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Adventure & Travel
go out today. live for tomorrow.

fight.

5/3/2017

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 I can’t breathe!

I try to stand but only collapse back to the ground. My ears ringing and my vision darkening at the edges, I can barely comprehend frantic screams for help. I’m not sure who it is. It doesn’t really matter.

“Fuck, what happened?”

I do my best to look up, up to where I was, where I should be. Nothing. Everything was on the ground. And so was I.
 
Fading in and out of consciousness, I remain in what I can only describe as a dream. Awoken only by waves of pain running down my spine.
 
“Is this how I go? Is this how it ends?”
 
I awoke in a state of terror; beads of sweat cascading down my face, my head stuck to the pillow. No one had bothered to clean the blood off my head. The systematic beep of the hospital room instruments snapped me back to reality. I was sick of having this dream. I quickly grabbed the control and activated another dose of morphine to try and ease the frustration. It didn’t work.
 
Five days ago I was flown to a small hospital in Santa Fe with five fractures in my thoracic spine, T3 to T7 to be exact. Lying in the bed of my room, still not able to breathe under my own power, the doctor’s words played over and over again in my head like a bad song stuck on repeat. “You should be dead, kid.”

Death. At least death would be unknown, an easier reality to accept than watching your passion quickly slip through your fingers from the seat of a wheel chair.
 
I wasn’t sure what to say. We both knew I got lucky. I tried to shift in my back brace until a surge of pain throughout my body forced me to lay motionless in the dented mattress.
 
That afternoon I left the hospital in a Wheelchair. Walking felt too big a challenge. At home I dug out a picture of the Alaska Range from my desk drawer and pinned it up on my wall. Determined.
 
The picture was my motivation, my inspiration to never give up. To fight.
 
Recovery became my world. Day in, day out, I became obsessed. For what seemed like an eternity, I could barely muster the strength to climb onto an exercise bike, my hard shell back brace made achieving any degree of comfort impossible. My only tool for holding on to my motivation: the picture.
I taped the picture to the front of the bike while I pedaled for hours on end. I lost myself in the picture. I imagined the day I would once again swing my tools into deep blue ice or watch the sunrise from an exquisite alpine ridge. Soon. 
 
I snapped on my crampons under a moonlight night beneath the steep snow slope beneath the Moose’s Tooth in the Ruth Gorge of the Central Alaska Range. I took a moment to reflect on the three years and the long fight it took to get here. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
 
​“Climb on.”
 
Moving together, we make our way up the initial fifty-degree slow slope toward the couloir proper. The slope dead-ended at the first of the route’s challenges, a short but sweet mixed corner. Rated at YDS 5.6 the corner went smoothly. Switching between hands and tools, I glanced over my shoulder and was treated to a beautiful Alaska sunrise. I picked up the pace, hoping to make it to the belay and snap a photograph of my partner before the soft light disappeared.



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​With the first of the technical challenged behind us, Garon and myself returned to moving together up five hundred of fifty-degree firm snow. I yelled up at Garon, “We’re making great time!”  We weren’t concerned about time, we had plenty of that, there was just no containing my elation.
 
“Looks like a piece of cake from here.”
 
I was wrong. The crux pitch thin and rotten, capped by an overhanging roof that was more than snow. I tested it with my ice tool. It sheared through like warm butter. My anxiety began to build. I looked down, I was 20 feet above my piece of protection, a 10cm long ice screw in questionable ice. There’s no way it would hold. Getting hurt out here was not an option.
 
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted safety. A rusty piton.
 
With no other options I attached myself to out dated piece of steel and began to scan the sequence above. I had to go for it. There were no other options for aid climbing. I worked in a micro-sized nut of questionable holding strength below the piton. I suppose two mediocre pieces is better than one.  At least one was holding my weight.
 
