Up at 04:00 this morning finalising the last few details. A long time a go I had a girlfriend in Japan and due to student finances and I had to fly Aeroflot via Moscow in the 90's. As a result of this, if I am flying alone on a long haul flight I dont sleep the night before (sometimes 2, if busy) and it means I sleep most of the flight.
As a surprise to some(that I have any form of OCD) my OCD kicks in during the last 48hrs before an expedition, double checking things, writing lists and weighing everything. I have a limit of 28kgs on the way out but 20kgs on the way back so that is my excuse for lack of presents. Although I might collect a load of rocks from the summit, I saw they were selling an "authentic" rock from the summit of everest (even signed by the summitter) for £99 on ebay. It was actually from the 3rd step since the summit is covered in snow but I reckon 5kgs of rocks should convert to 100 items to sell !!
Will do my final training run of 6 miles later today.
I have a couple of last minutes items to get which include
a) Watch, never wear one, for each trip I normally buy a cheap digital. In reality I might leave this, I am going to China the home of the cheap digital watch after all
b) Passport Photos for visa
c) Padlocks for my bags
d) Small tube of toothpaste
e) fix a missing buckle on my rucsac
I have to run around and collect a few things and say my last goodbyes but other than that...
I am leaving on a Jet plane... I have a vague idea of when I will be back again.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Human nature
Following my rant on mental health and climbing Everest I was interested to read this article.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/mar/01/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange
Humanity is in a period exactly like 1938-9, he explains, when "we all knew something terrible was going to happen, but didn't know what to do about it". But once the second world war was under way, "everyone got excited, they loved the things they could do, it was one long holiday ... so when I think of the impending crisis now, I think in those terms. A sense of purpose - that's what people want."
Not being around in this period I cant comment but the fondness that people of the war generation have spoken about their experiences has always struck as me as odd; due to the massive human suffering.
Great respect for Mr Lovelock, but even if what he says is true and in balance its level of probability is high and I fully embrace the principle of love Life while you can, I dont think you shouldnt try even if you think it pointless because a) Technological discoveries can shift the situation (I was going to use the word paradigm) b) Guilt, for future generations not to be self absorbed in guilt then some attempt, however feeble is necessary.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/mar/01/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange
Humanity is in a period exactly like 1938-9, he explains, when "we all knew something terrible was going to happen, but didn't know what to do about it". But once the second world war was under way, "everyone got excited, they loved the things they could do, it was one long holiday ... so when I think of the impending crisis now, I think in those terms. A sense of purpose - that's what people want."
Not being around in this period I cant comment but the fondness that people of the war generation have spoken about their experiences has always struck as me as odd; due to the massive human suffering.
Great respect for Mr Lovelock, but even if what he says is true and in balance its level of probability is high and I fully embrace the principle of love Life while you can, I dont think you shouldnt try even if you think it pointless because a) Technological discoveries can shift the situation (I was going to use the word paradigm) b) Guilt, for future generations not to be self absorbed in guilt then some attempt, however feeble is necessary.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Signing the form
Of course in any outdoor activity you have to sign the disclaimer; this sport is dangerous, you might die, we are covering our asses etc. I was even prepared for the question "do you understand that in the event of your death at high altitude it is unlikely that we will be able to recover your body".
The only bit that caught me slightly off guard was that in the event of death we will make ONE phone call to your next of kin and then make a press release.
Of course waiting weeks (or even days) to comment on a potential accident is disastrous since rumours and gossip on the mountain are rife and things can get out of control (as mentioned in a previous post Lincoln Hall's wife was called to say he was dead, only to find he returned 24 hrs later, I am sure they are not always as positive). But ONE call seems a bit harsh, I am sure the press have more interest in the death of UK troops doing their patriotic duty in Afghanistan than some climbers trying to prove something to themselves or other people and even then they realise the importance of contacting the next of kin so that a) they dont worry everyone with a relative out there and b) the next of kin dont find out their son's death via CNN/BBC/SKY etc.
