How to plan an expedition

9 young alpinists and 3 coaches, trying to push their boundaries.

They trained in the snow, rock, ice, and any combination of those. Now the time has come to fulfill their goal: to open a new route on an unclimbed mountain in India.
Do you love adventure and discovery and dream of going on an expedition to a remote and rugged place, but don’t know where to begin? Then we, as aspiring expedition climbers, have a step-by-step guide for you.

ASSEMBLING THE TEAM

 

Aligning expedition goals

A strong team is the foundation of a successful expedition. Our team was selected through an application process, not self-formed, but our coaches paid close attention to team dynamics. Motivation was essential, and nearly just as important was diversity. They looked for people who complement each other not only in climbing skills but also in organizational ability, risk assessment, staying calm, or bringing energy. That’s what makes a team strong.
It’s also important that your ideas about the type of expedition align. If one dreams of a ski expedition in Alaska and the other wants to explore new crack climbing routes in Kyrgyzstan, it's hard to find a shared plan. In our team, preferences sometimes differed too (snow vs. rock), but we all shared the same dream: climbing unclimbed peaks. Eventually, we found a valley that made all our hearts beat faster.

 

CHOOSING A GOAL

 

Researching unclimbed regions

 

This step takes a lot of time, because you’ll be scouring the internet for relevant information. Unsurprisingly, there’s less info on regions with mostly unclimbed mountains. A great starting point is the American Alpine Journal, where you can look for photos and stories that give you that “wow” feeling and match your idea of the perfect expedition.
Once you've set your sights on a region, start systematically researching who’s been there, what routes have been done, and whether there were issues, like poor rock quality, dangerous crevasses, political instability, or bad weather.
Two sources were essential in our research: Sakomoto, a Japanese hiker who mapped remote valleys and is famous among climbers for the “Sakomoto maps” and Matija Jošt-Matic, an expedition climber who has extensively climbed and photographed in Zanskar. Thanks to Matija, we now have a detailed photo archive of 500 images that helped us get our bearings.

LOGISTICS & BUDGET

 

Why local support matters

Climbing expeditions require more logistics and money than trekking trips. The more exploratory the expedition, the less you can rely on existing infrastructure and the more important local support becomes.
A trekking agent can help arrange transportation, donkeys or porters for carrying gear, permits, and other bureaucratic matters. The cost of a trekking agent depends on the country and service level. For us, it was important that the agent was local and paid their staff fairly. That way, we support not only ourselves, but also the local economy which was a decisive factor in our choice.

 

APPLYING FOR FUNDING

 

Sponsorship and partnerships

Expeditions are expensive, and many of us couldn’t afford them without support from various grants. There are funds for students (like the Otto Fund), for female climbers (like the Line van den Berg Fund), and broader funding through mountain clubs. Our advice: apply to every fund you’re eligible for. A single grant can make a world of difference.
You can also approach companies for sponsorship. If you can offer something in return like exposure through talks, social media, blogs, or quality photos, you might get discounts on gear or receive equipment in exchange for promotion.

 

GATHERING EQUIMENT

 

Essentials for remote expeditions

In addition to your standard climbing gear, expeditions often require extras because you’re far from electricity or help and because it can be extremely cold. These could be an InReach or satellite phone, a solar panel, a reliable compass, binoculars, a warm sleeping bag, a down jacket, insulated boots, or heated socks.
We’ve tested the Scarpa Phantom Tech ice boots, they keep us toasty even in relatively cold conditions and are definitely coming to India. Our peaks are “only” up to 6000 meters and in a relatively warm region. If we were going higher or colder, we’d need even warmer boots like the Phantom 6000.

 

 

BOOKING FLIGHTS

 

Policies and hidden costs

This is when it gets real!
Book your flight directly with the airline and avoid cheap third-party booking sites. You usually bring two bags (2 x 23 kg), so it’s crucial to understand the baggage policies. Sometimes a more expensive ticket turns out cheaper once you factor in baggage allowances.

 

TRAINING

 

Physical preparation

Your training will depend on your expedition type, but chances are you’ll be doing a lot of hiking with a heavy backpack, so train your legs! Our teammate Joris Timmermans created the infamous “Timmermans training”: climbing up and down the Dutch 60m-high Nedereindse Berg until you’ve logged 1000 meters of vertical gain with a heavy pack. When we’re in the Alps, we also climb long, challenging routes with an expedition character: route finding, variable rock quality, sometimes even an overnight bivvy on the route.
A super useful addition: First Aid training, or in our case, First Aid for Mountain Accidents. In the mountains, especially far from civilization, you’re largely on your own, so practicing with an expedition doctor is highly valuable.

 

THE EXPEDITION ITSELF

Enjoying the journey

 

We don’t have much personal experience here, only teammate Alex (and of course the coaches) has been on an expedition so far. But here’s the most important advice from our coaches: nothing goes as planned, and setbacks are part of it. Stay flexible, focus on the process, and enjoy every moment.
We, at least, can hardly wait. Just 17 more sleeps to go!

You can follow our final expedition on the Expeditie Academie’s Instagram channel.

Written by: Claartje Meijs