The BS categories to mountaineering

I’ve had enough of the constant abuse and use of mountaineering/climbing terms that try to elevate a mountaineer’s achievements.

In Broad Peak I hear people say they were ‘soloing’ but in reality they were being supported.  What a load of BS.  I only saw one team (of 2 people) truly ‘solo’, and they were the Slovenians that summited BP…but even that is not ‘soloing’ as they were a pair of climbers…but I digress.  They did not use fixed lines, did not use the established route (for some of it) and did their own carrying.  These guys were honourable and earned my respect (but they technically were not soloing).

This raises the question of all the other BS self-proclaimed titles…and I am calling you all out!  Cut the crap and be honest with yourself and the public.  The simplest categories are (table below):

	No Supplemental O2	With Supplemental O2
Supported	(A) eg. Most of my climbing will be in this space)	(C) eg. Majority of climbers on Everest Sth Side expeditions
Unsupported	(B) eg. Slovenians on BP	(D) Not many people in this space that I know of

This table of category results recognises true effort without ambiguous terms being incorrectly used.  It gives credit to those that deserve it. 

The first categorisation is in regard to the use of supplemental O2 or not.  Very simple.  If you consume supplemental O2 from BC-Summit-BC (the measure of summit success) then it would be defied as ‘With Supplemental O2’.  This is aligned with what most people recognise as a successful summit climb.

A person can ‘gas’ themselves before/after a BC-Summit-BC climb, but so as long as they do not do it during BC-Summit-BC climb cycle, they can by categorised as ‘No Supplemental O2’.  Simple to understand and accept.

Now, for the controversial categorisation of ‘Supported/Unsupported’.  Whether you agree or not, this is simply what the true definitions of the words are. 

‘Supported’ is where any form of external service or infrastructure has been used. 

Includes:
-Use of fixed lines.
-Use of human service (Sherpa/HAP/Other human).

Excludes:
-Base camp services (not part of the climbing cycle BC-Summit-BC.
-Existing route/direction/trail breaking etc as there may be only one feasible route.

Many may not like the categorisations, but this is one opinion that provides true definitional clarity without subjective free-licence with ‘solo’/’alpine style’ and other definitions that have been bastardised to such an extent that it is truly meaningless.  Too many have claimed to be ‘solo’ when they are not.

When I saw the Broad Peak Slovenians do their thing, I recognised that their efforts were being undermined by others who claimed the same thing.  To these Slovenians I give you credit and these definitions, to honour your achievements.  To everybody else, use at your discretion but please cut the BS/lies.

I for one know that I would be in the table cell A (Supported/No Supplemental O2) and I know that many other mountaineers who claimed to be ‘Unsupported’/’Solo’ would be in the same table cell A.  Only a handful of highly skilled (or crazy J) individuals would be in table cell B. 

Be honest with yourself (if you can).  I will no longer use the terms ‘solo’.