFORTABLE PROCESS, COMBINED WITH A TRIP THROUGH THE RARELY VISITED PARTS OF EASTERN TIBETS HIGH ALPINE VILLAGES. FOR MANY THIS TRIP ALONE WILL BE A HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR EXPEDITION TO K2

THIS ITINERARY REVOLVES AROUND REAL-WORLD FEEDBACK WITH TEAM MEMBERS AND IS EXTREMELY ADJUSTABLE WITH THE ALTITUDES WE GO TO.

ARRIVE ACCLIMATED

THE SINGLE FACTOR MOST ADVANTAGEOUS TO SUCCESS ON AN 8000m ROUTE ISN’T SPENDING MORE TIME ON IT, IT’S ARRIVING ACCLIMATED AND RESTED TO MOVE DIRECTLY ON TO THE CLIMBING. THIS MEANS A LEVEL OF ACCLIMATION THAT ADDRESSES THE LABORIOUS CARRIES TO BASECAMP, BY ARRIVING AT THE GLACIER FRESH AND IN PEAK CONDITION.

SINCE INITIATING PREACCLIMATION FOR OUR TRIPS, DEVELOPMENT HAS MOVED ON WITH A PRIMARY CONCERN EMERGING OF OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NORTHERN KARAKORAM. AS MORE PEOPLE GET INTERESTED IN GOING THERE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO START THE PROCESS OF IMPACT MITIGATION AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE BY SIMPLY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DAYS SPENT OUT THERE WHEN THEY CAN MORE EFFICIENTLY BE SPENT IN TIBET.

THE PROS

FLIGHTS FOR TEAM MEMBERS ARE MORE EFFICIENT AS BY FLYING INTO CHENGDU IT’S A MORE COMMON FLIGHT PATH WITH FEWER TRANSITS. FOR MANY THIS WILL BE ONLY TWO, AS CHENGDU IS A MAJOR CHINA DESTINATION, MAKING THINGS FAR MORE DIRECT THAN EITHER KATHMANDU OR ISLAMABAD.

ROAD TRANSIT WORKS OUT ALMOST THE SAME, THE TRIP UP ONTO THE TIBETAN PLATEAU IS ABOUT HALF THE DRIVING WE WOULD HAVE DONE FERRYING AROUND KASHGAR AND OUT TO THE TRAILHEAD. WE NOW TRAVEL THIS LEG IN UNDER HALF THE TIME IN MORE EFFICIENT VEHICLES ALONG NEW ROADS, REDUCING WHAT TOOK DAYS NOW TO HOURS.

WILDERNESS IMPACT ON THIS ITINERARY HAS ABOUT 2 WEEKS LESS OF CONSUMING STOVE FUEL & LIVING IN CAMPS; THIS TRANSLATES PER CLIMBER TO ABOUT 1250g OF FUEL NOT BURNED, 14 SOLID TOILET DEPOSITS NOT MADE, 50 LIQUID TOILET DEPOSITS NOT MADE, 50 DISHES NOT WASHED, 10 AAA BATTERIES NOT DRAINED & 4 LOTS OF WASHING POWDER NOT USED – ALL NOT NEEDING TO BE CARRIED, CONTAINED AND DISPOSED OF.

VALUE

SIMPLY PUT; DAYS ON EXPEDITION IN XINJIANG COST MORE THAN DAYS IN TIBET, SO IT MAKES SENSE TO SPEND DAYS ACCLIMATING WHERE IT’S BOTH CHEAPER AND MORE EFFECTIVE.

THE COST VALUE IN OUR K2 PRE-ACCLIMATION ITINERARY IS EXTRAORDINARY. THE COMBINATION OF THE TOUR OF EASTERN TIBET & THE GENUINE MOUNTAIN ALTITUDE ADAPTION THAT THEN TAKES OFF 20% OF THE K2 TIMELINE, AND IT’S BENEFITS THAT PLAY OUT DURING THE CLIMBING MAKE THIS THE ULTIMATE WAY TO EDGE YOUR PERFORMANCE ON A ROUTE LIKE THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2. SWAPPING OUT THE PREACCLIMATION PROGRAM FOR THE EXTRA TIME IN XINJIANG EQUALS OUT TO COST NOTHING MORE, NOTING IN THIS CASE YOUR TRIP COST NOW INCLUDES THE DOMESTIC FLIGHTS INTO XINJIANG.