Anyway the "deal" we have struck is that on summit night (and most dangerous time)my next of Kin will keep the phone on through the night. Not really ideal but a compromise none the less.
The only bit that caught me slightly off guard was that in the event of death we will make ONE phone call to your next of kin and then make a press release.
Of course waiting weeks (or even days) to comment on a potential accident is disastrous since rumours and gossip on the mountain are rife and things can get out of control (as mentioned in a previous post Lincoln Hall's wife was called to say he was dead, only to find he returned 24 hrs later, I am sure they are not always as positive). But ONE call seems a bit harsh, I am sure the press have more interest in the death of UK troops doing their patriotic duty in Afghanistan than some climbers trying to prove something to themselves or other people and even then they realise the importance of contacting the next of kin so that a) they dont worry everyone with a relative out there and b) the next of kin dont find out their son's death via CNN/BBC/SKY etc.
Anyway the "deal" we have struck is that on summit night (and most dangerous time)my next of Kin will keep the phone on through the night. Not really ideal but a compromise none the less.
What's going to be the toughest bit ?
With only a few days to go I now feel I have a better insight into what is going to be the toughest element of the trip and as I have thought this it is more mental than physical concerns.
80 days is a long time to be away from family, friends and loved ones and it seems even longer in this super connected world where we live in with email/tweet/facebook. Of course there are satellite phones and I will probably be able to use a mobile at base camp, but still not talking to someone for 5 days seems an age when you talk/see them everyday.
80 days is a long time to be away from family, friends and loved ones and it seems even longer in this super connected world where we live in with email/tweet/facebook. Of course there are satellite phones and I will probably be able to use a mobile at base camp, but still not talking to someone for 5 days seems an age when you talk/see them everyday.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Slowly slowly catch the monkey
For most experienced mountaineers this post will be pretty pointless (in fact I doubt any serious mountaineers will be reading this blog, but anyway).
To climb Kilimanjaro (height 5895m) take about 6-8 days
To climb Everest (height 8843m) takes 93 days
As you can see there is a 50% increase in height but a 1500% increase in time. Of course this relates to the altitude and the difference in approach. With lower mountains it is possible to take it gently and gradually move up to the summit. Maybe with one rest day to recover. However with 8,000m mountains the approach is very different, still people use the alpine approach (fast and light), in the old days people used to practically build a town at each camp, but it is more of one step forward, one back, two steps forward two back and rest 3 steps forward, 2 back and rest etc. In fact by the end of the trip you have probably climbed the mountain 3 or 4 times. Depending on your route people travel early morning or during the day and on summit day if you are summiting from the North side you will leave at about 10:30 in the evening, just so you are on the second step for dawn. Of course the problem will leaving so early is the cold, but I can assure you it is more motivating to be returning in the light than in the dark. The summit day can take up to 14-16 hrs and you need a number of hours just in case a few things go wrong, of in fact there is congestion !! Sometimes you have to wait while others pass.
In addition to the above I add my own personal tips.
1) Music, personally I am very affected by music and find it extremely motivating so on summit days I listen to the iPod. During 2005 I took part in a race to the Magnetic North Pole, this was filmed and shown on TV at some ridiculous time in the morning. However I was so effected by music I actually caught myself on film dancing/skiing in time with my mp3 player. I had the black eye peas on repeat for several days and I judged from my gait it was "where is the love"
2) Drugs:- I will quickly divert as this touches on the whole essence of mountaineering for me, if you climb a mountain, no one asks how quickly you did it in, if fact they don't ask where you a guided expedition or did you go solo, they are in fact unlikely to say did you use oxygen or not. It is my personal experience that there is quite a lot of pain killers/chemical enhancements that mountaineers take. I am not suggesting you take a line of cocaine before running up Everest but a few paracetamol every day can really help. From my experience mountaineers are the most resourceful and innovative people when it comes to the use of drugs.
