The news about the recent lightning storm and resulting rescue efforts on the Grand Teton has been both extremely sad and very uplifting. One climber tragically died, and 83 rescuers and emergency professionals put in an impressive effort to get 16 other victims off the mountain alive. Of course, it didn’t take long for people who weren’t there to begin reporting on the cost of the rescue, and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before others begin to question the cost (as if 16 lives isn’t worth $50,000).
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a large rescue has taken place on a classic moderate alpine route. Every range has its classic routes, and these routes tend to attract more climbers than all the other routes put together. The real danger comes on moderate classics that are easy enough to attract relatively inexperienced climbers in large numbers. On everything from the Tetons to Mt. Hood to Everest, these classics have been the site of the climbing community’s greatest tragedies. No one is responsible for you up there except you. So take some responsibility, and learn how to keep yourself safe on the classics. Here are a few tips that can help you avoid making the news.
Learn how to read the weather
Weather is everything in the mountains. It can mean the difference between a chill outing and an all-out fight to survive. You should spend whatever time necessary to learn about weather in general and learn about the specific weather patterns in the range you’re visiting. There are multiple websites and books on the subject, so finding the information shouldn’t be that hard. Digest all the info that you can find to give yourself a better chance of making the right decisions regarding the weather.
Climb in small groups
Many large-scale climbing accidents happen, at least in part, as a result of climbing in a large group. Large groups move slower, take longer to make decisions, and cannot react as quickly to changes in the weather. It’s very common to see groups of five, eight, 12, or even more heading up a classic alpine route. More often than not, these teams have one or two experienced climbers who are trying to get several other inexperienced climbers up the peak. There’s nothing at all wrong with being inexperienced or with taking inexperienced climbers on a classic route, but make sure the ratio is right.
Know when to pull the plug
Ego causes an obscene amount of mountaineering accidents. It’s really easy to look up at the summit and say to yourself, “It’s right there. Another hour or so won’t matter. I’ll have just enough time before the storm rolls in.” Small things add up to a lot of time on long routes, and getting back down can take much longer than you expect. The hardest thing for a climber, especially a climber with relatively little experience in the mountains, is to know when to turn around. Pulling the plug too early can cost you a summit. Pulling the plug too late can cost you your life.
Watch out for bottlenecks
The Belly Roll, the Pearly Gates, the Cleaver, the Second Step. It seems that all the classics have a bottleneck that causes problems. Know ahead of time that these are going to be the places where you’ll likely run into other groups and be forced to slow down no matter how fast your group is moving. With no place to pass, you’re at the mercy of everyone else, which is the last thing you want in the mountains.
Start early
Getting a daybreak or pre-dawn start gives you enough time to get up and down before the sun falls or before a big storm moves in. It gives you extra time to deal with slower parties, with route-finding problems, with stuck rappel ropes, and with any number of other issues. It’s much better to finish a route by early afternoon than to use up every second of daylight or find yourself stranded in the dark.
Don’t be the problem
If other climbers are behind you, and you’re slowing their progress to an unreasonable standard, then step aside, and let them by. If you’re slow on the way up, expect to be slow on the way down, and plan for it.
Avoid weekends
The classics always see far more traffic on the weekends. A route that may be empty on Wednesday may have a dozen different parties on a Saturday. If you can, get on the classics during the weekdays, and focus your weekend efforts on something that isn’t likely to see as much traffic.
Don’t take chances with lighting
Snow, rain, and wind can make the terrain harder to navigate and harder to move over, and they can wear down your body. But all of these weather conditions can at least be dealt with if you’re good at what you do. Lightning, on the other hand, can kill you instantly. If the weather indicates that lightning is on the way, get down. If you find yourself caught out, then do everything you can to keep yourself relatively safe.
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Tags: alpine climbing, classic routes, climbing, outdoor survival, Tetons