autumn 2012 - 4-Seasons.de

80
Equipment Advice
Climbing follows nine days of trekking.
There is a lot of waiting around on an expedition
like this. What do you do?
Read. Last year we spent ten days in the
base camp at Broad Peak, we were ready
but the weather wasn’t. It would be awful
for me not to have enough books.
After physical exercise you long for a shower.
How does hygiene work in the base camp?
When I happen to take a shower I use the
biodegradable body wash from Sea to
Summit sparingly because the water runs
straight into the snow. Often, cleaning wip-
es are good enough
because you hardly
sweat in the cold.
When I want to wash
my hair I use a bucket
of warm water from
the camping kitchen.
What happens with
the rubbish?
It gets separated in
the base camp and returned
to the valley.
Even the toilet, which
takes the form of a
barrel with bin liners
hung inside.
»Cleaning wipes are often
the better shower.«
On top of the mountain you are dressed
like polar adventurers, in the base camp
like trekkers. Does your wardrobe offer
some thing in between?
Absolutely. The equipment from the base
camp to the high camps is similar to normal
alpine tour equipment that you use in the
Alps: long underwear, a layer of Power
Stretch Fleece covered by another layer of
soft or hard-shell clothes. As additional insulation,
I always bring my Prima Loft Jacket.
Do you need special climbing equipment
for an eight-thousander?
Usually not. Near the glacier I wear a harness
with the usual equipment attached:
carabiners, accessory cord, ice screws and
of course crampons and an ice axe. I didn’t
wear a helmet in the Manaslu because
there is rarely a danger of rock or ice fall.
Unlike when in the Alps, on a high altitude
tour you clip the jumar onto a static rope.
Your Manaslu packlist combines luxury
and minimalism. Did you really bring an
inflatable pillow?
Sure. Perfect for the breaks and the evenings
in the cold dining tent of the base
camp. Expeditions are a little material
battle. You are outside for many weeks, you
do not want to suffer all the time.
What is it like to pack a normal backpack
after such a material battle – just like any
other alpinist?
Fantastic. I often get asked if I train for
such big tours with an extra heavy backpack.
No way! It’s enough when I have to
carry the damn thing on an expedition. <
The packlist and the interview in full length online: 4-Seasons.de/manaslu.
Alix’ website: goclimbamountain.de. Her colleagues Rainer Jäpel’s website: felsundschnee.de.
Watch videos on extreme mountaineering: 4-seasons.tv/extrembergsteiger.
Online-Reservierung sowie Bestellung von signierten Büchern, DVDs und Kalendern unter
www.michael-martin.de
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