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    Rucksack Guide - Alpinism
    Rucksack Guide - Alpinism
    Rucksack Guide - Alpinism
    Ebook288 pages1 hour

    Rucksack Guide - Alpinism

    By Alun Richardson

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    About this ebook

    Rucksack Guide - Alpinism is your essential handbook
    when on the mountain. It offers concise guidance and support for
    whatever situations you might find yourself in, including:




    • technical skills: tips and reminders on the key techniques
    • the Alpine environment: dealing with hazards, altitude and avalanches
    • navigation: various techniques to help in a range of weather conditions
    • safety: essential procedures to ensure the safety of yourself, your party and others on the mountain
    • emergencies: guidance on what to do in extreme situations.



    The book is colour-coded for easy reference and all information is
    presented in lists and tables, making it simple to understand in
    testing conditions.



    The Rucksack Guide series is adapted from Mountaineering: The essential skills for mountain walkers and climbers, the definitive handbook for hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateMar 7, 2014
    ISBN9781408126004
    Rucksack Guide - Alpinism
    Author

    Alun Richardson

    Alun Richardson is an International Mountain Guide, the highest qualification for worldwide climbing, mountaineering and exploration. He is an experienced guide and tutor and regularly teaches at the National Mountaineering Centres, and internationally. He is also secretary of the British Mountain Guides Association.

    Read more from Alun Richardson

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      Book preview

      Rucksack Guide - Alpinism - Alun Richardson

      WHAT IS ALPINISM?

      Alpinism is not controlled adventure like sport climbing or climbing on a roadside crag; it is real adventure, in which you have to rely more on your awareness and judgement than your technical skills. Luckily there are challenges to suit everyone’s ambitions, experience and abilities, including glacial walking, non-technical and technical routes on low- or high-altitude mountains.

      A non-technical peak can be described as one where one axe will suffice, yet the ascent requires fitness and an understanding of objective dangers such as altitude, rock fall and avalanche. General crampon, ice axe and rope work skills are required for crossing glaciers and ascending easier snow slopes. A technical peak usually involves all of the above, as well as scrambling, rock-climbing and/or ice climbing techniques.

      Alpinism refers to mountaineering in areas such as the Rocky Mountains, the Cascades and the Sierra Nevada in the United States, and the Canadian Rockies. For UK climbers, the European Alps are a useful stepping-stone to expedition climbing, because the mountains are more remote, logistics are difficult and rescue is largely down to the climbers themselves.

      Many of the skills required for competent alpinism are the same as traditional rock climbing and winter mountaineering or climbing. They are applied here to the European Alps, but the principles also apply to alpine mountain ranges around the world.

      Fig. 1 Climbers on Peigne d’Arolla, Swiss Alps

      CLIMBING LIGHT

      CLOTHING

      Climbing quickly is the essence of safe alpinism, as you are exposed to the danger zone for less time, and it enables you to reach the summit and descend before the afternoon storms catch you. Being fit and a good climber are obvious assets, but efficiency is synonymous with climbing light – if you carry everything you are probably going to need it!

      Unlike Scotland in winter, you will experience extremes of temperature in the same day, meaning a flexible clothing system is essential. Invest in a good pair of Schoeller-type mountaineering trousers and always carry a warm hat and gloves. Consider shorts and a T-shirt for the walk to the hut. Wear combinations of layers and ventilate/remove the layers to stay dry.

      • Next to the skin Use a performance wicking fabric, such as polypropylene, that wicks perspiration away from your skin to the mid-layer. Avoid cotton.

      • Mid-layer Use a thicker synthetic fleece to hold in the heat.

      • Insulating layer A thicker fleece or a soft shell jacket is ideal for the summer. A light down jacket is a good idea for high mountain trips.

      • Waterproof layer Most of the time the weather will be good, so use lightweight waterproof shells for emergency protection.

      Fig. 2 You can save weight on nearly every piece of kit, from krabs to your rucksack. (Climbers on Monch Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.)

      BOOTS

      Boots suitable for alpine use will have room for your toes to wriggle, be stiffer and have a sharp edge to the sole for kicking into snow slopes. You can wear a pair of running shoes for the hut walk (leave them at the hut if you are coming back the same way).

      To make the issue of boot/crampon compatibility more straightforward, boots and crampons can be graded according to their basic design and intended use. However, not all manufacturers follow the system designed by Scarpa (Fig. 6).

      BOOT COMPATIBILITY

      Graded B0 to B3, dependent on the stiffness of the sole and the support provided by the uppers:

      • B0 Flexible walking boots. Any boot that can be bent more than half an inch when standing on the front edge will be less suitable for use with all crampon types.

      • B1 Stiff mountain walking boots suitable only for use with C1 crampons (see here).

      • B2 Very stiff mountaineering boots suitable only for use with C1 or C2 crampons.

      • B3 Fully rigid, winter climbing and mountaineering boots suitable for use with C1, C2 or C3 crampons.

      Fig. 3 A sturdy pair of boots with room for your toes to wriggle is essential for warmth and stability on snow.

      LOOKING AFTER YOUR FEET

      Feet have little muscle bulk and it is much easier to keep them warm than to warm them up.

      • On long belays, avoid standing on snow, weight your feet equally and stamp your feet when they start to chill.

      • Try to minimise the body closing down the extremities by dressing according to the route and climate, and don't scrimp on leg protection.

      • Keep your feet dry, even if it means changing your socks during the day.

      • Wear gaiters (see here).

      • Foot powder with aluminium hydroxide can help to reduce perspiration.

      For information on vapour barrier liners see Rucksack Guide: Mountaineering in Remote Areas of the World (A&C Black, 2009).

      Fig. 4 The development of frostbite at 30 hours; 4 days; 35 days; 75 days; 178 days (post-op); and 250 days.

      Fig. 5 Alpine boots must be able to cope with walking to huts and climbing on technical rock, snow and ice.

      CRAMPONS

      Crampons and boots make an integral unit – using the wrong type of crampon on the wrong type of boot can break them or cause them to fall off the boot.

      Crampons are graded C1 to C3, depending on their attachment method and flexibility. When buying crampons, always take your boots with

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