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| − | {{Redirect|Basecamp|the online project manager|Basecamp (software)|the live music service|Basecamp Productions}}
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| − | | + | ====Falling rocks==== <!--T:1--> |
| − | {{Redirect|Alpinist|the magazine|Alpinist (magazine)|other uses|Mountaineer (disambiguation)}}
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| − | [[File:Summitting Island Peak.jpg|thumb|right|Climber taking the final few steps onto the 20,305 ft. (6,189 m) summit of [[Imja Tse]] (Island Peak) in [[Nepal]], 2004.]]
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| − | [[Image:Frères Bisson - 1862 - La crevasse (Départ).jpg|thumb|right|An open [[crevasse]].]]
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| − | '''Mountaineering''' is the [[sport]], [[hobby]] or [[profession]] of [[walking]], [[hiking]], [[Backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]] and [[climbing]] [[mountain]]s. In Europe it is also referred to as '''alpinism''', while in the Americas the term refers to a particular style of mountain climbing, which involves a mixture of ice climbing, rock climbing, mixed climbing, and where the climbers carry all their loads with them at all times. In the Himalayan regions the style of mountaineering is '''Expedition'''. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains, it has branched into specializations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists of three areas : rock-craft, snow-craft and skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over [[rock (geology)|rock]], [[snow]] or [[ice]]. All require experience, athletic ability, and technical knowledge to maintain safety.<ref name="freedom">{{cite book | edition = 7 | editor = Cox, Steven M. and Kris Fulsaas, ed. | title = [[Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills]] | publisher = The Mountaineers | isbn = 0898868289| location = Seattle | year = 2003-09}}</ref> <br> <br>The UIAA or <b>Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme</b> is the world governing body in mountaineering and climbing, addressing issues like - Access, Medical, Mountain Protection, [http://theuiaa.org/uiaa_safety_labels.php Safety], Youth and Ice Climbing. </br>
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| − | ==Technique== | |
| − | [[Image:Alpinistes Aiguille du Midi 02.JPG|thumb|right|Climbers descending a ridge.]]
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| − | ====Snow====
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| − | Compacted snow conditions allow mountaineers to progress on foot, frequently [[crampons]] are required to travel efficiently over snow and ice. [[Crampons]] have 8-14 spikes and are attached to a mountaineer's boots. They are used on hard snow (neve) and ice to provide additional traction and allow very steep ascents and descents. Varieties range from lightweight aluminum models intended for walking on snow covered glaciers, to aggressive steel models intended for vertical and overhanging ice and rock. [[Snowshoes]] can be used to walk through deep snow. [[Skis]] can be used everywhere snowshoes can and also in steeper, more alpine landscapes, although it takes considerable practice to develop strong skills for difficult terrain. Combining the techniques of alpine skiing and mountaineering to ascend and descend a mountain is a form of the sport by itself, called [[Ski Mountaineering]]. Ascending and descending a snow slope safely requires the use of an [[ice axe]] and many different footwork techniques that have been developed over the past century, mainly in Europe. The progression of footwork from the lowest angle slopes to the steepest terrain is first to splay the feet to a rising traverse, to kicking steps, to front pointing the crampons. The progression of ice axe technique from the lowest angle slopes to the steepest terrain is to use the ice axe first as a walking stick, then a stake, then to use the front pick as a dagger below the shoulders or above, and finally to swing the pick into the slope over the head. These various techniques may involve questions of differing ice-axe design depending on terrain, and even whether a mountaineer uses one or two ice axes. Anchors for the rope in snow are sometimes unreliable, and include snow stakes, called pickets, deadman devices called flukes which are fashioned from aluminum, or devised from buried objects that might include an ice axe, skis, rocks or other objects. Bollards, which are simply carved out of consolidated snow or ice, also sometimes serve as anchors.
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| − | ====Glaciers==== | |
| − | When traveling over [[glacier]]s, [[crevasse]]s pose a grave danger. These giant cracks in the ice are not always visible as snow can be blown and freeze over the top to make a ''[[snowbridge]]''. At times snowbridges can be as thin as a few inches. Climbers use a system of ropes to protect themselves from such hazards. Basic gear for glacier travel includes [[crampons]] and [[ice axe]]s. Teams of two to five climbers tie into a rope equally spaced. If a climber begins to fall the other members of the team perform a [[self-arrest]] to stop the fall. The other members of the team enact a [[crevasse rescue]] to pull the fallen climber from the crevasse.
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| − | ====Ice====
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| − | [[Image:Eisklettern kl engstligenfall.jpg|thumb|Ice climbing]]
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| − | Multiple methods are used to safely travel over ice. If the terrain is steep but not vertical, then [[Protection (climbing)|protection]] in the form of [[ice screw]]s can be placed in the ice and attached to the rope by the lead climber. Each climber on the team must clip past the anchor, and the last climber picks up the anchor itself. Occasionally, slinged icicles or bollards are also used. This allows for safety should the entire team be taken off their feet. This technique is known as Simul-climbing and is sometimes also used on steep snow and easy rock.
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| − | If the terrain becomes too steep, standard [[ice climbing]] techniques are used in which each climber is belayed, moving one at a time.
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| − | ==Shelter== <!-- NOTE: If you are going to rename or remove this section please update the redirects at [[Basecamp]] and [[Base camp]] -->
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| − | Climbers use a few different forms of shelter depending on the situation and conditions. Shelter is a very important aspect of safety for the climber as the weather in the mountains may be very unpredictable. Tall mountains may require many days of camping on the mountain.
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| − | ====Base Camp====
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| − | The 'Base Camp' of a mountain is an area used for staging an attempt at the summit. Base camps are positioned to be safe from the harsher conditions above. There are base camps on many popular or dangerous mountains. Where the summit cannot be reached from base camp in a single day, a mountain will have additional camps above base camp. For example, the [[Everest#Southeast_ridge|southeast ridge]] route on Mount Everest has [[Everest Base Camp|Base Camp]] plus (normally) camps I through IV.
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| − | ====Hut====
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| − | The European alpine regions, in particular, have a network of [[mountain hut]]s (called ‘refuges’ in France, ‘rifugi’ in Italy, ‘cabanes’ in Switzerland and ‘hytte’ in Norway). Such huts exist at many different heights, including in the high mountains themselves – in extremely remote areas, more rudimentary shelters may exist. The mountain huts are of varying size and quality, but each is typically centred on a communal dining room and have dormitories equipped with mattresses, blankets or duvets, and pillows – guests are expected to bring and to use their own sleeping bag liner. The facilities are usually rudimentary but, given their locations, huts offer vital shelter, make routes more widely accessible (by allowing journeys to be broken and reducing the weight of equipment needing to be carried), and offer good value. In Europe, all huts are staffed during the summer (mid-June to mid-September) and some are staffed in the spring (mid-March to mid-May). Elsewhere, huts may also be open in the fall. Huts also may have a part that is always open, but unmanned, a so-called winter hut. When open and manned, the huts are generally run by full-time employees, but some are staffed on a voluntary basis by members of Alpine clubs (such as [[Swiss Alpine Club]] and [[Club alpin français]]). The manager of the hut, termed a guardian or warden in Europe, will usually also sell refreshments and meals – both to those visiting only for the day and to those staying overnight. The offering is surprisingly wide – given that most supplies, often including fresh water, must be flown in by helicopter – and may include glucose-based snacks (such as Mars and Snickers bars) on which climbers and walkers wish to stock up, cakes and pastries made at the hut, a variety of hot and cold drinks (including beer and wine), and high carbohydrate dinners in the evenings. Not all huts offer a catered service, though, and visitors may need to provide for themselves. Some huts offer facilities for both, enabling visitors wishing to keep costs down to bring their own food and cooking equipment and to cater using the facilities provided. Booking for overnight stays at huts is deemed obligatory, and in many cases is essential as some popular huts – even with more than 100 bed spaces - may well be full during good weather and at weekends. Once made, the cancellation of a reservation is advised as a matter of courtesy – and, indeed, potentially of safety, as many huts keep a record of where climbers and walkers state they planned to walk to next. Most huts may be contacted by telephone and most take credit cards as a means of payment.
