NADIR KHAN
ISSUE 01 | SUMMER 2015
Welcome to Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre. We run a wide range of skills and qualification courses in 12 different mountain and paddle sports. We have courses for all abilities so if you fancy learning a new sport or improving a current one, why not come learn with the experts?
www.glenmorelodge.org.uk
DAMIANO LEVATI/THE NORTH FACE
Summer is here and it’s time to get out into the great outdoors and make the most of it, but what to try first? In this Mountain Adventure Guide we bring you inspiring stories from some of the current greats in running, climbing and skiing. You can learn about British efforts to climb still unconquered peaks in the Himalayas (yes, they still exist), using kayaks to travel between islands in the Philippines and then jumping from them on to sea cliffs for a spot of climbing, or the reality of life as one of the world’s top ultra-runners (247km in 24 hours anyone?) But we also have pages of practical advice from some of Britain’s foremost experts in outdoor adventure, each working at the world-famous Glenmore Lodge in the Highlands of Scotland, offering outdoor enthusiasts of all ability levels, from complete novice to expert themselves, instruction on how to make the most of adventure
activities and how to be safe. We’ve even got some early ideas for next winter’s ski season (it’s never too soon to start planning!). We’ve got Glenmore Lodge’s experts’ advice on outdoor activities including getting away from it all for some wild camping, trying mountaineering, navigation skills (no, you still can’t just rely on GPS) and trail running, each giving top tips on how to get started, the equipment you need and how to stay safe. For several years now Glenmore Lodge has been working with two more famous names in the outdoor adventure world – British retailer Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports and global brand The North Face®. The three companies found they complement each other perfectly with The North Face® and Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports supplying
equipment to Glenmore Lodge which both staff and students can use. In turn Glenmore Lodge return feedback to Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports and North Face® about product performance which enables them to tweak designs and make them ever better. We’ve included examples of some of the best products currently available from Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports throughout the magazine to give a further idea of just how excellent outdoor clothing and equipment is these days. In short the relationship creates true mountain harmony and synchronisation in equipping us all for the outdoors. So enjoy the read, hopefully pick up some top tips from the experts, get inspired and then get out there and enjoy the summer! 03
the best of all worlds
Three of the great names in outdoor – Glenmore Lodge, The North Face® and Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – work together to ensure outdoor gear keeps getting better.
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ALL PICS: ED SMITH
A unique relationship between three of the biggest names in outdoor is bringing benefits across the board to the companies involved, as well as to staff and course participants at Glenmore Lodge. Famous outdoor brand The North Face® and long-established clothing and equipment retailer Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports have been working with Glenmore Lodge for several years now, supplying products for Glenmore Lodge’s highly experienced staff and the centre’s students. The relationship began back in January 2012 when Glenmore Lodge set about the task of looking for a new technical apparel partner. Three months of rigorous testing followed with instructors wearing clothing from eight leading outdoor brands to see how the gear would perform in the typically harsh conditions of the Cairngorms. Unanimously, the instructors all selected The North Face®. Glenmore Lodge instructors can face some of the worst and most variable weather, in both summer and winter, so are well placed to provide The North Face® with invaluable feedback on how products did or didn’t perform. Regular communication between The North Face® product team and Glenmore Lodge instructors ensures any suggested improvements can be considered for existing or new products. For example, The North Face® Point Five NG Pant has seen many enhancements as a result of instructor input including increased knee articulation and gaiter hook. “From the outset we were excited to partner with The North Face® and Ellis Brigham,” said Jon Jones, Head of Mountaineering at Glenmore Lodge.
