WE DROVE DOWN A VALLEY THEN WALKED UP A YAK TRAIL UNTIL WE HAD 6000m PEAKS ALL AROUND US, ONLY ABOUT 2hrs OUT OF TOWN. I ASKED ALEX WHICH ONES WOULD BE FIRST ASCENTS AND HE JUST SAID ‘ALL OF THEM…’. I COULDN’T SLEEP KNOWING THERE WAS THAT MUCH UNCLIMBED STUFF JUST OUT OF TOWN.
DAN S
AT A GLANCE
- DATES TRIPS RUN OCTOBER 15 – DECEMBER 15
- PRICES FROM USD8000*
- TEAM SIZE 1 – 5
- STYLE SELF SUPPORTED**, HORSES WHERE AVAILABLE, EXPLORATORY, EFFICIENT ACCLIMATION
- INCLUDES 3 STAR HOTELS, EFFICIENT LOGISTICS, ALL PERMITS
- MOUNTAIN:TRANSIT DAY RATIO 3:1
- CLIMBING DEMANDS TRAD, MIXED & ICE. BIG APPROACHES. GOOD MOTIVATION
- IDEAL FOR FIRST, FIRST ASCENTS, SERIOUS HARD ATTEMPTS, BIG ALPINE WALLS, 8000m PREPARATION
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WHETHER IT’S 6000m PEAKS OR ICEFALLS, NO ONE HAS PUT MORE FIRST ASCENT TRIPS OUT IN TIBET THAN WE HAVE. WE SEE FIRST ASCENTS NOT JUST AS A SPORTING PURSUIT, BUT AS FURTHERING HUMANITIES KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD. WITH EVERY FIRST ASCENT COMES THE LARGE ELEMENT OF TRUE EXPLORATION AND WE APPROACH THAT WITH THE BEST PERSPECTIVE POSSIBLE.
FROM THE INITIAL RESEARCH & FEASIBILITY, THROUGH ALL THE PLANNING & SOURCING, THEN THE ENTIRE TRIP ITSELF, FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS DIALS IN ALL THE NUTS & BOLTS SO TEAMS CAN CLIMB & EXPLORE SOMETHING TRUELY NEW.
THESE DAYS FIRST ASCENTS OF SIGNIFICANT PEAKS CAN BE ATTEMPTED WITH FOOTPRINTS SO SMALL IT WAS UNTHINKABLE ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO. SMALL TEAMS NOW CAN TAKE ON 6000m PEAKS WITH AS LITTLE AS THREE WEEKS, AND MULTI-PEAK TRIPS CAN BE DONE IN LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH.
AND THERES NO SHORTAGE OF UNCLIMBED, UNNAMED & UNEXPLORED PEAKS ACROSS TIBET. FROM CLASSIC HIMALAYAN PEAKS TO ROCK TOWERS, BIG WALLS AND DIFFICULT FACES, UNATTEMPTED ASCENTS CAN BE SURPRISINGLY ACCESSIBLE.
FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS FIRST ASCENT TRIPS COVER THE FULL PROCESS INCLUDING
- RESEARCH, VERIFICATION & FEASIBILITY
- LOGISTICS PLANNING & SUPPLIES SOURCING
- IN-COUNTRY SOURCING
- PERMITTING & LIAISON
- TRANSPORT
- ACCESS & APPROACH
- TRIP LEADING, OVERSIGHT & TRIP MANAGEMENT WHERE NEEDED
- CONTINGENCY & SUPPORT
- DOCUMENTATION, ASCENT VERIFICATION & CERTIFICATION
- REPORT PUBLICATION & CARTOGRAPHY
*A NOTE ON PIRATE ASCENTS
THE DAYS OF OFF-RADAR ASCENTS CAME TO AND END IN THE EARLY 2000’s. THESE DAYS, WITH THE AMOUNT OF CLIMBING ACTIVITY IN CHINA GROWING, THE CHANCES OF THE AUTHORITIES CHECKING TEAMS IS VERY HIGH. MOST CLIMBERS WILL BE VERIFIED LONG BEFORE THEY ARRIVE AT THE MOUNTAIN, AND CERTAINLY BY THE TIME THEY RETURN.
EVERY YEAR TEAMS TRY TO AVOID THE AUTHORITIES. THE LUCKY ONES GET STOPPED AND SHOWN HOW TO REGISTER, THE UNLUCKY ONES GET CAUGHT, DETAINED & PAY A LOT TO CONTINUE. A SMALL NUMBER DIE IN ACCIDENTS DUE TO RISKS TAKEN AVOIDING DOING THINGS PROPERLY.
IT’S TRUE THAT AN AUTHORIZED ASCENT COSTS MORE THAN A PIRATE ONE, BUT THE EXTRA COSTS SECURE YOU THE FULL ASSISTENCE OF THE CHINA MOUNTAINEERING ASSOCIATION WHICH INCLUDES ACCESS, PERMISSIONS & RESOURCES THAT STREAMLINE MOST OF THE PROBLEMS OUT OF A TRIP. THE CMA PAPERWORK SEES YOU WAIVED THROUGH CLOSED AREAS, COVERED IN THE CASE OF PROBLEMS & BY-PASSING THE MANY SMALL PROBLEMS LIKE FUEL, HOTELS & ENTRANCE PERMISSION. IF THINGS REQUIRE IT, A CALL TO THE CMA IS MUCH EASIER THAN TRYING TO FIX THINGS YOURSELF.
ASIDE FROM THE PERMITS, THE AUTHORITIES DO NOT INTERFERE WITH A CLIMBING TRIP. IT’S STILL YOUR OWN TRIP RUN HOW YOU WANT IT TO BE. YOU ARE FREE TO GO WHERE YOU PLEASE, STAY WHERE YOU PLEASE, CLIMB HOW YOU PLEASE WITH GREATER FREEDOM THAN IF YOU HAD NO PERMITS AT ALL.
REFER TO OUR ARTICLE PERMITS IN CHINA FOR MORE INFORMATION
*AVERAGE PRICE PER MEMBER FOR TEAM OF TWO, WESTERN LEAD, 25 DAY ITINERARY
**FULL BASECAMP SERVICES AVAILABLE
