YOU NEED TO STAY ON THE MOUNTAIN LONG ENOUGH TO GET THINGS DONE, AND THOUGH THE POSSIBILITIES FOR FAST, LIGHT AND NON-STOP CLIMBING GET PUSHED FURTHER OUT EVERY YEAR, SOME STUFF FORSEEABLY NEEDS TO BE DONE OVER MULTIPLE DAYS. SOME ROUTES ARE HUGE, SOME DANGEROUS AS THE DAYS CONDITIONS EVOLVE, SOME TOO COMPLEX TO MAKE EVERY METER FORWARD ALSO A METER UPWARDS, AND SOMETIMES THE CLIMBING IS THE PLEASURE ITSELF – REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN THIS WAS WHAT WE CAME FOR?
COMMERCIAL HIMALAYAN CLIMBING HAS EFFECTIVELY GUTTED THE STRATEGIES FOR BIG ALPINE ASCENTS, FORMATTING THEM ALL INTO CAMPS SET UP ACCORDING TO BOTTLED OXYGEN USE AND SIMPLY WHERE THEY HAVE ALWAYS GONE IN SEASONS BEFORE. CLIMBERS CLIMB THE FORMAT NOW, NOT THE ROUTE, AND WHEN THINGS GET BIG THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO CLIMB IN TRUE ALPINE STYLE OVER SEVERAL DAYS IS BECOMING MORE HISTORY THAT POTENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE.
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NON-STOP
CLIMBING NON-STOP WILL GET YOU THROUGH 2 DAYS, BUT BEYOND THAT TAKES A TYPE OF PERSON WITH A CERTAIN TYPE OF CONSTITUTION AND CAPACITY TO KEEP GOING WITHOUT REST, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN REST MUST ENTAIL CAMPS, OR EVEN TENTS. THE NIGHT-NAKED STYLE PERFECTED IN THE 80s BY EASTERN BLOC AND EUROPEAN CLIMBER, WHICH SAW THEM CLIMB THROUGH THE MORE STABLE CONDITIONS OF THE COOLER TIMES OF THE DAY THEN REST IN THE WARMTH OF THE SUN, LET THEM CLIMB AS FAST AND LIGHT AS HAS EVER BEEN POSSIBLE. THIS WORKED WELL ON WELL KNOWN AND OBSERVED ROUTES, AND DESERVES RESURRECTING AND APPLYING TO THE POTENTIAL ROUTES OF TODAY THAT AWAIT FIRST ASCENTS, AND IS ONE OF THE FUTURISTIC ELEMENTS THAT AWAIT CLIMBERS PUSHING THE SPORT FORWARD.
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CAPSULE STYLE
CAPSULE STYLE MEANS MANY THINGS, BUT IS BASICALLY ALPINE STYLE ASCENTS, THAT RATHER THAN MINIMALIST CAMPS ON THE FLY, MOVES A VERSION OF THE HIGH CAMP UPWARDS. THIS ALLOWS A CAPSULE OF SECURITY TO RETREAT TO, NEGATING HAVING TO FULLY RETREAT TO BC, AND DONE WELL PROBABLY HAS THE MOST EFFICIENT PROFILE IN RELATION TO RISK. UNLIKE PURE ALPINE STYLE CLIMBING, WHICH CARRIES VERY LITTLE CONTINGENCY AND HAS VERY LITTLE FOOTPRINT, CAPSULE STYLE LETS THE CLIMBERS ACTUALLY LIVE ON THE ROUTE AND THEREFORE CLIMB AT A BETTER LEVEL BECAUSE THEY HAVE GREATER ABILITY TO RECOVER.
IN A WAY ALL BIG WALL CLIMBING IS THIS, BUT IN THE PAST ‘HEAVY’ VERSIONS OF CAPSULE STYLE HAVE BEEN VERY HEAVY HANDED AND BLASTED UP ROUTES IN WHAT CAN ONLY BE CALLED ‘ALPINE SEIGING’. YES, THEY DIDN’T RETURN TO THE GROUND ONCE THEY LEFT, BUT LOGISTICALLY LARGE ROTATING TEAMS WERE USED, MAKING THEM NOT TRUE ALPINE ASCENTS WHERE SELF-SUSTAINED CLIMBERS CLIMBED EVERY INCH THEMSELVES FOLLOWING ONLY WHAT THE MOUNTAIN PRESENTED.
