OUR GENUINE PRE-ACCLIMATION SCHEDULE HAS REVOLUTIONIZED TECHNICAL HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING IN TIBET SO WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING IT TO OUR 8000m KARAKORUM ASCENTS. THIS IS AUTHENTIC, ACTUAL ACCLIMATION, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE COMBINED WITH A WHIRLWIND TRIP THROUGH RARELY SEEN PARTS OF TIBET. NOTHING ARTIFICIAL, THIN ON EVIDENCE OR INVASIVE AT HOME – JUST WELL APPLIED OLD-SCHOOL METHODS.
THIS ACCELERATED ITINERARY CUTS THE REGULAR 65 DAY TRIP (9.5 WEEKS) TO 52 DAYS (7.5 WEEKS), REDUCING THE TIMELINE BY ALMOST 20%
THIS ITINERARY REVOLVES AROUND REAL-WORLD FEEDBACK WITH TEAM MEMBERS AND IS EXTREMELY ADJUSTABLE WITH THE ALTITUDES WE GO TO – BOTH WAYS ON THE SCALE OF CONDITION. PREVIOUSLY WE HAVE USED EVEN SHORTER SCHEDULES TO VARYING DEGREES OF RESULT.
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DAY 1
ARRIVE CHENGDU, SLEEP 100m
DAY 2
TRANSIT TO EASTERN TIBET 3000m. SHORT TRIP TO 3800m, SLEEP 3000m
ONLY IN CHINA IS IT POSSIBLE TO GO FROM SEA LEVEL TO NEARLY 4000m IN TIBET BY GROUND TRANSPORT IN A SINGLE COMFORTABLE DAY. OF COURSE WE COULD GO MUCH HIGHER – AND HAVE IN THE PAST – BUT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN US THIS IS THE HEALTHIEST INITIAL ALTITUDE GAIN FOR OVER 90% OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS. THE AFTERNOON IS SPEND ON AN EASY HIKE TO THE BASE OF 6000m PEAKS. MOST PEOPLE ARE STUNNED THAT A DAY THAT BEGAN ON AN AIRPLANE NOW ENDS AT A HIGH ALTITUDE LAKE SURROUNDED BY PEAKS TO OVER 7000m. THIS EVEN IS SPENT WITH A ‘WELCOME TO THE EXPEDITION’ MEAL IN THE TIBETAN TRADING TOWN OF KANGDING.
DAY 3
TRANSIT TO 3500m. EASY DAY HIKE TO 4000m. SLEEP 3500m
WE REALLY ENTER TIBET. CROSSING THE HIGH PASSES ONTO THE TIBETAN PLATEAU IT’S NOW PEAKS, RIVERS, YAKS & FOREST AS FAR AS YOU CAN GO IN EVERY DIRECTION. WE DRIVE FURTHER WEST, TAKING TIME FOR AN EASY DAY HIKE TO GAIN SEVERAL HUNDRED METERS ALTITUDE, BEFORE RETURNING TO THE TIBETAN TRADING TOWN WE STAY IN TO SLEEP.
DAY 4
TRANSIT TO 4000m. EASY DAY HIKE TO 4500m. SLEEP 4000m
THIS DAY WE LEAVE WHAT MANY TRAVELLERS WILL EVER SEE OF TIBET AND HEAD FOR THE NOMADIC TRADING TOWNS CLOSER TO THE CLOSED ‘INNER TIBET’ TOWNS WHERE THINGS GET MUCH MORE TRADITIONAL. OUT AMONG THE UNNAMED PEAKS IT’S IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO HIKE EASILY TO 4500M, THEN RETURNING TO STAY AT A HEALTHY 4000m.
DAY 5
TRANSIT TO 4500m. EASY HIKE TO 5000m. SLEEP 4500m
WE SPEND THIS DAY AROUND TOWN UNTIL THE AFTERNOON WHEN WE HEAD OUT TO A HIGH POINT, HIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO 5000m THEN DESCENT AND CAMP COMFORTABLY BY THE VEHICLES AT 4500m IN A REMOTE VALLEY SURROUNDED BY 5500m PEAKS ON ALL SIDES.
DAY 6
TRANSIT TO 4750m. EASY HIKE TO 5000m. SLEEP 5000m
THIS DAY WE RETURN TO TOWN TO DROP SOME ALTITUDE, RELAX IN OUR HOTEL & CHECK OUT THE MARKETS & MONASTERIES OF THIS AMAZING NOMADIC TRADING OUTPOST. AS A FRONTIER TO NORTHERN TIBET, THIS TOWN HAS LONG BEEN A MELTING POT FOR WHERE THE NORTHERN & EASTERN TRIBES MET WITH THE HIGHLAND NOMADS & MUSLIM TRADERS, RETAINING MUCH OF A TRADITIONAL WAY OF LIFE GONE FROM MORE VISITED TIBETAN TOWNS. THAT EVENING WE RETURN TO A HIGH PASS, HIKE A SHORT DISTANCE AND SPEND OUR FIRST NIGHT AT 5000m.