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| − | ====Bivouac (Bivy)====
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| − | {{main|Bivouac shelter}}
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| − | In the mountaineering context, a bivouac or 'bivy' is a makeshift resting or sleeping arrangement in which the climber has less than the full complement of shelter, food and equipment that would normally be present at a conventional campsite. This may involve simply getting a sleeping bag and [[Bivouac sack]] and lying down to sleep. Many times small partially sheltered areas such as a [[bergschrund]], cracks in rocks or a trench dug in the snow are used to provide additional shelter from wind. These techniques were originally used only in emergency; however some climbers steadfastly committed to [[alpine style]] climbing specifically plan for bivouacs in order to save the weight of a tent when suitable snow conditions or time is unavailable for construction of a snow cave. The principal hazard associated with bivouacs is the greater level of exposure to cold and the elements.
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| − | ====Tent====
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| − | [[Tent]]s are the most common form of shelter used on the mountain. These may vary from simple tarps to much heavier designs intended to withstand harsh mountain conditions. In exposed positions, windbreaks of snow or rock may be required to shelter the tent. One of the downsides to tenting is that high winds and snow loads can be dangerous and may ultimately lead to the tent's failure and collapse. In addition, the constant flapping of the tent fabric can hinder sleep and raise doubts about the security of the shelter. When choosing a tent, alpinists tend to rely on specialized mountaineering tents that are specifically designed for high winds and moderate to heavy snow loads.
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| − | ====Snow cave====
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| − | Where conditions permit [[snow cave]]s are another way to shelter high on the mountain. Some climbers do not use tents at high altitudes unless the snow conditions do not allow for snow caving, since snow caves are silent and much warmer than tents. They can be built relatively easily, given sufficient time, using a snow shovel. A correctly made snow cave will hover around freezing, which relative to outside temperatures can be very warm. They can be dug anywhere there is at least four feet of snow. Another shelter that works well is a [[quinzee]], which is excavated from a pile of snow that has been work hardened or sintered (typically by stomping). [[Igloo]]s are used by some climbers, but are deceptively difficult to build and require specific snow conditions.
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| − | ==Hazards==
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| − | Dangers in mountaineering are sometimes divided into two categories: objective hazards that exist without regard to the climber's presence, like rockfall, avalanches and inclement weather, and subjective hazards that relate only to factors introduced by the climber. Equipment failure and falls due to inattention, fatigue or inadequate technique are examples of subjective hazard. A route continually swept by avalanches and storms is said to have a high level of objective danger, whereas a technically far more difficult route that is relatively safe from these dangers may be regarded as objectively safer.
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| − | In all, mountaineers must concern themselves with dangers: falling rocks, falling ice, snow-avalanches, the climber falling, falls from ice slopes, falls down snow slopes, falls into crevasses and the dangers from altitude and weather.<ref name=MedicalProblems>{{cite journal |author=Cymerman, A; Rock, PB |title=Medical Problems in High Mountain Environments. A Handbook for Medical Officers |publisher=US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |volume=USARIEM-TN94-2 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7976 |accessdate=2009-03-05}}</ref> To select and follow a route using one's skills and experience to mitigate these dangers is to exercise the climber's craft.
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| − | ===Falling rocks===
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| | [[Image:Kate-at-fleshmarket.JPG|thumb|right|Rocky mountains tend to be hazardous.]] | | [[Image:Kate-at-fleshmarket.JPG|thumb|right|Rocky mountains tend to be hazardous.]] |
| − | Every rock mountain is slowly disintegrating due to [[erosion]], the process being especially rapid above the snow-line. Rock faces are constantly swept by falling stones, which may be possible to dodge. Falling rocks tend to form furrows in a mountain face, and these furrows ([[Glossary of climbing terms#Couloir|couloir]]s) have to be ascended with caution, their sides often being safe when the middle is stoneswept. Rocks fall more frequently on some days than on others, according to the recent weather. Ice formed during the night may temporarily bind rocks to the face but warmth of the day or lubricating water from melting snow or rain may easily dislodge these rocks. Local experience is a valuable help on determining typical rockfall on such routes. | + | Every rock mountain is slowly disintegrating due to erosion, the process being especially rapid above the snow-line. Rock faces are constantly swept by falling stones, which may be possible to dodge. Falling rocks tend to form furrows in a mountain face, and these furrows (couloirs) have to be ascended with caution, their sides often being safe when the middle is stoneswept. Rocks fall more frequently on some days than on others, according to the recent weather. Ice formed during the night may temporarily bind rocks to the face but warmth of the day or lubricating water from melting snow or rain may easily dislodge these rocks. Local experience is a valuable help on determining typical rockfall on such routes. |
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| − | The direction of the dip of rock strata sometimes determines the degree of danger on a particular face; the character of the rock must also be considered. Where stones fall frequently debris will be found below, whilst on snow slopes falling stones cut furrows visible from a great distance. In planning an ascent of a new peak or an unfamiliar route, mountaineers must look for such traces. When falling stones get mixed in considerable quantity with slushy snow or water a mud avalanche is formed (common in the [[Himalaya]]). It is vital to avoid [[camping]] in their possible line of fall. | + | <!--T:2--> |
| | + | The direction of the dip of rock strata sometimes determines the degree of danger on a particular face; the character of the rock must also be considered. Where stones fall frequently debris will be found below, while on snow slopes falling stones cut furrows visible from a great distance. In planning an ascent of a new peak or an unfamiliar route, mountaineers must look for such traces. When falling stones get mixed in considerable quantity with slushy snow or water a mud avalanche is formed (common in the Himalaya). It is vital to avoid camping in their possible line of fall. |
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| − | ===Falling ice=== | + | ====Falling ice==== <!--T:3--> |
| − | The places where ice may fall can always be determined beforehand. It falls in the broken parts of glaciers (seracs) and from overhanging cornices formed on the crests of narrow ridges. Large icicles are often formed on steep rock faces, and these fall frequently in fine weather following cold and stormy days. They have to be avoided like falling stones. [[Serac]]s are slow in formation, and slow in arriving (by glacier motion) at a condition of unstable equilibrium. They generally fall in or just after the hottest part of the day. A skillful and experienced ice-man will usually devise a safe route through a most intricate ice-fall, but such places should be avoided in the afternoon of a hot day. Hanging glaciers (i.e. glaciers perched on steep slopes) often discharge themselves over steep rock-faces, the snout breaking off at intervals. They can always be detected by their debris below. Their track should be avoided. | + | The places where ice may fall can always be determined beforehand. It falls in the broken parts of glaciers (seracs) and from overhanging cornices formed on the crests of narrow ridges. Large icicles are often formed on steep rock faces, and these fall frequently in fine weather following cold and stormy days. They have to be avoided like falling stones. Seracs are slow in formation, and slow in arriving (by glacier motion) at a condition of unstable equilibrium. They generally fall in or just after the hottest part of the day. A skillful and experienced ice-man will usually devise a safe route through a most intricate ice-fall, but such places should be avoided in the afternoon of a hot day. Hanging glaciers (i.e. glaciers perched on steep slopes) often discharge themselves over steep rock-faces, the snout breaking off at intervals. They can always be detected by their debris below. Their track should be avoided. |
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| − | ===Falls from rocks=== | + | ====Falls from rocks==== <!--T:4--> |