IN IT’S CONTEMPORARY FORM, CAPSULE STYLE OFFERS A LOT FOR EXPEDITION ALPINE ASCENTS AT ALTITUDE, NOW THAT EQUIPMENT AND LOGISTICS ALLOWS SELF-SUSTAINED TEAMS TO BECOME EVER MORE STREAMLINED. LAYING THE GROUND WORK FOR WHAT MAY BECOME PURE, NON-STOP ASCENTS GROUND UP, THIS IS THE STYLE THAT ALLOWS FOR ACCLIMATIZATION AND THE LEVEL OF CLIMBING NEEDED.
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SELF-SUSTAINED EXPEDITION STYLE
UNLIKE COMMERCIAL EXPEDITIONS THAT ARE CENTERED AROUND LARGE BASE CAMPS, THIS SORT OF ASCENT SWAPS OUT TRADITIONAL BC FOR SOMETHING LIKE A HIGH CAMP, AND PUSHES THIS HIGH CAMP EVER HIGHER TILL AND GRAB CAN BE MADE. IT DIFFERS FROM CAPSULE STYLE IN THAT THE HIGHEST CAMP NEED NOT BE RETURNED TO, BASICALLY SWAPPING AS NEEDED BETWEEN THE HIGHEST CAMP AND BIVYS OR NON-STOP.
THIS IS THE MOST ADAPTIVE STYLE, TAKING FULL USE OF TODAYS INCREDIBLY LIGHT AND EFFICIENT RESOURCES, WHERE A FULL HIGH CAMP CAN BE CARRIED AND EITHER DEPLOYED OR NOT DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES. WITH THINGS SO LIGHT NOW, CAMPS CAN BE DUG IN OR PUT UP – OR NOT AND SIMPLY KEEP CLIMBING RATHER THAN HAVING TO STOP DUE TO THE LOADS.
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ALL THESE STYLES ARE BASED ON SOLID PREPARATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF METHOD, THAT NEED TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED IN ORDER TO MAKE THE AMOUNT OF TIME CLIMBING EFFICIENT. ONCE DECIDED, THE STYLE NEEDS TO BE RUN WITH SO IT CAN BE PUSHED, RATHER THAN FOUGHT AGAINST, MEANING IT IS CHOSEN BASED ON RESEARCH, ABILITY AND TRAINING RATHER THAN FASHION, EGO AND PRESSURE. THIS MEANS REAL RESEARCH INTO BOTH SELF AND ROUTE, DRAWING UP THE EQUATIONS OF WHAT YOU CAN DO IN A CERTAIN PLACE. WHETHER THE STYLE IS CHOSEN FOR THE ROUTE OR THE ROUTE FOR THE STYLE, THE CHOICE SHOULD BE BASED ON CLEAR ASSESSMENT OTHERWISE IT IS ALREADY DOOMED.
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SKILLS FOR STAYING ON THE MOUNTAIN
REGARDLESS OF STYLE, SEVERAL BASICS ARE COMMON WHEN IT COMES TO LIVING ON A ROUTE, THE DIFFERENCE BEING LOGISTICS RATHER THAN THE DETAILS OF CLIMBING. CAPSULE STYLE WILL SEE THE LOGISTICS OF ROTATING OUT FROM THE CAMP AND MOVING IT UPWARDS WHILST NON-STOP WILL SEE THE LOGISTICS OF CONSTANT MOVEMENT AGAINST THE CLOCK, BUT BOTH WILL SHARE THE BASELINE SKILLS OF HAVING TO ACTUALLY CLIMB AND SUSTAIN ONESELF.
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STAYING WARM
UNDERSTAND BEING WARM, BECAUSE THINGS APPEAR BAD IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO BE COLD FORESEEABLY. KNOW AND PRACTICE THE SEQUENCE OF GETTING A CAMP IN AND GETTING WARM IN IT, AS WELL AS THE SERIES OF ACTIONS OF MOVING AND BELAYING IN COMBINATION WITH GEAR LIKE BELAY LAYERS AND GLOVES, SO YOU CAN MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF COMFORT THAT DOESN’T TURN YOUR MIND TO THE GROUND FOR THE SAKE OF WARMTH.
