THE WORD ‘LIGHT’ WITHOUT ANY OTHER REFERENCE IS A POINTLESS VECTOR TO ASSESS ANYTHING BY.
ONCE, ON A TIBET FIRST ASCENT TRIP IN LATE AUTUMN, A CLIMBER SHOWED UP WITH THREE SEASON CLIMBING BOOTS, EXPECTING THEM TO BE ADEQUATE. HIS RESPONSE UPON OUR ALARM WAS ‘THEY ARE LIGHT’. AND YES HE WAS CORRECT, OF COURSE THEY WERE – NOT THAT PROPER DOUBLE BOOTS ARE PARTICULARLY HEAVY THESE DAYS EITHER – BUT THEY WEIGHED WHAT THEY DID BECAUSE THE DESIGN HAD FORGONE THINGS LIKE INSULATION, RIGIDITY AND CRAMPON COMPATIBILITY, WHICH ALL MATTERED PROFOUNDLY IN THE HIGH LATITUDES AND SHORT DAYS OF NORTHERN TIBET WHERE TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO -20c ABOVE 5000m AND THE RELATIVELY LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION OF THE REGION MEANT DELICATE CLIMBING.
BY USING AN ARBITARY AND ISOLATED REFERENCE, HE HAD SEVERELY LIMITED WHAT THE FAIRLY LARGE TEAM COULD NOW DO ON THE MOUNTAIN, UPSETTING WHAT THOSE WHO HAD SHOWN UP WITH THE RIGHT GEAR THOUGHT THE TRIP WOULD CONTAIN. THERE WOULD BE NO HIGH BIVYS, OR EVEN PROLONGED STAYS IN HIGH CAMPS, BECAUSE HIS BOOTS WERE NOT WARM ENOUGH AND COULDN’T BE DRIED PROPERLY. THERE WOULD BE NO OPEN ENDED DAYS KNOWING WE COULD PUSH INTO COLD CLEAR NIGHTS, THERE WOULD BE NO PLANS TO CLIMB AT NIGHT AND AVOID THE WARMTH OF THE DAY IF THINGS STARTED MELTING, THERE WOULD BE NO NORTH-FACING ROUTES WHERE THE LATITUDE MEANT A DIFFERENCE IN TEMPERATURE AND SAFETY IN THE DOUBLE-DIGIT PERCENTILES, DAYS WOULD BE BOOKENDED NOW WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAD TO ORGANIZE AROUND HIS FEET RATHER THAN THE TEAMS OUTLOOK AND ABILITY, AND EVERY PLAN MADE HAD TO INVOLVE THE CAVEAT OF ONE PERSON WITH A FUNDAMENTAL BIT OF WRONG GEAR. NOW, ON SOME TRIPS SUCH A BAD CHOICE WOULD SIMPLY MEAN THE CLIMBER WAS CANCELLED FOR NOT FULFILLING THE SIMPLE GEAR REQUIREMENTS, AND NO ONE IS SAYING THE IDEA FOR THIS WASN’T BANDED AROUND, BUT THEY HAD COME AS A TEAM, ALL FRIENDS FOR YEARS, AND THE DEMOCRATIC DECISION WAS TO ADAPT TO THE PROBLEM. GOOD FRIENDS.
THE RESULT WAS THERE WAS NO SUMMIT SO NO FULL FIRST ASCENT WAS MADE, THE PEAK STILL GOES UNCLIMBED AND THEREFORE ABSENT FROM THE RECORDS. BECAUSE OF THESE BOOTS WE COULDN’T STAY HIGH ENOUGH NOR CLIMB LONG ENOUGH, AND THE BEST ROUTE CHOICES ON THE MOUNTAIN WERE INDEED TOO SHADED AND TECHNICAL FOR WHAT HIS THREE-SEASON B2 BOOTS WOULD ALLOW. WE HAD A GOOD TIME, SAW A LOT OF UNEXPLORED TERRAIN, AND PROBABLY PUSHED THE LIMITS OF WHAT A THREE-SEASON BOOT IS EXPECTED TO DO, BUT THE MONEY THEY PAID FOR THE SKILLSET AND LOGISTICS OF THE COMPANY DIDN’T MATCH UP, AND MORE THAN ONE OF OUR CREW WAS UNDERWHELMED THEIR ABILITIES WERE NOT BEING UTILIZED.