| − | The skill of a [[rock climbing|rock climber]] is shown by one's choice of handhold and foothold, and their adhesion to those once they have chosen. Much depends on a correct estimate of the firmness of the rock where weight is to be thrown upon it. Many loose rocks are quite firm enough to bear a person's weight, but experience is needed to know which can be trusted, and skill is required in transferring the weight to them without jerking. On rotten rocks the rope must be handled with special care, lest it should dislodge loose stones on to those below. Similar care must be given to handholds and footholds, for the same reason. When a horizontal traverse has to be made across very difficult rocks, a dangerous situation may arise unless at both ends of the traverse there are firm positions. Mutual assistance on hard rocks takes all manner of forms: two, or even three, people climbing on one another's shoulders, or using an [[ice axe]] propped up by others for a foothold. The great principle is that of co-operation, all the members of the party climbing with reference to the others, and not as independent units; each when moving must know what the climber in front and the one behind are doing. After bad weather steep rocks are often found covered with a veneer of ice ([[Glossary of climbing terms#Verglas|verglas]]), which may even render them inaccessible. [[Crampons]] are useful on such occasions. | + | The skill of a rock climber is shown by one's choice of handhold and foothold, and their adhesion to those once they have chosen. Much depends on a correct estimate of the firmness of the rock where weight is to be thrown upon it. Many loose rocks are quite firm enough to bear a person's weight, but experience is needed to know which can be trusted, and skill is required in transferring the weight to them without jerking. On rotten rocks the rope must be handled with special care, lest it should dislodge loose stones on to those below. Similar care must be given to handholds and footholds, for the same reason. When a horizontal traverse has to be made across very difficult rocks, a dangerous situation may arise unless at both ends of the traverse there are firm positions. Mutual assistance on hard rocks takes all manner of forms: two, or even three, people climbing on one another's shoulders, or using an ice axe propped up by others for a foothold. The great principle is that of co-operation, all the members of the party climbing with reference to the others, and not as independent units; each when moving must know what the climber in front and the one behind are doing. After bad weather steep rocks are often found covered with a veneer of ice (verglas), which may even render them inaccessible. Crampons are useful on such occasions. |
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| − | ===Avalanches=== | + | ====Avalanches==== <!--T:5--> |
| − | {{main|Avalanche}}
| + | The avalanche is the most underestimated danger in the mountains. People generally think that they will be able to recognize the hazards and survive being caught. The truth is a somewhat different story. Every year, 120 - 150 people die in small avalanches in the Alps alone. The vast majority are reasonably experienced male skiers aged 20–35 but also include ski instructors and guides. There is always a lot of pressure to risk a snow crossing. Turning back takes a lot of extra time and effort, supreme leadership, and most importantly there seldom is an avalanche to prove the right decision was made. Making the decision to turn around is especially hard if others are crossing the slope, but the next person could become the trigger. |
| − | The [[avalanche]] is the most underestimated danger in the mountains. People generally think that they will be able to recognize the hazards and survive being caught. The truth is a somewhat different story. Every year, 120 - 150 people die in small avalanches in the Alps alone. The vast majority are reasonably experienced male skiers aged 20–35 but also include ski instructors and guides.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} There is always a lot of pressure to risk a snow crossing. Turning back takes a lot of extra time and effort, supreme leadership, and most importantly there seldom is an avalanche to prove the right decision was made. Making the decision to turn around is especially hard if others are crossing the slope, but any next person could become the trigger. | |
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| − | There are many types of avalanche, but two types are of the most concern:
| + | <!--T:6--> |
| | + | Dangerous slides are most likely to occur on the same slopes preferred by many skiers: long and wide open, few trees or large rocks, 30 to 45 degrees of angle, large load of fresh snow, soon after a big storm, on a slope 'lee to the storm'. Solar radiation can trigger slides as well. These will typically be a point release or wet slough type of avalanche. The added weight of the wet slide can trigger a slab avalanche. Ninety percent of reported victims are caught in avalanches triggered by themselves or others in their group. |
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| − | #Slab avalanche
| + | <!--T:7--> |
| − | #:This type of avalanche occurs when a plate of snow breaks loose and starts sliding down; these are the largest and most dangerous.
| + | When going off-piste or travelling in alpine terrain, parties are advised to always carry: |
| − | ##Hard slab avalanche
| + | #avalanche beacon |
| − | #::This type of avalanche is formed by hard-packed snow in a cohesive slab. The slab will not break up easily as it slides down the hill, resulting in large blocks tumbling down the mountain.
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| − | ##Soft slab avalanche
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| − | #::This type of avalanche is formed again by a cohesive layer of snow bonded together, the slab tends to break up more easily.
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| − | #Loose snow avalanche
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| − | #:This type of avalanche is triggered by a small amount of moving snow that accumulates into a big slide. Also known as a "wet slide or point release" avalanche. This type of avalanche is deceptively dangerous as it can still knock a climber or skier off their feet and bury them, or sweep them over a cliff into a terrain trap.
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| − | Dangerous slides are most likely to occur on the same slopes preferred by many skiers: long and wide open, few trees or large rocks, 30 to 45 degrees of angle, large load of fresh snow, soon after a big storm, on a slope 'lee to the storm'. Solar radiation can trigger slides as well. These will typically be a point release or wet slough type of avalanche. The added weight of the wet slide can trigger a slab avalanche. Ninety percent of reported victims are caught in avalanches triggered by themselves or others in their group.
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| − | When going off-piste or traveling in alpine terrain, parties are advised to always carry: | |
| − | #[[avalanche beacon]] | |
| | #probe | | #probe |
| | #shovel (retrieving victims with a shovel instead of your hands is five times faster) | | #shovel (retrieving victims with a shovel instead of your hands is five times faster) |
| − | and to have had avalanche training! Paradoxically, expert skiers who have avalanche training make up a large percentage of avalanche fatalities; perhaps because they are the ones more likely to ski in areas prone to avalanches, and certainly because most people do not practice enough with their equipment to be truly fast and efficient rescuers.
| + | It is also important to have had avalanche training! Paradoxically, expert skiers who have avalanche training make up a large percentage of avalanche fatalities; perhaps because they are the ones more likely to ski in areas prone to avalanches, and certainly because most people do not practice enough with their equipment to be truly fast and efficient rescuers. |
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| − | Even with proper rescue equipment and training, there is a one-in-five chance of dying if caught in a significant avalanche, and only a 50/50 chance of being found alive if buried more than a few minutes. The best solution is to learn how to avoid risky conditions.
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| − | ===Ice slopes===
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| − | [[Image:Mountaineers in High Tatry mountains winter.jpg|thumb|right|Mountaineers descending mixed rock, snow and ice slope in winter [[High Tatras]].]]
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| − | For travel on slopes consisting of ice or hard snow, [[crampons]] are a standard part of a mountaineer's equipment. While step-cutting can sometimes be used on snow slopes of moderate angle, this can be a slow and tiring process, which does not provide the higher security of crampons. However, in soft snow or powder, crampons are easily hampered by balling of snow, which reduces their effectiveness. In either case, an [[ice axe]] not only assists with balance but provides the climber with the possibility of self-arrest in case of a slip or fall. On a true ice slope however, an ice axe is rarely able to effect a self-arrest. As an additional safety precaution on steep ice slopes, the climbing rope is attached to [[Glossary of climbing terms#Ice screw|ice screws]] buried into the ice.
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| − | True ice slopes are rare in [[Europe]], though common in mountains in the tropics, where newly-fallen snow quickly thaws on the surface and becomes sodden below, so that the next night's frost turns the whole mass into a sheet of semi-solid ice.
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| − | ===Snow slopes===
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| − | [[Image:Hauteroute-alps-seabhcan.jpg|thumb|300px|Part of the [[Haute Route]] between [[France]] and [[Swiss Alps|Switzerland]]; two alpinists can be seen following the trail in the snow.]]