DO NOT STAND AROUND IN THE COLD LIKE AN IDIOT. YOU WORK HARD FOR EVERY CALORIE SO TRAP AS MANY AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO NOT WASTE THEM TO THE ETHER. THROW BELAY LAYERS ON ASAP, EAT BY ROUTINE NOT HUNGER, MANAGE YOUR SLEEPING BAG(S), MASTER THE PISS BOTTLE. OVER THE COURSE OF 24HRS IT ALL ADDS UP, AND SOME LOSSES CANNOT BE REGAINED ONCE THE EFFECTS OF COLD CREEP IN.
THERE IS NOTHING TOUGH OR HEROIC ABOUT STANDING AROUND IN THE COLD, IT IS JUST COURTING FAILURE.
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STAYING FED
WE ALL KNOW THIS, BUT RARE IS THE CLIMBER WHO ACTUALLY ABIDES BY A SOLID PROTOCOL. WORK OUT YOUR KCAL DEMANDS AS PART OF THE OTHER ROUTE FACTORS SUCH AS ALT GAIN PER HOUR, LOADS AND GEAR, BECAUSE IF YOU’RE NOT YOU ARE IGNORING SOMETHING AS CENTRAL AS PLANNING A ROADTRIP GIVING NO THOUGHT TO GASOLINE.
THE EQUATIONS ARE EASY, AND THOUGH NO MORE THAN APPROXIMATIONS, GIVE A PROJECTION OF THE SCENARIO YOU ARE WORKING WITH. DO NOT IGNORE THE NIGHT TIME HOURS LAYING THERE BURNING KCALS TO STAY WARM.
BUILD A KCAL PROFILE THEN BUILD YOUR FOOD TO IT, INCLUDING THE DAYS BEFORE AND AFTER BECAUSE NOTHING HELPS MORE THAN LEAVING CAMP WELL FUELLED UP EXCEPT KNOWING THERE IS FOOD WAITING ON YOUR RETURN. THINK NOT JUST THAT YOU ARE CLIMBING BETWEEN STANCES AND CAMPS, BUT CLIMBING BETWEEN MEALS, AND MAKE EVERY STANCE, BIVY AND CAMP REPRESENT A PLACE TO GET FUEL IN BY KEEPING SNACKS IN YOUR BELAY LAYER POCKETS AND THE STOVE SIMPLE AND READY TO GET GOING.
DON’T DISMISS THE CHANCE FOR THE VERTICAL PICNIC, WHERE ON LONG ROUTES WHERE YOU ARE SCRAPING AWAY AT THE RIND YOU CAN REST IN THE SUN, GET FLUID AND CALORIES IN, RECHARGE AND DECOMPRESS A BIT. NEVER FORGET YOU ARE HERE TO ENJOY THIS.
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SHELTER
WHETHER IT’S DAYS IN A SNOW HOLE OR HOURS ON A LEDGE, THE LINKING UP OF SHELTERS IS A FUNDAMENTAL OF ALPINISM. BE VERSED IN THE OPTIONS AND JUST LIKE LOOKING FOR GEAR PLACEMENTS GET ATUNED TO LOOKING FOR SHELTER OPTIONS AS THIS WILL GREATLY ALAY ANXIETY ABOUT BEING STUCK EXPOSED ON A ROUTE.
STEEPER ROUTES USUALLY MEAN NARROWER SHELTERS, DICTATED BY THE ENERGY NEEDED TO CHOP A STANCE ALONG, RATHER THAN OUT FROM, A WALL. HAVE THE RESOURCES FOR THIS BE IT SHOVELS, TENTS, BIVY BAGS OR HANGING STOVES, AND AN IDEA OF HOW TO DEPLOY IT ALL WHICH IS PART METHOD PART CREATIVITY.
SURPRISINGLY COMFORTABLE SHELTERS CAN BE HEWN IN SURPRISINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE PLACES, WITH A GOOD EYE FOR A LOCATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE SUCH AS HOW TO ORIENT A LEDGE, COMPRESS SNOW AND RIG TARPS. IF SNOW IS PRESENT IT MUST BE ACCUMULATING ON SOMETHING, SO FOLLOW THE HINTS AND SEE WHAT IS THERE. PRACTICE WITH THINGS LIKE SNOW HOLES, SNOW HAMMOCKS, REGULAR HAMMOCKS AND BOTHY BAGS WILL GET YOU ENOUGH REST TO CARRY ON EVEN IF JUST TO SOMETHING BETTER.