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THE LESSON HERE IS THE WAY EQUIPMENT SEAMLESSLY AFFECTS AN EXPEDITIONS BIGGER PICTURE, SPECIFICALLY THE CONCEPT OF ‘LIGHT’. THERE WAS A TIME, DECADES AGO, WHERE PEOPLE LIKE MARK TWIGHT EXPOUSED A REVOLUTION IN LIGHTWEIGHT GEAR, AT A TIME WHEN IT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN KILOGRAMS AND THE VERY SPORT OF ALPINISM WAS BURGEONING WITH IDEAS AND DEVELOPMENT. BACK THEN COLLECTIVE VISION AND ABILITY WERE PEAKING AS THE MIX OF PROFESSIONALISM (NOT NECESSARILY BEING SYNONYMOUS WITH SPONSORSHIP…) AND ACCESS CAME TO A HEAD AND GEAR NEEDED TO CATCH UP, BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE NOW AS THE STATISTICS OF CLIMBING SHOWS.
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FOR ALL THE TITANIUM AND DYNEEMA AND CARBON FIBRE AND NANO-TREATED DOWN, MULTIPLIED BY THE HUGE INCREASE IN PEOPLE CLIMBING, NO MORE CUTTING EDGE ROUTES ARE BEING DONE. WHATEVER ADVANTAGES THERE ARE TO CARRYING LESS WEIGHT AND WIELDING LIGHTER TOOLS HAVE BEEN ABSORBED BY LOWERING THE CAPACITY OF THE CLIMBING PUBLIC, AND/OR SUPPLANTED BY THE THINKING THAT IF THINGS WEIGH LESS THEY CAN TAKE MORE.
THE THINKING CLIMBER HAS ALWAYS KNOWN THAT GOOD CLIMBING, ie NEW ROUTES AND ROUTES DONE IN INCREASINGLY GOOD STYLE, IS NOT THE RESULT OF THE GEAR USED. THE MOST ADVANCED GEAR, IN THE HANDS AND ON THE FEET OF A CLIMBER UNABLE TO EXPLOIT IT, WILL NOT RELIABLY CHANGE HOW AN ASCENT GOES BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE PLANNED AROUND.
SOMETHING PROFOUNDLY MISSING FROM THE THINKING OF COMMERCIAL CLIMBING IS THE COMPENDIUM OF PLANNING THAT MATCHES UP THINGS LIKE WEIGHT WITH RATES OF ASCENT, ALTITUDE AND PERFORMANCE, IT BEING ASSUMED THAT THE COMPANY THEY HAVE BOOKED WITH HAS SORTED ALL THAT OUT. WELL, THEY HAVEN’T. BEYOND THE WEIGHT LIMITS OF AIRLINES AND PORTERS AND THE USAGE RATE OF BOTTLED OXYGEN, THESE EQUATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN CALCULATED TO ANY MEANINGFUL DEGREE. IF YOU HAVE NOT HANDED YOUR PERFORMANCE VECTORS OVER TO A COMPANY THEN IT CAN’T HAVE BEEN, SIMPLE. WHERE WE BUILD OUR TRIPS AROUND THE ABILITY OF OUR TEAMSTERS, OTHER COMPANIES USE A STANDARDIZED FORMAT AND EXPECT TO TAKE UP THE SLACK WITH HIRED GUIDES. THE LATEST AND LIGHTEST GEAR IN THE WORLD DOESN’T CHANGE THAT, ONLY TO LOOK BETTER ON INSTAGRAM.