I took a deep breath, clipped the rope to both pieces of protection and began to delicately move my way upward, using as much rock as possible as to not dislodge the weakening bulge and send it plummeting downward, potentially colliding with Garon below. With a few precise and controlled moves I found myself standing on top of the bulge, and on good ice. A quick sigh of relief and I continued to the anchor above. We didn’t want to waste any time.


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Swing, swing, kick, kick. It went on forever. Losing ourselves in the rhythmic motion of climbing frozen water we enjoyed pitch after pitch we progressed our way through the narrow gully for the upper route. Battling the falling ice released by the sun warming the slopes above, we embraced alpine climbing at it’s fullest. In the blink of an eye we were treated to views of the entire Central Alaska Range. Denali almost looked small. Almost.


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 ​“Let’s get going. We’ve got a lot of rappels to do.” 

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​Time seemed to slow as we approached flat ground. Relishing in the euphoria of completing such a life long goal. I couldn’t help but my let my rappel back up take the weight and take a moment to contemplate the last few years, the long fight it took to get from laying in a hospital bed immobilized with a neck and back brace to returning to the arena that allows me to push myself physically and mentally and go beyond what I think I can do. I though about the picture, my motivation to fight, to never give up.
 
“Off rappel.” 

Zamberlan USA
Buff USA
American Mountain Guides Association
Deuter



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Meet the Medical Crew that keeps you safe on race day plus 5 Safety Advice Tips For Trail Runners

8/9/2016

5 Comments

 
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Nearly 2,500 runners from fifty nations participated in this year’s Zugspitz Ultratrail run in Bavaria. The course stretched 101.4 kilometers through mountainous alpine meadows, valleys, ridgetops, and alongside wild horses. Such events require an amazing amount of planning. As a runner, you may notice the beautiful web design of the race page, the free gear, the aid station food selections, and the finish line festivities. Among all the detail, however, there is an often overlooked but essential component of any organized trail run: the medical response teams.

Learn how to stay safe on the trail with this online safety course

During the Zugspitz Ultratrail Run, I shadowed Medical Crew GbR, a medical response group that oversees planning for medical operations. They work alongside and coordinate with other teams like mountain patrol, mountain rescue services, emergency services and the event organizers.

“It is important that we all work very close together” explains Matthias Hoeter, managing director of Medical Crew. “The main goal is to provide the quickest possible emergency and general health care to the event participants at any time and in any terrain.”

Runners may not be fully aware of how much time, dedication and preparation goes into assuring their safety and well-being. Pre-race setup for Medical Crew is about two days. But preparation for any single event begins much earlier. Claudius Wurm, also managing director, personally runs the courses to gain perspective on the challenges that will face runners and identify difficult race sections. Based on this, he strategically plans where to stage equipment and higher level medical personnel to have expertise and supplies in the right locations.

If you’re thinking that once the race starts at 5am, the crew sits back waiting for something to happen - think again. There is always something happening in the medical coordination tent, from 5am to about 9:30am the next day. According to Matthias, “Our tasks during the event consist of the mobile operation centre in the start and finish area, mobile rescue and first aid station in the finish area, general health and emergency care on the course through mobile crews and the coordination of emergency response”.  For Matthias and Claudius, it’s 24+ hours of a phone in one hand and radio in the other with at least twenty things to do and fifty more decisions to make. Cups full of coffee substitute for fluffy pillows and a good night’s sleep. Over the course of the race, Medical Crew will respond to an average of 800-1000 calls. ​
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Matthias Hoeter (front) and Claudius Wurm (behind) coordinate the medical operations at the start/finish area of the race with undivided attention for nearly 26 hours
But let’s not forget about the crew outside the tent. These dedicated team members are out in the elements, treating and assessing injury after injury, shifting from one medical treatment station to the next. Their crews credentials are impressive: EMT’s, paramedics, nurses, and physicians make up the roster. Some common traits among every member were immediately apparent to me. They are all professional, highly qualified, passionate, and friendly - even after 24 hours of solid work with no sleep and wet clothes. “Besides our focus on high standards of medical education, as well as the physical and psychological performance,” says Matthias, “We put a large focus on the passion and on the empathy of our crew members.”