3) Keep something in reserve. It was about 17:30 in the afternoon and I just climbed through 3 foot of snow to our final camp before our planned ascent the next day,I was practically exhausted, but on arrival I found the team that left the day before still hadn't returned from the summit (4-6 hrs late and no radio contact) and within an hour we had to be ready to leave. An hour sounds like a long time but at that altitude it takes 20 mins to put your boots on. Fortunately we found them safe but it was certainly challenging.
4) Finally and most of important of all the Rs (Rythmn, Routine and Relaxation)
It is no exaggeration to say that on my trip in the North Pole I would know minute by minute what I was going to do. I would take a dump at the same time every day, even eat practically the same food at the same times, rest for the same period of time, put up the tent in the sameway etc. It is this routine that your body and mind love and keeps you sane. Although harder on a mountain the principles remain the same. I put it down to the routine that meant had it been required at the finishing line I could have turned round and walked the 400km back home (ok I might have need some additional food :-), however it was a standing joke that I was pulling enough fuel for a round trip)
The first 2 Rs ensure maximum productivity and efficiency, at altitude it can take 2 hrs to get up have breakfast and get dressed and that is without leaving the tent !. Everything takes ages to do e.g. getting your boots on can take 15 mins any time you save can mean you have more rest.
Finally relaxation, it is essential that you are fully rested before you attempt the summit or next big push. Also that you are relaxed about the pace of the climb On my last trip there were three people who didn't summit. If you had to make bets on the first week of the trip, who would make it to the summit it was likely that these would have been at the top of your list, since they were running in the morning and doing extra exercises. The problem was though they didnt pace themselves and burnt out before the summit. It is very tempting to "crack on" but it has disastrous consequences.
To climb Kilimanjaro (height 5895m) take about 6-8 days
To climb Everest (height 8843m) takes 93 days
As you can see there is a 50% increase in height but a 1500% increase in time. Of course this relates to the altitude and the difference in approach. With lower mountains it is possible to take it gently and gradually move up to the summit. Maybe with one rest day to recover. However with 8,000m mountains the approach is very different, still people use the alpine approach (fast and light), in the old days people used to practically build a town at each camp, but it is more of one step forward, one back, two steps forward two back and rest 3 steps forward, 2 back and rest etc. In fact by the end of the trip you have probably climbed the mountain 3 or 4 times. Depending on your route people travel early morning or during the day and on summit day if you are summiting from the North side you will leave at about 10:30 in the evening, just so you are on the second step for dawn. Of course the problem will leaving so early is the cold, but I can assure you it is more motivating to be returning in the light than in the dark. The summit day can take up to 14-16 hrs and you need a number of hours just in case a few things go wrong, of in fact there is congestion !! Sometimes you have to wait while others pass.
In addition to the above I add my own personal tips.
1) Music, personally I am very affected by music and find it extremely motivating so on summit days I listen to the iPod. During 2005 I took part in a race to the Magnetic North Pole, this was filmed and shown on TV at some ridiculous time in the morning. However I was so effected by music I actually caught myself on film dancing/skiing in time with my mp3 player. I had the black eye peas on repeat for several days and I judged from my gait it was "where is the love"
2) Drugs:- I will quickly divert as this touches on the whole essence of mountaineering for me, if you climb a mountain, no one asks how quickly you did it in, if fact they don't ask where you a guided expedition or did you go solo, they are in fact unlikely to say did you use oxygen or not. It is my personal experience that there is quite a lot of pain killers/chemical enhancements that mountaineers take. I am not suggesting you take a line of cocaine before running up Everest but a few paracetamol every day can really help. From my experience mountaineers are the most resourceful and innovative people when it comes to the use of drugs.
3) Keep something in reserve. It was about 17:30 in the afternoon and I just climbed through 3 foot of snow to our final camp before our planned ascent the next day,I was practically exhausted, but on arrival I found the team that left the day before still hadn't returned from the summit (4-6 hrs late and no radio contact) and within an hour we had to be ready to leave. An hour sounds like a long time but at that altitude it takes 20 mins to put your boots on. Fortunately we found them safe but it was certainly challenging.