NOT ALL SHELTER NEEDS TO BE A FULL BLOWN HIGH CAMP, AND NEED ONLY WORK FOR A FEW HOURS IN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS IN ORDER TO KEEP YOU GOING. ONCE YOU CUT FREE FROM THE IDEA OF VERTICAL CAMPING AND LOOK AT IT ALL IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF A GAME OF EXECUTION AND RECOVERY, THE WAYS SHELTER FITS IN TAKES ON A MORE ADAPTABLE MEANING. RATHER THAN LAY THERE THROUGH THE COLD OF NIGHT WHY NOT KEEP MOVING AS THE EUROPEANS DID IN THE 80s? THEN SHELTER BRIEFLY AS THE SUN WARMS THE ROUTE, THEN MAYBE AGAIN LATE IN THE DAY BEFORE DARKNESS AND THE COLD RETURNS.
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STAYING HAPPY
DON’T INVITE STRESS AND SUFFERING BECAUSE IT WILL FIND YOU SOON ENOUGH. EITHER LEAVE THE MACHO BULLSHIT AT HOME OR FEEL IT BE STRIPPED AWAY BY THE UNAVOIDABLE PRESENCE OF THE MOUNTAINS, BECAUSE IF YOUR OWN HEAD CAN’T SEE THE PLEASURE IN THIS STUFF THERE’S NO WAY IT’S GOING TO COPE WITH WHAT HARD CLIMBING WILL PRESENT. BE AS STOIC AND AS ANTAGONISTIC AS YOU LIKE BACK HOME ON THE FORUMS AND COMMENT SECTIONS, BUT ON THE ROUTE WHERE IT MATTERS REEL YOUR EGO IN AND SEE THE COSMIC JOKE. YOU ARE NOT CURING CANCER, SO LIGHTEN UP.
REMARKABLE FEATS OF ENDURANCE AND FORTITUDE ARE POSSIBLE WHEN THE TEAM BRINGS HUMOR AND IRONY TO IT, FAR MORE THAN ANY TRAINING, GEAR OR BEAN-COUNTING CAN ENTAIL. LOOK AT WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WHERE YOU ARE DOING IT, AND PULL BACK THE FOCUS FROM SEEING IT ALL ONLY AS HUMAN PERFORMANCE OR THE ACCOLADES OF TICKING A ROUTE. BY ALL MEANS RANT ABOUT THE ILLS AND PROBLEMS, BUT ALSO RAVE ABOUT THE GOOD STUFF, HOW EVER SMALL. OWN THE SITUATIONS, AND THAT YOU ARE ALL CHARACTERS IN IT, AND STAY AWAY FROM ANY BEHAVIOUR THAT IS CORROSIVE AND MALIGNANT.
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STAYING ADAPTABLE
NEVER ASSUME YOU KNOW THE BEST WAY TO CLIMB THE ROUTE UNTIL YOU ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF IT. WITH ENOUGH OBSERVATION YOU WILL FIGURE OUT THINGS LIKE TIME OF DAY, TYPE OF GEAR AND THE OPTIONS OF LINE, SO WHATEVER YOU HAVE DECIDED FROM PHOTOS BE READY TO CHANGE FOR THE REALITY.
CARRY WHAT YOU NEED TO BOTH CAPITALIZE ON ADVANTAGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND TO COPE WITH UNFORSEEN DELAYS AND EVENTS. THIS DOESN’T MEAN A WHOLE TRUNK LOAD OF ‘BUT WHAT IF’ GEAR, BUT A FEW INTEGRAL PIECES TO COVER OPTIONS SPECIFIC TO THE ROUTE SUCH AS A TARP OR SOME ASCENDERS, OR SOME AIDERS OR SOME ESOTERIC PRO.
KEEP TOO YOUR TEAM DYNAMIC ADAPTABLE, MOSTLY BY GOING INTO THINGS WITH THIS IN MIND WITH NO STRICT ITINERARY. EVERYONE SHOULD BE OK THAT THINGS MAY SPILL OVER INTO THE NIGHT, OR THE 20th HOUR, OR THE TRANSITION ONTO ROCK, OR THE USE OF AID OR SHORT FIXING OR SIMU-CLIMBING. DON’T CONFINE YOURSELF TO A CORNER OF BACK-HOME ETHICS THAT LEAVE YOU STUMPED AT THE BOTTOM OF A BLANK WALL JUST BECAUSE NO ONE WILL AID THREE MOVES.
