For a lot of people, the problem with travel is that accommodation can often get quite pricey, but one way around that, of course, is to camp. The benefits? It’s free, you get to make the most of the world around you, and if you do it right, the view from your doorstep can be pretty spectacular.
While we love a good tent pitch as much as the next explorer though, mountaineers Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker tend to take things a bit further than your average bargain hunter when it comes to setting up their free accommodation.
In the video below for example, you’ll see the guys chilling in a tent dangling on a mountain face known as The Shark’s fin on Mount Meru on the Garhwal Himalaya in India. The view from their doorstep? A 4000ft death drop.
At this point they were 11 days into what is commonly regarded as one of the toughest climbs in the world, with just a few millimetres of nylon lying between them and certain death. Of course, there’s also the stunning mountain peaks for them to gaze at, but let’s face it, it’d be hard not to look down and immediately squeal.
We reckon Conrad hits it on the head when he admits: “this could be hell for most people, but for us… yeah, we’re living it up!” This kind of challenge and exertion is something you’ve got to be mentally prepared for, got to be driven and ambitious to achieve.
The guys home on the mountain was just 24 square feet, or a “pretty comfortable place” as Jimmy puts it. We’re not sure everyone would agree with his statement there, mind you.
It’s safe to say that the extremes of mountaineering, the likes of handing off a cliff face 4000ft up with only your tent and your own practical knowledge to secure your stability, is not for the faint-hearted, and it’s something you’re either going to dream of doing every night or find creeping into your nightmares.
You often see shots of tents in this situation hanging off a wall, but it’s cool to see a talk through from some mountaineers taking on such a challenge. We think we’ll leave it to them for now, but who knows, if we get really skint and find ourselves in India… Well, anything to save a few bucks.
You May Also Like
We Spent 24 Hours In Utah… And Found Out Exactly Why It’s An Adventurer’s Paradise
Watch: Bear Grylls Makes A-Lister Michelle Rodriguez Eat Mouse Stewed in Her Urine