4) Finally and most of important of all the Rs (Rythmn, Routine and Relaxation)
It is no exaggeration to say that on my trip in the North Pole I would know minute by minute what I was going to do. I would take a dump at the same time every day, even eat practically the same food at the same times, rest for the same period of time, put up the tent in the sameway etc. It is this routine that your body and mind love and keeps you sane. Although harder on a mountain the principles remain the same. I put it down to the routine that meant had it been required at the finishing line I could have turned round and walked the 400km back home (ok I might have need some additional food :-), however it was a standing joke that I was pulling enough fuel for a round trip)
The first 2 Rs ensure maximum productivity and efficiency, at altitude it can take 2 hrs to get up have breakfast and get dressed and that is without leaving the tent !. Everything takes ages to do e.g. getting your boots on can take 15 mins any time you save can mean you have more rest.
Finally relaxation, it is essential that you are fully rested before you attempt the summit or next big push. Also that you are relaxed about the pace of the climb On my last trip there were three people who didn't summit. If you had to make bets on the first week of the trip, who would make it to the summit it was likely that these would have been at the top of your list, since they were running in the morning and doing extra exercises. The problem was though they didnt pace themselves and burnt out before the summit. It is very tempting to "crack on" but it has disastrous consequences.
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Why climb Everest
This is a question I ask myself and one that has been asked many times before. Mallory's famous response to the question was "because its there".
Of course there is no simple answer and I am sure that everyone has different and personal reasons for wanting to summit Everest but mine, if I had to sum it up in two words is Mental Health. Of course there are many other reasons and I will touch on those later but let me explain my logic and rationale.
As a post graduate, I completed my first Master dissertation on the success of Economic Sanctions. This was a result of my interest in the Balkans conflict in the early and mid 90's where the Western governments used economic sanctions to force political change, since the writing of my thesis economic sanctions have been used in a number of situations from Iran to Zimbabwe and was my belief at the time that they were pretty pointless then and my opinion hasn't changed. This is for a number of factors but the one relevant here (to stop my deviation any further) is that of humans respond to hardship, again this is more complicated and I am writing a blog on climbing Everest not the psycho dynamics of human hardship. If humans feel pressured from the outside and it is perceived to be fair and equal then is sense of benefit as we are "all in it together" probably best known as the "Dunkirk Spirit".
This phenomena doesn't just appear in the UK and there are many examples of hardship actually having a positive impact on happiness (In my thesis I use the petrol crisis in Rhodesia in the mid 80's). Further to support this studies have shown that happiness doesn't increase above $15,000 per annum.
Of course this is counter-intuitive but quite simply humans feel happier when they have "earned" the reward. This would make sense from an evolutionary biology point of view since it would have been traditionally humans that earned the reward that would have survived and reproduced and prospered.
So point one of my argument is that mental health is derived from earning a reward.
I also believe that in a similar way (metaphorically) to that of muscle growth, mental health is about pushing your bounds. Again this seems counter-intuitive, making yourself happy is a result of doing things that make you feel uncomfortable. This argument is based on the premise of confidence, I don't know if I can ever really say I faced death in the face, but I have had some pretty hairy situations. Situations when I was not sure how I was going to get out of, but of course I did and my point is that getting out of them means your ability, confidence and perspetive is different.
Of course I am not suggesting you run across a railway track to prove that you can live, that is pointless and ridiculous but I am suggesting that even camping over night in a remote location alone in the lake district will change your perspective having you rejoice in the simple fact it isn't raining or a simple meal of noodles will taste 100 times better than ever before.
My second point is that confidence and mental health increases as believe in your ability to survive challenging circumstances. I have strong views on the importance of mental health since I feel it is often ignored (simply by the fact that is not seen) people "go to the gym" to keep physically fit but they also need to condition their mind. (by that I mean keep fit not brain wash). Life is series of challenges and experiences some of which will be good some bad. Of course some people are able to handle pressure better than others but in reality this difference isnt as wide as you would think and most of this is due to learnt behaviours from previous life experiences.
Also pressures and emotions are different e.g. in the death of a loved one from a terminal cancer or the self destructive nature of an eating disorder.