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| − | Snow slopes are very common, and usually easy to ascend. At the foot of a snow or ice slope is generally a big crevasse, called a ''[[bergschrund]]'', where the final slope of the mountain rises from a snow-field or glacier. Such ''bergschrunds'' are generally too wide to be stepped across, and must be crossed by a [[snow bridge]], which needs careful testing and a painstaking use of the rope. A steep snow slope in bad condition may be dangerous, as the whole body of snow may start as an avalanche. Such slopes are less dangerous if ascended directly, rather than obliquely, for an oblique or horizontal track cuts them across and facilitates movement of the mass. New snow lying on ice is especially dangerous. Experience is needed for deciding on the advisability of advancing over snow in doubtful condition. Snow on rocks is usually rotten unless it is thick; snow on snow is likely to be sound. A day or two of fine weather will usually bring new snow into sound condition. Snow cannot lie at a very steep angle, though it often deceives the eye as to its slope. Snow slopes seldom exceed 40°. Ice slopes may be much steeper. Snow slopes in early morning are usually hard and safe, but the same in the afternoon are quite soft and possibly dangerous; hence the advantage of an early start.
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| − | ===Crevasses===
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| − | [[Crevasse]]s are the slits or deep chasms formed in the substance of a glacier as it passes over an uneven bed. They may be open or hidden. In the lower part of a glacier the crevasses are open. Above the snow-line they are frequently hidden by arched-over accumulations of winter snow. The detection of hidden crevasses requires care and experience. After a fresh fall of snow they can only be detected by sounding with the pole of the ice axe, or by looking to right and left where the open extension of a partially hidden crevasse may be obvious. The safeguard against accident is the rope, and no one should ever cross a snow-covered glacier unless roped to one, or even better to two companions. Anyone venturing onto crevasses should be trained in [[crevasse rescue]].
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| − | ===Weather===
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| − | The primary dangers caused by bad weather centre around the changes it causes in snow and rock conditions, making movement suddenly much more arduous and hazardous than under normal circumstances. [[Image:Blizzard Mt Keen.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Poor visibility in blizzard conditions.]] [[Whiteout (weather)|Whiteout]]s make it difficult to retrace a route while rain may prevent taking the easiest line only determined as such under dry conditions. In a storm the mountaineer who uses a [[compass]] for guidance has a great advantage over a merely empirical observer. In large snow-fields it is, of course, easier to go wrong than on rocks, but intelligence and experience are the best guides in safely navigating objective hazards.
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| − | Summer [[thunderstorm]]s may produce intense [[lightning]].<ref name=MedicalProblems/> If a climber happens to be standing on or near the summit, they risk being struck. There are many cases where people have been struck by lightning while climbing mountains. In most mountainous regions, local storms develop by late morning and early afternoon. Many climbers will get an "alpine start"; that is before or by first light so as to be on the way down when storms are intensifying in activity and lightning and other weather hazards are a distinct threat to safety. High [[wind]]s can speed the onset of [[hypothermia]], as well as damage equipment such as [[tent]]s used for shelter.<ref name=MedicalProblems/><ref name=Hamilton>{{cite journal |author=Hamilton, AJ |title=Biomedical Aspects of Military Operations at High Altitude |publisher=US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |volume=USARIEM-M-30/88 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7975 |accessdate=2009-03-05}}</ref> Under certain conditions, storms can also create waterfalls which can slow or stop climbing progress. A notable example is the "Foen" wind acting upon the Eiger.
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| − | ===Altitude===
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| − | Rapid ascent can lead to [[altitude sickness]].<ref name=MedicalProblems/><ref name=BordenHACE>{{cite book |author=Roach, Robert; Stepanek, Jan; and Hackett, Peter. |title=Acute Mountain Sickness and High-Altitude Cerebral Edema. In: Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments |volume=2 |chapter=24 |location=Borden Institute |place=Washington, DC |date=2002 |url=http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/harshEnv2/harshEnv2.html |accessdate=2009-01-05 }}</ref> The best treatment is to descend immediately. The climber's motto at high altitude is "climb high, sleep low", referring to the regimen of climbing higher to acclimatize but returning to lower elevation to sleep. In the South American Andes, the chewing of [[coca|coca leaves]] has been traditionally used to treat altitude sickness symptoms.
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| − | Common symptoms of altitude sickness include severe headache, sleep problems, nausea, lack of appetite, lethargy and body ache. Mountain sickness may progress to HACE ([[High altitude cerebral edema|High Altitude Cerebral Edema]]) and HAPE ([[High Altitude Pulmonary Edema]]), both of which can be fatal within 24 hours.<ref name=MedicalProblems/><ref name=BordenHACE/><ref name=BordenHAPE>{{cite book |author=Roach, James M. and Schoene, Robert B. |title=High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema. In: Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments |volume=2 |chapter=25 |location=Borden Institute |place=Washington, DC |date=2002 |url=http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/published_volumes/harshEnv2/harshEnv2.html |accessdate=2009-01-05 }}</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | In high mountains, atmospheric pressure is lower and this means that less oxygen is available to breathe.<ref name=MedicalProblems/> This is the underlying cause of altitude sickness. Everyone needs to acclimatize, even exceptional mountaineers that have been to high altitude before.<ref name=Acclimatization>{{cite journal |author=Muza, SR; Fulco, CS; Cymerman, A |title=Altitude Acclimatization Guide. |journal=US Army Research Inst. of Environmental Medicine Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division Technical Report |issue=USARIEM-TN-04-05 |year=2004 |url=http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/7616 |accessdate=2009-03-05 }}</ref> Generally speaking, mountaineers start using bottled oxygen when they climb above 7,000 m. Exceptional mountaineers have climbed [[Eight-thousander|8000-metre peaks]] (including [[Mount Everest|Everest]]) without oxygen, almost always with a carefully planned program of acclimatization.
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| − | | |
| − | ===Solar radiation===
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| − | | |
| − | [[Solar radiation]] increases significantly as the [[Earth's atmosphere|atmosphere]] gets thinner with increasing altitude thereby absorbing less [[ultraviolet radiation]].<ref name=MedicalProblems/><ref name=Hamilton/> Snow cover reflecting the radiation can amplify the effects up to 75% increasing the risks and damage from [[sunburn]] and [[snow blindness]].<ref name=Hamilton/>
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| − | | |
| − | In 2005, researcher and mountaineer John Semple established that above-average ozone concentrations on the [[Tibetan plateau]] may pose an additional risk to climbers.<ref name=UofT>[http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/051207-1892.asp Mountainous plateau creates ozone 'halo' around Tibet]</ref>
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| − | | |
| − | ===Volcanic activity===
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| − | Some mountains are active [[volcanoes]] as in the case of the many [[stratovolcano]]es that form the highest peaks in island arcs and in parts of the Andes. Some of these volcanic montains may cause several hazards if they erupt, such as lahars, pyroclasitc flows, rockfalls, lava flows, heavy tephra fall, volcanic bomb ejections and toxic gases.