DAY 7
TRANSIT TO 4000m. REST DAY 4000m. RETURN TO SLEEP AT 5000m
THIS DAY IS BASICALLY A REPEAT OF DAY 5, DESCENDING TO REST IN TOWN DURING THE DAY THEN RETURNING FOR A SECOND NIGHT AT 5000m.
IT’S WORTH NOTING THIS IS THE SAME POINT WHERE NORMOBARIC HYPOXIC PROGRAMS LASTING A MINIMUM OF SIX WEEKS MAY BRING YOU TO.
DAY 8
RETURN TO 4000m SLEEP AT 4000m
THIS DAY IS A FULL DECOMPRESSION DAY WHERE 4000m WILL FEEL VERY NORMAL NOW. WE CAN SPEND IT IN AS RELAXED A WAY AS POSSIBLE, SLEEPING, EATING, VISITING SITES AROUND TOWN, SITTING ON THE HOTEL ROOF WITH BINOCULARS. THE AIM HERE IS TO EXERT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
DAY 9
RETURN TO 5300m. SLEEP 5300m
DAY 10
FULL DAY AROUND 5300m, UP TO 5500m. SLEEP 5300m
DAY 11
RETURN TO 4000m. SLEEP 4000m
THIS DAY IS ANOTHER FULL DECOMPRESSION DAY WHERE 4000m WILL FEEL VERY NORMAL NOW. WE SPEND IT IN AS RELAXED A WAY AS POSSIBLE, SLEEPING, EATING, VISITING SITES AROUND TOWN, SITTING ON THE HOTEL ROOF WITH BINOCULARS. THE AIM HERE IS TO EXERT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
DAY 12
RETURN TO 5300M. SLEEP 5300m
THIS DAY RETURNS TO SPEND A FULL DAY AROUND OUR HIGH POINT WITH A LATE ASCENT OF A FEW HUNDRED METERS TO OUR MAXIMUM ALTITUDE GAINED.
DAY 13
STAY AT 5300m. SLEEP 5300m
THIS DAY IS SPENT FULLY AT 5300m, THOUGH IN AS RELAXED A STATE AS POSSIBLE.
DAY 14
RETURN TO 4000m. SLEEP 4000m
RETURNING TO ROAD AND THEN TOWN WE BEGIN THE PHASE OF FULL DECOMPRESSION WHERE WE IMMERSE IN THE OXYGEN-RICH LOWER ALTITUDES BEFORE RELOCATING TO THE COMMITTMENT OF THE KARAKORAM.
DAY 15
RETURN CHENGDU. FULL DAYS REST. SLEEP AT 100m
WAKING AT 5000m, WE RETURN TO TOWN TO SHOWER & EAT BEFORE STARTING THE FULL DAYS TRANSIT BACK TO CHENGDU. THIS DAY IS ALL ABOUT REST, BUT WE HAVE THE OPTION OF STOPPING TO SPEND TIME AROUND 4250m IF WE CHOSE TO. CHENGDU IS BRIGHT, COSMOPOLITAN & SOPHISTICATED, AND WE HAVE AN EASY EVENING IN TOWN THEN A COMFORTABLE NIGHT, READY FOR THE MORNING’S FLIGHT TO XINJIANG.
DAY 16
EARLY FLIGHT TO KASHGAR (5hrs) THEN TRANSIT TO TRAILHEAD. CAMP AT TRAILHEAD AT 3500m
THE UNIQUNESS OF CHINA’S SINGLE TIMEZONE MAKE THIS DAY A MEMORABLE ONE. ALREADY AN HOUR OR TWO WEST OF BEIJING TIME, OUR EARLY FLIGHT GETS US INTO KASHGAR WITH PLENTY ON TIME TO CONTINUE OUR TRANSIT TO THE ROAD HEAD. IT IS A LONG DAY, BUT IT’S THROUGH FASCINATING LANDSCAPES AS WE TRAVEL ALONG THE OLD SOUTHERN SILK ROAD THEN DIVERT OFF TOWARDS THE WILDERNESS OF THE KUNLUN & KARAKORUM CONVERGENCE. THIS DAY ENDS AT THE REMOTE CAMEL HERDERS VILLAGE WHERE WE SPEND OUR FIRST NIGHT IN CENTRAL ASIA.
DAY 17
APPROACH DAY, APPROX 20km. CAMP AT 4300m
HEADING BACK INTO ALTITUDE GAIN, WE COVER LONG BUT EASY MILES THROUGH DRY DESERT VALLEYS, MAKING OUR WAY TOWARDS THE HIGH POINT OF THE ARGHIL PASS. WHAT IS USUALLY KEPT AT AN INTENTIONALLY SLOW PACE, ON THIS ITINERARY WE CAN COVER WITHOUT MUCH CONCERN BEING BOTH TRULY PRE-ACCLIMATED & HAVING A MINIMAL CARAVAN WITH US. THIS IS THE FIRST DAY REALLY ON THE K2 PART OF THE ITINERARY, AND WHEN IT ALL SINKS IN THAT THIS IS NOT AN ORDINARY 8000m TRIP AT ALL.