In the same way going to the gym is tough (especially at the beginning) and most people choose not to (I include myself in this category), so it is the same for mental fitness. It is instinctive to dislike being scared or shy away from difficult circumstances. I am sure an evolutionary biologist would argue it is actually these traits that kept us alive and of course he is right, but it is a different world and compared to evolution we are travelling at the speed of light.
I have a small Waitorse near my house and I went out to buy some mango chutney. There were 6 different types. This is some distance for most worrying about were my next meal is coming from. We are so fortunate in the West to have this but it comes at a price as our inbuilt motivation and drive can be turned into a destructive force.
Personally I know that ironically, pushing myself mentally makes me more happy and I just hope I have the courage to keep doing this.
Mental challenges can be taken to far and although I have great respect and admiration for Sir Ranulph Fiennes, I think he would be the first to admit he has some issues. A man who 4 months after a double heart bypass surgery, runs 7 marathons in 7 days only under the strict guidance that his heart doesnt rise above 130 beats per minute, forgets his heart rate monitor. A man with a morbid fear of heights who climbs the North face of the Eiger and Everest. A man who was frustrated with the pain from frostbite so self amputated several of his fingers in his shed with a black and decker saw.
I am not sure this insanity warrants being 94th in the 100 living geniuses, but I can imagine his therpaist's first question " So Mr Fiennes, you dont mind if I call to Ranulph do you ? what are you trying to prove with your exploits ?. Of course he wouldn't be able to answer since for him to be in the room he would have have to tied up and sedated.
Of course there is no simple answer and I am sure that everyone has different and personal reasons for wanting to summit Everest but mine, if I had to sum it up in two words is Mental Health. Of course there are many other reasons and I will touch on those later but let me explain my logic and rationale.
As a post graduate, I completed my first Master dissertation on the success of Economic Sanctions. This was a result of my interest in the Balkans conflict in the early and mid 90's where the Western governments used economic sanctions to force political change, since the writing of my thesis economic sanctions have been used in a number of situations from Iran to Zimbabwe and was my belief at the time that they were pretty pointless then and my opinion hasn't changed. This is for a number of factors but the one relevant here (to stop my deviation any further) is that of humans respond to hardship, again this is more complicated and I am writing a blog on climbing Everest not the psycho dynamics of human hardship. If humans feel pressured from the outside and it is perceived to be fair and equal then is sense of benefit as we are "all in it together" probably best known as the "Dunkirk Spirit".
This phenomena doesn't just appear in the UK and there are many examples of hardship actually having a positive impact on happiness (In my thesis I use the petrol crisis in Rhodesia in the mid 80's). Further to support this studies have shown that happiness doesn't increase above $15,000 per annum.
Of course this is counter-intuitive but quite simply humans feel happier when they have "earned" the reward. This would make sense from an evolutionary biology point of view since it would have been traditionally humans that earned the reward that would have survived and reproduced and prospered.
So point one of my argument is that mental health is derived from earning a reward.
I also believe that in a similar way (metaphorically) to that of muscle growth, mental health is about pushing your bounds. Again this seems counter-intuitive, making yourself happy is a result of doing things that make you feel uncomfortable. This argument is based on the premise of confidence, I don't know if I can ever really say I faced death in the face, but I have had some pretty hairy situations. Situations when I was not sure how I was going to get out of, but of course I did and my point is that getting out of them means your ability, confidence and perspetive is different.
Of course I am not suggesting you run across a railway track to prove that you can live, that is pointless and ridiculous but I am suggesting that even camping over night in a remote location alone in the lake district will change your perspective having you rejoice in the simple fact it isn't raining or a simple meal of noodles will taste 100 times better than ever before.
My second point is that confidence and mental health increases as believe in your ability to survive challenging circumstances. I have strong views on the importance of mental health since I feel it is often ignored (simply by the fact that is not seen) people "go to the gym" to keep physically fit but they also need to condition their mind. (by that I mean keep fit not brain wash). Life is series of challenges and experiences some of which will be good some bad. Of course some people are able to handle pressure better than others but in reality this difference isnt as wide as you would think and most of this is due to learnt behaviours from previous life experiences.
