THE K2 PIPELINE

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AS A PROGRESSION TO K2 NORTH SIDE WE RUN A SERIES OF TRIPS THAT MEET THE TECHNICAL & EXPERIENTIAL DEMANDS, WITH SPECIFICALLY ORIENTED ASCENTS OF 6000m PEAKS THAT FORM A ‘K2 SPECIFIC’ SKILL SET. LIKE THE END OBJECTIVE, ALL THESE PEAKS ARE REAL EXPEDITIONS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT AND THEY ALL INVOLVE INDEPENDENT CLIMBING AND APPROACHES. THE GOAL HERE IS FOR CLIMBERS TO REACH K2 NOT AS CATERED HIGH ALTITUDE TOURISTS BUT AS REAL CLIMBERS WELL PREPARED FOR THE ASCENT. THESE TRIPS CAN BE BOOKED INDIVIDUALLY OR AS PROGRESSIONS OF 3 – 6 ASCENTS THAT FORM A CONTINUITY OF EXPEDITIONS THAT BUILD SPECIFICALLY TOWARDS THE OBJECTIVE.

WE RUN THESE TRIPS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF TIBETAN SICHUAN, ON PEAKS THAT DEMONSTRATE & COMBINE ELEMENTS TOO DIFFICULT TO LEARN HIGH UP SOMEWHERE LIKE K2. THESE ELEMENTS INCLUDE

• ROPE SYSTEMS K2 NORTHSIDE REQUIRES TECHNICAL SKILLS & STRATEGIES NOT USUALLY FOUND ON 8000m TRIPS. MANY OF THE SYSTEMS ARE STANDARD, BUT HOW THEY ARE USED AND THE DIFFERENCES IN EQUIPMENT DIFFER FROM LOWER ASCENTS.

• CAMPS BOTH THE ROUTE & THE NORTHSIDE BASECAMP ARE UNLIKE WHAT’S COMMONLY SEEN ELSEWHERE. THERE’S NONE OF THE COMMERCIAL, PRE-ORDAINED SET UPS. ON THE NORTH RIDGE ROUTE YOU NEED TO MAKE WHAT YOU NEED.

• HOUSE-KEEPING. IF YOU CAN’T LIVE IN A SMALL TENT ON A MOUNTAIN FOR DAYS ON END YOU CAN’T STAY UP THERE LONG ENOUGH TO GET IT DONE. THE PEOPLE WE’VE NOTICED WHO DO WELL AE THOSE WHO THRIVE NOT JUST ON THE CLIMBING BUT ON THE LIVING ON THE ROUTE.

• THE DARK ARTS. THESE DAYS HAMMERING PITONS, AIDING SHORT SECTIONS & GETTING CREATIVE ARE NOT AS COMMON SKILLS AS THEY ONCE WERE, AND ABOVE 7000m IN THE KARAKORUM IS NOT THE PLACE TO LEARN THEM.

• SEMI-TECHNICAL ALPINE CLIMBING, LOTS & LOTS OF IT. ELEMENTS OF ICE, ROCKS, SNOW & A MIX CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH PRACTICE.

• HIGH ALTITUDE GEAR. BY PICKING OUR DATES WE CAN EASILY SIMULATE THE CLIMATE OF HIGH ON AN 8000m PEAK, SO THERE’S NO REAL EXCUSE FOR WEARING YOUR JUDGE DRED BOOTS FOR THE FIRST TIME ON K2 ITSELF. BUT IT’S SURPRISING JUST HOW MANY DO. AT EVEREST IT JUST MEANS A PHONE CALL DOWN THE KHUMBU TO GET THE RIGHT FIT – IN XINJIANG YOU NEED TO LIVE WITH IT. MORE THAN ONE CLIMBER HAS TAKEN A KNIFE & SEWING KIT TO EXPENSIVE NEW BOOTS TO TRY AND MAKE THEM WORK (WE WON’T MENTION ANY NAMES WILL WE ED).

