The season of ice climbing has arrived, but climbing ice is dangerous. In most people's minds, hanging on a huge icicle is an extremely dangerous thing. In fact, the biggest risk in ice climbing comes from the surrounding environment, not the ice wall itself.
In PHILPOWER's ("WILDERNESS MOUNTAINEERING") book, he equated risk with exposure to risk times multiplicative risk. For example, climbing a full day under other climbers is more dangerous than quickly passing under them. For another example, the danger of icicle collapse during warm weather is much greater than cold weather. So you have to wait until the possibility of danger decreases, and try to shorten the time exposed to the risk so that you can live longer!
Avalanche: White Troll
Avalanches are the greatest danger that ice climbers may encounter. The formation of the ice wall requires a large amount of water, so there is usually a large amount of snow on top of the climbing line. When the snow releases a large area of ​​snow flow instead of small streams, the consequences will be very serious. In ICEFIELDSPARTKWAY, Canada, on a warm afternoon, we observed ten avalanches on the climbing route within thirty minutes. Later we learned that not too long ago, three groups of ice climbers died in an avalanche. The best way to prevent avalanche disasters is to systematically study avalanche warnings and snow condition assessments.
Regardless of the level of training or experience, you need to be vigilant in the climbing process, and make full predictions about possible problems when making decisions. No two snowflakes are the same, and again, no two avalanches are the same.
Not strong enough for the ice wall
The ice is amazingly strong. Nowadays, excellent ice climbers can climb icicles that are no wider than their own bodies. If done properly, a fist-sized ice can withstand the weight of one of the strongest climbers. However, even the best climbers may misjudge how hard the ice is.
There are several types of ice walls that are less stable, including ice hangings, icicles, ice towers and hailstones. Ice walls that are often not well-integrated with rocks are the most dangerous. Before climbing, carefully observe the flow of water between the ice and the rock wall on the climbing route. If there is, or if the weather is unusually warm, do not climb those tricky ice walls. Direct sunlight will reduce the intensity of ice and increase the flow of water, especially in late winter or warmer climate conditions, and even melt the ice cone.
Bruce Hendricks, an outstanding climber in the Rocky Mountains, has a unique approach to testing the seemingly fragile ice wall. He uses the side of the ice sheet to do his best to hit the ice wall. If it shakes, he will leave immediately. If the ice wall makes a noise, he will consider it again; if he still decides to climb in this situation, he will lightly move. If neither of the two conditions appeared, he determined that the ice wall was solid (relatively speaking). This method is very effective for judging the small ice wall, but it is not applicable to huge icicles.
Climbers are the most unstable objects on the ice wall - they can fall off at any time! Don't do protection in areas where their hailstones and crampons may fall.
"ICE!"
If possible, do it in a sheltered area. However, there are times when we have to protect the "FireWire." At these times, be sure to stay upright, and if you do, you will expose the back and neck. If possible, hide under your backpack. In addition, even if your protector is covered, when you fall in the ice, you must also give a loud reminder to everyone below “ICE!â€
You can clean up some of the broken ice without harming your peers or other ice climbers. During the descent, you should take care to knock out some dangerous icicles or ice hooks to prevent the ropes from scraping these ice cubes and dropping them on your head. But in spite of this, it is better not to break the ice wall easily.
Most of the ice falls are caused by other climbers. You should try to avoid climbing under other climbers. However, inevitably, some reckless people will climb under your route. If you are climbing on a busy site, it is better to leave earlier than others, and pay attention to the cooperation with other climbers so that everyone can climb in a safe and harmonious environment.
cold
Warm = isolated cold air + metabolism + water + heat + exercise
Consider the various factors of the above equation before you travel in winter and take precautions. Get up and eat at night before climbing. Stay active to avoid coldness, prepare heat bags, prepare spare thick gloves, relax shoelaces, and fully understand the extent of use and limits of use. When climbing, keep in mind that ice and metal objects can easily stick to the skin (be careful not to use your mouth to hold the iron lock when placing protection), a little mistake can cause big trouble. In thicker weather, wear heavy gloves to practice the various protection methods and experience your ability to limit the sensitivity. More importantly, climbing partners need to pay attention to each other for frostbite, hypothermia, or other abnormalities.
dark
When climbing a multi-course route or a route that requires a long journey to arrive, you must bring a headlight. Even if it's only a one-day short climb, you'd better wear a headlight, because you never know when the rope will get stuck, or you will delay the time because of other problems. What's more, in the winter, the night is always very It will soon come.
Forced camping
In winter, unprepared camping is a very troublesome thing. Use body heat to embrace each other and carry a small blanket or, preferably, a camping bag. Stay active to maintain body temperature. If you are not in technical terrain, removing the crampons can reduce the amount of heat that is lost from your feet. Down jackets and snow caves can help you safely spend the night in almost any harsh environment, but I guess you don't want to try this theory.
snowstorm
Eighty percent of avalanches occur within the blizzard or within 24 hours of the storm, and 80 percent of the mountain crashes occur at the same time. Snow blindness, frozen ropes, frostbite, snow accumulation and fatigue reduce the likelihood of escape. Study the terrain in advance to find escape routes and find landmarks so that when the visibility drops, you can still find the correct route, bring maps and compasses, or GPS, and learn how to use them.
It is very valuable to study in advance the possibility of a snowstorm and the type of snowstorm in a certain area. This will help your decision and prepare you for it. Watch the weather forecast before climbing in winter, but ordinary weather forecasts may not be the same as true mountaineering weather forecasts.
The leader climbs off
In some ways, ice climbing is closer to kayaking than rock climbing. You'd better lead a more difficult route after climbing dozens of less difficult routes, just as a sensible kayaker will progressively challenge the more wild rapids. In rock climbing, shedding is usually safe and can even help you relax. However, climbing ice is a completely different situation, and most ice climbers will do everything to avoid falling off. Losing the leader without injury would be a very fortunate event. If you fall off, try your best to get the claws out of the ice and grab your hail.
decline
The advantage of falling on ice is that as long as there is a hard, thick ice location, you can set a falling anchor; the bad thing is that nothing on the ice is completely reliable. The action on ice may cause an avalanche, and the factors such as snow blindness, fatigue, and short wintertime make the decline of the big ice wall a very serious topic. Before you set off, learn how to use ABALAKOVS (Abrakov Ice Cave), learn to place your anchor, bring a headlight, and reserve enough batteries for descent.
Incorrect grading
The classification of ice walls has never been completely accurate, and it is very dangerous to listen to them completely. If a line looks terribly frightening, don't just climb up the difficulty level within your ability – WI4's route will be upgraded to WI6 in tough conditions.
Sixth sense
Most ice climbers have a sixth sense, giving a slight hint when they are near danger. Do not ignore this voice from the heart - if it does not feel good, leave immediately.
Water Pistol Gun toys(Water Gun or Water Guns Toys ) for children easy to store water,Beach Gun Toys for Kids that Have fun in water games.Plastic Water Toys,Bright colors are conducive to kid's vision, and improve the kid's visual ability.Great pump action system enable you to shoot water in a far distance.Summer Gun Kids Toys,Suitable for outdoor activities.Simple water blasters that shoot very long ranges. Dip the tips in water, pull the handle to absorb water, then blast away!
Water Gun Toys
Water Guns Toys,Pump Action Water Gun,Summer Gun Kids Toys,Plastic Water Toys,Water Pistol Gun,Beach Gun Toys for Kids
HAIPENGDA Plastic Toys Co., Ltd. , http://www.hpdtoys.com