When out walking, camping, climbing, etc. what is the highest you've been in?
I reckon I've been at around, steady 100mph with gusts of around 130ish+ mph.
Even with a rucksack of about 12kg, two climbing axes and crampons, was on my belly and still nearly getting blown off!! and in the 'dead' zone of the lee side of ridge.
One of the scariest things I've ever been in. Thought I was going to get blown off before I could get off ridge to relative safety. The storm came up so quick and out of nowhere, when we set off it was sunny and not a breath of wind.
This was on Alp du Midi, 3rd March, 6yrs ago, ( I think, usless at remembering dates).
I tried to get through the 'Keyhole' on Long's Peak in Colorado and found it quite impossible because of the wind coming the other way. My pal also tried and failed, as did four other big strapping American guys. I'd never come across wind like it, but after resting for a few minutes I figured I'd give it another go. This wasn't a 'walk', because it was impossible to stand up, and I finally got through partly by crawling and mostly by chucking my entire weight against the wind. The great thing about getting onto the other side of the ridge was that the wind pretty much held me against the rock. I don't think I could have fallen even if I'd tried to throw myself down the mountain. I kept looking back to see if anyone else was going to follow me, and after several minutes my pal and two of the American guys got through. No idea how windy it was, but it was clearly more than anything else I've ever experienced.
nantle ridge 2yr ago 112mph gusts trashed 3 tent and could have easily been 5 had we not dropped 2.. Mates thermarest,Alpkit bag and other bits dissapeard into the night never to be seen again...the wind was worse below in the valley on our walk out in the middle of the night..fun tho ..only red tents survived?? Strange but true!
Carn Pica on the way to Fan y Big in the central beacons. As we crested the slope we had to crawl on our hands and knees for a few minutes the wind was that bad. Didnt have an anenometer on me so dont know the exact windspeed but it was the strongest I have ever encountered. Absolutely phenomenal
Walking the Carneddau ridge in the late eighties, almost everyone in our group (Venture Scouts and leaders) got blown over at least once - even slightly lardy, middle aged men! We ended up roping up a couple of the smaller-lighter members for their own comfort. No-one wasbadly injured, but we had a few bruises from falling over.
The day had started out really well, frosty, and clear, and the wind only whipped up quite late on - had we been expecting that, I would probably have proposed a lower level route.
We started the Snowdon Horseshoe in high winds many years ago. Foolishly, we decided to go over Crib Goch! We could hear the gusts approaching across the cwm, so it at least gave us time to flatten ourselves against the crest. The point where you cross from the south side to the north was terrifying - there appeared to be a vortex blowing through the gap.
Things got even worse at the col before Crib y Ddysgl, where we were reduced to crawling. We finally got to the marker stone at the top of the miners track after 5 hours! One of our party actually wanted to carry on to the top but with one person with a cut leg, and one seeming on the verge of hyperthermia, I insisted we retreat down the miners track.
I thought we could now relax, but after 200yds, a huge gust lifted two of us off of our feet and deposited us down the scree towards Glaslyn. We were lucky that we only had some minor cuts and bruises.
We subsequently found out the wind was 45mph with 90mph gusts, although apparently it takes 100mph to lift a human up.
At the time , it was a real trial, but has given us all a good anecdote. We make an annual trip round the horseshoe every winter, but we've since skipped Crib Goch if there's any other than a moderate win.
The chap who I was concerned about with hyperthermia, was fine. I found out later, that this was his first ever mountain. As far as we know he has never set foot on one since!
I got blown off my feet a couple of times in a blizzard on a ridge near my house here in the alps. I set off in the dark to photograph the sunrise and underestimated the severity of the weather. Luckily I got caught on the ridge rather than the top of the mountain I was aiming for. There were gusts of 180kph that day apparently so I'm guessing that that was more or less the speed of wind that hit me. I had to sit it out behind a rock because the gusts were so umpredictable and strong, almost no wind and then suddenly a wall of the stuff. The thing that surprised me, apart from the sheer impact of it adn the noise, was how it swept my legs out from beneath me rather than push me over bodily. I'd have thought my torso would have offered more resistance. Either way I flew a few metres though the dog just got skimmed over the snow. Rather unpleasant sensation of suffocation lying on the ground as I had to stay head into the wind to avoid my jacket balooning up whilst holding onto the dog.
Myself and 2 other OMers did Bynack More in the Cairngorms a couple of years ago. The Cairngorm weather station measured 114mph winds that day. Tosh Potty couldn't make the final 100 metres along the ridge to the summit, as the poor wee thing was too light. She was blown over as soon as she left the shelter of a rock formation on the ridge. She would probably make it nowadays, as she has been drinking 18 pints of turnip wine a day.
I am slightly heavier, and remember having to retreat from the hills in Glen Lyon many years ago. As soon as i summited the ridge, i was blown over. I couldn't even crawl. No idea of the windspeed, but i'm guessing it was way above 114mph!
Not the stongest wind...but the most unexpected....
Poodled up Ingleborough with a mate and sat in the lee of the shelter for lunch. Lunch finished, I was ready but matey wanted to stick his crampons on (big fuss pot I thought...see yah later I said as I went round the corner).
Seconds later I unrolled from the windblown ball I had become and crawled back into the lee of the shelter
All matey said was
"wind got up?"
Strongest wind...Mourne Mountains, Slieve Bearnagh. Jumped on a mate after he became airborn
The west was hit with 75mph winds at sea level, knocking train carriages off the tracks,
Unfortunately for myself i was on the top of Ben Lawers when the storm hit!
I got smashed to bleeding bits! It tore gear off my rucksack, which just flew off towards Loch Tay, totally impossible to stand up, just dug in my crampons and ice axe and hit the deck.
End up decending flat on my back or like a Border Collie with worms. I was very happy to make it back to the car that day, i was black and blue with heavy brusing from holding on to my ice axe which just stopped me from being blown away.
The winds in the Mournes can be surprisingly strong. Hare's Gap is an example, Slieves Meelmore, Meelbeg and Binnian, can also be very 'interesting', when it's blowing a 'hoolie'. Windy Gap is well named, will surprise you just how high the wind can be.
As an aside, I've never be blown over or lifted off the ground, which when you realise, as some OM's know, I'm short, skinny and light. I weigh about 9st at my heavest. Strange! Weird! May because I'm closer to the ground, the wind dosen't affect me as much, less surface area for wind to 'catch'. I don't know, be interesting to know if other small OM'ers have found the same thing?
..only red tents survived?? Strange but true!