“The safe, responsible and sustainable use of the outdoors for adventurous activities while ensuring our staff and students have access to the highestquality clothing is core to our business, and both The North Face® and Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports have supported and shared these values.” Mark McCarthy, Senior Product Manager for The North Face®, has a good relationship with the instructor team and has worked closely with them from the start. “Glenmore Lodge is a very professional set-up with superfriendly staff and an equally friendly environment with great facilities, food and accommodation,” said Mark. “One of the main benefits for The North Face® from a product and brand awareness point of view is the opportunity it gives us to remind people we are still authentic, still produce great kit and have it thoroughly tested by the team at Glenmore Lodge.” The relationship also works well for retailer Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports. “Our partnership with Glenmore Lodge ensures that our customers are not just equipped with the right clothing and equipment to pursue their mountain adventures, but also equipped with the right skill set which we feel is essential to getting the most out of their time in the hills,” said company boss Mark Brigham, adding, “A course at Glenmore Lodge will not only help you be more confident on the mountain but you’ll also have such a great time learning from these mountain experts in a beautiful part of the world that you’ll return to time and time again.” Through the team at Glenmore Lodge, Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports have established a ‘Glenmore Lodge Approved Range’ of clothing and equipment which has been certified as fit for purpose by Glenmore Lodge instructors and gives the peace of mind that it can withstand whatever the harshest Scottish weather can throw at you. In fact some of the updates to The North Face® products are not only based on UK-specific feedback but also come from instructors using the gear in the Alps, ensuring a wider and more varied range of conditions in which to test.
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Glenmore Lodge is a national and indeed international centre for mountaineering activities, offering a full range of climbing and mountaineering courses, all year round. Glenmore Lodge’s students range from complete novices to the very experienced but all benefit from fully inclusive courses, meaning you don’t have to worry about finding food, accommodation or need to bring any kit with you – everything is provided. The Mountaineering Department is led by Jon Jones, who first started working at Glenmore Lodge in the late 1990s. An expert in navigation skills, how did Jon first find his way to Glenmore Lodge? “I’ve always worked outdoors since my school days,” explains Jon. “I started by helping out at the school climbing club then got work experience at various outdoor centres. While studying in Glasgow, I started work 06
at an indoor climbing wall which I managed after graduation before moving to Glenmore Lodge.” Jon believes that anyone of any age should be able to get into climbing; there’s no “ideal age” to start. Without any excuse not to give it a try, however old you are, what’s the best way to get started? “Indoor climbing walls are a great place to get a taste of what it is like to climb, managing your own body weight off the ground in a safe learning environment,” advises Jon. “However, getting outside and touching real rock is what climbing is all about. Take a lesson at your local climbing wall then find out who instructs outside climbing in your area.” Glenmore Lodge has courses
especially tailored to suit first-time climbers; which would Jon – who says there’s nowhere better for adventure, solitude and variety of rock than Scotland – recommend? “Simple! Introduction to Climbing, it does what it says on the tin! The course is mostly based outside on real rock, but there will be some indoor climbing to help focus on climbing and rope techniques.” What about those who already know their ropes? Are there any courses at Glenmore Lodge that Jon is particularly pleased to be offering? “Our Introduction to Sport Climbing course is good fun. This is for climbers who already lead climb inside but have yet to take it outside. This course
gives students the building blocks to lead climb bolted routes outside,” Jon explains. What gives Jon the most satisfaction in his work leading courses? “Seeing people develop and gain independence is really satisfying at any level. To then see people take on similar values that I have for the outdoors and develop a career instructing really hits the mark.” Of course there’s much more in Jon’s life than “just” climbing. What else does he do to fill the time between climbing classes? “Climbing!” is Jon’s surprise answer, but he adds, “Only kidding, I have a wonderful family so I am a very lucky man!”
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“Wild camping” is “trending” as one of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors, but what is it exactly?
