Have you heard of the Marginal Gains Philosophy? The idea is that by capitalizing on every little hidden advantage, 1% here, 1% there, gains quickly compound into a huge overall improvement.

CTSS prides itself on this kind of innovation. We optimize both the big details like staffing, weather forecasting, camp hygiene all the way through to the tiny comfort details.

People may dismiss these little luxuries as ‘soft’ but in fact we invest in them because they are highly strategic.

For instance; on 8000m peaks we hire a dedicated, professional Chef for the whole season to prepare fresh, nutritious and delicious meals. It’s not about having instagram worthy dishes but about fuelling people’s bodies at altitude as best we can.

One of the most critical parts of mountaineering is eating well. Most climbers lose a huge amount of weight when climbing because altitude affects appetite and suppresses hunger. People just don’t “feel” like eating, the very thing they need to do given how much energy the body expends climbing and even at rest while at altitude! On expedition, we pull out all the stops to tempt our team to eat. Compare that to most camps who churn out freeze dried meals or basic, highly repetitive and unappetising food – canned fruit, rice, spam, and other long life options over and over again.

Our goal is to help our climbers keep their energy, strength and stamina high throughout the expedition.

We also invest in our climbers’ mental state. When you spend weeks tackling the greatest physical and mental challenge of your life, how would you feel freezing cold in damp, cramped, dark tents with nothing to do all day while acclimatizing? Do you think you would have a better frame of mind if instead you were in a fun, warm, open place that encourages rest and recovery? Introducing the Big House on Everest, a heated, solar powered geodesic dome with a cafe pumping out espresso and a ping pong table.

Our climbers are no different. We treat them like the athletes they are and we take their frame of mind as seriously as we take their physical fitness. When they are happy and healthy and well rested, they climb better, stronger and faster.

The list is endless on how we do this – but what you need to know is that we’ve spent time thinking about the little details, and engineering our expeditions to make you feel your best, so you can focus on climbing at your best.