Medical Crew is not a newcomer to the organized outdoor sport event scene. Years of experience are reflected by carefully tuned response kits that include highly organized, easy-to-access first aid items and advanced airway kits with specialty lightweight laryngoscopes. Amazingly, these kits are designed to fit into backpacks for patient response in remote locations.

Concern for the well being and safety of runners extends beyond race day. Medical Crew recently designed and hosted a specialty wilderness first aid course for trail runners. I believe that events like this will continue to have positive effects throughout the running community, since prevention and awareness are key to mitigating the risks of trail running.

A wide range of injuries and illnesses occur at every event, from blisters to fractures, even CPR. The most common issues are circulatory, muscular fatigue, and tendon and ligament problems. While wisdom is gained through experience, Medical Crew does have some advice to share with burgeoning runners:
  1. Be aware of the physical and psychological requirements of a race/trail
  2. Know your limits and recognize signals from your body telling you to stop
  3. Be aware that nutrition and fluid intake may have to be adjusted based on the race, weather, your current physical condition.
  4. Always carry the required equipment. Keep this equipment complete and operational during the entire race.
  5. If you have any discomfort or insecurity about your well-being or situation, consider moving towards easily accessible points on the trail. i.e. food stations, trailheads, roads.
The total elevation gain for the Zugspitz Ultratrail Run was 5,412 vertical meters. As night fell, the weather made a turn for worse with torrents of rain and low temperatures, increasing the suffer scale. Just part of the game, isn’t it? To suffer and push on. High tolerance for suffering is one of the many aspects that make a runner. Like runners, tolerance for suffering also marks the wilderness medical provider. Not every medical provider can handle such weather extremes, terrain complexities, physical demands, and sole patient responsibility. It’s what makes the people of Medical Crew, mountain rescue, ski patrol, and park rangers so unique.
So the next time you sign up for an organized trail event, remember to think of the medical team that has your safety in mind. It is often a thankless job - maybe you can thank the next one you see.

As always, stay safe and enjoy many adventures from your friends at Base Medical.
Written by Teal Brooks, Base Medical CEO and Wilderness Paramedic

Medical Crew GbR and more information can be found at: 
http://www.medical-crew.com/WordPress/ 
​ 

Other Blog Posts You Might Like:
- Is Drinking Too Much Water Dangerous For Trail Runners?
​

- I am a wilderness paramedic and this is what I carry in my first aid kit
​

- 10 uses for that triangle bandage in your first aid kit

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Be Prepared For Any Wilderness Emergency. Take this online Outdoor Safety Course. 

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A Safer Rappel. 

5/27/2016

3 Comments

 
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I just returned from yet another satisfying trip to Smith Rock State Park. This time however,  instead of setting my sights on working through the grades of this unique area, I assumed the role of a client to assist a fellow guide preparing for his Rock Guide Course with the American Mountain Guide’s Association. To work on systems in a multi pitch setting, we decided on the 5 pitch bolted classic, 'Wherever I May Roam'. It’s conservative bolting, short pitches and 5.9 grade make this climb one of most popular moderate climbs in the area. At each belay, the sounds of confusion and frustration from the close by series of rappel stations became worrisome. Repeated off route excursions revealed over complicated systems and practices contradictory to standard safety practices. As a mountain guide I take great pride in keeping people safe in technical terrain. Rarely do I intervene unless I see potential for catastrophic failure. However, I would like to take the time to share a few simple tricks to increase your efficiency and safety while rappelling in hopes of preventing future accidents.

The Extension: The concept is simple, extend your belay loop. It can be a pain to have your rappel device of choice on your standard belay loop and have to manage rope. It can be awkward. By essentially extending you belay loop you place your belay device in a position of comfort, increasing control. This also has the added benefit of allowing you to place your friction hitch of choice back up on your belay loop instead of awkwardly placing it on your leg loop (which is not the best safety practice).

