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发表于 2017-5-31 10:37:04
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There is so called "Alpine Start" concept which seems to be being abused beyond rationality. People start climbing Hood at midnight in the pitch-black darkness. Some of them enter technical terrain without seeing what's going on. I used to be like this before, and I never questioned why it is so. This has changed on the Mt. Baker North Ridge trip when a seasoned climber, after I declared "alpine start", said to me "why bother, lets have a good night sleep and start at sunrise, we will be at the base at the same time as those who start at night". He was right and I was wrong. Since then I never start climbing in the dark.
I always encourage people to convince me back that it is safer to start at midnight rather than have a good rest and travel in good visibility. So far I have not gotten a coherent and solid explanation of such a concept, so I will keep climbing on, in day light that is. 8)
However, I will certainly deploy Alpine Start when it is really required - like guiding beginners (just to make the day-time longer so slower climbers can make it). Or in emergency when temps suddenly rise and I am on the mountain and have no choice but move at night to avoid sun-heat turns snow into slush. However, the question of course is what are you doing there on the warm snow in the first place?
PHOTO: This is the final slope just below Pearly Gates - it is 45° mesaured with an instrument, not guessed. It is steep enough to kill (like it did kill someone just few weeks prior). Will you climb it in the dark?
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