"Climbing may be hard, but it's easier than growing up." (seen on a Tee-shirt)

Those who would prefer to climb than grow up might want some pointers on how to do it safely and enjoyably. However no article can do more than scratch the surface. There are some rather thick books on the subject and even they typically warn readers that they are inadequate by themselves. One of my favorites is _Mountaineering, The Freedom of the Hills_ published by the Mountaineers in Seattle, WA, USA. That leads to the first basic:

Get competent instruction from someone who really knows what he/she is doing. Professional guides and some clubs offer climbing instruction. This is safer than just reading about it since they will watch you and give feed-back when you make mistakes (and you will!).

Beyond that, mountain climbing varies greatly depending on where you climb, climate, height and steepness of the mountains etc. I do most of my climbing (and volunteer rescue work) in the Pacific Northwest of the US. Here we face glaciers with sometimes hidden crevasses, storms that blow in off the ocean with little warning, and loose, volcanic rock. In the Rockies afternoon electrical storms are a hazard. On any snowy mountain avalanches can be a hazard. Farther south, mountains may lack snow and ice but heat, steep slopes, insects and snakes may be a problem. Learn about the hazards of your area and how to deal with them.

Wherever you climb, learn the techniques of safe climbing, including how to properly use a rope. I cannot do justice to those techniques here, even books with drawings are not perfect. However I will mention some of them.

First, be very aware of the weather. Increased altitude usually means a colder climate. An approximate rule of thumb is that temperature will decrease 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit for every thousand feet of altitude gain (about 5 to 10 degrees Centigrade per thousand meters). Of course this is only approximate. Storms, temperature inversions, and other atmospheric effects can cause the weather on the mountain to be very different from that lower down. In fact large mountains can sometimes make their own weather. Be prepared for conditions to be very different than they are at lower altitudes.

If you are climbing ice or snow, learn crampon use, including both French (10 points of the crampon in the snow or ice) and German (front-pointing) techniques. French technique is more secure on moderate slopes but when it gets

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about The basics of climbing a mountain?
We want to hear your view. Write now!