Ski Touring
An essential backcountry gear check, complete with your very own guide to get deeper into Alaska.
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If you want to go deep in AK, you should bring more than just your phone and a bag full of good ideas. First off, the phone won't work anyway. Second, all ‘ideas’ that you had before get obsolete pretty quick if your life is in danger.
I asked Craig Brown, the lead guide on my last AK camping trip, what's the mandatory equipment to be as safe as possible out on the glaciers.
Craig, I know there’s no ‘Top Five’ in safety items. Could you let us know nevertheless, what you consider most important when it comes to indispensable gear in the backcountry? As you said: there's no ‘top list’ when it comes to safety. Its all intertwined and you can't just leave out an item because everything is equally important when you are out on a glacier. You guys want to get the maximum out of the trip. You are willing to take risks to get the best shots possible. My job is to minimize these risks and be prepared for anything that can go wrong. And of course to say ‘no’ in case I consider a situation too dangerous.
Let's begin with the most obvious: The avalanche rescue kit. This is the absolute basics that you should carry at all times in the backcountry: Beacon (a digital one is a must for less experienced people), probe and shovel (with a metal blade, forget plastic!). Anybody without those basic personal tools has no business out here! An airbag isn't a must, but you need a backpack anyway to store your gear, so why not have an extra safety feature ‘in the bag’?
What about crevasses and other hidden hazards. I fell into a bergschrund yesterday, quite a shocker for me. You were damn lucky that you could get out under your own powers. Crevasses are much deeper. Everybody needs to wear a proper climbing harness, equipped with a couple of D-ring carabiners, a rappel device and prusic cords for rope ascension as soon as we leave base camp. That's the only way to get somebody out of a crevasse or rappel him out of a dangerous situation. In addition to that, every guide carries some deflection pulleys, more carabiners and a 30m climbing rope.
What if somebody gets hurt? We are carrying two identical trauma rescue kits at any time. These contain basic medical equipment as well as a spine board, a rescue stretcher, splints to steady broken bones or joints and a full oxygen set. We are operating hours, sometimes days away from any help, so we need to be prepared for the worst in case of an accident.
Speaking of ‘away from help’: how do you navigate and communicate out here? First of all, we need to know where we are. Detailed topographic maps in combination with a GPS device work excellent. Second, we need to communicate. We have our own guide radios, that we can also use to direct rescue teams our way. We also use a set of radios to communicate with the crew. Everybody needs to have his personal radio as soon as we leave base camp. Last but not least, both guides carry a sat phone. They aren't cheap, but they just work everywhere.
What about the snow conditions? We have some great tools to evaluate the avalanche dangers. When we dig a snowpit, we can measure the snow temperature, have a look at the shape of the snow crystals and hence get a bigger picture of the overall situation, also taking the slope inclination and the layering of the snow into account. Of course, this is just a guideline to get an idea about the snow build, but it helps us to be aware of possible hazards that are buried deep in the snow.
Thanks, Craig! Any last words? Of course, those are just the physical tools. All the equipment is worthless without proper knowledge and experience how to use it. You gotta have a plan out here and reckon with difficulties and hazards at any time. If you are prepared and know how to use your gear, that's half the battle!
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