Step 1: Take a double length nylon runner and girth hitch it through both of the tie in points of your harness. Just like you would to tie in with a rope. Be sure and aim to have the bar tack toward the top 5 inches of the sling once the hitch is complete so it doesn't interfere with the following step. 

Step 2: There are several different ways to do this next step. I like to bring the end back toward my harness and tie an overhand on a bite (see photo.) This is your new "belay loop." It is what you are going to clip your belay device into. 

Step 3: Clip a locking carabiner into the loop at the end. This is now your personal anchor you will clip into your anchor discussed in the following section. 

Step 4: Before you put yourself on rappel, attach your friction hitch of choice to the rope. I prefer the autoblock, clip it to a locking carabiner on your original belay loop and pull some rope through. The friction hitch will grab the rope and leave you with an unweighted section of rope to put through your device. Tip: If you end up rappelling on two ropes of different color tied together, clip your tether into the rope that needs to be pulled to help you remember. After you are on rappel, of course. 
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Anchor: Every rappel station in a multiple rappel scenario is different. Some large amount of nylon webbing or accessory cord, or some bolts and chains. You may have a combination of both. Regardless of what the situation may be, at the beginning stages of the descent you need to connect yourself to said anchor to take yourself off or rappel. One thing I witnessed on this particular trip was the individual climbers on rappel clipped into one bolt with some form of a Personal Anchor System or PAS (I also see this a lot with cleaning sport climbs.) Yes, you are secure in some sense but consider this: You are only clipped into a single piece of protection. If it fails, you die. Would you do that on the way up? Probably not. People often think that bolts will never fail. This quite far from true. The danger with bolted protection is there is a significant amount of the bolt inside the rock and you simple can’t judge the status of the metal unless you remove it completely. 

Here is what I normally do. If I have pre-tied quad anchor (see below) I will just clip that to the bolted anchors. The quad is nice since there will be eventually be 2 people hanging on the anchor so not pulling on each other can be nice. If I do not have a quad on me I will simply use a double length runner and create a magic x with limiter knots and clip into that. Once the anchor is in place I continue rappelling until the anchor is weighted. Once I am confident there are no issues, I take myself off of rappel. 
​

Click here to learn what to do if someone gets hurt while climbing

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As with any new system it is crucial that you practice these techniques on the ground in a controlled environment before applying them in a real world scenario. 

If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at Adamskerr@yahoo.com 

Be safe. Have fun. 


3 Comments

Guide's Pack: Mt. Shasta

5/11/2016

4 Comments

 

You hear it all the time. "Fast and light, "light and fast" or "going light." For most, this idea can be nothing more than hope as you find yourself lugging your gear to your intended high camp, your packing weighing you down and biting into your shoulders as  you continually contemplate the contents of your pack and what made it so heavy.

Packing for any alpine climb can be a challenging endeavor. We as alpine climbers are constantly trying to refine our systems in order to get closer the point where comfort becomes pain without crossing the line, at which point safety and fun become effected.

We often bring too much into alpine environments. Understandably, It makes us feel safe. I see it all too often in the mountains. Climbers trudging their way to their camp with packs the size of a small person with what looks to be their entire closet strapped to the outside for only a few hours of tossing and turning.

Over the years as a mountain guide I have learned what I need, what I might need and what is totally useless. Pictured below is my pack, including guiding gear, for a 2 day guided ascent (the most common itinerary for climbers both independent and guided) on Mt. Shasta. My planned itinerary is the Hotlum-Bolam ridge with a unique variation that features low 5th class climbing on what I have found to be the only solid rock on the mountain before reaching the summit plateau. I hope that a review of the contents, weighing in at a mere 32 pounds at the trailhead, will help you decide what to take and what to leave behind. 