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FEAR
CUTTING THE KITE STRING TO THE FLATLANDS IS CONCEPTUALLY A BIG DEAL, THAT CAN AROUSE FEAR AND ANXIETY THAT NEEDS TO BE MANAGED. THE PORTALEDGE THAT CANNOT BE LEFT DURING A STORM AS IT HEAVES ON THE ANCHOR, THE EXPOSURE OF BEING SOFT, WARM TOYS CONNECTED BY THIN NYLON ACROSS A FACE OF FROZEN ROCK, THE KNOWING THAT THE RISKS ARE REAL AND YOUR MITIGATION IS SUBJECTIVE, THESE THINGS ALL CONDENSE AS FEAR.
MOST FEAR UNRAVELS INTO APPROACHABLE ELEMENTS WHEN YOU SLOW THINGS DOWN, AND STICK TO THE CONCEPT OF GOING UNTIL SOMETHING STOPS YOU. THIS TAKES A TEAM TO MAKE IT WORK, TO PULL EACH OF YOU OUT OF YOUR OWN HEADS, AND TO DISMANTLE EACH OF YOUR FEARS WITH A LEVEL OF TEAMWORK FOUND ALMOST NOWHERE ELSE.
LEARN TO SEE FEAR IN YOUR MATES AND HOW TO STEP IN, AND HOW TO PRESENT YOUR OWN FEARS SO THEY CAN RECIPROCATE. KNOWING WHAT SCARES YOU ALLOWS YOU TO PLOT IT OUT IN ADVANCE AND BUILD A STRATEGY RATHER THAN BLUNDER IN WITH IT LIKE A LANDMINE WAITING TO BE TRIGGERED.
ACCEPT THAT FEARS COME IN COMPLEX FORMS AND LEAD TO COMPLEX OUTCOMES, INCLUDING WHOLE THEATRICS OF SELF SABOTAGE. THEY CAN BE BASED OFF ASSUMPTIONS AND THINGS LIKE HALF-BAKED TALES OR BAD PHOTOS, WHICH CAN BE SURPRISINGLY EASY TO SORT OUT GIVEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF A GOOD TEAM.
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FATIGUE
IF YOU’VE PREPARED AND TRAINED AND EQUIPPED YOURSELVES WELL THEN YOU CAN ONLY GO AT IT AS FAR AS ALL THAT WILL TAKE YOU. BEYOND THAT YOU MUST RECOVER AND REST. DON’T BE THE FOOL WHO BLOWS IT ALL ON THE APPROACH WITH BRAVADO, TAKE IT EASY AND BUILD A RESERVE FOR THE STUFF THAT REALLY MATTERS, MOST LIKELY THE DESCENT.
WATCH FOR FATIGUE IN OTHERS, SUCH AS FUCKING UP SIMPLE MOVEMENTS, LOSS OF CRITICAL THINKING, THE VAGUNESS OF CALORIE DEPLETION AND THE VACANTNESS OF LACK OF SLEEP. DON’T LET IT BUILD UPON EACH OTHER INTO A MESS OF EXHAUSTION AND USELESSNESS. DO WHAT IT TAKES TO KEEP THE ZOMBIE AWAY BEFORE IT BREACHES THE WIRE.
REAL FATIGUE IS SET BY PHYSICAL LIMITS, BEYOND WHICH NO AMOUNT OF ATTITUDE AND CORP DE ESPRIRIT WILL GO. BUT IT IS ALSO ADDRESSED BY SIMPLE MEANS, INCLUDING TEAM AWARENESS AND EMPATHY, AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THINGS LIKE A 10min NAP IN THE SUN TO PULL BACK FROM A COMPOUNDING SITUATION.
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GEAR
MORE GEAR IS NOT THE SOLUTION, BUT IDEAL GEAR IS, AND A FEW KEY PIECES OPEN UP THE EQUATION TO STAYING ON A LARGE ROUTE LONG ENOUGH TO GET IT DONE. THE BASIC PARADIGM IS HAVING THINGS SUSTAINABLE, LESS AFFECTED BY THE ABUSES OF MOISTURE AND LIMITATIONS OF TERRAIN.