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TOO LIGHT
AS THE TEAMSTER IN THE EXAMPLE DEMONSTRATED, ‘LIGHT’ ALONE MEANS NOTHING. A 300g SLEEPING BAG INDEED HAS LESS MASS THAN A 1300g ONE, BUT NO ONE IS STUPID ENOUGH TO THINK IT WILL GET THEM SUFFICIENTLY THROUGH AN OPEN BIVY AT -20c. PROBABLY.
EQUIPMENT HAS TO GET A JOB DONE, WHICH INCLUDES FITTING INTO A PLAN SO IT CAN BE RELIED ON. TINY TENTS THAT NEED STAKING OUT AND SUSPENSION FROM LITTLE POLES AT PRECISE ANGLES ARE GREAT BELOW THE TREELINE BUT TOO LIGHT FOR EXPOSED LEDGES. GOING TOO LIGHT IS A DEFINITE ISSUE WE SEE A LOT OF, USUALLY FORTIFIED WITH THE CLIMBER JUSTIFYING IT BY THE WEIGHT VALUE ALONE. WEIGHT IS NOT A DEFINING VECTOR, FUNCTION IS, AND ONCE THE FUNCTION IS REALIZED WEIGHT CAN BE USED AS WAY TO CHOOSE.
GOING TOO LIGHT RESULTS IN BEING COLD AND HUNGRY AT BEST TO RUNNING OUT OF SUPPLIES AND TAUNTING MORTALITY AT WORST. THE PHILOSOPHY AROUND MINIMALISM IS BASED ON SKILL AND JUDGEMENT, NOT WEIGHT, AND THE GREAT ASCENTS DONE WITH LITTLE GEAR WERE BASED ON HUGE RESERVES OF ABILITY AND PERSPECTIVE NOT POCKETS DEEP ENOUGH TO HAVE TITANIUM TOOTHBRUSHES.
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THE REAL EQUATION
OUR TEAMSTER NEVER REALLY KNEW THE EFFECTS HIS BAD BOOT CHOICE HAD ON THAT TRIP. OF COURSE HE SAW THE SHIFTS TO ROUTES AND STYLE, BUT HE OBVIOUSLY HAD NO IDEA OF THE NUANCES AND DETAILS IT CHANGED – IF HE HAD HE WOULDN’T HAVE SHOWED UP IN TIBET IN OCTOBER WITH BOOTS MADE FOR SUMMER DAY ROUTES IN THE ALPS.
HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT WITH BIVYS OFF THE TABLE OUR HIGH CAMPS WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE AND THE TENTS WERE BROUGHT ALONG WOULD NOT BE IDEAL. HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT THE STOVES, FUEL AND FOOD WE HAD WAS NO LONGER APPROPRIATE. HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT HE WOULD NOW BE JUGGING RATHER CLIMBING IN ORDER TO SAVE TIME, HE DIDN’T KNOW THAT WE WOULD BE ROTATING BACK THROUGH BC MORE OFTEN TO DRY HIS BOOTS OUT.
HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HE DIDN’T KNOW, THAT HIS SKEWED THINKING EXTRAPOLATED TO ASPECTS OF THE TRIP HE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
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THE REAL EQUATION
IT IS THE WEIGHT OF AN ENTIRE CLIMBERS CLIMBING PAYLOAD THAT MATTERS, AND THOUGH SOME BITS OF STUFF MATTER PROPORTIONATELY MORE, IN THE END YOU WILL BE MOVING THE WHOLE THING AGAINST GRAVITY TOGETHER. THINGS LIKE TITANIUM SPORKS, HOLES IN TOOTHBRUSH HANDLES, MINIMALIST SHOE LACES AND 30 LUMEN HEADTORCHES DON’T HAVE ANY EFFECT WHEN THEY DO A SUBSTANDARD JOB THAT NEEDS TO BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH OTHER THINGS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE.
