Backpacker – August 2019

JULY/AUGUST 2019

BACKPACKER.COM 109

You ignore storm signs. Southern

winds. Plunging barometric pressure

(buy that altimeter watch). Descend

to safety. Now.

You stow a full hydration bladder in

your pack and throw it in the trunk.

You’ll risk a rupture and fl ood. Also,

leave a jug of water in your car for

when you return.

You separate your group. It isn’t a

party—or safe for that matter—if

you’re not together.

You overestimate your pace. Plan to

average 2 mph max, plus 30 minutes

for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

You don’t know the

ABCs of fi rst-aid.

When disaster strikes, rely

on this simple plan to kick-

start the lifesaving process

and assess injuries.

Aa

Airway

Check for blockages in the

throat, and, absent cause for a

cranial-spinal injury, adjust the

head so it’s in a normal resting

position.

Bb

Breathing

Is the victim drawing breath?

Put your hand under the victim’s

nose to feel for heat. Or stick a

mirror or knife blade under there

to check for vapor.

Cc

Circulation

Check for a pulse in the neck

and in injured limbs above and

below the wound. Sign up for our

fi rst-aid class: backpacker.com/

wildernessfi rstaid.

You’re crossing

that stream wrong.

1. Water check: If the
   stream is rushing (or,
   honestly, moving faster
   than you can walk) and
   water level is above your
   knees, fi nd a safer place to
   cross or change your route.


2. Pack check: Whether
   it’s calm, deep water or a
   shallow-but-swift river,
   unbuckle your hipbelt and
   sternum strap so you can
   quickly ditch the pack
   if you lose your footing
   (otherwise it’ll pull you
   u nder).


3. Footwear check: Keeping
   your boots dry is fi ne, but
   don’t go barefoot. Cross
   in your camp shoes, or
   pull out your boot insoles,
   strap them to your feet
   with duct tape, or roll your
   socks over them.


4. Buddy check: The
   stronger the fl ow, the more
   important it is to link up as
   a team. Two hikers should
   hook elbows. Three should
   make a triangle. Groups
   should form a conga line.
   The strongest goes fi rst.

MY BAD

I Trusted My

Partner’s Memory.

ABOVE TREELINE IN one of those snow-and-rock
scenes where the TV shows play the ominous music
is no place to lose your head. Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat
is not nicknamed ”Killer Mountain” ironically. But
we’d done our homework—or so we thought.
One member of our team had climbed Nanga
Parbat seven years before, and he remembered
fixed ropes that would aid our downclimb. You
can forgive us for thinking, after we summited vic-
torious, that maybe the hardest part was over.
Except, a lot had changed on the summit since my
team member was last there. Those fixed ropes?
Nowhere to be seen. So there we were, not 100
percent certain it was even possible to climb down
this particular ridge. I couldn’t help but wonder how
we’d gotten this high without being sure how we’d
get back.
Time to panic, right?
Five miles high in the literal Death Zone is not a
great time to obsess over mistakes or launch into
finger-pointing recriminations. Yes, we had our little
freak-out moment, but then were able to shift our
attention to saving ourselves. We stopped and took
10 breaths—two seconds in, two seconds out—to
switch out of flight-fight mode and allow the brain’s
executive function to reboot and take over. Then
we slowly made our way back to safety, one pitch—
sometimes one move—at a time.
Things go wrong in the mountains. Weather
changes. Falls happen. Rocks slide. But one thing
that should never go wrong is your pre-trip research.
There is no way to be too cautious with the informa-
tion your life will depend on. Our failure to confirm
that the fixed ropes were still in place nearly killed
us. And if, despite your best efforts, you are still sur-
prised, now you know how to stop the panic and stay
in control. –Doug Chabot
PHOTO BY LOUISA ALBANESE

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