“THIS IS WHERE THE CLIMBERS WHO WENT TO THE SOUTH SIDE GO NOW”
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AFTER 20 YEARS GOING TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM AND TO K2 IN PARTICULAR WE THINK WE’VE SPOTTED SOME COMMON CHARACTER TRAITS AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO GO THERE. WHILST NO ONE IS ALL OF THESE THINGS, A BLEND OF MOST OF THESE TRAITS SEEMS TO SET ‘K2 NORTH’ TYPES APART FROM OTHER 8000m CLIMBERS.
CLIMBING IDEALISTS
CLIMBERS WHO WANT TO CLIMB THE GREATEST EXTENT OF TRUE ALPINISM THERE IS. THE NORTH SIDE HAS NO ISSUES OVER SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN, NO ARGUMENTS OVER WHO FIXES THE ROPES, NO RACE FOR THE BEST TENT SITES, NO COMPANY POLITICS, NO CELEBRITY CULTS, NO INFECTIONS DOING THE ROUNDS, NO BASECAMP CIRCUS, NO LINES TO WAIT IN, NO BODIES TO STEP OVER – IT’S STRAIGHT UP HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. THIS TYPE IS THERE FOR CLIMBING.
OLD SCHOOL EXPEDITIONERS
PEOPLE WHO ARE INSPIRED BY THE EXPEDITIONS OF THE LIKES OF SHIPTON & FLANNERY. THE NORTH SIDE OF THE KARAKORUM AND VALLEYS OFF K2 ARE STILL LARGELY UNDOCUMENTED WITH 95% OF WHAT YOU SEE HAVING NO NAME OR HISTORY OF ATTEMPTS. THIS IS THE TRAIT OF LOOKING OUT ACROSS A HUGE LANDSCAPE AND REVELLING IN THE FACT THAT THERE’S NO TRACE OF HUMAN ACTIVITY IN IT. THIS IS THE TYPE THAT THINKS CAMEL TRAINS ARE STILL COOL, CAN’T WAIT TO FORD ICY RIVERS, LOVES THE IDEA OF THE CARRIES UP TO CAMPS & THE ROMANCE OF TAKING TEA WHILST STARING UP AT 3000m OF MOUNTAIN ABOVE THEM.
‘THE NEXT BIG THING’ ADVENTURERS
BIT BY BIT THE GREAT PEAKS OF THE WORLD HAVE BECOME COMMON PLACE, AND TODAY NO ONE CARES IF YOU’VE DONE THE SEVEN SUMMITS OR RUN ACROSS THE GOBI – BUT THE NORTH SIDE OF K2 STILL RAISES EYEBROWS. THE FIRST THING WE HEAR WHEN WE MENTION GOING THERE IS USUALLY ‘K2’S NORTH SIDE IS IN CHINA?’. EVEN DISCUSSING IN THE BASECAMP ON THE PAKISTAN SIDE, FEW PEOPLE HAD THOUGHT ABOUT IT FROM THE NORTH. THIS IS THE TYPE WHO LIKES MAPS, PLANNING & HAS MEMBERSHIP AT THE RGS.
TOTAL WILDERNESS JUNKIES
THERE’S ONLY A HANDFUL OF TOTAL WILDERNESS AREAS LEFT AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM. IT’S CERTAINLY THE HIGHEST, WHICH TO OUR MIND MAKES IT SPECIAL. THE AREA AROUND K2 NORTH SIDES BASECAMP IS ALMOST TOTALLY UNTOUCHED IN EVERY DIRECTION, THE CLOSEST THING TO INTERFERENCE BEING THE SOUTH SIDE. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE EVEN BACTRIAN CAMELS DON’T SPEND A LOT OF TIME. THESE SORTS TEND TO LOVE WEATHER FORECASTING, BOTANY & ARE ALWAYS ASKING US ‘WHAT’S DOWN THE NEXT VALLEY OVER?’
BIG PROCESS CLIMBERS
YOU WANT THE BIGGEST, CLEANEST, MOST ELEGENT LINE ON THE PLANET? THE NORTH RIDGE OF K2 IS THE CULMINATION OF ALPINISM, BEING A NATURAL DIRECT ROUTE THAT FULFILS ALL THE ELEMENTS FOR TECHNICAL MOUNTAINEERING. THIS IS THE MASTERPIECE OF 8000m ROUTES THAT IS CLIMBED USING GOOD STYLE, GOOD ETHICS & FINE TECHNIQUE. FOR THE CLIMBER RAISED AND EXPERIENCED IN ALPS, ALASKAN & TIBETAN STYLES OF CLIMBING IT ALL COMES TOGETHER HERE. BIG PROCESS CLIMBERS HAVE DYNEEMA PACKS, CARBON FIBRE TOOLS, KNOW THE BEST WAY TO FIX A LINE & ARE HAPPIEST CRAMMED INTO A HIGH CAMP MELTING SNOW.
GRAND FINALISTS
AMONG THE 8000m SCENE, K2 IS OFTEN LEFT TILL LAST, AND THERE’S NO GRANDER WAY TO FINISH THE PROCESS THAN THE NORTH SIDE. FOR CLIMBERS THAT HAVE ASCENDED THE DOZENS OF MILES OF FIXED ROPES ON OTHER PEAKS AND ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT AN ALPINE ATTEMP, FAR FROM THE BUSY 8000m INDUSTRY WOULD BE LIKE, THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT. THERE WON’T BE A BIG FINALE WHEN YOU GET BACK TO BASECAMP, BUT THERE WILL BE THE QUIET KNOWING YOU FINISHED IN STYLE. GRAND FINALEISTS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE HERE FOR. COLLECTIVE YEARS IN BASECAMPS MAKES THEM FEEL AT HOME AND THERE’S A TINGE OF SADNESS THAT COMPLETTION IS IN SIGHT
QUIET ACHEIVERS
THERE’S ALWAYS THE CLIMBER AT THE TABLE WHO DOESN’T SAY MUCH, WHO IS JUST WORKING AWAY AT GREAT THINGS. WHO HASN’T BEEN ON TV, WHO HASN’T DONE ALL THE OTHER NORMAL LEAD-UP PEAKS, WHO HAS A RESUME FILLED WITH OBSCURE ASCENTS, WHOSE GEAR IS ALL MODIFIED OR FROM EXOTIC MAKERS, WHO LEARNED TO DO THINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SOMETIMES THERE A TEAM LIKE THIS. THESE ARE THE CHARACTERS WHO LIKE K2 FOR REASONS OUTSIDE THE REPUTATION & 8000m TICKLIST. THE CHARACTERS WHO READ LOTS AND WHEN THEY PLAY CONNECT 4 USUALLY WIN.
