Any person who willingly engages in an activity where the ground you stand on could disappear beneath your feet, where the earth around you could bury you alive or where the weather alone could blow you right off a mountain, well. Mountain Climbers are just insane. They engage in one of the most extreme, most dangerous nature sports in the world. And they do it willingly!
There are such extreme dangers in mountain climbing. The top three are things falling on you, yourself falling and bad weather. Things that may fall on you include rocks, ice and snow (avalanches).
◦ Rocks could come loose on mountains at any moment. Furrows on the slopes and conspicuous collections of rock and debris in patches are good signs to look for.
◦ Areas prone to falling ice are overhanging cornices (molding below a ceiling) that you find on the peaks of narrow ridges.
◦ Broken sections of glaciers, called seracs, are potentially dangerous. Ice sections could fall during, and after, the hottest part of the day.
◦ Hanging glaciers on steep slopes will periodically drop ice. Ice piles in patches are excellent indicators.
◦ Be weary of large icicles that form on steep rock faces. They could break loose at any moment, especially after inclement weather.
◦ Before all of that, however, you are advised to remember that a falling climber is a very real danger. Even just his gear coming your way could knock you loose.
Either way, stay sharp at all times. It may not be the mountain that takes you down.
Tons and tons of snow, ice and debris streaking down a mountainside as an avalanche is most terrifying. If you find yourself caught in one, survival is slim, at best. Hundreds of people die every year in avalanches. Many of them were athletically skilled individuals, even skilled climbers. Many of them were caught out in the open snow.
It isn’t very easy to turn back from a snow crossing once you’ve begun. So much time will be lost. When in doubt, don’t do it and save your life. A large percentage of avalanche fatalities were expert skiers with avalanche training. Think on that for a bit. Sometimes knowing is not enough to save you. Oftentimes, it is the knowing that makes a person unnecessarily reckless.
Alpine (high mountain) climbers are advised to always carry an avalanche beacon, a probe and a shovel to help in your own rescue should you, or your party, become trapped in an avalanche.
Just as there are many ways that an object may fall on you while climbing, there are so many ways for you, yourself, to fall.
◦ As a climber, you could loose your hold and drop into the air. It could be the last sensation you know.
◦ You may go careening down a mountainside. If you survive the brutal fall, hopefully you won’t land in a deep hole or a crevasse. (Good grief!)
◦ Be extremely cautious on slick ice slopes. Crampons, an ice axe and ice screws (pickets) become necessary here. One slip could mean no return for you.
There are snow slopes for which a potential avalanche must always be considered. At the base of these snow slopes lies the danger of a hidden crevasse. Meticulous use of a snow bridge often becomes necessary. You’ll want to have an experienced climber with you for those instances when advancing over snow, especially snow on ice, is a difficult decision. If you must go, a straight ascent is preferred over a horizontal one. Less can be done to encourage snow movement (avalanche) this way.
Crevasses are deep chasms found in glaciers. They may be easily seen or they may be hidden from sight. It takes experience and caution to detect them. Your best protection is to rope your climbing party together. Don’t ever cross a crevasse without being tied to at least one person.
Weather is an awesome force high in the mountains. You can never escape it so don’t think that you can ignore it. You may experience a whiteout where you’d be lucky to see a few feet in front of you. In the summer, you may experience thunderstorms or lightning, even lightning all by itself. All climbers are advised to have an alpine start, that is, a climb that starts before or at first light. It gives you the chance to return to base during daylight should the weather become threatening.
High in the mountains there is less oxygen to breathe. The body needs to acclimatize, to become accustomed to the thin air. If you don’t give yourself enough time, you’ll probably develop altitude sickness. If you do not descend immediately when this happens, your condition could progress to one of two forms of edema. Both conditions could be fatal within 24 hours. I repeat, fatal within a day. If this happens, get yourself off that mountain right now!
Mountain climbing is absurdly dangerous. You really will risk your life, over and over. But, oh, to stand on the summit. To be so high, to see for many miles, possibly over many miles of mountains, to know that you stand where few have gone before. What a feeling! Very few things come close. Be careful up there!
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Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world. If you would like to learn about
▪ Knife Sharpening: How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them
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(e.g. Chain Saws, Lawn Mower Blades, Gardening Tools, Axes)
▪ The Fastest Way to Sharpen, Tests for Sharpness and more
Find it here at www.MakeKnivesSharp.com.
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