THE DEBATE ABOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN HAS NEVER TAKEN ROOT ON THE NORTH SIDE BECAUSE IT’S SIMPLY NOT AVAILABLE.
SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN IS A PRODUCT OF THE NEPAL-BASED COMMERCIAL CLIMBING INDUSTRY. IT’S USE REVOLVES AROUND LARGE NUMBERS OF CLIMBERS OF VARYING ABILITIES ASCENDING TO HIGH ALTITUDE IN ALL STATES OF ACCLIMATION. ON CROWDED PEAKS WITH LIMITED SPACE AT CAMPS & COMPETITION ON THE FIXED LINES, SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN IS A NECESSARY PRECAUTION. AS THIS SCENARIO HAS SPREAD, IT NOW INCLUDES THE PAKISTANI SIDE OF K2, AND BOUGHT WITH IT THE LOGISTICAL DEMANDS OF PROVIDING AND MOVING THE STUFF.
NONE OF THIS EXISTS ON THE NORTH SIDE AND CLIMBERS NEED TO CONSIDER THIS WHEN PLANNING.
FOR CLIMBERS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PUREST ASCENT POSSIBLE, WITH NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN USED FOR ANY PART OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS FROM THE ROAD – HERE YOU HAVE IT. UNLIKE EVEREST, SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN ONLY RECENTLY ARRIVED IN COMMON USE AT K2, DESPITE BEING COMMON ELSEWHERE IN THE PAKISTANI KARAKORUM FOR YEARS. OUR FIRST TRIP TO K2’S CESEN ROUTE IN 2010 HAD NO OXYGEN BEING USED BY ANY CLIMBER, WE ALL SIMPLY PLANNED TO CLIMB IN A WAY THAT DIDN’T INCLUDE IT WHICH MEANT MORE TIME ON ACCLIMATION, MORE TIME RESTING, MINIMAL RELIANCE ON FIXED ROPES & SMALL TEAMS ON THE MOUNTAIN. UNLIKE EVEREST, ON K2 THE IDEA OF NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN HAS BEEN NORMAL, NOT WARNED AGAINST, WITH IT’S USE ON THE NORTH SIDE BEING A RARITY. EVEN THE HUGE JAPANESE TEAM THAT MADE THE FIRST ASCENT FROM THE NORTH HAD MULTIPLE MEMBERS SUMMIT WITHOUT IT. SINCE THEN, ASIDE FROM THE WILDERNESS ASPECT, THE NORTH SIDE HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A PLACE TO BE LEFT FREE OF THE SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN POLITICS.
CLIMBING 8000m PEAKS WITHOUT OXYGEN IS A DIFFERENT BEAST TO WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE. WHEN PRESENT, THE ENTIRE STRATEGY OF AN ASCENT SHIFTS TO BE ABOUT GETTING THE OXYGEN UP & DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, NOT THE CLIMBER. BOTTLES & SETS NEED TO BE CARRIED & PLACED AND MOVEMENT BETWEEN CAMPS NEEDS TO BE PLANNED AROUND BOTTLE CAPACITY WHILST SCHEDULES ARE PUNCTUATED BY STRATEGIES FOR USING IT. SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN MAY WELL MAKES THE CLIMBING ARTIFICIALLY EASIER, BUT IT ALSO MAKES THE PLANNING A LOT MORE COMPLEX. AND COMPLEX THINGS ARE MORE OPEN TO PROBLEMS.
AN ISSUE THOUGH OF COURSE IS THAT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN IS ALSO UNAVAILABLE FOR EMERGENCY USE. SMALL FIRST AID BOTTLES EXIST IN CHINA, BUT THE IDEA OF NEVER BEING MORE THAN A CAMP AWAY FROM ENOUGH TO DESCEND THE MOUNTAIN IS ABSENT. THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT THOUGH IS THAT CLIMBING HAPPENS AT A SLOWER RATE DUE TO NO FIXING TEAMS HAVING RIGGED THE ROUTE FOR RAPID ASCENT, THEREBY TEMPERING THE RISK EQUATION FROM THE START.
BEYOND THE FUNCTIONAL FACTORS OF USING SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN ON THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 THERE’S THE ETHICAL ONES. THERE’S THE ISSUES AROUND BRING MORE JUNK UP A PRISTINE 8000m FACE AND THE RISK OF LEAVING IT UP THERE, AND THERE’S THE PERSONAL ONES. IF A CLIMBER SIMPLY WANTS TO SUMMIT K2 THEY DON’T COME TO THE NORTH SIDE TO DO IT THE PAKISTANI SIDE BEING MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE & ORGANIZED. THE ATTRACTION TO THE NORTH SIDE IS FOR THE WILDNESS & ‘OTHERNESS’ THAT SETS ASIDE THE COMMON 8000m EXPERIENCE TO REPLACE IT WITH A MORE ADVENTUROUS SET OF IDEALS.