In The Great Outdoors Searching the web, there seems to be a lot of disagreement as to what “wild camping” is. One website suggest it’s remote areas you can reach in a motorhome, another says it’s staying in a pod in a fairly remote site but still with a hot tub, and a third suggests it means travelling light to the middle of nowhere and seeing no one for days. For staff at Glenmore Lodge, only one of those interpretations can be correct, and instructor Derek Bain knows more than anyone about what it entails. “For me, wild camping is about selfreliance. This means that you could be in a fairly untamed, uninhabited location; however, if there is a serviced camping pitch with water, even electricity, toilets and someone else 08
accountable for their maintenance, then it’s not truly wild camping,” says Derek. “Another way I think about it is: if you have forgotten anything and it’s not an option to return to base and get whatever you’ve forgotten, then you’re probably wild camping. So selfsufficiency and reliance are key.” For Derek, the practicality of a wild camping venue means travelling light. For a 3-day, 2-night trip in summer, he aims to pack everything he needs to be comfortable in a small 40-litre rucksack which weighs no more than about 10 or 11kg. “The key word here is comfortable,” explains Derek. “With good equipment it’s easy to remain lightweight so it’s more enjoyable
than grim, but equally it’s also easy to take far too much and suffer when on the move. The key skill is taking just the correct amount of kit based on your planned location and weather.” This judgment only comes with experience. Just how much food and clothing do you need? “This is quite personal and will depend on things like the quality and weight of your sleeping mat and sleeping bag, your fitness level and distance travelled,” Derek advises. How much fuel will you need for cooking, and will your tent pitch easily in high winds and rain? “All these considerations are important to me when wild camping. If they aren’t then I’m probably not very
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committed to a wilderness area or I’m glamping; I don’t mind a bit of both!” adds Derek. What’s the advice for people who are new to wild camping and want to give it a try? “Buy the best-quality equipment you can afford, but be aware: super-light is not always right. You can get very light tents but they are not designed to withstand high winds; choose wisely!” says Derek. “Also try relatively non-committing trips first and use these to develop your packing strategy. Work out what you needed and what you didn’t on these early trips. Try and borrow some kit on these early trips and see what works, what doesn’t and refine your comfort based on your experiences.”
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Take Your Running Feet Off-Road For some people, running on tarmac holds no real interest; it has to be off-roading – known in the outdoor world as trail running. Trail-running gives you a variety of terrain to tackle and puts you closer to the wild side without necessarily straying into the territory of a fully committing hill/fell run, where navigation, water features and steep terrain are the main challenges. You don’t have to carry as much kit either. Glenmore Lodge does not offer any specific trail-running courses, but being chock-full of sporty types, it does have a resident expert in the shape of Giles Trussell. Giles joined the full-time team at Glenmore Lodge in 2004 and was on a river-kayaking trip to Ecuador when he learned he had been offered a job.
You can’t get much cooler than that. “I’ve worked in the outdoors pretty much full time since I left college in 1991, spending most of that time in Scotland. At Glenmore Lodge I did a few higher-end qualification courses and finally did three years’ freelance work during the summer months. Holding the Mountain Instructor Certificate and British Canoe Union Level 5 Inland Kayak Coach award sealed the deal job-wise for me,” explains Giles. As Giles is already a fan of sailing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing, what’s special about trail-running?
“I’m pretty much up for anything so do not really have a favourite outdoor sport, but trail-running is one of the easiest and virtually non-weather-dependent activities I can do at any time from my house and is something I can squeeze into a busy day,” Giles explains, “When I look back to where I have lived and worked trail-running was always part of what I did. Scotland is home to some of the very best trail runs anywhere in the UK, and you hardly see anyone on them. Ultimately trail-running helps me maintain cardiovascular fitness and general strength around my knees and ankles, which complements all my other interests.”
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Do you need specialist kit? “There’s no real specialist kit although road-running shoes may not offer the traction needed and have less
stability on variable terrain,” advises Giles. “I have a couple of pairs of trailrunning shoes which I wear depending on what the terrain will be like – la Sportiva Crosslite for easier terrain and some Salomon Fellcross 2 for harder terrain. Clothing-wise The North Face® GTD and Better Than Naked range is the kit of choice for me. I use various combinations of clothing depending on the condition. A GTD T-shirt and GTD running shorts work well on warm days, with the addition of a GTD jacket and tights with a base layer for dry cool days for example.” “Running midwinter often means I have to run in the dark, so a good head
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What’s the best way to get started as a trail runner? “Look close to home. What does your back door have to offer? Get a map out and make some plans,” advises Giles. “Look for routes which will have a minimal number of gates. If I’ve not run for a while, I start gently and build the mileage. In poor weather a trail run can actually offer more protection from the elements, so perhaps use that as a reason to motivate yourself.”