• THE EXPEDITION MIND SET. THESE DAYS ‘MIND SET’ AND ‘ATTITUDE’ ARE SOLD AS SHALLOW COMMODTITIES BECAUSE IN THE GYM THEY ARE. BUT WHEN STARING INTO A 6 WEEK TRIP AND WORKING OUT STRATEGIES TO PERFORM IN A DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENT, MIND SET IS THE LENS IT IS ALL VIEWED THROUGH. SEVERAL TRIPS NOW WE HAVE HAD SEEMINGLY READY CLIMBERS FALL APART BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T CRUNCH THE REALITY OF A BIG TRIP – IT’S NOT ALL PULLING INSTAGRAM MOVES AFTERALL. UNDERSTANDING THAT A TRIP IS BUILT ON MANY FACTORS INCLUDING THE MUNDANE & THE CONFRONTING CAN ONLY BE ARRIVED AT THROUGH EXPERIENCE, AND IT’S BETTER GAINING THAT BY DEGREES ON A 6000m PEAKS THAN PULLING ROUND THE GLACIER WITH YOUR FIRST SIGHT OF K2.

THIS PROGRESSION IS USUALLY DONE OVER FOUR PEAKS BOOKED AS A SINGLE SERIES, SOMETIMES WITH TWO PEAKS CLIMBED WITHIN A YEAR. AS A SERIES IN IT’S OWN RIGHT THIS IS A GRAND TOUR OF EASTERN TIBET’S 6000m POTENTIAL, VISITING SOME OF THE LEAST SEEN PARTS OF THE EASTERN PLATEAU.

WE PREPARE ON 6000m PEAKS BECAUSE THEY ALLOW A HIGH FUNCTIONAL LEVEL OF CLIMBING AT ALTITUDE. THESE ARE NOT FIXED PEAKS FOR TRAINING ON FIXED 8000m ASCENTS, SO WE CAN TRAIN THE DEGREE OF TECHNICAL ABILITY THE ROUTE ON K2’S NORTH RIDGE REQUIRES. 6000m ALSO ALLOWS AN EXPEDITION TIMELINE THAT IS CONCISE FOR THE PARTS WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE – THE ON-MOUNTAIN STUFF. RATHER THAN SPEND WEEKS WALKING INTO AND OUT OF THE LOCATION, THESE PEAKS ALLOW US TO ARRIVE AT THE CLIMBING RESTED AND IN GOOD CONDITION. 6000m ALSO IS THE SWEET-SPOT FOR OVERALL CLIMBING DAYS WITH THE RATIO OF CLIMBING TO NON-CLIMBING DAYS ON TRIP ABOUT 2:1 RATHER THAN THE 1:4 RATIO MOST 8000m PEAKS HAVE. THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO GET AS MUCH K2-SPECIFIC CLIMBING IN ANY FORM OF TIMELINE.

THE COMPRESSED PIPELINE

IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO THE FULL 4 X 6000m PEAK PROGRESSION IN A SINGLE SEASON. DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THE PEAKS WE USE THIS CAN BE DONE WITH MINIMAL MOVING AROUND THEREFORE NEVER LOOSING MUCH OF YOUR VALUABLE ACCLIMATION. DONE THIS WAY, THE PIPELINE RESULTS IN ALMOST 30 DAYS OF ON-MOUNTAIN TIME OVER THE COURSE OF 6-8 WEEKS, ALL OF IT ABOUT 5000m ON TECHNICAL GROUND INCLUDING THE CAMPS.

DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHY OF EASTERN TIBET THIS SERIES OF TRIPS SCHEDULE RUNS INTO THE FIRST HALF OF WINTER, PROVIDING A TESTING GROUND FOR THE EQUIPMENT & TECHNIQUES USUALLY RESERVED FOR ABOUT 7500m, MINUS THE LARGE EXPENSE AND NON-CLIMBING RATIO OF A FULL +7000m TRIP.

THIS IS THE IDEAL SERIES OF TRIPS FOR TEAMS LOOKING TO PERFECT THEIR COMBINED ABILITIES, EITHER AS A GENERAL CONDITIONER OR AS FINAL EXERCISE AS THE LAST PREPARATION BEFORE HEADING TO K2 ITSELF. NOT ONLY DOES IT PROVIDE THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF CLIMBING DAYS POSSIBLE IN THE TIMELINE, IT FAMILIARIZES CLIMBERS WITH CHINA BEFORE MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS ON LOGISTICS, INCLUDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO STORE GEAR & SUPPLIES IN-COUNTRY IN READINESS FOR THE MAIN TRIP LATER.