"The key to a the perfect kit is versatility." - Steve House
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1. Puffy: I have separated my outer insulating layer, often referred to as a "puffy" from the rest of my clothing systems as it one of the bigger variations for me depending on the month of the year and the mountain I am on. During the peak climbing season on Mt. Shasta between May and July I will take something equivelant to the Black Diamond Hot Forge Hoody. During the colder winter months I will opt for something similar to the Black Diamond Stance Belay Parka. I do tend to run warmer than most so this layer may change depending on your body. If you tend to run colder, I recommend something similar to the Black Diamond Cold Forge Hoody. If you are in wetter environments or are expecting fowl weather, consider something with synthetic insulation. 
2. Sleeping Pad: I hate having a big foam pad sicking off my pack. It gets wet, gets in the way and gets stuck on everything when in a technical environment. 3/4 length is really all you need. I happen to be 5'11 and have a pad roughly 50in in length. To keep my feet off the cold ground i will simply put my backpack at the bottom of sleeping pad. You are already carrying your pack, make it more than something to just carrying all of your stuff in.

3. Advanced Medical Kit: This lives in the bottom of my pack. I never take it out unless I plan on using it. There is nothing fancy about it. It is a stock mountain medical kit by Adventure Medical Kits. It has everything I need for advanced, long term medical care. Broken bones, large lacerations, dislocations and severe cold weather injuries. I keep a smaller medical kit for minor injuries, blisters, headaches etc.

How to treat broken bones, large lacerations, dislocations, and severe cold injuries 

4. Jetboil: for small groups (2 people) and one night there is no need to bring an elaborate cooking set up. They take up a lot of space and more importantly, they are heavy. Remember, pounds equal pain. Any canister stove works. The great thing about these stoves is all of the parts can be stored inside of the pot component. The most popular are the MSR Reactor and the Jetboil. That being said, larger groups of 3 or more can benefit from a more elaborate stove and pot system to allow for greater efficiency in cooking and water making. As far as fuel goes, 4 ounces per person per day is a a safe amount if you are melting snow for water. 

5. Guide Notebook: Not everyone needs to carry something this elaborate. However, having emergency contact numbers, a map of the local area and the weather forecast in some sort of weatherproof container like a ziplock bag can be a life saver. I will often add key GPS coordinates of the area I am operating in should I need them and not have access to my electronic devices. It's weightless and well worth it. 

6. Sunglasses and Buff: You need to have high quality sunglasses in any alpine environment. Anything that lets 15% or less light through the lens is sufficient. If your eyes are sensitive to light or glare consider getting a darker lens. I tend to sweat a lot so having a sunglass with some sort of ventilation is key for me. I have been using the Julbo Pipeline for some time now and couldn't be happier. A buff is a key piece of gear in mountain environments and I often think of a buff and sunglasses as a system. They bother sun and wind protection and I always have both on. Unless it's dark.  ​

Learn how to treat high altitude cerebral edema and pulmonary edema

7. Sleeping Bag:  I tend to travel relatively light when it comes to my sleeping system. most of the time, I carry a 30 degree bag. Most of the environments we enter are simply not 30 degrees at night. However, when combined with all of the clothing, included my outermost insulating layer the sleeping bag becomes quite warm. I also do one more thing that creates some versatility in my sleeping system. I combine my sleeping bag with a waterproof sleeping bag liner/bivouac sack that adds roughly 15 degrees of warmth. I carry the bivy sack anyway as part my emergency kit so why not use it? 

​8. Watch: In a perfect world you want something with an altimeter. If you get lost or find yourself in whiteout conditions it can be a life saver to know your elevation. Trust me. 

9. Rope: This will obviously be dictated by the nature of the terrain you will be on. Dynamic ropes have come a long way since their inception. Now, you can get a single rated rope at a diameter of 8.7mm. For most of my guiding on Mt. Shasta and other low to moderately technical alpine terrain with no technical descending involved, I opt for a 40 meter 8.5mm rope.  All of that 40 meters is rarely used with the exception of this and a few other specific itineraries, however, it is nice to have just in case. 

