What is an alpine start?

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Sometimes climbers/mountaineers will say that they are getting an alpine start.

What does this mean and why would they want to do this?

mountaineering terminology

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Charlie Brumbaugh‭

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An alpine start is when one starts a climb really early in the morning (well before sunrise). Usually the goal is to make it to the top and back down before the conditions deteriorate.

Getting too late of a start increases a number of risks including,

Thunderstorms
Rockfall
Weakened snow bridges
Crampons balling up

Other times its worth getting an alpine start just to see the sunrise from the top of a mountain.

posted over 6 years ago

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Charlie Brumbaugh‭

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What is an alpine start?

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