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| | | | |
| − | ==Locations==
| + | <!--T:8--> |
| − | Mountaineering has become a popular sport throughout the world. In Europe the sport largely originated in the [[Alps]], and is still immensely popular there. Other notable mountain ranges frequented by climbers include the [[Caucasus]], the [[Pyrenees]], [[Rila|Rila mountains]], the [[Tatra mountains]] and [[Carpathian Mountains]]. In North America climbers frequent the [[Rocky Mountains]], the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] of [[California]], the [[Cascades]] of the [[Pacific Northwest]] and the high peaks of [[Alaska]].
| + | Even with proper rescue equipment and training, there is a one-in-five chance of dying if caught in a significant avalanche, and only a 50/50 chance of being found alive if buried more than a few minutes. The best solution is to learn how to avoid risky conditions. |
| − | There has been a long tradition of climbers going on expeditions to the [[Greater Ranges]], a term generally used for the [[Andes]] and the high peaks of Asia including the [[Himalaya]], [[Pamirs]] and [[Tien Shan]]. In the past this was often on exploratory trips or to make first ascents. With the advent of cheaper long-haul air travel mountaineering holidays in the Greater Ranges are now undertaken much more frequently and ascents of even [[Everest]] and [[Vinson Massif]] (the highest mountain in [[Antarctica]]) are offered as a "package holiday".
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| − | Other mountaineering areas of interest include the [[Southern Alps]] of [[New Zealand]], the [[Japanese Alps]], the [[Coast Mountains]] of British Columbia, the [[Scottish Highlands]], and the mountains of [[Scandinavia]], especially [[Norway]].
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| | | | |
| − | ==History== | + | ====Ice slopes==== <!--T:9--> |
| − | * Though it is unknown whether his intention was to reach a summit, [[Ötzi]] ascended at least 3,000 m in the Alps about 5,300 years ago. His remains were found at that altitude, preserved in a glacier.
| + | [[Image:Mountaineers in High Tatry mountains winter.jpg|thumb|right|Mountaineers descending mixed rock, snow and ice slope in winter High Tatras.]] |
| − | * The first recorded mountain ascent in the [[Common Era]] is Roman Emperor [[Hadrian]]'s ascent of [[Mount Etna|Etna]] (3,350 m) to see the sun rise in 121.
| + | For travel on slopes consisting of ice or hard snow, crampons are a standard part of a mountaineer's equipment. While step-cutting can sometimes be used on snow slopes of moderate angle, this can be a slow and tiring process, which does not provide the higher security of crampons. However, in soft snow or powder, crampons are easily hampered by balling of snow, which reduces their effectiveness. In either case, an ice axe not only assists with balance but provides the climber with the possibility of self-arrest in case of a slip or fall. On a true ice slope however, an ice axe is rarely able to effect a self-arrest. As an additional safety precaution on steep ice slopes, the climbing rope is attached to ice screws buried into the ice. |
| − | * [[Peter III of Aragon]] climbed [[Canigou]] in the [[Pyrenees]] in the last quarter of the 13th century.
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| − | * The [[first ascent]] of the [[Popocatépetl]] (5,426 m in [[Mexico]]) was reported in 1289 by members of a local [[tribe]] ([[Tecanuapas]]){{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
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| − | *[[Jean Buridan]] climbed [[Mont Ventoux]] around 1316.<ref>[[Lynn Thorndike]], [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-5037%28194301%294%3A1%3C49%3ASROTQO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W Renaissance or Prenaissance], ''Journal of the History of Ideas'', Vol. 4, No. 1. (Jan., 1943), pp. 69-74.</ref>
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| − | * The Italian poet [[Petrarch]] wrote that on [[April 26]], [[1336]] he, together with his brother and two servants, climbed to the top of [[Mont Ventoux]] (1,909 m). His [[Ascent of Mont Ventoux|account of the trip]] was composed later as a letter to his friend [[Dionigi di Borgo San Sepolcro]].<ref>The Ascent of Mount Ventoux http://www.idehist.uu.se/distans/ilmh/Ren/ren-pet-ventoux.htm http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/petrarch-ventoux.html http://petrarch.petersadlon.com/read_letters.html?s=pet17.html</ref>
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| − | * The [[Rochemelon]] (3,538 m) in the Italian [[Alps]] was climbed in 1358.
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| − | * In the late 1400s and early 1500s ascents were made of numerous high peaks in the [[Andes]], for religious purposes by the citizens of the [[Inca Empire]] and their subjects. They constructed platforms, houses and altars on many summits and carried out sacrifices, including [[human sacrifices]]. The highest peak they are known for certain to have climbed is [[Llullaillaco]] (6,739 m). They may also have ascended the highest peak in the Andes, [[Aconcagua]] (6,962 m) as a sacrifice victim has been found at over 5,000 m on this peak.<ref name="isbn0-8160-2581-9">{{cite book |author=Cameron, Ian |title=Kingdom of the Sun God: a history of the Andes and their people |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |year=1990 |pages=174-175 |isbn=0-8160-2581-9 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref>
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| − | * In 1492 the ascent of [[Mont Aiguille]] was made by order of [[Charles VIII of France]]. The [[Humanism|Humanists]] of the 16th century adopted a new attitude towards mountains, but the disturbed state of Europe nipped in the bud the nascent mountaineering of the Zurich school.
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| − | * [[Leonardo da Vinci]] climbed to a snow-field in the neighborhood of [[Monte Rosa]] and made scientific observations.
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| − | * In 1642 [[Darby Field]] made the first recorded ascent of [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]], then known as Agiocochook, in [[New Hampshire]].
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| − | * [[Konrad Gesner]] and [[Josias Simler]] of [[Zurich]] visited and described mountains, and made regular ascents. The use of [[ice axe]] and rope were locally invented at this time. No mountain expeditions of note are recorded in the 17th century.
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| − | * [[Richard Pococke]] and [[William Windham, Sr.|William Windham]]'s historic visit to [[Chamonix]] was made in 1741, and set the trend for visiting [[glacier]]s.
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| − | * In 1744 the Titus was climbed, the first true ascent of a snow-mountain.
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| − | * The first attempt to ascend [[Mont Blanc]] was made in 1775 by a party of natives. In 1786 Dr [[Michel Paccard]] and [[Jacques Balmat]] gained the summit for the first time. [[Horace-Bénédict de Saussure]], the initiator of the first ascent followed next year.
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| − | * The [[Norway|Norwegian]] mountain climber, [[Jens Esmark]] was the first person to ascend [[Snøhetta]] in 1798, part of the [[Dovrefjell|Dovrefjell range]] in Southern [[Norway]]. The same year he lead the first expedition to [[Bitihorn]], a small mountain in the southernmost outskirts of [[Jotunheimen]], Norway. In 1810 he was the first person to ascend [[Gaustatoppen|Mount Gaustatoppen]] in [[Telemark]], Norway.
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| − | * The [[Grossglockner]] was climbed in 1800, the [[Ortler]] in 1804, the [[Jungfrau]] in 1811, the [[Finsteraarhorn]] in 1812, and the [[Breithorn]] in 1813. Thereafter, tourists showed a tendency to climb, and the body of Alpine guides began to come into existence as a consequence.
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| − | * Aconcagua (22,831 feet), the highest peak of the Andes was first climbed in 1897 and the Grand Teton (13,747 feet)in North America's Rocky Mountains was ascended in 1898.
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| − | * The Italian Duke of the Abruzzi in 1897 made the first ascent on Mount St.Elias (18,009 feet) which stands at the boundary of Alaska and Canada and in 1906 successfully climbed Margherita in the Ruwenzori group (16,795 feet) in East Africa. In 1913, an American,Hudson Stuck ascended Mount Mckinley (20,320 feet) in Alaska, the highest peak in North America.
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| − | * [[Citlaltépetl]] (5720 m in [[Mexico]]) was first climbed in 1848 by F. Maynard & G. Reynolds.
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| − | [[Image:Owen Glynne Jones 12.jpg|350px|thumb|Mountaineers circa 1900]]
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| − | * Systematic mountaineering, as a sport, is usually dated from Sir [[Alfred Wills]]'s ascent of the [[Wetterhorn]] in 1854. The first ascent of [[Monte Rosa]] was made in 1855.