NO OTHER EXPEDITION HAS TIBET & THE KARAKORAM IN A SINGLE ITINERARY. THIS IS BOTH A TRIP THROUGH A RARELY VISITED PART OF TIBET PACKED WITH UNCLIMBED PEAKS TO 6000m & TO THE HIGHEST ALTITUDE WILDERNESS SURROUNDING K2. IF ‘MOUNTAIN TIME’ IS THE GOAL THEN THIS IS THE WAY TO ACHEIVE IT. IN THE COURSE OF THIS TRIP 95% OF THE PEAKS YOU WILL SEE HAVE NOT BEEN NAMED OR CLIMBED – MOST OF THEM WILL NEVER HAD ANYONE TO THE BASE OF THEM LET ALONG THE SUMMIT.

USING THIS PRE-ACCLIMATION METHOD LETS YOU GET ONTO K2’S NORTH RIDGE IN THE BEST POSSIBLE PHYSICAL CONDITION WE KNOW HOW. THE PHASE IN TIBET IS ALMOST LAZY, FUNCTIONING UNIQUELY AS BOTH A TRAINING TAPER & AS ACCLIMATION. ALL THE REST TIME ALLOWS THE BODY THE +5000m OF GENUINE ADAPTION YOU WILL ARRIVE AT K2 WITH WHICH IS FAR AHEAD OF THE CONDITION MOST PEOPLE START CLIMBING WITH, TRANSLATING INTO THE BEST ADVANTAGE YOU CAN BRING TO THE OBJECTIVE. IF YOU’VE SPENT A YEAR OR MORE TRAINING FOR THE NORTH RIDGE ROUTE THIS IS THE ULTIMATE WAY TO APPROACH IT

THIS PHASE USES SOMETHING IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHEIVE BY ARTIFICIAL METHODS – REAL ALTITUDE

WE USE A SCHEDULE WE HAVE USED MANY TIMES PREVIOUSLY FOR GAINING ALTITUDE, PUSHING THE THRESHOLD, THEN DROPPING BACK TO ADAPT. WE ARE HIGHLY MOBILE DURING THIS PHASE SO WE CAN ADJUST OUR ALTITUDE GAIN IN REAL TIME TO EXTREMELY FINE INCREMENTS, AS WELL AS ADJUST OUR EXPOSURE TIME TO OPTIMIZE ON PERSONAL CONDITION. UNLIKE HOME TENT METHODS, WE SPEND 100% OF OUR TIME ON THE ALTITUDE CURVE, WITH A REAL-TIME SCHEDULE FOR REST, ACTIVITY & EATING.

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DURING THIS PHASE WE DRIVE BETWEEN ALTITUDE THRESHOLDS IN THE BEAUTIFUL TOWNS OF EASTERN TIBET, STAYING IN COMFORTABLE HOTELS AND HIKING TO OUR HIGH POINTS. WE MOVE AT A VERY SUSTAINABLE PACE TO ADAPT PROPERLY AND TO INTERACT WITH THE PLACES WE VISIT. THIS IS AS MUCH A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS OF TIBET AS IT IS AN ACCLIMATION SCHEDULE.

DAILY TOPOGRAPHIC HIGHPOINTS ARE TRIP-OF-A-LIFETIME LOCATIONS LIKE MOUNTAIN PASSES, SUB-PEAKS OR COLS. NIGHTS ARE THEN SPENT GETTING QUALITY REST SO OUR BODIES CAN ADAPT DURING SLEEP, STAYING IN HOTELS WITH GOOD FACILITIES & EATING IN PLACES THAT MAKE ‘DOWNTIME’ JUST AS INTERESTING AS THE ACTIVE PERIODS. THE HIGHEST NIGHTS WE STAY IN TENTS SCHEDULED AROUND HIGHER HIKES SO BY THE TIME WE ARRIVE ON THE MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB WE WILL ALREADY HAVE SPENT SEVERAL NIGHTS AT HIGH ALTITUDE.

TIBET TO XINJIANG

FROM OUR HIGH POINT IN EASTERN TIBET WE RETURN TO CHENGDU THEN FLY TO KASHGAR ON A TIMELINE ONLY MODERN CHINA COULD ALLOW. KEEPING ANY CURIOSITY OVER THE EXOTIC CITY OF KASHGAR FOR THE RETURN, WE GET ON CHINA’S OTHER EXAMPLE OF MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE – HIGH SPEED FREEWAYS – TO DRIVE TO THE REMOTE TRAILHEAD FOR THE APPROACH TO K2.

BEING ACCLIMATED, WE CAN APPROACH K2 WITHOUT THE NEED FOR SLOWING OVER THE ARGHIL PASS AND CAMP ON IT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE RETURN TO ALTITUDE. AFTER ARRIVING AT SUGHET JANGAL WE SPEND ONLY A DAY BEFORE CONTINUING TO BASECAMP AND REGAINING OUR ACCLIMATION THRESHOLD.