>>1411869There are commercial expeditions to virtually all well-known major Himalayan peaks nowadays. Your first question isn't retarded at all by the way since logistics is probably the most challenging part of such expeditions, and the subject is often left out in popular media etc. As for alpine style: what they usually do it establish a base camp where all the supplies that have been broughy in by porters are stored. From then onwards I reckon they carry relatively light backpacks as they move further up the mountain. That being said, the very idea of alpine style climbing is that you are self-sufficient and thus carry all your supplies, shelter and equipment yourself as opposed to utilizing high-altitude porters. Those commercial expeditions are very much siege styled undertakings, though, since sherpas and high-altitude porters carry most of the heavy loads, mutliple stockpiled camps have been established at different alititudes on the mountain, and where the mountain has been secured with fixed ropes so that clients can climb relatively comfortably. That's why, paradoxically, climbers that are a part of large military style expeditions will end up having to carry less heavy packs than those of small self-reliant ones. You should probably read up on some of the self-reliant 'lightweight' expeditions like the one to Broad Peak in 1957 to get an idea of how they dealt with equipment and supplies.
>what is the opinion on Anatoli BoukreevI'm obviously no authority on this subject but he seemed like a decent guy; at least that's how Ed Viesturs described him, and the whole controversy is probably just the work of Krakauer.