DAY 18
APPROACH DAY, APPROX 20km TO THE ARGHIL PASS. CAMP AT 4900m.
CROSSING THE ARGHIL PASS IS USUALLY A BIG EVENT, BUT THE VIEWS INTO THE KARAKORUM ARE OFTEN SECONDARY TO THE EFFORT OF MOST SCHEDULES HAVING THIS AS THEIR FIRST RISE TO HIGHER ALTITUDE. FOR US, WE GET TO TOP OUT AT THE PASS EASILY, SPEND TIME RESTING AT THE ALTITUDE ENJOYING THE VIEW (WHY WE ENCOURAGE BINOCULARS IN YOUR TRAVEL GEAR) AND KEEP GOING ALL THE WAY INTO THE FAMOUS SHAKSGAM RIVER VALLEY. DEPENDING ON THE SPEED OF THE CAMELS, WE SPEND THAT NIGHT ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER OR THE OTHER IN THE FRINGE OF FOLIAGE THAT MAY PROVIDE US A CAMP FIRE – YOU WON’T GET THAT ON THE BALTORO!
DAY 19
APPROACH TO SUGHET JANGAL, APPROX 20km. SLEEP SUGHET JANGAL AT 4200m
DAY 11 IS AN EASY WALK ALONG THE SHAKSGAM RIVER’S FLOOD PLAIN EVENTUALLY ROUNDING THE SPUR INTO THE OUTFLOW OF THE K2 NORTH GLACIER. THIS DAY ONLY HAS A FEW HUNDRED METERS ALTITUDE GAIN OVER IT’S LENGTH, AND THE ARRIVAL AT SUGHET JANGAL BASECAMP IS WELCOMING.
DAY 20
REST DAY AT SUGHET JANGAL BASECAMP. HALF DAY HIKE TO 5200m. SLEEP 4200m
THIS DAY IS TO REST, ABSORB, GET YOUR GEAR READY FOR THE TRIP UP THE GLACIER & TAKE IN A SHORT ACCLIMATION HIKE TO REGAIN 5000m THAT SHOULD BRING IN THE FIRST CLEAR VIEWS OF THE NORTH FACE OF K2 LESS THAN 20km AWAY – STRAIGHT AT THE NORTH RIDGE. POSSIBLE USUALLY ONLY FOR PRE-ACCLIMATED TEAMS, THIS HIGH POINT IS EASY TO SPEND HOURS AT, ANALYSING & CONTEMPLATING THE NORTH FACE AND THE CLEAR NORTH RIDGE, AND SETS THE BALL ROLLING FOR THE ‘K2 NORTH VIBE’ THAT VERY, VERY FEW CLIMBERS EVER KNOW.
DAY 21
CARRY TO BASECAMP, APPROX 15km. SLEEP 5200m
DAY 13 IS WHEN IT ALL GETS REAL; YOU CARRY UP THE GLACIER ALONG A COURSE THROUGH SCULPTED MORAINE, COMING INTO FULL PROXIMITY WITH THE NORTH FACE. FIRST LOADS ARE FAIRLY LIGHT, PRETTY MUCH YOUR PERSONAL GEAR FROM THE TRIP IN, AND THE 6% OVERALL RATIO OF ASCENT IS EASY BEING PRE-ACCLIMATED.
THIS IS THE POINT WE REGAIN OUR ACCLIMATION, WITH A FEW CARRIES AHEAD TO STOCK UP BASECAMP ONLY ENOUGH TO MAKE THE FIRST FORAYS ONTO THE NORTH RIDGE ROUTE BEFORE A DESCENT BACK TO SUGHET JANGAL TO REST AND RESUPPLY.
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IT’S REMARKABLE BEING ABLE TO STAND, READY TO CLIMB, AT THE BASE OF A ROUTE LIKE K2’S NORTH RIDGE ONLY 3 WEEKS OUT FROM ARRIVING IN CHINA KNOWING YOU ARE GENUINELY ACCLIMATED FROM TIME ACTUALLY AT ALTITUDE. YOUR SCHEDULE TO ARRIVE HERE HAS FORTIFIED YOU WITH THE STRONGEST, MOST PROVEN ALTITUDE GAIN PROCESS POSSIBLE, BASED ON AN ACCUMULATIVE NUMBER OF DAYS RESTING & ACTIVE IN OPTIMAL RATIO (RATHER THAN MINIMAL) AT REAL ALTITUDES.
WHERE BETTER PLACE TO HAVE THAT.
