The Hipbelt Debate in Ultralight Thru-Hiking
A personal account questions the long-term physical toll of hipbelt-less ultralight packs, while a stalled Dhaulagiri expedition highlights tensions over risk assessment and decision-making on high peaks.
Two recent stories from the world of adventure travel explore gear choices on long trails and conflict on a high mountain. The first is a thru-hiker's cautionary tale about the physical consequences of abandoning a pack's hipbelt. The second details the frustration and controversy surrounding a cancelled summit push on Dhaulagiri, one of the world's highest peaks.
The Hipbelt Trade-Off
In 2025, a thru-hiker on the Continental Divide Trail switched to a pack with a detachable hipbelt after years of using minimalist, beltless models. During a subsequent Pacific Crest Trail hike without the belt, the hiker experienced shoulder pain that progressed to arm tingling and numbness, a lingering nerve irritation only partially helped by a replacement belt. The hiker observed other hikers with similar beltless packs developing nagging shoulder and back issues, prompting a realization that the liberating 'free-the-hips' movement was taking a physical toll.
To understand the biomechanics, the hiker consulted physical therapists Morgan Brosnihan and Matthew Shafter. Brosnihan explained that sustained pressure from pack straps compresses muscles, ribs, and nerves, potentially aggravating underlying anatomical issues. Shafter, a thru-hiker himself, emphasized that adaptation requires gradual exposure over months or years, advising hikers to listen to their bodies. His test is to hike all day with the heaviest load sans belt; if pain appears, the shoulders are not adapted. Pack designer Chris Pickering of Nashville Pack noted his company's flagship Cutaway pack uses wide shoulder straps for comfort without a belt under 20 pounds, but he now views hipbelts as an essential option due to wildly fluctuating loads between resupplies. He argues a slightly heavier pack that carries well is better for any hiker long-term.
The hiker concluded that true ultralight design should offer options, not dogma. The advice is to use a removable hipbelt for heavy food carries and difficult stretches, freeing the hips only when the shoulders are truly ready.
Dhaulagiri Expedition Controversy
Paul Clarke of Australia was among 20 climbers told to descend from Camp 2 on Dhaulagiri after the rope-fixing team stopped work and retreated. Clarke, who had waited at Camp 2 for five days, expressed frustration, describing a lack of motivation among the Sherpa rope fixers after VIP clients with the route-fixing company, Seven Summit Treks, called off their summit attempt. Clarke's outfitter, 8K Expeditions, subsequently sent a team to retrieve gear from Camp 3 at 7,100 meters.
Makalu Lakpa Sherpa, leading the 14 Peaks Dhaulagiri Expedition, posted an explanation citing increasing winds on October 10 and a higher risk of slab avalanches on October 11 as the sole reason for his team's return. In an unusual remark, he stated he looks after his own group and cannot be responsible for other teams' ambitions or rope-fixing arrangements, which were assigned to Seven Summit Treks. He also criticized those judging the decision from afar, asking them to understand actual mountain conditions. Guides from his company and Seven Summit Treks posted supporting statements, with American guide Benny Lieber sharing his avalanche risk assessment and Seven Summit Treks leader Chhang Dawa Sherpa arguing the weather window was too short for a multi-day summit push.
Climbers like Paul Clarke remained unsatisfied, frustrated by watching what appeared to be perfect, windless weather after the decision. Clarke contended the poor conditions were forecasted days in advance, yet Makalu Lakpa Sherpa still sent teams higher. The core frustration, for many, was that one team's assessment dictated the outcome for all expeditions on the mountain.
