Mountain Objectives - Why? The Answers Are Not Always Obvious . . .

This is my first blog post. This post might not be about the objectives most climbers would envision. This post is not about the summits of Denali, Robson, Mont Blanc, Eiger, Alapamayo, etc. nor about hard ice climbs like Polar Circus or Weeping Pillar that soon people will be gunning for. I have done them all, but for some reason, it is the below objectives that I cherish the most. This post is about the other objectives I prioritize:

- fun

- don’t get hurt

- the right people

Getting ready for the King - Mount Robson Aug 2023 finally worked out. Patience with the weather paid of. My previous 2 attempts resulted in getting soaked. This time the weather and climbing partner were superb allowing for a fast 3 day trip before another hot day arrived.

The day before the Eiger summit. Looking at that Mittellegi ridge. I also patiently waited for this one. It was my second planned trip and the weather finally cooperated. In addition my skills were at a much higher level to allow for the more difficult Eiger Integral route (3 day route)..

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Somehow when you get these objectives right, the actual mountain objectives fall into place in a matter of time. Let’s consider them one at a time. And give us feedback on the real mountain objectives you would like to hear about!

Fun

It’s the main reason we keep doing various mountain pursuits and it motivates us to do more. It is fun to challenge ourselves. Ignore the pressure of peers, the need to look cool in the media or in front of friends, don’t put pressure on yourself by saying you will do something, etc. Have a wish or desire for yourself and only yourself. Hard technical climbing, challenging conditions, overly demanding/expecting partners, and various other things can get you in over your head in a matter of minutes. Often I find doing a lot of research before you undertake an objective and having plan B and C helps with having fun later. You are then able to quickly pivot and select the right objective based on the conditions, people and weather while maximizing the fun of still having a good trip. As you do your research, you get a feel for plan A, B, C and fun will follow.

Don't get hurt

It is obvious that everyone has this goal and there is also some luck involved but there are ways to increase your chances of not getting hurt. Ironically it boils down to some of the same basics as having fun such as do your research and have plan A,B,C based on conditions. But the other big factor is training from a physical, technical and mental perspective. Progressing into our experiences in the mountain pursuits is a good idea to avoid getting hurt. Unfortunately mountain experience can only really be learnt by spending time in the mountains and slowly notching up the objectives. I don’t believe in the concept of spur of the moment objectives. Start thinking a few months or up to a year ahead about what your objectives might be. Build a progression based on your research, talking to others and asking more experienced people and try to road map how you get there. What technical skills am I missing? How will I step up my training? Who would be a good partner to do it with and is this partner willing to commit time/money/effort in preparing for the objective? In a nutshell getting hurt results in less objectives long term, so avoid the pressure (both internal and external) and have fun as you work up the ladder of objectives.

Beautiful and very avalanche prone Polar Circus is a classic ice climb in the Canadian Rockies. Shown here are the last few pitches of this beast. Don't get hurt and have the right partners is definitely at the top of the list for me when it comes to ice climbing. Ice is always different and what might have felt easy a few years ago might feel completely different later. You might feel different and for this climb if your gut tells you it does not feel right then don't do it. When you see wind, sun, avalanche signs, etc. get the hell out of there.

The right people

This is a hard one as time off, values, finances and skills are extremely difficult to align all at once. The more you do outdoors, the easier it is to find the right people. Being active and vocal on social media does not always align with experience or finding the right person. Best is to get out and take small chances at a time by going out with different people on objectives that you are comfortable with. Do not expect to be guided or rope gunned around. Instead focus on personality, skill level, time and interest compatibility. This will then feed into objective number one (Fun). For more info on finding the right people here is a link to the blog post about perspective on partners -> here

It is said that this is the most beautiful mountain in the world. Alpamayo, Peru. I climbed it in Jun 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Its shape is definitely unique with its long and sometimes deadly stripes. They are like gargoyles ready to collapse. It is a lot of fun to climb this mountain but the ever present risk of collapse of the gargoyles makes it a good idea to properly pitch this route and use a guide if unsure of conditions or your ice lead ability at 6000 meters.

We have come back the full circle - Fun, Don't get hurt, The right people and back to Fun. How interesting, in the end, it is all about having fun. The rest of the world does not care about your mountain objectives. You are doing it for yourself, so have fun and don’t get hurt!