We continue to follow Kyle Dempster on his Piolet d’Or winning journey to China.
The next morning there was too much climbing to be done so I did not patch the hole. Looking like mountain gypsies, Jared Vilhauer and I departed base camp toting my 60L NWD and his 60L WorkSack. We both had climbing boots, snowshoes, sleeping pads, ice axes, water bottles, and tents fastened to the outside of the pack. Carrying heavy loads just plain sucks but, aside from toting around a personal Sherpa, CiloGear packs are a good way to get the job done. I found that inserting two bivy pads and the framesheet into the framesheet pocket one can really maximize padding on the back. If you are an alpine gorilla like me, the adjustability in the chest and shoulder straps will be extremely beneficial.
During our two weeks on the upper Muzart we managed two first ascents. A 1700-meter WI3 M5 on the North face of Xuelian East (6,380m), and a 1600-meter WI3 M4 on the North face of Yanamax II. I chose to remove all straps from my pack and easily carried everything needed for these three and four day climbs inside the main compartment. This creates a sleek pack that reduces any chances of snagging. I saved weight by removing the framesheet when climbing. At the bivouacs I left the bivy pad inside the main compartment and would sleep on the entire pack which provided sufficient insulation from the cold. The packs did their jobs phenomenally and no longer did I think Graham was a crazy person, CiloGear kicks ass!
After stuffing our faces back at base camp we turned our attention to the North face of Xuelain West. The technical 2,700 meter face with a summit measuring in at 6,422 meters necessitated a different strategy than the previous peaks. We climbed as a team of three, splitting loads between the 60L NWD, a 45L WorkSack, and a small and heavy crappy bag made by some other company (it was all we had). We climbed the route in five days with Jed Brown and myself swapping leads and taking turns with the other bag that became heavier and heavier after each day of water-logging. We all wished I had brought my 30L WorkSack.
The bags were holding up well after weeks of abuse and the summer was only half over.
