Hi all! It looks like this room is contagious! @Wills has been sick, and @Liam. Everybody feel better please! @WedaPashi-it looks like you get up at 4:30 am utc. Is that what time zone you are? Yikes! @Aravona Hi to you too! Can one of you answer something for me-not urgent?

I'm planning a trip to a nearby wildlife refuge this weekend. I have some questions about the terrain. I know Olin Lathrop's been there, because he mentioned it in one of my questions. If I ask it and he's around, I'm pretty sure he'll help, but would it be off topic as too local? Should I instead leave a comment on that answer & see if he'll meet me in here? I'll leave it up to you! I hope you're all sleeping well :))))

@Sue: Hi there :) I am from India, thats GMT+5.30. (12.45 right now here in Pune, 00.16 in LA, 2.16 in Houston, TX, 3.16 in New York) :)

@Sue: I think, as long as your question is about the terrain, there is no harm for it being local and specific to a place/region, rather we would love to have that posted. Go for it without a doubt. And, if/when Olin is around and answers, may be then you can add a comment to his answer/comment about planning up a meet.

Morning all :)

@Sue Local and specific is good

Morning

Hows you @Liam?

I love the British accent :)

Epic: xkcd.com/613 :D

@WedaPashi good thanks mate

where abouts in India do you live again?

Was it Mubai?

Pune to be specific. Its like 100 miles from Mumbai.

My parents live in Mumbai.

@liam: Why? Need anything?

Hi @nivag @Rory @M'vy

@WedaPashi No, there was a program on TV last night about the Indian railways, specifically mumbai

Was quite interesting

Very different to the UK trains!

@Liam: Ah, Okay.

Indeed, the crowd, the daily technical challenges make it a different ballgame :)

You would usually find people leaning in the doors of the "Local train". "Local train" is what people call those trains.

BTW, Indian Railways have a staggering 1.4 million employees in India. 8th largest employer in the world.

@liam: How is the railway services in England?

Morning!

yo

@WedaPashi It's ok

You would typically sit on almost all the trains

The Mainline ones go around 200mph

Means I can get from the Nothrt west to london in less and 2 hours

London commuting is a bit different

I drive often as the trains are quite expensive

@liam: Okay. 200 mph is too good! We have trains that travel 60 mph max.

My second Gold Badge! Yay!

@WedaPashi the trainline that goes past my place is 50mph max

normally 30mph

@Rory: Okay :) I have had a friend who lived here (in Pune) for a couple of years and now is back in Edinburgh.

@WedaPashi It's only the east and west coast main lines that do that

30 Million men on Asley Madison

more likely 9 million

0.5Million "active" women

LOL

bit of a major hack, eh

> Instead, it’s like a science fictional future where every woman on Earth is dead, and some Dilbert-like engineer has replaced them with badly-designed robots

Have I been pwned has added Ashley Madison to the list so folks can check

haveibeenpwned.com

@RoryAlsop Oh, I didn't know this existed

@Liam you need to hang out on security SE more - we have all sorts of useful and fun info

Damn it....

Stupid Adobe...

Good job I changed all my passwords not that long ago

Ashley Madison?

read liam's Register link up there ^

@RoryAlsop Just shared that, well useful

200m finals now.

bolt vs gatlin

Afternoon, I've (foolishly?) agreed to go camping with my parents and sister for the weekend. I don't think I've done so in about 10 years.

At least the weather will be like I remember it :(

@Liam @WedaPashi mainline trains are ~200 kph not mph en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_the_United_Kingdom

"about 12,000 women were real active users on the adultery website versus 20 million men." lol

she was "inundated with messages from men who behaved like lions fighting over a piece of meat." Romantic!

never head of that page before...

@nivag: Cool. Should be a different kind of an experience for them too :)

Hows you @Wills?

@WedaPashi it's OK but still not completely recovered. Maybe I go to work tomorrow for 1-2 hours.

People go to holidays and I'd need to manage some stuff -.-

stupid work :D

When do you leave for your expedition?

@Wills: Sunday afternoon. Excited, a bit scared :D

Cool :)

For 3 weeks?

25 days

People are scaring the hell out of me :D

What was your highest altitude so far?

I had been to 6000 m.

I read that thread yesterday completely. Again ;)

A comment there. "I don't mean any offense by this but: if you are really planning mountaineering at 20'000+ ft. altitude on snow-covered slopes you should probably not be asking about it here, but make sure to get proper training and an experienced guide. This is serious stuff, people die trying far, far easier things."

I replied, "Hi, surely not offended. And, probably will see to it. I'll be leaving for an expedition this weekend, attempting a 7000 m peak in Himalayas. Lets see if I at all get to login here again :D"

You should really care. For yourself and for the rest of the group. Sometimes people aren't thinking very logical anymore. Then you shouldn't be too scared. Just be cautious ;)

Thanks @Wills :)

Yeah, true.

I still get sweaty palms when I think about Satopanth, the 7000m thing.

lol ok I've not read that comment...

Last week, it claimed toes of a climber from Nepal. :P

Toes grow again, don't they? :p

Hahahaha.. You are the man!

It's a joke from the simpsons :D

@liam: Thanks for the link buddy.

Where Homer is stuck with both of his arms and they want to cut them ^^

So you are a big group but don't have a guide with you. Or did I remember that wrong?

