In April 2010 CiloGear athletes aka CiloGear Nation strongmen Kyle Dempster, Jed Brown and Bruce Normand received the Piolet d’Or for their 2009 first ascent of the 2,650-meter north wall of Xuelian West. The following is a report from Kyle Dempster.
Two days before I departed for another Asian odyssey, Graham handed me a 60L NWD WorkSack at the Salt Lake City Outdoor Retailer Show. After inspection of the strange paper-bag-like material I immediately went out and bought a gallon of seam grip. I have never had good luck with backpack durability and I was sure three months of traveling and climbing in Asia would be the end of this insanely light rucksack.
The first test came when I crammed climbing gear, including the sharp and pointy stuff, into the pack until I reached the measly fifty pounds allotted by the airlines. It is impressive how much the thing can hold and it was scary to think about picking up the contents of the pack as they circled around the baggage claim conveyor belt piece by piece. Should I wrap the thing in duct tape, or cover it in glue? I could see through the material, would it hold up to the abuse?
Success! Not only did the pack survive the airline baggage handlers, but managed the even greater feat of getting through Chinese customs. All equipment and climbers now in China, everyone feeling strong, it was time to climb.
Well almost. First our Sino-Kazak porters would have their way with our equipment. Ten people’s gear, food, and supplies for one month made it onto the backs of fifteen horses. I grimaced when the pack, now loaded to maximum capacity at 70+lbs, was haphazardly tethered with coarse-hewn rope to the back of an overloaded animal. It sat horizontal on the side of the horse with the rope passing directly across the middle of the pack. It looked like two thirty-five pound sausage links full of climbing gear ready to explode. I smiled, “There’s no way.” Since it was the shiniest pack, we put it in the worst spot on the horse. Heck, I got the pack in exchange for some flowers!
Two days later at base camp I ate dinner, completely awestruck by one the most intimidating mountain faces I had ever seen, the north face of Xuelain West. Also amazing was that the pack had survived with only a small hole, which after twenty-three kilometers of abrasion from the rope should have been much worse. I was beginning to believe.
Stay tuned for part II…
