HIGH SIERRA adventures

Skills and Tips    from your virtual guide

Mountaineering Skills

Planning and Leading an Expedition
There is no substitute for advanced planning. You need to know WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY in order to properly prepare for your expedition.
WHO
Find out how many people are going so that you can plan the meals and bring the appropriate amount of food. You also need to know the skill level and expertise (or lack thereof) of each individual so that you can have a feel for particular roles to assign each person in rescue situations or simply facilitating group development. You'll also want to know which people can provide group gear like tents, propane stoves, etc.
WHAT
Know what you're doing so that you can be prepared. If you plan on climbing peaks, you might want to bring a rope and technical climbing gear. If you're planning a 7-day trip, you'll want to bring enough food and materials to cook for everyone. You'll also want to bring a map of the area and STUDY it before you depart. That way, you have a planned route and can easily find alternative routes if the water is too high or the terrain is too difficult along the way.
WHEN
Know and communicate exact dates and times with everyone in your party so that there are no assumptions. If everyone is well-prepared and on-time, things will run very smoothly. You also want to have a big picture understanding of "when", specific to the area that you'll be trekking. That way, you'll be prepared for high water of the spring snow-melt or the snow traveling of the winter.
WHERE
Study the area and know everything you can about it. Call the Forest Service (or other land management agency) to get updated information about the area. Carry maps and be familiar with them.
WHY
Never lose sight of the goal. Your group should establish goals before departing so that no one individual's goals interfere. Whether it be to cover as much ground as possible in 8 days or climb five 13,000 ft peaks in a weekend, your party should have a common goal and stick closely to it. But remember why you're out there. Don't become so driven by the goal that you forget to Relax and enjoy the moment. After all, that's the reason you're out in the first place.

Map & Compass
coming soon...

The Big 13 (don't forget to bring)
On just about any trip in the outdoors, whether it be a day-hike or a full-on expedition, these are 13 things you should remember to bring:

1. Knife
2. Lighter or matches
3. Appropriate Clothing
4. Water bottle
5. Sunglasses
6. Hat
7. Rain Jacket
8. Headlamp or flashlight
9. Rope or twine
10. First Aid Kit
11. Map
12. Compass
13. Extra Food

First Aid
Always carry a first aid kit with you. Although it may seem unecessary for shorter trips or on summit ascents from base camp, first aid is critical. You never know when you'll need it. But one thing is for sure. You won't regret bringing a few bandages and dressings, especially if you or someone else gets hurt. Duct tape is an essential first aid kit item and can be used for just about anything. It can be cut into thin strips to act as a butterfly closure or wrapped around a dressing as a bandage.

Stop the bleeding! If the patient has a bad cut, it can be difficult to stop the bleeding. What you want to do is: apply pressure and elevate that part of the body so that it is ABOVE the heart.

Altitude Sickness A common problem for hikers in the Sierra is Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), a.k.a. "alititude sickness". The physiology is complicated and inconsistent amongst various people. However, the basic concept is that air is "thinner" or less dense at higher altitudes. The partial pressure of Oxygen at high altitudes is therefore lower, and as a result, your lungs cannot absorb the normal amount of oxygen. Your body will adjust in time, but if you push high altitudes too fast, your body will react strongly. The most common symptom is a pounding headache. It can only be treated by climbing down and getting rest. However, drinking plenty of water can help avoid the problem.
The best way to avoid AMS is to slowly acclimate to the altitude by climbing high during the day and sleeping at lower elevations at night. Your body will adjust. It simply takes time.

Bear Safety
The Black Bear (Ursus americanus) is the only type of bear in California. They usually weigh between 200-500 pounds and are brown or black in color. Bears are just big dogs. In fact, bears and dogs are in the same biological family.
Bears are hardly threatening, unless you provoke them. So avoid provoking them, and you will be fine. Bears are wild animals with one thing on their mind: FOOD. If you leave food out and a bear finds it, stay away. Do NOT try to steal it back. Black Bears are easily scared by humans and will most likely keep their distance. However, if you feel threatened by a black bear, make LOUD noises by yelling and banging pots. Another obvious rule is to NEVER approach a bear. If it feels threatened, it may attack you. Avoid any confrontations with a mother and her cubs. The fact that her cubs are close will make her very sensitive and more likely to make a nervous attack.