THE CUP THAT DOESN’T INSULATE MEANS MORE FUEL TO KEEP FOOD EDIBLE. THE TITANIUM POT THAT’S TOO FLIMSY AND REQUIRES A SEPARATE TOOL FOR DOLING OUT SNOW FROM THE SNOW BAG. THE THIN INSULATED JACKET THAT LEAVES YOU COLD AND CONSUMES ENERGY TO STAY WARM. THE SLEEPING MAT THAT IS TOO THIN TO ALLOW A DECENT NIGHTS REST. THE ROPE THAT IS TOO SKINNY TO ALLOW JUGGING AND NEEDS SPECIAL METHODS TO RAPPEL. THE TENT THAT IS ONLY LIGHT BECAUSE IT’S MADE FOR HIKING IN AUSTRALIA NOT 110kmph WINDS IN THE KARAKORAM. ALL THESE THINGS SHAPE AN ASCENT AT A FUNDAMENTAL LEVEL THAT CHANGE WHAT YOU CAN DO WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUAL CLIMBING. THEY MAY ALL LOOK GREAT ON PAPER, OR EVEN THE WARMTH OF THE STORE, BUT THEY SUCK AWAY CONFIDENCE FROM THE CLIMBING OR WORSE, FAIL WHEN NEEDED MOST.
THE WEIGHT OF ANY EQUIPMENT NEEDS TO BE RELATIVE TO THE JOB IT WILL DO, SO THAT JOB CAN BE PLANNED AROUND IN A STRATEGY THAT MAY COVER WEEKS. THAT $1500 DYNEEMA PACK THAT WEIGHS THE SAME AS THE $400 NYLON ONE HAS ONLY THE GRAMS AS A SIMILARITY, AND FITS VERY DIFFERENTLY INTO AN EXPEDITION STRATEGY FOR A TEAM PUSHING THE ENVELOPE OF THINGS LIKE REMOTENESS, SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND ALTITUDE GAIN.
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LIGHT IS (A) RIGHT
THE MARKETING PEOPLE AT COMPANIES WON’T TELL YOU THE EQUATIONS THEY WORK WITH, BUT THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THE WEIGHT OF YOUR GEAR EQUATES TO LIVING WITH YOUR EGO. IF ONLY YOU HAD HAD THAT 100g LIGHTER CAMERA OR WATERBOTTLE YOU MIGHT HAVE SUMMITED, RATHER THAN HAVING TO HAVE TRAINED BETTER.
YOU NEED TO THINK THROUGH WHERE ANY WEIGHT ADVANTAGE WILL BE BEST MADE, AND NOT JUST IN YOUR OWN EYES BUT THE COLLECTIVE EYES OF THE TEAM. ARE YOU THE OVERWEIGHT ONE, WHO WILL GAIN THE TEAM MORE POTENTIAL BY TRAINING BETTER? ARE YOU THE AFFLUENT ONE WHO CAN CONTRIBUTE DYNEEMA TENTS THAT WILL REDUCE LOADS EVERYONE HAS TO CARRY? ARE YOU THE BETTER CLIMBER WHO GET MORE OUT OF CARBON TOOLS THAN THE OTHERS WHO WILL ONLY EVER JUG BEHIND? IN THE END IT IS AN EXPENSIVE EXERCISE IN FETISH TO SHOW UP WITH THE LATEST SPACE AGE GEAR WHEN EVERYONE ELSE GETS BY WITH AVERAGE STUFF WHICH SETS THE PACE OF THE TRIP.
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LIGHTWEIGHT WHAT?
THE BIGGEST EFFECT YOU CAN HAVE ON REDUCING WEIGHT IS GETTING LEANER AND FITTER. THERE WE SAID IT.
5kgs LESS OF BODY MASS IS A GOOD THING FOR 90% OF THE POPULATION, AND THE PROCESS OF GETTING THERE IS A TRIPLE-EDGED SWORD WITH THE OTHER ASPECTS LIKE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE CONDITION, ABILITY RATIO AND THE QUANTIFYING OF CAPACITY THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TRAINING. GETTING TO LOWER BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, RECOMPOSING BODY MASS AND SHEDDING UNNEEDED RESERVES WILL DO MORE FOR ANYTHING YOU ATTEMPT ON A MOUNTAIN THAN ANY WEIGHT SAVING ON GEAR COMBINED.