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torch is essential. I have been a long-time user of the Petzl range, and my most recent favourite is the TIKKA®RXP. This has intelligent reactive lighting and a rechargeable battery unit,” says Giles, adding, “A map or mapping software can help keep you on trail when out on new runs, and I have a solid all-weather Garmin 62s GPS mapping unit. This THE NORTH FACE MEN’S has the additional benefit that ULTRA MT RUNNING SHOES I can use it with a heart-rate monitor and for the crossFor technical trail running courses, you need training days have a cadence a shoe that gives incredible traction and monitor for my bike.” keeps feet stable and supported; the Ultra MT does that with aplomb! A body-mapped layering system of materials provide breathability, support and protection while the Vibram Megagrip sole keeps feet firmly planted with its exceptional grip and traction on difficult terrain.
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Which are Giles’ favourite routes from Glenmore Lodge? “The entire area is a trailrunner’s paradise. I love running home (or to Glenmore Lodge from my home) via Ryvoan pass – 13km of unbroken trail with no fences to negotiate and with regular sightings of capercaillie and black grouse. The views vary from the open moor of Ryvoan looking across the Northern Cairngorms to the heart of the Abernethy Scots pine forest. Or taking the trail to the hills, I often head up Meall a’ Bhuachaille.” Finally, what does Giles enjoy the most about trail-running? “The simplistic minimalist nature of it, the places it takes me and the overall mental and physical health benefits. I’ve run after a climb, during sea kayak expeditions and also when sailing. I’ve never really run to or from fishing, though there is always a first time.”
Skiing in Scotland offers unique challenges and rewards you can’t find anywhere else in the world. 13
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Glenmore Lodge is synonymous with winter sports, and with off-piste and ski-touring ski courses dating back over 60 years – that’s further back than the establishment of Scottish ski areas like CairnGorm Mountain, which is located above the centre, and indeed further
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back than the time when pistes were groomed anyway, to when everything could be considered “off-piste”. Glenmore Lodge’s skiing staff members each have a passion and desire for “wild skiing” (which in this instance of course means heading off the groomed slopes and into the wilderness, not a statement of style), taking their skills to the backcountry and enthusing others to do the same. Led by ski-course leader Andy Townsend, the lodge offers a huge array of ski-skills courses ranging from beginner ski touring through to training for those who are going to teach skiers and boarders or lead groups on the slopes themselves. Specialist skills such as navigation, ropework, avalanche awareness and
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even crevasse rescue are offered to those already experienced in off-piste and ski touring. Essentially there’s something for everyone, from complete beginners right up to the most experienced. For those of us who have lived our snow-sports lives on the piste so far, what’s the big difference when you head off the beaten ski path?
“Once you slide away from the groomed slopes, you enter a world of ‘raw nature’: complex snow conditions and varied terrain, potential avalanche hazards and no piste poles to show you which way to go,” says Andy. “All these factors can be really daunting and confusing and a lot of our ski clients simply don’t know where to start. But like most things, it’s simply a matter of breaking down the information into what is most important and having a reliable process to gather information, plan and evaluate while on the journey.” How fit and how skilled do you need to be to sign up? “A lot of people think that to ski you need to be very fit; that’s not strictly true,” explains Andy. “Backcountry skiing is more about stamina than aerobic
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Is Andy always able to find snow that allows the courses to run successfully? “The key to backcountry skiing in Scotland is all down to being creative and watching how the weather and snowpack are interacting. It’s not uncommon over the course of a week to ski powder, spring corn, boilerplate and slush – sometimes all on one day. It is this variety that makes skiing in Scotland unique. Using a GPS to mark snow patches, so we can link them together for the descent, is probably our most useful trick for enjoyable skiing, that and the occasional heather turn!” Ski touring does require a certain level of fitness, so what’s the best preparation people should make before coming to start a course? “Long days in the hills with a heavyish rucksack are a good way to start; we are looking at developing our stamina,
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so biking and running are also really good. Along with stamina, don’t ignore your agility and balance; some hopping and co-ordination drills are really important, and these can be easily done in the gym, your living room or even while waiting for the bus. If you’re really serious about your skiing, you’ll already be familiar with how much fun squats are!” Andy advises. He adds, “It’s fairly true to say that the better you are as a skier, the easier you’ll find off-piste and touring. Skiing of course improves your balance and agility and is more fun than working out in the gym. So get yourself down to the nearest dry slope or indoor snow slope and have a few hours’ free practice. Make sure you vary your style of skiing, mixing short and long turns and doing some balance exercises. Check out our YouTube videos, or get some coaching from a ski instructor.” Glenmore Lodge run ski courses through winter and into spring. Is any time better than another? “Typically in the early winter months, the snow is cold and variable, and this definitely favours skiing off-piste, where you are able to pick your slope angles and aspects. For touring, when you’re often committed to a journey through the mountains, the more stable conditions of spring are better. Of course, nothing is that reliable; this winter, for example, I was ski touring in Scotland on perfect spring snow under blazing sunshine in February and then skiing cold waist-deep powder in the Alps in April,” Andy concludes.