DOUBLE BOOTS ARE VITAL, AS IS SYNTHETIC INSULATION FOR BOTH SLEEPING AND WEARING, BECAUSE ONCE YOU CAN’T SHRUG OFF THE COLD YOU WILL WANT TO COME DOWN. FOOD AND COOKING NEEDS TO BE SIMPLE AND DOABLE IN POTENTIALLY MINIMAL BIVYS, SO IT CAN BE ROLLED OUT QUICKLY TO KEEP YOU FUELLED. THERMOS FLASKS NOW ARE GETTING REALLY LIGHT AND SAVE FUEL FOR MELTING, SO ARE THE WAY TO CARRY LIQUID.
SHELTERS AND SLEEPING MATS NEED TO BE IDIOT-PROOF SO THEY CAN FIT INTO ODD PLACES AND BE RIGGED IN ODD WAYS, WHICH MEANS NO HUGE INFLATABLES WHILST YOUR MATES WAIT OUT IN THE COLD, NO DOUBLE SKIN TENTS OR FIDDLY POLE CONFIGURATIONS.
PERSONAL STUFF NEEDS TO BE ORGANIZED, INTO A SINGLE CLIP BAG, AND EASILY SECURABLE, SO THINGS LIKE CUPS, BATTERIES, GOGGLES AND GLOVES CAN BE ACCESSED WITHOUT UPSETTING THE BIVY. REDUCE AND REFINE, AND WHERE POSSIBLE REPLACE STUFF WITH SKILL, TO REDUCE MOVING PARTS AND RELIANCE ON OBJECTS. A WELL THOUGHT OUT LOAD WILL BE ABOUT 30% SHELTER AND SLEEPING GEAR, 30% STOVE AND FOOD, 20% PERSONAL STUFF IN A CLIP BAG AND THE REMAINING 20% STUFF THAT WILL COME AND GO FROM THE PACK SUCH AS SHOVELS, BELAY LAYERS, ESOTERIC HARDWARE AND CORD.
DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME ON PEDANTIC PACKING BUT HAVE A LOGICAL ‘COMBAT SEQUENCE’ THAT KEEPS THINGS EFFICIENT, WITH RESPECT TO THE DAY AHEAD AND WHEN YOU WILL USE STUFF. KEEP THE STOVE HANDY AND IN A STUFF SACK ALONG WITH A SNOW BAG, HANGING SET, EXTRA FUEL AND A FLINT SET, BUT FORGO ANY OTHER STUFF SACKS FOR THINGS LIKE SLEEPING BAGS, TENTS AND CLOTHES. JUST STUFF IT IN, AND FILL OUT ANY DEADSPACE, AND HAVE THE ENTIRE PACK FITTED OUT WITH A CLIP CORD, SO YOU CAN RIG IN TO YOUR TOOLS AS YOU PACK AND HAVE IT READY TO THROW ON AS YOU LEAVE THE SIGHT.
STUFF LIKE HEADTORCHES, DAY FOOD, GLOVES, BATTERIES AND SUN PROTECTION ARE IN YOUR POCKETS AND DON’T LEAVE THE WARMTH OF YOUR BODY UNTIL YOU RETURN TO BASECAMP.
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IN THE END, THE CLIMBING IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR, AND DESPITE THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL FORMAT WHICH BASICALLY SELLS DAYS IN BC WITH A STARTLINGLY LOW RATIO OF CLIMBING, YOUR CAPACITY TO CLIMB MORE IS WHERE THE VALUE OF A TRIP LAYS. OF COURSE ACCLIMATIZATION IS A FACTOR, BUT MOSTLY IT IS ABOUT YOUR SKILLSET AND PERSPECTIVE, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GEAR, THAT KEEPS YOU UP ON THE MOUNTAIN ACTUALLY CLIMBING.
WE DON’T PRETEND ANY OF THIS IS ANYTHING NEW, BUT WE HAVE SEEN THESE THINGS ATROPHY WITH THE FIXATION ON SPEED ASCENTS AND COMMERCIALIZED TRIPS THAT HAVE SIMPLY RAISED THE BASECAMP HIGHER. NOT ALL ROUTES CAN BE DONE THAT WAY – AT LEAST NOT YET – AND AT A CERTAIN LEVEL SOME NEVER WILL, BEING BASED ON THINGS THAT EXTEND THE POSSIBILITIES OF ALPINISM RATHER THAN NEGATE THEM.
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