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| − | * The [[Alpine Club (UK)|Alpine Club]] was founded in London in 1857, and was soon imitated in most European countries. [[Edward Whymper]]'s ascent of the [[Matterhorn]] in 1865 marked the close of the main period of Alpine conquest – the [[Golden age of alpinism]] – during which the craft of climbing was invented and 'perfected', the body of professional guides formed and their traditions fixed.
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| − | * Passing to other ranges, the exploration of the [[Pyrenees]] was concurrent with that of the Alps. The [[Caucasus]] followed, mainly owing to the initiative of [[D. W. Freshfield]]; it was first visited by exploring climbers in 1868, and most of its great peaks were climbed by 1888.
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| − | * The [[Edelweiss Club Salzburg]] was founded in Salzburg in 1881, and had 3 members make the first ascent on two [[Eight-thousanders]], [[Broad Peak]] (1957) and [[Dhaulagiri]] (1960).
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| − | * Trained climbers turned their attention to the mountains of [[North America]] in 1888, when the Rev. W. S. Green made an expedition to the [[Selkirk Mountains]]. From that time exploration has gone on apace, and many English and American climbing parties have surveyed most of the highest peaks; [[Pikes Peak]] (14,110 ft) having been climbed by Mr. E. James and party in 1820, and [[Mount Saint Elias|Mt. Saint Elias]] (18,008 ft) by the [[Duke of the Abruzzi]] and party in 1897. The exploration of the highest [[Andes]] was begun in 1879-1880, when Whymper climbed [[Chimborazo (volcano)|Chimborazo]] and explored the mountains of [[Ecuador]]. The [[American cordillera|Cordillera]] between Chile and Argentina was visited by [[Paul Güssfeldt|Dr. Gussfeldt]] in 1883, who ascended [[Maipo (volcano)|Maipo]] (17,270 ft) and attempted [[Aconcagua]] (22,841 ft). That peak was first climbed by the Fitzgerald expedition in 1897.
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| − | * The [[Andes]] of [[Bolivia]] were first explored by Sir [[William Martin Conway]] in 1898. Chilean and Argentine expeditions revealed the structure of the southern Cordillera in the years 1885-1898. Conway visited the mountains of [[Tierra del Fuego]].
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| − | * [[New Zealand]]'s [[Southern Alps]] were first visited in 1882 by the Rev. W. S. Green, and shortly afterwards a New Zealand Alpine Club was founded, and by their activities the exploration of the range was pushed forward. In 1895, [[Major Edward Arthur Fitzgerald]], made an important journey in this range. Tom Fyfe and party climbed [[Aoraki/Mount Cook]] on Christmas Day 1894, denying Fitzgerald the first ascent. Fitzgerald was en route from Britain with Swiss guide [[Matthias Zurbriggen]] to claim the peak. So piqued at being beaten to the top of Mount Cook, he refused to climb it and concentrated on other peaks in the area. Later in the trip Zubriggen soloed Mount Cook up a ridge that now bears his name.
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| − | * The first mountains of the [[arctic]] region explored were those of [[Spitsbergen]] by Sir W. M. Conway's expeditions in 1896 and 1897.
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| − | * Of the high African peaks, [[Kilimanjaro]] was climbed in 1889 by Dr. [[Hans Meyer]], [[Mount Kenya|Mt. Kenya]] in 1899 by [[Halford John Mackinder]]<ref name=mackinder>{{cite journal
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| − | | last = Mackinder
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| − | | first = Halford John
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| − | | authorlink = Halford John Mackinder
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| − | | year = 1900
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| − | | month = May
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| − | | title = A Journey to the Summit of Mount Kenya, British East Africa
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| − | | journal = The Geographical Journal
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| − | | volume = 15
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| − | | issue = 5
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| − | | pages = 453–476
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| − | | doi = 10.2307/1774261
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| − | | url = http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0016-7398%28190005%2915%3A5%3C453%3AAJTTSO%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Y
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| − |
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| − | | accessdate = 2007-05-28
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| − | }}</ref>, and a peak of [[Ruwenzori]] by H. J. Moore in 1900.
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| − | * The Asiatic mountains were initially surveyed on orders of the [[British Empire]]. In 1892 Sir [[William Martin Conway]] explored the [[Karakoram]] [[Himalaya]], and climbed a peak of {{convert|23000|ft|m|abbr=on}} In 1895 [[Albert F. Mummery]] died while attempting [[Nanga Parbat]], while in 1899 D. W. Freshfield took an expedition to the snowy regions of [[Sikkim]]. In 1899, 1903, 1906 and 1908 Mrs [[Fannie Bullock Workman]] made ascents in the Himalayas, including one of the [[Nun Kun]] peaks (23,300 ft). A number of [[Gurkha]] sepoys were trained as expert mountaineers by Major the Hon. C. G. Bruce, and a good deal of exploration was accomplished by them.
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| − | * The [[Sierra Club]] was founded by [[John Muir]] in [[San Francisco]], [[California]] in 1892.<ref>Cohen, Michael P., The History of the Sierra Club 1892-1970 (Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 1988) ISBN 0-87156-732-6</ref>
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| − | * [[The Rucksack Club]] was founded in [[Manchester]], England in 1902.
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| − | * The [[American Alpine Club]] was founded in 1902.
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| − | * In 1902, the Eckenstein-Crowley Expedition, led by mountaineer [[Oscar Eckenstein]] and occultist [[Aleister Crowley]], was the first to attempt to scale Chogo Ri (now known as [[K2]] in the west). They reached {{convert|22000|ft|m}} before turning back due to weather and other mishaps.
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| − | * In 1905, Aleister Crowley led the first expedition to [[Kangchenjunga]], the third highest mountain in the world. Four members of that party were killed in an avalanche. Some claims say they reached around {{convert|21300|ft|m}} before turning back, however Crowley's autobiography claims they reached about {{convert|25000|ft|m}}.
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| − | * A few [[Summer Olympic Games|Olympics]] in the 1920s included prizes for alpinism, but these were discontinued after World War II. <ref>[http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/about/events.html Which Events are Olympic?] Olympics at Sports Reference.com, 2008</ref>
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| − | *The British made several attempts in the 1920s to climb [[Mount Everest]]. The first in 1921 was more of an exploratory expedition but the [[British Mount Everest Expedition 1922|1922 expedition]] reached {{convert|8320|m|ft|-1}} before being aborted on the third summit attempt after seven porters were killed in an avalanche. The [[British Mount Everest Expedition 1922|1924 expedition]] saw another height record achieved but still failed to reach the summit when [[George Mallory]] and [[Andrew Irvine (mountaineer)|Andrew Irvine]] disappeared on the final attempt.
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| − | * 1938 saw the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger by Andreas Heckmair, Wiggerl Vorg, Fritz Kasperak and Heinrich Harrer. This route was feted as the "last great problem of the Alps" (one of several).
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| − | * The 1950s saw the first ascents of all the [[eight-thousander]]s but two, starting with [[Annapurna]] in 1950 by [[Maurice Herzog]] and [[Louis Lachenal]]. The world's highest mountain (above mean sea level), [[Mount Everest]] (8,848 m) was first climbed on [[May 29]] [[1953]] by [[Edmund Hillary|Sir Edmund Hillary]] and [[Tenzing Norgay]] from the south side in [[Nepal]]. Just a few months later, [[Hermann Buhl]] made the first ascent of [[Nanga Parbat]] (8,125 m), a siege style expedition culminating in a remarkable solo push for the summit, it's the only eight-thousander to be summited solo on the first ascent. [[K2]] (8,611 m), the second highest peak in the world was first scaled in 1954. In 1964, the final eight-thousander to be climbed was [[Shishapangma]] (8,013 m), the lowest of all the 8,000 metre peaks.