fitness. Muscle development is crucial to support the required stamina; strong legs also help prevent injuries and allow you to ski all day and still be charging safely. In terms of skiing ability, our courses initially take competent piste skiers who can already ski on red runs in any snow conditions.” Scottish snow conditions are famous for being very changeable and variable.
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navigate you out of anyth GPS devices have made finding your way effortless, but they can also lull you As we rely ever more heavily on satnav and entering wild areas in a controlled environment, it’s easy to underestimate a wilderness environment and how easy it is to get lost and potentially get into trouble if you don’t know what you’re doing. The truth is that however good your “GPSenabled handheld device” may seem, you can’t beat knowing the basics of navigation with a map and compass. The good news is that in the UK we have the best maps in the world. The compass, altimeter and GPS are all aids to navigation in the UK and all have their place; however, they all have their vulnerabilities, so total reliance on any one of them is unwise. It should go without saying that if you carry it, you should be practised with it. Nigel Williams is the navigation expert at Glenmore Lodge, where he has been based for nearly 18 years in an operations management role. Prior to arriving at the Lodge, Nigel worked in a wide range of outdoor roles from the military hard skills centres to schools educational centres. Expeditioning has also been a big part of Nigel’s life. His first Himalayan climbing expedition was in 1982 when GORE-TEX® and plastic boots had just appeared, so he is the man to talk to about how not to get lost. First off, what can go wrong with GPS? “A GPS device is truly amazing, and used in conjunction with a map and compass in the UK, it will get you out of any problem. But battery life, cold and atmospheric disturbances can all affect a GPS device as can technology failures – the Russian GPS system was knocked out for 13 hours last year,” explains Nigel. “Viewing the phone as the navigation tool of choice
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could also end up compromising its use as a rescue device if the battery runs out, so I recommend you use the GPS/phone just for occasional confirmation or for critical decision making; otherwise keep it switched off.” Smartphones aren’t all bad? “Well, there is one other thing …” admits Nigel. “Recently there have been a number of incidents where compass needles have completely and permanently reversed their magnetic polarity. Something I had not seen in 35 years of teaching navigation. The culprit is the smartphone. It has a very strong magnet in the speaker system, and regardless of whether the phone is on or off, if you let your compass rub against the phone in a pocket for a couple of hours, it can change the magnetism of the needle.” Putting the phone down, which courses at Glenmore Lodge would Nigel particularly recommend for people who are first considering a trip off the beaten track? “The best navigators in the world are orienteers and they can be anyone teenage or older. Their map stays in hand with the compass on it. Their teaching methodology is fun and simple, focusing on the skills of ‘navigation’ rather than ‘map reading’. This is the basis of navigation teaching at Glenmore Lodge, whether a 1-day introductory course or a 5-day hill-walking course. You don’t have to run, wear Lycra or be a member of a club to learn these simple skills!” Quite often we hear of experienced climbers and similar people running into problems on Scottish mountains and needing rescue – do these groups of people often make the same mistake, or is
it a whole range of things? “There are two areas of navigation that have the most significant impact on navigational confidence and ability. One is being able to use contours effectively and the other being well practised with relocation,” explains Nigel. “Blindfolded we can all feel what the ground is doing under our feet. Up, down, traversing, changes in steepness, etc. In other words, we can feel the ground and need to use that feeling to help us interpret the contours and our relationship with them. Slope aspect (the direction a slope faces) is another key contour piece of information and invaluable for relocation when lost. If you are on a south-facing slope, you can
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ur way hing into a false sense of security. eliminate large areas of the map facing north, east and west.” Finally, should we ever actually get lost on purpose? “We rarely get utterly lost, usually just misplaced and more often than not it is the result of not concentrating on the navigation,” explains Nigel. “But it is good to get lost or at least cartographically challenged. I do it with considerable regularity at orienteering events, but this offers the best practice with limited consequences. Relocation skills and strategies need to be well practised, especially for winter, as stress and fear can override common sense. We cannot be confident of something we do not practise.”