10. Backpack: Very rarely do I need a backpack over 55L for an overnight trip. Unless the route requires a lot of technical gear or the temperatures are quite cold. There are hundreds of different backpacks out there. It can be overwhelming to find one. My recommendation is find one that fits you and meets a few of these requirements: Thin hip belt so it doesn't get in the way of a harness, removable lid, limited exterior features like pockets and extra straps. Pictured above is the Black Diamond Speed 50. I have the large version which adds roughly 5 liters to it's capacity. 

11. Guide Kit: I keep everything in this little semi hard case. it lives in the under side of my lid so I always have quick access to it. It is often the first thing I get out of my pack when I get to camp and put in the large inside pocket of my puffy jacket. Contents: blister kit, tent repair kit, headlamp, knife, small first aid kit, cell phone charger, nylon repair tape, patches for sleeping pad, multitool, extra batteries, spare buckles, ski straps, extra lighter, duct tape, emergency sunglasses, spare contact lenses, anti nausea pills, anti diarrhea pills, zip ties, map and compass.
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How to treat hypothermia even when it is still cold outside and you are far away from help

12. iPhone with GAIA GPS, Battery Case and Battery Cell: GAIA has become a tool I use on a regular basis. I see no need to carry a separate GPS unit anymore (unless I do not have cell coverage.) It does everything my regular GPS device does and then some with a more user friendly interface. I can create a way point with ease and simply choose the "Guide Me" option and be presented with a distance and heading to help me navigate in less than ideal conditions. Yes, there is a built in compass too. Remember, technology is not always reliable. It breaks. It is crucial you know how to navigate the old school way and you carry the tools to do so. My iPhone is my lifeline. So I need to make sure I never run out of power. I have the phone in a case with an extra battery and have a battery cell that I can get 2 complete charges from. It is vital that you have some form of communication with emergency services. If you have cell phone coverage, awesome. If you are in an area where that is not an option consider purchasing a Delorme inReach or similar device. 

13. Locking Carabiners: I always carry a few locking carabiners on me for various jobs. The lighter the better. I always make sure at least one is a round bar stock carabiner for use in belay situations. There is much less friction and you save a significant amount of energy. The Petzl Attache are a great lightweight option. 

14. Bowl and Spoon/Fork: You need to eat right? No need to get too fancy with this. Fozzils are a great option. Once unsnapped, you slide these down the bladder compartment in your pack and they disappear. 

15. Harness: If you don't plan on hanging in your harness, go with a modern lightweight alpine climbing harness like the Black Diamond Couloir. It packs down quite small, takes up very little room and has just enough room to store all of the technical equipment you may need while you are climbing. 

16. Helmet: Get something that fits your head. And make sure it's specific to climbing. I see way too many independent climbers on Mt. Shasta wearing bicycle helmets. They won't do anything for you. Some great lightweight options are the Petzl Sirocco or the Black Diamond Vapor.

17. Ice Axe: I like the Black Diamond Venom. It is not the lightest tool on the market but it can handle a lot of different situations. It can handle everything from snow to steep bullet proof ice. If I am carrying just one axe I make sure it has an adze on it. I want to be able to use my axe to chop anything from tent platforms, rest platforms, or steps in the snow. If you are looking for the lightest axe money can buy, I recommend looking at the Camp Corsa. It is the lightest ice axe in the world currently. Remember, when purchasing an ice axe for general mountaineering you want the bottom of the axe to hit your protruding ankle bone. 

18. Technical Gear: For a majority of my climbs on Mt. Shasta and other non glaciated snow climbing routes, I will generally carry 1 double length dyneema sling, 1 quadruple length dynemma sling, 2 prussiks, a tibloc, a small knife, an ice screw and a picket (not pictured.) On this particular occasion I have added 2 Omega Pacific link cams and 2  slings with one carabiner on them to protect the section of low 5th class climbing. The technical gear you choose to bring on your climb will be dictated by the terrain and level of comfort and trip outcome. For me on this particular itinerary, I use this short section of 5th class rock climbing as a great teachable moment to cover rock movement, rock protection and safety in technical terrain. 

