In the current winter conditions, it's all too easy to find yourself in
a crisis situation - winter mountains are cold and potentially
dangerous places that for all their stunning beauty, can also be lethal
if you lack the skills and experience to cope with the conditions.
We can't hope to tell you everything you need to know, but here are a
few pointers to help you keep the balance in your favour.
Before You Go
Preparation
and planning are vital. Check weather forecasts and, if you're heading
out on Scottish hills, have a look at the latest avalance warnings. If
the forecast is bad then consider changing your route accordingly or
perhaps even cancelling the day. If winter conditions are forecast,.
make sure you all have the right clothing and equipment, which may
include axe and crampons.
Have a think in advance about contingency plans. Are there points where
you can cut the day short if needed? Is there a bothy en route and if
so, is it definitely still there? Think about how experienced and
strong your party is and whether it's up to what you're planning.
Remember that walking on snow slows you down and wearing crampons can
take another 10 per-cent off your speed, so don't bite off more than
you can chew.
Mountain weather:
www.mwis.org.uk
Avalanche information: www.sais.gov.uk
Lakes Weatherline: www.lake-district.gov.uk
Tell Someone Where You've Gone
Ideally you should leave your route details
with a reliable friend or contact and agree a plan of action if you
don't return by a certain time. That might mean if you're not back by,
say, 9 o'clock, they alert Mountain Rescue. Be specific.
Ask Instructor Girl
- What to do if your friend doesn't come off
the hill?
Things To Tale With You...
There's an old adage that if you carry enough kit to
survive a benightment, then you'll probably move so slowly that you'll
be benighted. There's a little bit of truth in that, but in winter,
there are things that could save your life and are well worth the extra
weight.
A
survival bag or a group shelter are essential. Our favourite is the
Blizzard Bag which combines wind and water proofing with insulation.
Spare insulation layers could save your life, perhaps an extra fleece
or a filled garment and a spare hat. Some groups carry a sleeping bag
just in case. Spare food is crucial.
A head torch and whistle for emergency use are essential. Add in a
First Aid kit spare map, just in case, compass and a mobile phone. With
the latter, bear in mind that in mountain areas, reception can be very
patchy, so don't rely on the phone. And don't forget to charge it in
advance, especially as batteries lose power in very cold conditions.
Ask Instructor Girl - What do I need in my first aid kit?
Buyers' Guide - Survival Aids
OM Basics - What To Carry In Your Winter Pack
Hypothemia and Cold
Hypothermia is arguably the biggest danger in winter conditions. In
simple terms, if you lose more heat than you're generating, eventually
your core body temperature will start to drop, you become
uncoordinated, clumsy, slur your words and eventually lose
consciousness and die.
Often
hypothermic people will deny that there's a problem which makes it
essential to keep a close eye on one another - uncontrollable shivering
is an early sign that things aren't right. If you're alone, you need to
be particularly careful as impaired judgement makes it hard to make
decisions.
If you're with someone who goes hypothermic, stop immediately, get them
into some kind of shelter and re-warm using warm, dry clothing, food
and hot drinks. Put them in a sleeping bag if you have one and insulate
them from the ground. If they recover, you may be able to walk them out
carefully. Alternatively it may be time to call for outside assistance.
OM Health and Fitness - Coping With Cold
In An Accident Situation
If
one of your party has an accident, then you have decisions to make -
stay calm and make a careful assessment of the situation after treating
the casualty and making him or her as warm and comfortable as possible.
You need to consider the state of the rest of the party, terrain,
weather conditions and so on before deciding on a course of action.
You may be able to help the casualty out on your own or with the
assistance of other walkers and climbers in the area or you may need to
call on outside assistance from Mountain Rescue.
Getting Help
Mobile phones have made it much easier to call Mountain
Rescue, simply dial 999 and
ask
for the police who will then alert the appropriate rescue team. Then
leave your phone on so you can be contacted if needed. You can't rely
on a mobile phone though, reception in mountains is patchy and
batteries can die in the cold.
Signals are another alternative - whistle blasts or torch flashes
repeated six times at minute intervals are an internationally
recognised signal.
In some situations, you may want to send members of your party to call
help. If you do that, ideally the party should comprise two people and
you shouldn't leave the casualty alone, if there is one.
Once you have called Mountain Rescue, you should tell them exactly
where you are and then stay put so they can find you as easily as
possible. A GPS will allow you to be really exact, so if you have one,
make sure you know how to find a GR for your location.
MRC Advice - www.mountain.rescue.org.uk
When Things Get Really Bad...
Often in winter conditions, the crucial decision is
whether to stop and hunker down in a snow hole or survival bag /
shelter or press on in the hope of walking out. There's no hard
and
fast rule, but many hypothermia casualties turn out to have been
carrying everything they needed to survive, but for some reason -
possibly impaired judgment due to the cold - didn't use it.
Bear in mind that overnight bivvying in winter can be dangerous in
itself, but if you do take the decision to take shelter, stay out of
the wind as far as possible, put on dry spare clothes, hats and so on
and use your pack to insulate yourself from the cold ground.
Group bivvy shelters work well by sharing body heat and are also good
for morale. Spare food will fuel your metabolism and keep you warm. It
may not be luxurious, but it's better than dying from hypothermia and
if your standby plan works, your contact should alert Mountain Rescue
when you fail to return. Alternatively, if conditions improve, you may
be able to walk out under your own steam.
More Information
We'd always suggest that you get professional training if you can.
Winter courses from the likes of Plas y Brenin and Glenmore Lodge will
give you the skills to move safely and efficiently on winter terrain.
There are also specialist mountain first aid courses that are well
worth a look.
Finally, in print, the classic Mountaincraft and Leadership by Eric
Langmuir has a lot of good basic information.
Paddywacker