AND THE INVERSE IS ALSO TRUE – $10k DROPPED ON DYNEEMA AND CARBON FIBRE WON’T MAKE UP FOR CARRYING TOO MUCH BODY MASS HOWEVER YOU CUT IT AS THE MACHINE THAT DOES THE WORK ITSELF HASN’T CHANGED. JUST AS A CAR STILL HAS TO OVERCOME ITS MASS MOVE ITSELF REGARDLESS OF THE PEOPLE INSIDE IT, THE SINGLE-DIGIT PERCENTAGE OF WEIGHT SAVING ON GEAR WON’T CHANGE WHAT IT TAKES TO LIFT YOUR FEET AND HAUL YOUR ASS, AND SHIVERING AWAY IN THE SAME JACKET STEVE HOUSE WORE WHEN HE HAD A RESTING HEART RATE OF 39 BUT YOU DON’T ONLY SHOWS A LACK OF COMPREHENDING THE BASICS OF PHYSICS AND THERMODYNAMICS.
ON THE ROUTE ITSELF, THE WEIGHT OF THE FOOD YOU CARRY IS GOING NOWHERE UNLESS YOU ARE EXCRETING IT. SWEAT WILL MAKE UP FOR MAYBE 1L A DAY BUT ALSO INVOLVES PUSHING INTO DEBILITATING DEHYDRATION, SO THE ACTUAL WEIGH SAVING MEANS DUMPING 500g A DAY IN SOLID WASTE AND ANOTHER LITER OR TWO OF FLUIDS. THIS MEANS FOOD THAT DIGESTS PROPERLY, WHICH SCUTTLES MOST PROCESSED DEHY AND JUNK FOOD WHICH IS TOO HIGH IN SODIUM AND REFINED CARBOHYDRATE TO STAY SOLVENT THROUGH YOUR SYSTEM.
WHAT IS IT YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE LIGHTER? RUMINATE ON THIS – LITERALLY – BEFORE YOU GO GIVING YOUR MONEY TO CORPORATIONS.
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LESS WEIGHT BY LESS STUFF
DON’T FALL INTO THE TRAP OF THINKING A LIGHT TOOTBRUSH MEANS YOU CAN TAKE TWO OF THEM. THIS SEEMS OBVIOUS, BUT EVERY CLIMBER WEIGHS UP WHAT EXTRA THEY CAN TAKE IF ONLY THEY MAKE SOMETHING ELSE LIGHTER. THIS PROCESS THOUGH IS USUALLY FOSTERED BY EGO AND FETISH, RATHER THAN THE PRAGMATIC NEED TO REALLY REDUCE LOAD.
FEWER MOVING PARTS IS A FUNDAMENTAL OF SYSTEMS DESIGN, AS IS THE LE CORBUSIER IDEOLOGY OF REDUCTION TILL ALL THAT IS NEEDED REMAINS. DO NOT START FROM THE IDEA OF HAVING A WISH LIST THEN TOSSING BITS OUT AS THIS IS FAULTY THINKING RIGHT FROM THE START. START WITH WHAT THE ASCENT DEMANDS BROADLY, THEN LOOK AT HOW THAT CAN BE ACHEIVED, THEN FIND THE BALANCE OF THE GEAR NEEDED IN RELATION TO YOUR ABILITY.
COLD ROUTES WANT EFFICIENCY IN THINGS LIKE THE MATERIALS USED IN TOOLS AND INSULATION, WHERE MONEY SPENT ON SUPERIOUR TYPES OF DOWN AND CARBON COMPOSITES MAKE A VERY REAL DIFFERENCE. SELF SUSTAINED TRIPS REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THINGS LIKE DYNEEMA PACKS AND TENTS, BUT ANY WEIGHT SAVED NEEDS TO GO INTO FOOD AS A WAY OF CREATING A SUSTAINABLE BC.
