No doubt most of you have read that one of the three climbers was found dead today (Sunday) on Mt. Hood. It’s really sad, not only because of the human tragedy involved, but also because once again Mother Nature demonstrates her power and even the most experienced outdoors men and women can fall victim to the elements.

What is the lesson to be learned? Is there a lesson?

Although they appeared to do everything right – left a note in the truck about their route, were experienced mountain climbers and reportedly had plenty of cold weather gear, etc. at least it didn’t help one of those up there. Let’s hope the other two are found safe.

I did hear early on that they were doing a one-day ascent and therefore went light on there gear. Did they check on the weather before they went?

Maybe the victim was just a victim of the elements, despite great preparation. But more often that not, human error is to blame for these tragedies and near tragedies.

Read Angels in the Wilderness: The True Story of One Woman’s Survival Against All Odds by Amy Racina or Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (who cut off his forearm to survive) or check out the movie, Grizzly Man, or read Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster or Into the Wild to understand this phenomenon first hand.

The tales are heroic and maddening. They are stories of people who survived despite carelessness or stupid mistakes and those who died because of carelessness or stupid mistakes.

Let’s pray the other two Hood climbers survive.

Technorati Tags: Backpacking, Backpacking gear

My wife Gerry just picked up the latest copy of the Falcon Guide, “Backpacking Tips” (2005), from the pubic library and brought it home for me to read. It’s a thin book, just 99 pages, but as it claims it is indeed filled with trail-tested wisdom.

Each page contains 4-6 paragraphs of tips with tips listed under categories, such as “Tent”, “Weather”, “If You Get Lost”, etc.

Editors Bill and Russ Schneider (father and son) are seasoned backpackers from Montana with lots of experience in Glacier National Park. Bill was editor of Montana Outdoors magazine in the 1970′s and is co-founder of Falcon Publishing, which now prints 17 different outdoor guides.

I own the Falcon Guide “Hiking California”, a good handbook with lots of detailed trips and routes. It appears they no longer publish this one, however, so I can’t give you a link.

In regards to lightweight or ultralight backpacking, Bill Schneider offers these words:

“Most people tend to carry more weight in their backpacks than necessary, but sometimes this is a good thing … Ultralight backpacking equipment is the craze, but in some cases these efforts sacrifice safety. And safety always comes first. This is especially true when hiking in northern-tier mountain ranges where it can be winter on any summer day.”

He encourages keeping one set of dry clothes double-bagged for emergencies (worth the extra pound, he says) and notes there is “nothing wrong with spending the extra money for ultralight gear, but make sure it’s reliable. What good is a two-ounce raincoat that doesn’t keep you dry or a two-pound tent the wind blows away?”

He adds one more word of advice, which I have discussed in my posts: “In addition to safety, there is the issue of comfort: “You can leave everything home except essential items, but I personally go backpacking to enjoy myself.” Ditto.

Falcon Publishing, I found out in researching its other guides, publishes Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking. Based on the sound advice offered in “Backpacking Tips“, I think this is worth checking out.

Be safe. Be light. Be one with the pack.

Technorati Tags: Backpacking, Lightweight backpacking, Ultralight Backpacking