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| | | | |
| − | ==Further reading==
| + | <!--T:10--> |
| − | *Sherry B. Ortner, ''Life & Death on Mt. Everest: Sherpas & Himalayan Mountaineer'' (Princeton University Press, 1999).
| + | True ice slopes are rare in Europe, though common in mountains in the tropics, where newly-fallen snow quickly thaws on the surface and becomes sodden below, so that the next night's frost turns the whole mass into a sheet of semi-solid ice. |
| − | *[[Maurice Isserman]] and Stewart Weaver, ''Fallen Giants: The History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes'' (Yale University Press, 2008). ISBN 978-0300115017
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| − | ==See also== | + | ====Snow slopes==== <!--T:11--> |
| − | * [[List of climbers]]
| + | [[Image:Hauteroute-alps-seabhcan.jpg|thumb|300px|Part of the Haute Route between France and Switzerland; two alpinists can be seen following the trail in the snow.]] |
| − | * [[Ski mountaineering]]
| + | Snow slopes are very common, and usually easy to ascend. At the foot of a snow or ice slope is generally a big crevasse, called a ''bergschrund'', where the final slope of the mountain rises from a snow-field or glacier. Such ''bergschrunds'' are generally too wide to be stepped across, and must be crossed by a snow bridge, which needs careful testing and a painstaking use of the rope. A steep snow slope in bad condition may be dangerous, as the whole body of snow may start as an avalanche. Such slopes are less dangerous if ascended directly, rather than obliquely, for an oblique or horizontal track cuts them across and facilitates movement of the mass. New snow lying on ice is especially dangerous. Experience is needed for deciding on the advisability of advancing over snow in doubtful condition. Snow on rocks is usually rotten unless it is thick; snow on snow is likely to be sound. A day or two of fine weather will usually bring new snow into sound condition. Snow cannot lie at a very steep angle, though it often deceives the eye as to its slope. Snow slopes seldom exceed 40°. Ice slopes may be much steeper. Snow slopes in early morning are usually hard and safe, but the same in the afternoon are quite soft and possibly dangerous; hence the advantage of an early start. |
| − | * [[Glossary of climbing terms]]
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| − | * [[List of climbing topics]]
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| − | * [[Mountain rescue]]
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| − | * [[Peak bagging]]
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| − | * [[Highest unclimbed mountain]]
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| − | * [[Mountain hut]]
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| − | * [[The Mountaineers (Pacific NW)]]
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| − | * [[Outdoor education]]
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| − | * [[Lead climbing]]
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| − | * [[Rope access]]
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| − | * [[UIAA]] - International Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing
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| − | *[[California Mountaineering Group]]
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| − | *[[Mountain film]]
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| − | *[[Golden age of alpinism]]
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| − | * [[Hassan sadpara]]
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| − | ==References== | + | ====Crevasses==== <!--T:12--> |
| − | {{reflist|2}}
| + | Crevasses are the slits or deep chasms formed in the substance of a glacier as it passes over an uneven bed. They may be open or hidden. In the lower part of a glacier the crevasses are open. Above the snow-line they are frequently hidden by arched-over accumulations of winter snow. The detection of hidden crevasses requires care and experience. After a fresh fall of snow they can only be detected by sounding with the pole of the ice axe, or by looking to right and left where the open extension of a partially hidden crevasse may be obvious. The safeguard against accident is the rope, and no one should ever cross a snow-covered glacier unless roped to one, or even better to two companions. Anyone venturing onto crevasses should be trained in crevasse rescue. |
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| − | ==External links== | + | ====Weather==== <!--T:13--> |
| − | {{commons|Mountaineering|Mountaineering}}
| + | The primary dangers caused by bad weather centre around the changes it causes in snow and rock conditions, making movement suddenly much more arduous and hazardous than under normal circumstances. Whiteouts make it difficult to retrace a route while rain may prevent taking the easiest line only determined as such under dry conditions. In a storm the mountaineer who uses a compass for guidance has a great advantage over a merely empirical observer. In large snow-fields it is, of course, easier to go wrong than on rocks, but intelligence and experience are the best guides in safely navigating objective hazards. |
| − | *[http://climber.org/data/glossary.html A Climber's Glossary]
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| − | *[http://www.theuiaa.org International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UIAA)] - official organization of mountaineering and climbing recognized by International Olympic Committee - IOC
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| − | *[http://www.thebmc.co.uk/ British Mountaineering Council]
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| − | *[http://www.mcofs.org.uk/home.asp Mountaineering Council of Scotland]
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| | + | <!--T:14--> |
| | + | Summer thunderstorms may produce intense lightning. If a climber happens to be standing on or near the summit, they risk being struck. There are many cases where people have been struck by lightning while climbing mountains. In most mountainous regions, local storms develop by late morning and early afternoon. Many climbers will get an "alpine start"; that is before or by first light so as to be on the way down when storms are intensifying in activity and lightning and other weather hazards are a distinct threat to safety. High winds can speed the onset of hypothermia, as well as damage equipment such as tents used for shelter. Under certain conditions, storms can also create waterfalls which can slow or stop climbing progress. A notable example is the "Foen" wind acting upon the Eiger. |
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| − | {{Adventure travel}}
| + | ====Altitude==== <!--T:15--> |
| | + | Rapid ascent can lead to altitude sickness. The best treatment is to descend immediately. The climber's motto at high altitude is "climb high, sleep low", referring to the regimen of climbing higher to acclimatize but returning to lower elevation to sleep. |
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| − | [[Category:Mountaineering| ]]
| + | <!--T:16--> |
| − | [[Category:Climbing techniques]]
| + | Common symptoms of altitude sickness include severe headache, sleep problems, nausea, lack of appetite, lethargy and body ache. Mountain sickness may progress to HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) and HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema), both of which can be fatal within 24 hours. |
| − | [[Category:Climbing]]
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| − | <!-- interwiki --> | + | <!--T:17--> |
| − | [[az:Alpinizm]]
| + | In high mountains, atmospheric pressure is lower and this means that less oxygen is available to breathe. This is the underlying cause of altitude sickness. Everyone needs to acclimatize, even exceptional mountaineers that have been to high altitude before. Generally speaking, mountaineers start using bottled oxygen when they climb above 7,000 m. Exceptional mountaineers have climbed 8000-meter peaks (including Everest) without oxygen, almost always with a carefully planned program of acclimatization. |
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Falling rocks
Rocky mountains tend to be hazardous.
Every rock mountain is slowly disintegrating due to erosion, the process being especially rapid above the snow-line. Rock faces are constantly swept by falling stones, which may be possible to dodge. Falling rocks tend to form furrows in a mountain face, and these furrows (couloirs) have to be ascended with caution, their sides often being safe when the middle is stoneswept. Rocks fall more frequently on some days than on others, according to the recent weather. Ice formed during the night may temporarily bind rocks to the face but warmth of the day or lubricating water from melting snow or rain may easily dislodge these rocks. Local experience is a valuable help on determining typical rockfall on such routes.
The direction of the dip of rock strata sometimes determines the degree of danger on a particular face; the character of the rock must also be considered. Where stones fall frequently debris will be found below, while on snow slopes falling stones cut furrows visible from a great distance. In planning an ascent of a new peak or an unfamiliar route, mountaineers must look for such traces. When falling stones get mixed in considerable quantity with slushy snow or water a mud avalanche is formed (common in the Himalaya). It is vital to avoid camping in their possible line of fall.
Falling ice
The places where ice may fall can always be determined beforehand. It falls in the broken parts of glaciers (seracs) and from overhanging cornices formed on the crests of narrow ridges. Large icicles are often formed on steep rock faces, and these fall frequently in fine weather following cold and stormy days. They have to be avoided like falling stones. Seracs are slow in formation, and slow in arriving (by glacier motion) at a condition of unstable equilibrium. They generally fall in or just after the hottest part of the day. A skillful and experienced ice-man will usually devise a safe route through a most intricate ice-fall, but such places should be avoided in the afternoon of a hot day. Hanging glaciers (i.e. glaciers perched on steep slopes) often discharge themselves over steep rock-faces, the snout breaking off at intervals. They can always be detected by their debris below. Their track should be avoided.
