Here are a couple of pieces that I was asked to write for Alpkit about leaving thungs out of your bag in order to get more done in the day and ultimately have more fun. One of them will be live here for the month of October ’10. Enjoy.
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Training is very important. Training is not my forte.
Long runs in the hills are the backbone of expedition training. We all know the benefits though that is rarely enough for me. The fact it could mean survival seems ridiculous when you’re watching TV. I hate it.
I learned to love it.
To enjoy it the most I have to make it simpler.
First thing that must fall away is a plan. Just go. No route, no finish time, no worries.
I emptied my normal bag into the back of the van and see what I can leave.
Leaving the mobile is a given. Freedom is why I’m heading for the hills. I hope I don’t get hurt.
Extra layers are easy to discard when I’m packing in the house. I’ll just run faster. I hope its not too cold.
Waterproofs abandoned by the same reckoning. I hope it doesn’t rain.
My hands make a great cup so the kilo of water stays behind. I hope I find a stream.
I’m not going to get benighted so the torch can stay. I hope I time it right.
I leave the map.
I leave the compass.
As the first step lands all the decisions seem perfect. I’m more aware because of them. This I realise is why I’m heading for the bigger hills. I’m focused, I’m learning and I’m making good decisions.
I run off into the hills.
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To go hard and fast in the greater ranges you have to go harder and faster at home first. Home for my formative climbing years seemed to be Yosemite National Park. The playground of the climbing elite and a test-bed for speed in the vertical.
During the middle of a disappointingly wet season in which my partner smashed his heel in a fall as was laid up for three weeks I climbed a route that changed everything.
It was about 9pm when the idea came about.
“Hey Mason, wanna try The Nose in a day tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
We had another beer. This was crucial though can’t be recommended.
We started with the rack. This would be easy. Lining up the full recommended rack from the guide book we promptly removed 10 cams. All the nuts got left, except one; a number 4 micro that we were told (by a drunker chap) fits above Texas flake. 6 quickdraws. 6 slings. 2 screwgates.
Then we took out my Alpkit Gordo. Start superlight. A 5mm 50m line if we have to bail. 2 waterproofs. 4 powerbars. 2 gels. Some fingertape. Some more fingertape. We took 3 liters of water and figured we’d drink a gallon before the start.
3am is an awful time to begin pushing your limits let alone to be drinking 2 liters of water of trying to eat 1000 calories to lower the defecit. We knew no better.
By the top of the forth pitch we were under an hour. Light was right.
By the top it was almost night. We were very light!