Pro Tip: When and how to thaw frostbite

19. Shovel: A shovel is a key piece of equipment, especially early season. They serve one purpose and that is to shovel snow to create a solid tent platform. Most shovels are in 3 piece sections but I take the middle section out to save a few ounces. 

​20 & 29. Tent: I currently use a Mountain Hardwear Direkt 2. To the best of my knowledge it is the lightest 4 season mountaineering tent you can buy.  Under 3 pounds according to my scale. including the poles. You do lose the creature comforts compared to a larger tent, like a vestibule and windows in exchange for minimal weight and bulk. You can split up the tent parts between you and your partner to distribute the weight more evenly. 

21. Tools and Toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm, lighter, multi tool. Nothing more. don't weight yourself down with things like makeup, deodorant, baby wipes etc. 

22. Sunhat: Personally, I like visors. My head tends to overheat when I have a full baseball cap on. When the sun comes out on the climb and it's not too cold I will often put my visor on under my helmet. Doing that with a baseball cap can be uncomfortable sometimes.

23. Gloves: Often times I will only take 1-2 pairs of gloves on an overnight trip. Like most industry professionals, I like to use Kinco gloves for non technical mountaineering. Expensive cold wearing climbing gloves can wear out easily. Kinco gloves tent to hold up to more abuse. I will usually pair a thin liner with these gloves so I never have to expose bare skin to the elements. I always make sure they are compatible with smart phones. Luckily, most liner gloves are these days. 

24. Crampons: If you are just snow climbing, a 10-12 point aluminum crampon is sufficient. The important thing is that are securely attached to fully rigid mountaineering boot. Although they aren't aluminum I use the Black Diamond Sabertooth crampons for most alpine guiding. 

25. Dromedary Bag: This is a phenomenal piece of equipment. It let's you store extra water for either the following morning before you leave for your climb or let's you transport extra water from a source. 

​26. Water Bottles: I use a combination of two different types of bottles. A regular 1 Liter Nalgene and a collapsable 1 liter bottle. Most of the time, I only carry 1 liter during my approach given it is not too long. I use the rigid Nalgene during this time and roll up the collapsable bottle and stuff it away to save space. On the climb, 1 use both bottles filled when there is plenty of extra space in my pack. since the collapsable bottles are not as durable as the hard plastic ones, I will sometimes reinforce them with duct tape. 

27. Clothing System:

                          - Long Underwear 
                          - Softshell Pants (Patagonia Dual Point Alpine Pants)
                          - Synthetic T-Shirt 
                          - Medium Weight Long Underwear Top 
                          - Mid Layer (Black Diamond Deployment Hybrid Hoody)
                          - Outershell (Black Diamond Sharp End Shell)
                          - Puffy (Black Diamond Hot Forge Hoody)

28. Food: Food is personal preference. The key is to finding out what you like to eat under any circumstances. For me, cheese, canned fish, candy and fruit seem to do the trick. Depending on your body size and exertion level expect to consume anywhere between 3,000 and 4,000 per day. Remember, the higher in altitude you go, the simpler food your body will want to absorb. Simple sugars up high, complex carbs down low.


Have a question, comment or concern? Please feel free to email me at Adamskerr@yahoo.com.

Kerr Adams 
SWS Mountain Guides ​​​

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4 Comments

How to Transition From Rappelling to Ascending a Rope

4/7/2016

2 Comments

 
Imagine this, you and your climbing partner just finished an amazing multi-pitch climbing route. The view from the top is breath taking, but you know better than to stay too long. The sun will set in a couple hours and many rappels are required to get back down to the base of the climb and hike out. Everything is going smoothly until you realize that you have rappelled past the next anchor point. You can see it about 20 feet above you. What is the best and safest way to get back up to this anchor point? Do you know what to do?