Also pressures and emotions are different e.g. in the death of a loved one from a terminal cancer or the self destructive nature of an eating disorder.
In the same way going to the gym is tough (especially at the beginning) and most people choose not to (I include myself in this category), so it is the same for mental fitness. It is instinctive to dislike being scared or shy away from difficult circumstances. I am sure an evolutionary biologist would argue it is actually these traits that kept us alive and of course he is right, but it is a different world and compared to evolution we are travelling at the speed of light.
I have a small Waitorse near my house and I went out to buy some mango chutney. There were 6 different types. This is some distance for most worrying about were my next meal is coming from. We are so fortunate in the West to have this but it comes at a price as our inbuilt motivation and drive can be turned into a destructive force.
Personally I know that ironically, pushing myself mentally makes me more happy and I just hope I have the courage to keep doing this.
Mental challenges can be taken to far and although I have great respect and admiration for Sir Ranulph Fiennes, I think he would be the first to admit he has some issues. A man who 4 months after a double heart bypass surgery, runs 7 marathons in 7 days only under the strict guidance that his heart doesnt rise above 130 beats per minute, forgets his heart rate monitor. A man with a morbid fear of heights who climbs the North face of the Eiger and Everest. A man who was frustrated with the pain from frostbite so self amputated several of his fingers in his shed with a black and decker saw.
I am not sure this insanity warrants being 94th in the 100 living geniuses, but I can imagine his therpaist's first question " So Mr Fiennes, you dont mind if I call to Ranulph do you ? what are you trying to prove with your exploits ?. Of course he wouldn't be able to answer since for him to be in the room he would have have to tied up and sedated.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
How hard is it ???
I have chosen the expedition company and hopefully on the 3rd April 2010. I should be leaving for Kathmandu to start the expedition. Of course more of that in latter posts.
Now the trip is booked I am reflecting on the task in hand and considering the enormity of the goal at hand, or is it ??
Of course with Everest towering over every other mountain at 8848m there is a belief that it is difficult and sure enough 200 people have died on its slopes. There was even a TV series called "The World's Deadliest Climbs" tracking people who climbed Everest. There is a perception that it is dangerous and with the press reporting deaths on Everest or K2 that view is certainly perpetuated. The fatality rate over the last 56 years in 9%, but in reality this has dropped to below 5% in the last 5 years with the improvements in technology.
Really if you think these figures are bad try Kangchenjunga. Over 1 in 5 people die climbing this mountain, I need say no more.
In reality Everest is possible for most people subject to money and motivation.
Really there was only one thing that I found mildly disturbing about Everest and this applies to other 8000m peaks are the number of dead people left on the mountain. It is not something you really think about but it is practically impossible to remove people from anywhere above 8000m and as a result of this and the temperatures there are about 120 bodies still left on the mountain. It is impossible to climb Everest without encountering a number of these.
Now the trip is booked I am reflecting on the task in hand and considering the enormity of the goal at hand, or is it ??
Of course with Everest towering over every other mountain at 8848m there is a belief that it is difficult and sure enough 200 people have died on its slopes. There was even a TV series called "The World's Deadliest Climbs" tracking people who climbed Everest. There is a perception that it is dangerous and with the press reporting deaths on Everest or K2 that view is certainly perpetuated. The fatality rate over the last 56 years in 9%, but in reality this has dropped to below 5% in the last 5 years with the improvements in technology.
Really if you think these figures are bad try Kangchenjunga. Over 1 in 5 people die climbing this mountain, I need say no more.
In reality Everest is possible for most people subject to money and motivation.
Really there was only one thing that I found mildly disturbing about Everest and this applies to other 8000m peaks are the number of dead people left on the mountain. It is not something you really think about but it is practically impossible to remove people from anywhere above 8000m and as a result of this and the temperatures there are about 120 bodies still left on the mountain. It is impossible to climb Everest without encountering a number of these.
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