PERHAPS SURPRISINGLY, SELF SUSTAINED TRIPS USE LESS STUFF, NOT JUST BECAUSE WHAT CAN BE CARRIED IS ORGANICALLY LIMITED, BUT BECAUSE ALMOST ALL THERE WILL BE WILL BE CLIMBING. YOU WON’T NEED YOGA MATS AND POWER BANKS AND CHESS SETS BECAUSE THERE WON’T BE ENDLESS DOWNTIME TO USE IT, NOR WILL YOU NEED LOTS OF CHANGES OF CLOTHES AND BOOTS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF CONDITIONS. ONCE YOU ARE ON ROUTE YOU WILL PROBABLY STAY ON IT, AT LEAST FOR SOLID CHUNKS OF TIME, ENGAGED IN REAL CLIMBING RATHER THAN EASY ROTATIONS JUST TO GAIN ALTITUDE. SOME OF THESE ROUTES YOU WILL WALK IN ALREADY IN YOUR CLIMBING GEAR, AND ALL THAT WILL CHANGE WILL BE THE FOOD AS YOU EAT IT.
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LIGHT EQUALS KNOWLEDGE
NORMAL EQUIPMENT IS MADE WITH A SOLID USER INTERFACE THAT ASSUMES NOT EVERY CLIMBER IS A MASTER OF THE SPORT. IN OTHER WORDS; MOST THINGS ARE DUMBED DOWN TO SOME DEGREE. THIS ALSO CARRIES OVER INTO THE REALM OF USING GEAR UNDER THE DURESS OF CONDITIONS AND EXHAUSTION, WITH ROBUSTNESS BUILT INTO THINGS THAT ADDS WEIGHT BUT MOPS UP THE DEXTERITY OF BASIC USE.
CUTTING EDGE GEAR IS NOT DESIGNED FROM THE BOTTOM UP, IT IS MADE SO THE LEADING EDGE CAN PURSUE HARDER OBJECTIVES, WHICH MEANS THAT GETTING TRULY INTO ADVANCED LIGHT GEAR NEEDS A CORRESPONDING UPSKILLING WITH IT. ELITECLIMBS CARBON/KEVLAR TOOLS DEMAND GOOD TECHNIQUE, SAMAYA TENTS ONLY MAKE SENSE WHEN THINGS GET HARD UP HIGH, BLUE ICE AERO SCREWS HAVE THEIR BIGGEST IMPACT WHEN PART OF AN ALPINE RACK USED OVER ROUTES MEASURED IN KILOMETERS, AND SKINNY ARAMID ROPES REALLY SHINE OVER DAYS ON ROUTES WHERE ABRAISON AND MOISTURE FREEZING ARE SERIOUS FACTORS. ALL THESE THINGS ARE MADE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE USER WILL HAVE A HANDLE ON WHAT THE PRODUCTS EXPECT TO BE USED FOR, AND THAT THE TERM ‘EXPERT USE’ IN THE LITTLE DANGLY PAMPHLETS ACTUALLY MEANS JUST THAT.
LIKE DROPPING WEIGHT THROUGH TRAINING IS BY FAR THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE, DROPPING IT FURTHER BY SKILL PROGRESSION IS A CLOSE SECOND. LEARN HOW TO DRYTOOL TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LIGHTER TOOLS, LEARN ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF INSULATION AND HEAT LOSS SO AS TO USE LIGHTER SLEEPING SYSTEMS, STUDY THE ENVIRONMENT AND TERRAIN SO YOU CAN PROJECT WHAT THE TEMPERATURES WILL BE AT WHAT TIMES, TRY OUT YOUR FOOD IDEAS SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAN GET BY ON.
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TURN WEIGHT SAVINGS INTO FOOD & FUEL
FOOD AND BEING ABLE TO MELT WATER WILL GET YOU FURTHER UP A MOUNTAIN THAN TENTS MADE FROM DCF AND TOOLS MADE FROM CARBON COMPOSITES. GOOD FOOD CHOICES, THAT ARE NUTRIENT AND KCAL DENSE, AND GOOD STOVE SETS, THAT ARE EFFICIENT AND POWERFUL, ENHANCE YOU THE LIVING ENGINE IN REAL TIME AND LITERALLY FUEL THE ASCENT.