Are you a WFA, WFR, or WEMT? 
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In the video above, rock climbing guide, Kerr Adams demonstrates exactly how a climber should handle such a situation. The answer? Transition your rappel system into an ascending system. This is the safest method of ascending back up to an anchor and can be applied in other scenarios as well. 

The concept of switching from rappel to ascend may seem simple enough, but the actual process of how to go about this transition needs attention, especially because it can be dangerous if not done correctly. After all, if you are on rappel, you are probably high off the ground and a fall could be catastrophic. But before we begin to explain Kerr's process of how to safely switch to ascending the rope, be sure you know how to safely rappel. Kerr explains and demonstrates a safer way of rappelling in this blog post here. 

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Equipment you will need and should already have on your harness:
-3 to 4 locking carabiners
-10 foot cordelette 
-rappel/belay device with a rigger loop (like the Black Diamond ATC Guide) 

Here's how to transition from rappel to ascend in 9 easy steps:

Step 1. Lock off your extended, hands free back up rappel system. (again, learn how to do this here). Tie a back up knot below your belay device and clip this into your belay loop with a locking carabiner.  Why your belay loop instead of your leg loop like you see others doing? Because this is what the belay loop of your harness is designed to do, to hold weight, sudden weight. A leg loop is not designed to do this and may actually cause you to invert. 

Step 2. Now that your hands can be completely free of your rappel device and you have a back up incase it fails, tie a fiction hitch above the belay device with the long cordelette. Kerr's suggests using a Klemheist, but if you prefer another fiction hitch, like a prusik, that is okay too. Whatever you use, just be sure you know how to tie before hand. This is why practice is so important. Messing up this friction hitch could be dangerous. After tying the friction hitch, you should have two long strands of cordelette.
Step 3. Take one strand of cordelette and tie an overhand on a bight to make a loop. Clip this loop into your belay loop with a locking carabiner. Again, same reasoning here for using the belay loop instead of your leg loop.

Step 4. With the other strand, tie an overhand on a bight to create a foot loop. It's easier if this loop is bigger. 

Would you know what to do if your climbing partner fell and was badly injured? Learn these life saving techniques here. 

Step 5. Attach a locking carabiner to the metal rigger loop of the belay device. The goal is to clip this carabiner into the belay loop as well. But this is difficult to do when the rope system is weighted and there are no safety backs up. This is why we have the long cordelette attached with a friction hitch, it helps us unweight the system while also providing safety. 

Step 6. Unweight the system by standing up on the foot loop. Connect the carabiner on the rigger loop of the belay device to the belay loop of your harness. Now your belay device is in autoblocking mode. You are almost ready to start ascending. 

Step 7. Clean up the system. Remove any unnecessary attachments. This will help make ascending smoother. 

Step 8. Ascend the rope by standing up on the foot loop and pulling slack through the belay device. Sit back into your harness to unweight the friction hitch. Move the friction hitch up the rope and stand up on it again. Pull slack through the belay device. Repeat this step to move up the rope but be sure to. do step 9 as you ascend. 


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Step 9. As you ascend, slack grows between your back up knot and the belay device. Re-tie this back up knot every 6 feet. 

If you have never done this before, you may see these 9 steps as overwhelming. For safety and to throughly explain this transition process, we felt it necessary to break it down step by step. However, as you can see, Kerr makes the entire process look fluid and not so complicated. For you to also get to this point practice is essential. Using this process for the first time in a real and potentially serious situation is not ideal. Practice a few feet off the ground at your local climbing wall.

Knowing how to safely rappel, how to safely ascend a rope, and how to safely transition from rappel to ascend are basic to climbing self rescue and avoiding trouble. Other basic techniques include carrying the right equipment on your harness, knowing how to tie and use prusiks or other friction hitches, how to escape a belay, and how to safely secure an injured climber. 

Read about what Kerr packs when he is mountaineering here. 
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