In the Adirondacks Quitting is Always an Option
by Phil Brown
The Climbing Code in The Freedom of the Hills has nine precepts meant to promote safety in the mountains. Some are common sense, such as No. 1: “Leave the trip itinerary with a responsible person.” Others are technical: “Rope up on all exposed places and for all glacier travel.”
Most of us violate some of the rules on occasion. Many times I’ve gone on a short hike without telling anyone or without carrying the ten essentials.
But I’ve had the hardest time over the years with precept No. 7: “Never let judgment be overruled by desire when choosing the route or turning back.”
When you set out to climb a mountain and you travel for hours in pursuit of that goal, it takes mental discipline to turn around short of the summit if, say, bad weather or fatigue slows your progress. If you’re a mountain climber, after all, you’re probably the sort who takes risks, the sort inclined to push on despite the dangers.
Several years ago, I violated six or seven of the precepts when I climbed the slides on the east side of Giant Mountain. I went solo, I didn’t tell anyone, and I got into a situation above my ability. I ended up ascending a very steep face, scratching dirt out of cracks to make holds. Essentially, I was rock climbing in hiking boots, and I had no rock-climbing experience.
It wasn’t the only time I got lucky.
This past weekend, I set out to climb Debar Mountain with Mike Lynch, the outdoors writer for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. I needed to get photos for a snowshoeing story that will run in the January/February issue of the Adirondack Explorer.
It’s a round trip of nine and half miles. We skied in a few miles and then switched to snowshoes when the trail got steeper. We were breaking trail the whole time.
Most of the climbing comes in the final mile or so. As we ascended, Mike started to fall behind, so I waited for him. He told me his asthma was acting up. He also may have been worn out from skiing eight days in a row. We decided to go a little farther to see if he felt better. He didn’t, so with less than a half-mile to go to reach the top, we turned back.
No doubt we could have made it had we pushed on. In the past, I might have regretted turning around, but I felt we made a smart decision—especially as we were running out of daylight—and that gave me as much satisfaction as reaching the summit.
A wise man once said: “The mountains will always be there; the trick is to make sure you are too.”
5 Comments:
If you plan on heading out this winter for a destination, print this article and stick it on your refrigerator door.
I appreciate your candid piece. We all have our stories that reinforce the saying that, “good judgment is developed by using poor judgment,” but at your (and my) age we shouldn’t need to be developing our outdoor judgment anymore. It should be well established. I don’t think it is too much to ask that a person leave a note with someone letting them know where they are going and when they are expected back. It should become a habit as natural as brushing one’s teeth. Here’s a simple Trip Planner form that people can print out and use: (http://leadingedge.posterous.com/backcountry-trip-planner-and-emergency-search)
I also don’t think it is too much to expect to carry the ten essentials. Everyone’s 10 essentials’ list varies but here’s mine:
1. Proper clothing with extra layers (including rain gear on sunny days and good footwear) – In an emergency shed cotton clothing faster than a snake sheds its skin! The reality is that in the winter there is no excuse for wearing cotton.
2. Water bottle – In the winter I recommend a wide mouth bottle so if the water starts to freeze you can still break through the ice. I also recommend a bottle insulator. A big sock might suffice.
3. Food – including extra
4. Pocket knife or multipurpose tool
5. Matches or lighter with firestarter (a film canister of cotton balls soaked in Vaseline works well)
6. Flashlight with fresh batteries
7. Map & Compass
8. First Aid kit (even if it is just a very simple and basic one)
9. Whistle
10. Pencil & Paper with something like AFPEP’s Backcountry Trip Planner (http://leadingedge.posterous.com/backcountry-trip-planner-and-emergency-search)
In the winter extra layers become especially important. I also like to bring a piece of foam padding. If someone is injured, and has to spend any amount of time on the ground, a closed-cell foam or Therm-a-rest pad can literally be a lifesaver.
I know you are familiar with this article (http://eastwickpress.com/news/2009/10/desperate-hours-for-two-grafton-hikers/)but your readers might be interested in reading it. I think it is a classic regarding why the ten essentials are so important to carry.
I’m glad you and Mike decided to turn back on Debar Mt. It was the wise thing to do.
Wilderness education pioneer and my mentor and friend Paul Petzoldt once said, “There are bold mountaineers and there are old mountaineers but there are no old bold mountaineers.” He lived to be 91 and climbed in many of the major mountain ranges of the world.
Jack Drury
http://realworldlearning.wordpress.com/
Jack, thanks for the valuable input. That incident on Giant occurred a few years after I moved to the Adirondacks and was mad about slide climbing. I wouldn't put myself in that situation again.
That last bit of Debar is some steep climbing-action.
Great advice and one that I, like many, learned over time and the hard way on more than one occasion. It's easier for me to follow this advice (as I often do especially in winter) because I live locally and hike the 'daks. It's much harder to keep perspective when you travel a great distance to a destination be it the Adirondacks or another continent. Self-control and respect for one's own life/those in your group, respect for your rescue party (if necessary) and respect for the mountains are key. Live to hike another day!
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