Falls from rocks
The skill of a rock climber is shown by one's choice of handhold and foothold, and their adhesion to those once they have chosen. Much depends on a correct estimate of the firmness of the rock where weight is to be thrown upon it. Many loose rocks are quite firm enough to bear a person's weight, but experience is needed to know which can be trusted, and skill is required in transferring the weight to them without jerking. On rotten rocks the rope must be handled with special care, lest it should dislodge loose stones on to those below. Similar care must be given to handholds and footholds, for the same reason. When a horizontal traverse has to be made across very difficult rocks, a dangerous situation may arise unless at both ends of the traverse there are firm positions. Mutual assistance on hard rocks takes all manner of forms: two, or even three, people climbing on one another's shoulders, or using an ice axe propped up by others for a foothold. The great principle is that of co-operation, all the members of the party climbing with reference to the others, and not as independent units; each when moving must know what the climber in front and the one behind are doing. After bad weather steep rocks are often found covered with a veneer of ice (verglas), which may even render them inaccessible. Crampons are useful on such occasions.
Avalanches
The avalanche is the most underestimated danger in the mountains. People generally think that they will be able to recognize the hazards and survive being caught. The truth is a somewhat different story. Every year, 120 - 150 people die in small avalanches in the Alps alone. The vast majority are reasonably experienced male skiers aged 20–35 but also include ski instructors and guides. There is always a lot of pressure to risk a snow crossing. Turning back takes a lot of extra time and effort, supreme leadership, and most importantly there seldom is an avalanche to prove the right decision was made. Making the decision to turn around is especially hard if others are crossing the slope, but the next person could become the trigger.
Dangerous slides are most likely to occur on the same slopes preferred by many skiers: long and wide open, few trees or large rocks, 30 to 45 degrees of angle, large load of fresh snow, soon after a big storm, on a slope 'lee to the storm'. Solar radiation can trigger slides as well. These will typically be a point release or wet slough type of avalanche. The added weight of the wet slide can trigger a slab avalanche. Ninety percent of reported victims are caught in avalanches triggered by themselves or others in their group.
When going off-piste or travelling in alpine terrain, parties are advised to always carry:
- avalanche beacon
- probe
- shovel (retrieving victims with a shovel instead of your hands is five times faster)
It is also important to have had avalanche training! Paradoxically, expert skiers who have avalanche training make up a large percentage of avalanche fatalities; perhaps because they are the ones more likely to ski in areas prone to avalanches, and certainly because most people do not practice enough with their equipment to be truly fast and efficient rescuers.
Even with proper rescue equipment and training, there is a one-in-five chance of dying if caught in a significant avalanche, and only a 50/50 chance of being found alive if buried more than a few minutes. The best solution is to learn how to avoid risky conditions.
Ice slopes
Mountaineers descending mixed rock, snow and ice slope in winter High Tatras.
For travel on slopes consisting of ice or hard snow, crampons are a standard part of a mountaineer's equipment. While step-cutting can sometimes be used on snow slopes of moderate angle, this can be a slow and tiring process, which does not provide the higher security of crampons. However, in soft snow or powder, crampons are easily hampered by balling of snow, which reduces their effectiveness. In either case, an ice axe not only assists with balance but provides the climber with the possibility of self-arrest in case of a slip or fall. On a true ice slope however, an ice axe is rarely able to effect a self-arrest. As an additional safety precaution on steep ice slopes, the climbing rope is attached to ice screws buried into the ice.
True ice slopes are rare in Europe, though common in mountains in the tropics, where newly-fallen snow quickly thaws on the surface and becomes sodden below, so that the next night's frost turns the whole mass into a sheet of semi-solid ice.
Snow slopes
Part of the Haute Route between France and Switzerland; two alpinists can be seen following the trail in the snow.
Snow slopes are very common, and usually easy to ascend. At the foot of a snow or ice slope is generally a big crevasse, called a bergschrund, where the final slope of the mountain rises from a snow-field or glacier. Such bergschrunds are generally too wide to be stepped across, and must be crossed by a snow bridge, which needs careful testing and a painstaking use of the rope. A steep snow slope in bad condition may be dangerous, as the whole body of snow may start as an avalanche. Such slopes are less dangerous if ascended directly, rather than obliquely, for an oblique or horizontal track cuts them across and facilitates movement of the mass. New snow lying on ice is especially dangerous. Experience is needed for deciding on the advisability of advancing over snow in doubtful condition. Snow on rocks is usually rotten unless it is thick; snow on snow is likely to be sound. A day or two of fine weather will usually bring new snow into sound condition. Snow cannot lie at a very steep angle, though it often deceives the eye as to its slope. Snow slopes seldom exceed 40°. Ice slopes may be much steeper. Snow slopes in early morning are usually hard and safe, but the same in the afternoon are quite soft and possibly dangerous; hence the advantage of an early start.
Crevasses
Crevasses are the slits or deep chasms formed in the substance of a glacier as it passes over an uneven bed. They may be open or hidden. In the lower part of a glacier the crevasses are open. Above the snow-line they are frequently hidden by arched-over accumulations of winter snow. The detection of hidden crevasses requires care and experience. After a fresh fall of snow they can only be detected by sounding with the pole of the ice axe, or by looking to right and left where the open extension of a partially hidden crevasse may be obvious. The safeguard against accident is the rope, and no one should ever cross a snow-covered glacier unless roped to one, or even better to two companions. Anyone venturing onto crevasses should be trained in crevasse rescue.
Weather
The primary dangers caused by bad weather centre around the changes it causes in snow and rock conditions, making movement suddenly much more arduous and hazardous than under normal circumstances. Whiteouts make it difficult to retrace a route while rain may prevent taking the easiest line only determined as such under dry conditions. In a storm the mountaineer who uses a compass for guidance has a great advantage over a merely empirical observer. In large snow-fields it is, of course, easier to go wrong than on rocks, but intelligence and experience are the best guides in safely navigating objective hazards.
Summer thunderstorms may produce intense lightning. If a climber happens to be standing on or near the summit, they risk being struck. There are many cases where people have been struck by lightning while climbing mountains. In most mountainous regions, local storms develop by late morning and early afternoon. Many climbers will get an "alpine start"; that is before or by first light so as to be on the way down when storms are intensifying in activity and lightning and other weather hazards are a distinct threat to safety. High winds can speed the onset of hypothermia, as well as damage equipment such as tents used for shelter. Under certain conditions, storms can also create waterfalls which can slow or stop climbing progress. A notable example is the "Foen" wind acting upon the Eiger.
Altitude
Rapid ascent can lead to altitude sickness. The best treatment is to descend immediately. The climber's motto at high altitude is "climb high, sleep low", referring to the regimen of climbing higher to acclimatize but returning to lower elevation to sleep.
Common symptoms of altitude sickness include severe headache, sleep problems, nausea, lack of appetite, lethargy and body ache. Mountain sickness may progress to HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema) and HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema), both of which can be fatal within 24 hours.
In high mountains, atmospheric pressure is lower and this means that less oxygen is available to breathe. This is the underlying cause of altitude sickness. Everyone needs to acclimatize, even exceptional mountaineers that have been to high altitude before. Generally speaking, mountaineers start using bottled oxygen when they climb above 7,000 m. Exceptional mountaineers have climbed 8000-meter peaks (including Everest) without oxygen, almost always with a carefully planned program of acclimatization.