Crossing a stream. There are a bunch of ways to safely cross a stream, whether by yourself or with a group. If you cross with a group, you can form a triangle with the heaviest person downstream and gradually work your way across together. In deep water, you could have the first person to cross tie into a rope and cross the stream at an angle downstream. Don't try to battle the current. Move with it. If you cross a stream alone, make sure you use a strong stick or pole. Face upstream and point the stick upstream and use it to balance as you cross. With a stick you'll have three points of contact with the surface below the water. That way, when you move, you still have two points of contact instead of only one. This helps you maintain balance. (Tip dry off your feet thoroughly after crossing a stream to avoid getting blisters when you start hiking again.) It's best to have a pair of camp shoes that can double as river-crossing shoes so that you don't have to soak your hiking boots every time you cross a stream.

Swift water survival: drop your pack and point your feet downstream so that you hit rocks with your feet first, not your head. Gradually swim to shore or find an eddy of slower water. Make sure to dry yourself off thoroughly to avoid getting hypothermia.

Surviving the cold. Most cases of hypothermia (an illness caused by exposure to cold weather) occur between 45-50 degrees Fareinheit. That's far above freezing (32 degrees). The reason is that wind and water can be your worst enemy. Wind blows the layer of warm air around you away and therefore cools your skin and blood. Water on your clothes or next to your skin sucks the heat away from your body by convection. Water has an amazing ability to absorb heat. That's not good. Remember, "Prevention is the best medicine." Dry off if you are wet and try to wear clothes that block the wind. You can also buy synthetic clothing that will insulate your body heat even if wet. BIG PICTURE>> Trapped air, like air in a puffy down jacket, is the best type of insulation from the cold. The trapped air in your jacket is warmed by your body heat and forms a protective barrier against the cold. So, in other words, it is your own trapped body heat that keeps you warm.

Climbing Fundamentals

coming this spring...

Knots and Demos
Self-Rescue
The most important thing to do in any rescue situation is RELAX. In order to focus and take control of the situation, you must have a clear head. Take a deep breath and survey the scene before jumping to conclusions that could waste valuable time and get you frustrated quickly.

Snow Camping and Climbing

Making a snow shelter could save your life.
For the most part, the location and conditions you face when climbing or trekking in the winter will be your reason for building a snow cave. Whether you're simply trying to survive a cold night, or you want to sleep well on a windy ridge, a snow shelter can provide you with a warm retreat from the cold and incessent wind.
Alot of times when you're climbing steep terrain, you don't have space to pitch a tent. If the space isn't a factor, then the wind probably will be. It's hard to set up a tent when the cold wind is constantly blowing your tent away. Solution: build a snow cave. Snow shelters are great in both frigid and windy conditions. Your snow shelter will keep a constant 35-40 degrees inside, regardless of the outside temperature. That may seem cold, but compared to temperatures below zero, it can be a life-saver.
construction: the inside of your snow shelter should be dome-shaped. That gives it strength and stability. You also want to poke a couple small holes in the top to ensure good air ventilation. The door should be as low as possible, with your sleeping platform about 6 inches above the top of the door. That way you prevent cold air drafts from getting inside.
Using a shovel is ideal, but a pot or anything else that will scoop snow better than your hands will work. If you don't have much snow to work with, you may have to pile a bunch up, pack it down, and then dig it out. However, if you have a lot of snowpack, then simply digging out a cave will be all you need to do.

Avalanche Safety
Snow is fun, but it can also be scary and even lethal. Most of the time it's hardly predictable. But here are some things to look out for when your out climbing in the snow:

snow depth and stability. Carry an avalanche probe and you can quickly determine the depth of the snowpack if you know the length of your pole. Just stick it down through the snow until you hit solid ground. These probes are an essential tool for finding the body of a buried climber.

There are a few ways to test the stability of the snow so that you can avoid avalanche-prone areas. Dig a moat around a square (~6ftx6ft) until you reach the ground, or solid ice. What you're gonna do is test the square block of snow for unstable layers that could potentially slide under strains. Now that you created a test block of snow, you will be able to see the different layers of snow and how they formed and melted or congealed. Stand on top of the block and have your friend look for signs of weakened layers in the block you're standing on. If there are at this point, then the snow is highly unstable. If your friend notices no signs of weakness, then flex for a jump (without leaving the ground) and look for signs of a weak layer slipping. If nothing still, then jump on the snow and check again. If the snow gives with you jumping on it, but not before, then it may be stable enough to climb or ride on, as long as you don't plan on falling hard. This is called the Rutschblock Test.

You should always be cautious on snow because no test for snow stablility is 100% accurate. However, knowing how and when to avoid dangerous, "avy-prone" snow will definitely help you stay alive.

******Surviving an Avalanche********
Try to swim to the side. Do not try to climb up because you'll only get swept away. If you can

Rules of Safety
Never leave your comfort zone. If the risk outweighs the reward, then doing something that you don't feel comfortable about is a BAD idea. Evaluate the alternatives and make a safe decision.

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