Mountain Man
01 January 2007
Andrew Barrett, Director of call recording specialist Liquid Voice, recounts his life and death experiences on previously unclimbed mountain slopes...
May 2007: Swiss Alps, 4am: We climbed for 12 hours, tackling a medium grade rock ridge. We made slow progress due to the conditions. Bad weather worsened into a howling blizzard. I fell three times almost breaking the rope, then, while abseiling down the face, my rope gave way. I somersaulted backwards 50ft down the mountain face but managed to land on my feet. Shaken, I looked around, and I was on a ledge, just one metre away from a 1,500ft sheer drop.
I gave thanks for my amazing luck, checked my equipment, then got the hell out of Dodge.
I'll admit, I couldn't wait to get off that mountain - a natural reaction but foolish and often fatal as more climbers die coming down mountains than going up. I started climbing two years ago. I needed something totally different from life at the office. After a series of training courses and £1,000 on equipment, I tackled a few 'baby peaks' across the UK followed by some two dozen mountains in Europe and North America.
Sept 2007: Myself and climbing partner Constantinos Andreou chose a range of previously unclimbed peaks in the Western Topyrapt-Too mountain region of Kyrgyzstan. It took three months planning, logistics and official paperwork. Once incountry, we start with a three-day trek by 4x4 and horse to reach the glacier and base camp. The surrounding mountains (4000m- 5200m) all previously unclimbed.
We go light and fast, carrying three litres of water each, a skinny rack and 35m of rope. We called the first peaks we climbed 'Little Sister' (4207m), 'Second Sister' (4341m) and 'Big Sister' (4492m). In two weeks we climbed six mountains. The worst part? Weather closes in.You're unable to move, two of you stuck in a tiny, freezing tent in sleeping bags, for three days!
The most dangerous part of climbing? Stupidity and complacency. A moment of foolishness, or believing you know it all, and the mountain can take your life. The best part has to be the view from the summit. On a good day it's out of this world and worth the incredible energy, effort and concentration is takes to reach the top. On a bad weather day, you give thanks for your luck, take a quick photo and try to get down as soon and as safely as you can.
Apart from the adrenaline rush involved in reaching the summit and overcoming the physical challenge of climbing itself, the biggest attraction of mountaineering is decision-making and the perspective that each climb gives you. Whether climbing solo, in a pair or a group, the decisions you make and the actions you take as a result are of vital importance, literally a matter of life and death. This responsibility, to yourself and others,forces you to consider what you're doing from a different perspective.
All the elements involved in mountaineering - setting objectives, planning, training and preparation, breaking new ground, achieving the summit, decisionmaking, wider perspective, while managing to stay alive - are also key factors in business, and I believe experiences and lessons learned while climbing have played a part in the foundation and success of our company.
The most valuable thing I get from climbing is perspective. I was born in Leeds, where Liquid Voice is based. They say Yorkshire folk have their feet planted firmly on the ground. For me, as the company grows and pressures increase, mountaineering is a way of keeping them there.
Source: Comms Dealer - Issue 52 - December 2007