So this blog is appearing not at the beginnings of our planning, infact its months behind to be honest. However today I was filling in some grant applications towards our upcoming adventure and I decide that this quote is probably where to start.
"Why are you doing this?
The question of why a man attempts anything at all, is a very good one indeed. Do we climb mountains out of a love of mountains or a love of ourselves? Do we climb to escape the oppressive comforts of civilisation or to embrace them more fully upon returning? We do not subscribe to Mallory's view that the objective "being there" is justification enough (Mallory's personal meaning of the phrase regardless). An unclimbed north face is a challenge thrown out to all mountaineers. Moreover, the aesthetics of a route that strives, arrow-like, to its objective are undeniably alluring. The undulating path to the summit that calls itself a ridge-route is in fact a maze, but the deceptively straight line straight to the promised summit, alone crowned in snow, appearing simple to navigate, is in fact a subtler labyrinth. We, as climbers, cannot ignore this kind of challenge."
The question of why a man attempts anything at all, is a very good one indeed. Do we climb mountains out of a love of mountains or a love of ourselves? Do we climb to escape the oppressive comforts of civilisation or to embrace them more fully upon returning? We do not subscribe to Mallory's view that the objective "being there" is justification enough (Mallory's personal meaning of the phrase regardless). An unclimbed north face is a challenge thrown out to all mountaineers. Moreover, the aesthetics of a route that strives, arrow-like, to its objective are undeniably alluring. The undulating path to the summit that calls itself a ridge-route is in fact a maze, but the deceptively straight line straight to the promised summit, alone crowned in snow, appearing simple to navigate, is in fact a subtler labyrinth. We, as climbers, cannot ignore this kind of challenge."
It brings up a good point, why are we doing this? Well maybe we ourselves do not totally understand why we climb, however I can start by describing why we are doing this expedition.
The plan was formulated through a very successful week of Alpine mountaineering in Switzerland where we climbed 5 significant summits and generally had a great time.
The outline of the plan was simple to find a good unclimbed mountain face which is within our expedition capabilities where we can climb it in the best style possible and have some sort of basecamp not surrounded by ice (e.g on a glacier).
The outline of the plan was simple to find a good unclimbed mountain face which is within our expedition capabilities where we can climb it in the best style possible and have some sort of basecamp not surrounded by ice (e.g on a glacier).
We came up with a few objectives, some which are definitely earmarked for the future and decided on pursuing this current objective further.
Now seeing as neither of us had been on a mountaineering expedition to Nepal then we obviously started looking into the governmental rules behind and making first contact with companies in the country.
We are now at a stage where we are organising permits and have sent off all grant applications. So pretty much we are at the stage where it all goes live. Exciting times indeed.
We are now at a stage where we are organising permits and have sent off all grant applications. So pretty much we are at the stage where it all goes live. Exciting times indeed.
Now to round it off I will bring us back to the question of why are we doing this. There are so many reasons and non reasons perhaps so I will leave it with the simplest answer of all and the answer that is so nondescript, because we like doing it.
We will try and keep the blog as updated as possible, though planning an expedition is hard when we are not sat on a computer 24,7. But then if we were we wouldn't be in any shape to attempt the expedition anyway.
Caio
Bradley
Bradley
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