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ALL PICS: JON GRIFFITH
British climber and The North Face® UK athlete Andy Houseman will return to Pakistan this summer to tackle Link Sar for the second time. In August 2013, Andy Houseman and climbing partner Jon Griffith made the frustrating decision to abandon their attempt to climb the mountain of Link Sar. Despite having found a way through the glacier and the weather holding, Andy realised something was wrong and had to bail out. Being used to pushing his body even when it was tired made it a hard decision to accept, but although his legs were not tired, he had no physical energy to power them any further. “It was one of those undiagnosable things but most likely post-viral fatigue that I was already suffering from but didn’t know. Either way it
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zapped me for a good year and a half,” Andy explained later. The Charakusa Valley, where Link Sar is located, is a well-travelled place but very little is known about the currently unclimbed 7041m-high mountain itself. When a fully recovered Andy returns to the mountain this summer with his climbing partner Jon, they will climb the 1500m NW face then have a 1kmlong ridge line at just under 7000m to traverse before the final summit spire. This will be a serious and committing climb with an element of the unknown, which is what has attracted the pair back for another attempt. Both climbers will be
pushed to their absolute limit. How does Link Sar compare to Andy’s previous expeditions? “The good thing about trying new routes or unclimbed mountains is you’ve no idea what it’s going to be like,” Andy explains. “The commitment level on Link Sar is going to be full-on – trying to traverse a completely unknown ridge at close to 7000m. It could be straightforward or prove impossible, but if everything comes together, climbing a previously unclimbed 7000m peak in the Karakorum would be amazing and definitely up there in my achievements.”
THE NORTH FACE / FRANCISCO TARANTO JR
Caroline Ciavaldini and James Pearson, both from different climbing backgrounds, share a genuine love for adventure, challenging themselves, and above all being climbers. Caroline, originally from La Reunion, has a more than impressive background of ten years on the Lead World Cup Circuit while James, brought up in the Peak District, spent his early years on some of Gritstones’ hardest and boldest routes. In February this year they hit upon the idea of kayaking between islands in the Philippines to access climbing routes on sea cliffs. Although most of us think of the Philippines as a beach holiday destination, with over 7000 islands to choose from and mountains reaching nearly 3000m, for James and Caroline, it made perfect sense for adventure too. “I first set my eyes on pictures of the archipelago just after we came back from Reunion Island when I was searching for inspiration for a new trip,” said Caroline. “I hadn’t heard of climbing in the Philippines, and when I searched for info on Indonesia, all I read about was tsunamis, typhoons, terrorists, malaria, volcanos … But I have Asian origins, and I was there when I was a little girl. All I could remember was the colour of the water, but I was keen to discover more.” The trip seemed doomed only a month later when Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, devastated the Philippines. Caroline remembered that after the tsunami had devastated Thailand some years earlier, locals told her that one of the worst things was that tourists stopped coming, so instead the trip gained impetus, with James and Caroline aiming to publicise the area’s many attractions. Inviting local climbers to climb with them when they could, the pair spent a remarkable month in varied conditions. Sometimes the weather was beautiful; at others their kayaks would disappear in wave troughs on a short crossing between islands, and bringing the boats in to the cliffs to start the climb was a challenge in itself. “Kayaking and climbing is tough. More tough than I expected,” said Caroline. “But it was also an amazing adventure.” The full story can be found at onceuponaclimb.co.uk
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One of the world’s greatest mountaineers finds that some of his most inspirational challenges these days come from finding new routes that no one has climbed before.