THE SENSIBLE TRADE OFF WITH WEIGHT IS TO TURN IT INTO ENERGY IN THE FORM OF STOVE FUEL AND FOOD. DO THE NUMBERS, PROJECT WHAT AN EFFORT WILL DEMAND IN TERMS OF KCAL EXPENDITURE, LOOK AT THE STRATEGY YOU WILL USE FROM BC AND BACK AGAIN, AND CONSIDER IT ADEQUATE BY CARRYING THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT HALF THE KCALS AND THE FUEL TO MELT ENOUGH WATER.
YOU WON’T HAVE THE TIME OR CAPACITY TO EAT ENOUGH TO REPLACE THE KCALS YOU SPEND WHICH WILL BE ABOUT 5000 A DAY IF NOT MORE, SO MAKE WHAT YOU CARRY WHAT YOU LIKE TO EAT AND GET THE WEIGHT OF IT DOWN. HAVE A GOOD STOVE AND POT SET THAT IS ROBUST, POWERFUL AND EFFICIENT SO IT WILL MELT SNOW FAST AS WELL AS WARM THE AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT.
LIGHT FOOD MEANS WHAT IT WEIGHS IN RELATION TO THE ENERGY IT CONTAINS, AND SOME WET FOODS THAT ARE HIGH IN GOOD OILS, HAVE LIGHT PACKAGING AND NEED MINIMAL FUEL TO MAKE EDIBLE CAN EASILY OUT-DO FREEZE DRIED OR DEHY THAT TAKE UP FUEL AND DON’T RECONSTITUTE PROPERLY AT ALTITUDE. WHEN THE GOAL IS ABOUT 2500 – 3000kcals A DAY ACROSS A WHOLE DAYS EATING, BULKY AND FUEL-INEFFICIENT DEHY AT 1000kcals A BAG BUT NEEDS 350mls OF HOT WATER LOOSES IT’S ATTRACTION OVER THINGS THAT ARE RELATIVELY HEAVIER BUT MORE NUTRIENT-AVAILABLE LIKE WET SACHETS OF CURRY.
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‘LIGHT’ AS A FORM OF SELF-SABOTAGE
YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY. AFTER ENOUGH TIME IN THE JOB IT SEEMS THAT SOME PEOPLE – MAYBE INCLUDING OUR FRIEND WITH HIS B2 BOOTS – INCLUDE GEAR THEY KNOW IS INTENTIONALLY INADEQUATE AS A WAY TO LIMIT A TRIPS POTENTIAL. PERHAPS MAKINGUP FOR FEAR OR INABILITY OR UNFOUNDED BRAVADO, HAVING GEAR THAT IS TOO FLIMSY, COLD OR UNRELIABLE GIVES THEM AN ESCAPE HATCH DOWN THE LINE IN CASE THEY NEED IT.
THIS IS NOT AS BIZARRE AS IT SOUNDS, AS ALMOST ALL CLIMBERS HAVE PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVICES THAT LET THEM PULL THE PLUG WITH A DEGREE OF JUSTIFICATION THAT MAKES THEM FEEL ABSOLVED OF GUILT SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE. THE PROBLEM WITH HAVING KNOWINGLY MARGINAL GEAR IS THAT IT CAN GO CATASTROPHICALLY WRONG. A CRAP CUP YOU WILL GET AWAY WITH, BUT BAD BOOTS, OR SLEEPING BAG, OR ROPE IS SERIOUS STUFF IF THINGS TAKE A SUDDEN TURN LIKE A BROKEN ANKLE UP HIGH OR STUFF BEING LOST. RATHER THAN JUST INCONVENIENCING ONE CLIMBER THE EFFECTS NOW SPREAD TO EVERYONE, AND THE WHOLE TEAM GOES INTO MITIGATION AND CONTINGENCY. IT’S ONE THING TO END UP THERE BECAUSE OF UNFORESEEN EVENTS, ANOTHER TO HAVE YOUR SAFETY COMPROMISED BY SOMEONE ELSE’S UNVOICED ISSUES.