@WedaPashi No problems

Yes indeed a good link and check out that superb extra class top answer!!! haha D:

We don't have a guide with us, but we have a couple of local climbers who had been climbing with 4-5 of us over the years, more than a decade.

@Wills: I have upvoted answer and the question long back :)

Excellent piece of information.

But what you guys been climbing? I don't wanna scare you, just wanna know

@Weda thx mate

Unfortunately when I was outdoors and wanted to measure the slope, I couldn't remember my own answer haha

That's a problem. When you know the stuff but you don't really used it... so you just know it theoretically and in the field you fail. Same with knots or stuff. So important to practice it...

I have climbed several pinnacles and a few walls in past 3 months, with the team. Ekdant: 6100 m where I and other 2 will be going first is an easier climb. That should get us going with the Snow and a bit of Ice climbing.

I had climbed 2/3rd of Ekdant 4 years ago. Weather turned bad, so I turned back.

Will there be major technical difficulties? I hope not.

The guys who are serious bidders for Satopanth (7000m) are in and around Himalayas for last 2 months or so, they are professional climbers and adventure people. They usually train the Indian Army climbing unit when they are not climbing mountains.

Because I think the main issue is the exposure on a real expedition. Weather turning bad and you can't get of the mountain quickly...

And of course the altitude. When you get really sick (HAPE/HACE) and need to get down fast, it will be dangerous nonetheless

Ekdant, I am sure I can summit this time around. Chamsher Kangri is a bit difficult, but I don't have much a technical role to play there, I am just gonna do what those guys ask me to do. Satopanth, I am not for summit team, no way. I'll be helping them with hauling the equipment there till the highest base camp.

Which is about 6.6k m

Still sounds like a very nice and enviable expedition for me. You will learn a lot there :)

The team doctor, a climber himself is very keen since a month of what we do and how are we doing.

Of course it will be, I am going for that reason only. I really don't think about summit. I just want to go, admire the mountain, climb as high as I can and what is good for the team, and get down safe, ensuring others are too.

Sounds great

We have had terrific training sessions over a month long period where we had to hike close to 700 m carrying a teammate like a piggyback.

I believe in you. You will make the right decisions. :)

So that we would get used to with load-carrying and just in case we could rescue single-handedly

What do you have to carry? 20kg? 25?

A friend did expeditions a while ago too. Now he don't wanna anymore because of the heavy load carrying.

25 is what estimated, I am keeping a buffer of +2 kg just in case.

The logistics is just a major role

I am rather mad about carrying loads :D They call me The Porter!

hahaha

Are you a big guy or just strong?

I think I am a bad porter...

That's a thing I fear going on an expedition. Well, and the heigth... :D

I have constantly carried 30-35 kg for a month long duration when we as a group worked for a restoration program for a historical monument.

But only since I had the problems at Cotopaxi.

I am not too big. 165 cm, 68 kg.

68kg carrying 35kg. WTF

:D Exactly, thats why they call me Porter!

Sounds like from the Lord of the Rings :P

You need to get a big bushy beard

What sleeping bag/down jacket/boots do you use?

I was initially planning to have those Army Combat shoes, but then I was advised to prefer Forclaz.

So I am taking Forclaz.

That thing is a beast...

Sleeping bag: There is a very popular brand in Himalayas: PE: Pashupathi Enterprises.

Forclaz? I only know that from Decathlon.

Jackets, My sister gifted me a North Face thing, though its a bit bigger, but I'll manage

What kind of temperature ratings?

For the sleeping bag?

Yes

-30.

kk

I got me the LS Baruntse for my climb. They are really warm (inner boot) and heavy/stiff. But still I am not sure if they are warm enough for your expedition...

I plan to use them ice climbing too. So the money is not lost ;)

Ice climbing is a fucking cold beloved.

Haha, true!

Hope you are lucky with the conditions and weather...

Then it might be the best trip of your life. At least I assume that

The weather looks good as of now, but with Himalayas, you neber know.

Mr.Porter

*never

I always say, Best is yet to come.

:)

My practical and realistic target for this is Ekdant summit and Chamsher Kangri summit. Both are doable if everything goes right.

And there is no way I would be opting out of Satopanth load-carrying excursions, so I think I'll make it to the higher camp for sure, I just wonder if I have to spend a night there at 6.4 K

The simple goal in the mountains I have this year is going on Ortler next weekend. It's "only" 3900m.

But looks great too :D

Ortler! Looks awesome.

Go for it mate.

I have taken DART crampons form Petzl.

Hope I'll be completely fit then

You will be :)

I'll click a pic of the equipment this friday night when we pack, I'll definitely share it with you :)

Wow they are light. Only 820 gram.

But they are designed for ice climbing :D

mono front :O

@WedaPashi Thx! Looking forward :)

I didn't do well with the twin front when I had been to a course for ice climbing, so I chose to go with the mono front thing. I have used mono front for a day or two during the course which was like 3 years ago.

They are popularly used here in Himalayas by indian climbers for mixed climbing thing.

I have the Grivel G12. They are popular but not designed for ice climbing...

I've never tried mono front. I will do when I search for ice climbing crampons

Will keep those DART in mind. Great weight :)

The light-weight part made me happy

Alright mate, got to go. Almost 10 pm here. Feel better soon mate @wills.

thx

cu

Good night, have a good day ahead :)

@Wills Lol only 3900m, that'd make it 3x higher than the higest peak in the UK

Afternoon

We have army bases set above that altitude :D