David Göttler is one of the world’s most prolific mountain climbers. First becoming passionate about the mountains at the age of seven, climbing is now his career. Over the past 12 years he has been involved in 26 expeditions, conquering many mountains above 8000m, including five of the world’s highest peaks. David’s climbing is about more than ticking off summits. He has become increasingly interested in climbing in different conditions and finding new routes that no one has attempted before. When did he first become passionate about the mountains? “My father took me to the mountains near Munich when I was seven where we climbed easy but multipitch routes,” explains David. “My 20
parents also showed me very early what real adventure travelling means, travelling in our own 4x4 car from our home in Germany to exotic places like Iceland, Morocco or the Sahara desert. It showed me a lifestyle and an enjoyment of nature which I remain very hungry for!” After so many expeditions, David remains full of anticipation for the next adventure. “It is hard to describe the feeling!” he says. “I am full of happiness and excitement as well as a bit of fear and respect for the upcoming weeks and the mountain. I love the moment the plane takes off and I know the adventure has started. All the stress of the hectic preparation in the weeks
before departure are behind me and I can focus completely on my dream and objective.” With David’s desire to find new routes, does he get the same sense of adventure and excitement on a route that has already been climbed? “The differences are probably not as big as you maybe think,” he explains. “It is always an adventure and an expedition into myself, a quest between me and the mountain, no matter if the route is new or not. And honestly, it is a bit of an advantage if you know the route was climbed before, but especially in the Himalayas it depends so much on the conditions, which can make it very different. But of course, if you are really the first who
climbs a mountain, it adds a special taste and joy!” David has climbed five of the highest peaks in the world; does he intend to climb all the others? “Honestly, I don’t want to climb all of the 8000m peaks,” David admits. “At the moment I am interested in four more – Everest, Nanga Parbat, Shishapangma and Kangchenjunga, each for different reasons. But never say never, so I’ve no idea if in the future I might climb any others. But there are so many other smaller peaks! In the autumn I will go to Kyrgyzstan, for example, to tackle 5000m and 6000m peaks that are so far unclimbed or they have a huge potential for good new routes.
I will always try to mix it a bit. And even the Alps have so many good mountains! It is definitely not only about the altitude.” Finally, does David have any advice for people who are thinking about climbing for the first time? “First of all, it’s a great choice and you will never regret it! The mountains, in whatever way, from hiking to steep rock climbing or 8000m peaks, give you so much back. Take it easy in the beginning and start at a level you feel fine with, spiced with a bit of challenge, and you will stick to the mountains forever.”
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Lizzy Hawker is one of the planet’s greatest ultra-runners, winning world championships and setting a world record for running nearly 250km in 24 hours. Running a marathon is an ambition for many of us, but ultra-running, when races can be 50km, 100km or more, often across extreme mountain terrain, is something else entirely for both body and mind. Lizzy Hawker is one of the greats of the sport. Her long list of achievements include being five times winner of The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, taking the 100km World Championship in 2009 and formerly holding the world record for 24 hours of road running – running 247km. Then in 2013 Lizzy, a former environmental scientist, set a new world record running from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu (Nepal) and became a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.
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For Lizzy it’s not about being the best; competition is simply a by-product of wanting to run so much. It’s about challenging yourself, mentoring others – it’s a way of exploring. But what does she think about when she runs? “Sometimes I am focused directly on the task in hand – keeping warm, eating enough, drinking enough; sometimes I think about everything that is going on in my life and the lives of those around me; sometimes I make plans; and sometimes I think about nothing very much at all – the running just becoming a moving meditation, a being there in the moment,” says Lizzy.
What is it like to be a woman in the trail-running community? “I think that making a distinction between men and women in the trail-running community is probably unnecessary. We are each of us just a runner. In fact the longer the distance, the smaller the gap in physiological performance between men and women, and mental strength becomes as important, if not more so, than physical ability.” What keeps Lizzy going? “A love of running, a love of being out there in the environment and a love of making a long journey on my own two feet under my own power.”
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