Why Do You Do It?
I guess by this it means why do you climb? I have no unique answer for this and so I will probably end up paraphrasing other people’s answers for this question. The first point I believe is that if you ask that question you won’t understand the answer. To me climbing is not about getting to the top of anything. It is about the journey, not only specifically on a climb but the travelling through different landscapes and cultures to get to a climb. Also the preparation towards the climb is part of the attraction. Through climbing I have met many great people and this too is part of the attraction. I don’t feel I have answered the question fully but it’s the best I can do. Perhaps when I'm wise and old I’ll have the answer!
How many camps are you planning to set on K2?
This depends on the route I take on K2. There are two obvious choices. The Abruzzi Spur on the South East Ridge or the South-South East face.
The Abruzzi Spur is the ‘normal’ route on K2. Four Camps are put up on K2 (6000m, 6700m, 7200m, 7,600m)
Is It Fun?
Yes! (Sorry for the boring answer)
What Is The Highest Mountain Anyone Can Climb?
The tallest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. It is 8848m above sea level.
Do you have a lot of specialised equipment you carry?
Yes, when on expeditions I always want things to be easy. The last thing I want when struggling up a snow slope is to have something break or not do the job I want it to do. When on an expedition I basically take ‘climbing equipment’ and ‘happy camping equipment’. Climbing equipment is basically the things the stop me from falling of a mountain or cliff. It also includes a few things that make life easier for example chalk and Ice Axes. I could possibly climb without these things however it would be very hard to achieve anything without them. A few key things from my ‘Climbing equipment’-Harness, Karabiners, Ropes, Belay Plates, Figure of 8 and Quick-Draws. In my ‘Happy Camping’ section is the things you may take to say the Reading Festival-A Tent, Sleeping Bag, Torch, Sleeping Matt. The key difference between equipment for the Reading Festival and an Expedition is the quality and capabilities of the equipment. I would not like to be camping on a windy peak in a pop-up festival tent, as I’m not sure what of it will be left in the morning.
What is the biggest danger you have faced whilst climbing?
The first thing that comes to mind is my first experience of climbing. My family holidays in the past have been to S.t. David’s in Wales. We were once on the beach when we got completely cut of by the tide. My mum took the decision that the way out would be up a vertical cliff. At the time it was a good adventure however when looking back it was actually very dangerous. My only memories of this event are the moment when I was looking at the rock in front of me thinking what would happen if my brother above me fell.
Apart from this the biggest danger I faced was in Ladakh in 2008. I was caught by altitude sickness resulting in my evacuation. This seemed to be a whole package of dangers. Firstly was getting back to basecamp, I was wondering across the mountain as if I was drunk! Next came my descent back to a lower village. Carried by one of the Sherpa on his head. This was very scary and dangerous, as I don’t trust my feet enough to climb without ropes let alone with someone sat on my head. This is the task of the Sherpa and he did a fantastic job! Finally the last danger I faced was extreme donkey riding. This ‘sport’ is when you get put on a donkey and taken down scree slopes. The donkeys tend to slide on the scree and it’s a case of hang on tight and don’t look down. I have a picture of the Donkey that I went down the mountain on and I’m rely grateful to him/her!