By Matt Biscan
As mountaineers our gear choices are, to say the least,
vast. A trip to a favorite retail establishment presents even the novice with
an array of choices that boggle the mind. Air flow or padded suspension
systems; leather or synthetic; bottle or bladder? And every week the manufacturers
come out with new and different styles, systems, colors. The lists of available
equipment for use on A hikes to technical climbs to HAMS adventures are,
literally, endless.
We can only hope that, like John Weiland, when a mountain
crisis strikes we are well prepared. Weiland, an ice climber in Alaska, avoided
tragedy thanks to preparation, training, experience, and, one assumes, good
equipment. His story is recounted in Mueller and Reiss’s Extreme Outdoor
Adventures, (Lyons Press, 2008). Weiland had already saved a colleague from a
gruesome fall when ice sheared away, pulling a screw out. He skillfully applied
braking force with his belay device to stop the fall. On a later climb, though,
a wall of ice gave way and showered down on John and his partner. The partner’s
chest was crushed, and he was pinned beneath ice with a punctured lung. Weiland
had no choice but to go for help.
So, what has this story to do with gear? Well, consider the
belay device Weiland used to stop his partner’s fall. It pays to have a good
one. It pays even more to know how to use it correctly and well. The device
hanging from most BMS instructors’ harnesses appears to be the Black Diamond
ATC Guide. Rumor has it the Guide is also a favorite of HAMS. With extra holes
for fixing to an anchored belay or for girth hitching a runner to leverage a release,
Black Diamond trusts this device enough to tout the ability of the Guide to
belay two seconding climbers from above. A similar device is the Petzl Reverso3,
which hit stores in June. Like the Guide, it boasts multiple belays, a release
hole, and asymmetrical grooves to adjust breaking tension. The Reverso3 also
claims to have “anti-twist grooves” and the ability to accept a wide range of
rope diameters.
Weiland also needed strength and stamina to get off the
pitch and out for help. Nutritional fuel is necessary for this and for everything
else we do in the mountains. Being in a hurry, he didn’t have time for a full
meal, or even gorp or a heavy energy bar, much less a bagel. I for one don’t
digest food well on a long hike or a high climb, and nothing ruins a day in the
mountains like indigestion. Consequently food gels have become very popular
with runners and seem to be on the verge of taking over with climbers. They are
universally now for sale in climbing and biking shops. My favorite is Hammer brand,
particularly the banana and espresso flavors. The scope of available flavors is
broad enough to accommodate every taste, though flavor does vary by brand. Try
several kinds to find what works for you. Your body needs carbohydrates on
hikes and climbs. The gel carbs digest easily and speed fuel to muscles. Brands
to try include Hammer, GU, Cliff, Accel, and PowerBar. A doctor friend of mine
recommends gels that contain Maltodextrin for ease of digestibility. She also
recommends a small amount of protein in a hiking and trekking diet, which I
accomplish with a bow to tradition and a baggie of beef jerky. Make sure you
include electrolyte replacement in your hydration plan to round out this
less-than-traditional approach to eating in the mountains.
As an aside, I learned the hard way on a backcountry ski
trip last winter that hydration bladders have an inherent risk in cold weather
that should be avoided. I like water bladders because I don’t sip regularly
enough from bottles on the trail. In the cold, I tuck the mouthpiece into my
shell to keep it from freezing, after blowing the water all the way back into
the pack. That works just great unless, as occurred on this trip, the bite
valve falls off. It took only seconds to soak me through: not good on a very
cold day. Invest in a shut off valves for your hydration bladders. It will keep
you dry and save your water for where it’s needed; inside and not on you.
To return to John Weiland’s rescue adventure: In order to
hike out to find help for his friend, Weiland needed good footwear. Never mind
the technical aspects of ice climbing; boots are all about locomotion, and
nothing hurts quite like sore feet. Boots are as personal as, well, underwear
to most people. Finding the right pair for you is worth every minuteóand nearly
every dollaróspent. Though expensive and heavy, I have found the perfect boot
for my genetically impaired ankles. The La Sportiva Evo GTX provides excellent
traction, accepts step-in crampons, and supports the foot and ankles like
nothing I’ve ever had on before. In leather, with rubber and plastic rand, they
work for me. Kayland is a popular boot with local climbing shops and appears to
be the boot of choice among BMS students who don’t otherwise wear La Sportiva.
Written up in the climbing rags is a new boot by Millet called the Radikal.
Touted as a “green” synthetic, the Radikal’s polyurethane upper is made from a
non-toxic vegetable-based formula. According to the swag put out by the
company, it can also be resoled. And of course it is touted to pull moisture
away from the foot and retain heat. Who knows? Give it a try. If it works,
Millet will do well with this one.
So what is the point of talking about belay devices,
nutrition options, and boots along with John Weiland’s trek to save his friend?
He illustrates the lesson that having good equipment during an emergency,
equipment that works and that you know how to use and can rely on, will allow
you to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Focusing on the goals and needs of the
emergency takes mental fortitude and strength. If you’ve covered the physical
side of things, you can devote your attention to mental toughness.
Weiland had that mental toughness. He down-climbed from the
pitch with two axes and one crampon, and then he hiked out to a road to flag
down help, all of 150 yards. Not too far in theory, but did I mention that his
left boot sole was gone along with the crampon? Both were swept away by the
falling ice--the same ice that had smashed his left ankle, torn ligaments, and
hyperflexed his right knee. Did I mention that the subsequent ice fall had
broken Weiland’s left fibula in two places?
The most important gear you take into the mountains is your
mind.
Both John Weiland and his partner survived the experience
and returned to ice climbing.