Activity for Wills‭

Type	On...	Excerpt	Status	Date
Answer	—	A: Ice Axes - Ice blade or Mix blade? It depends. Mix climbing on granite in Norway with Ice climbing occasionally. That means you have mostly rock while on the mixed climb? If this is the case I would advise to get a mixed blade. What are drawbacks of using Ice blade instead of Mix blade? Ice blades are very thin and have a ... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How can I vet a hiking partner without potential hard feelings? What kind of trip are you planning for? It makes a big difference if you are going for a multi-pitch climb on an alpine route, a long distance trekking trip maybe even in high altitude or a sporty one day hike. For a simpler hiking trip I would say if you are used to each other already from work, j... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Stove/fuel setup for harsh conditions We already have topics on fuels here and here which give quite an overview. Also REI gives some info how to choose your stove and fuel properly. Still I would like to know what are the best options for my stove/fuel setup if I want to melt snow for drinking and cooking meals on a multi-day trip in h... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are zipper covers crucial? The answer will depend on the quality of the jacket and therefore somehow also the price. In the high-end range you often find jackets without zipper covers and still they are 100% waterproof (well to be honest this is a lie because at some point water will get through the zippers, still there are st... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Reliability of snow bollards I just discovered there is a way to rapell (e.g. for crevasse rescue) without any equipment building a snow bollard: How is this done in the best possible manner? What do I have to look for in terms of (snow) conditions? How can I check the reliability of my construction? I don't know if anybod... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Why should I carry a snow anchor? I regularly see online that on expeditions snow anchors are strapped to the side of the backpacks. This is typically an item like the upper on following pic: I never saw this in the Alps by myself. But I also saw it in this video where he shows his stuff for alpine multi day trips. I learned to bu... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Shoe sizes for bouldering Yes, shoe size plays a role which is quite important. But for beginners I would suggest to think more about foot technique than caring about the best possible gear. For climbing shoe sizes I give the following simple hints: choose the shoes as small as possible choose shoes which aren't causing ac... (more)	—	about 9 years ago
Question	—	Headlamp with open flame I just saw a documentary where they investigated lakes inside of glaciers. They rapelled in big crevasses and even dived in those sometimes huge water reservoirs. The scientist had a regular looking headlamp but on top of it there seemed to be an open flame. What could be the purpose of this tool an... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What kind of underwear inside union suit in winter? When you are facing a serious sweating problem, maybe your overall setup is too warm. What layers/jackets do you wear above the one-suite-fleece? I am thinking of a very thin layer which is highly breathable and will just be a shelter against the elements (wind, rain/snow) like e.g. the Gore Active S... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a technique to snow-shoeing besides "walk on the snow"? I think it's quite similar to skiing because the reason for kick-and-glide is to save energy. Same for snowshoes; try not to elevate the whole weight of the shoe for every step. Of course in deep snow you have to lift the leg including the snowshoe quite high, but not as high as you'd have to not wea... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: In cold conditions, will you freeze faster wearing wet clothes than not wearing any? This depends on the actual type of clothing and mostly on the wind speed. The wind evaporates moisture from the body. Since evaporation is a cooling process and absorbs latent heat away from the body, the person feels colder. Skin always has moisture on it. Just like a tree transpires, the human ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Quality/robustness of avalanche shovels At an online shop I found a great deal for an avalanche shovel (14€). It's not a no-name brand, indeed it is a trustworthy German label. Still there are users complaining about the robustness of the shovel. Someone tested a brand new shovel and it directly broke while digging some tight snow. ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Acclimatization strategies While reading Hermann Buhl's tour book of the Nanga Parbat expedition in 1953 (yielding to the first ascent on third of July, Buhl did the final ascent solo) I got curious about the height difference he made and therefore created following plot: So they needed 6 weeks to get the gear for the high ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	For how long afterwards do we benefit from acclimatization? Consider we are trying to pre-acclimate for an expedition in Himalaya to shorten the actual timespan on site. As an example, I am expecting a benefit if I go in the Alps for several days above 4000m and sleep over 3000m. If my trip to the big mountains like the Himalayas starts a week (or two) after... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is department store merino wool less effective than branded (i.e. SmartWool) merino wool in staying warm and wicking moisture? Like being said you could also ask if price scales with quality. That's not true in general as we all know. What hasn't been said is that there are big differences in terms of labor conditions, sustainability, environmental influence and animal protection. Especially the latter is a very critical is... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Should I be more careful about postholing during winter hikes? In my opinion the major risk wearing no snowshoes on deep snow (besides the time aspect) is that you step close in front of a stone or other obstacle. You don't have to run, it is just normal that your leg benches and it is likely that your shin gets levered against that obstacle. That leverage incre... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Dropping gear: Where did the hairline/micro fracture urban legend come from? You will always find climbers saying they want 100% safety for their hobby. That's a bit like the mountaineers trying to go on ski tour or doing alpine tours only if there is literally no avalanche risk, no risk of stone fall, no chance to get bad weather and so on. It is impossible to get these bull... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Measuring a dangerous snow slope If you don't have a compass or other instruments, it is possible to measure the slope with your two (ski) poles solely. Just hold one pole vertically by using gravity and stick it into the snow. Hold the other one horizontally until it reaches the slope with one end and the first pole with the other... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the best mountaineering quote that you have ever read? I came to win, came as I always do, in order to justify who I am and what I have become; now I don't even know what that is. The rot inside me, the cancer of desire, feels unbearable, now it knows it won't be sated. There's a malignant discontent in there, and without a climb there will be no peac... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Winter bivvying in the Alps: what is a good temperature rating for a sleeping bag First of all, I will just spread some ideas. I never did a winter bivi by myself. Please don't blindly trust my words. But... because I am interested in the idea and like to do something similar in future, I searched for some info which might help you (and me). Still I am looking forward for better ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to prevent fingers from freezing? Some general rules: layer system also for the hands is a good idea but those gardening gloves won't work pretty well better use inner liner gloves (wool or even a softshell glove) and a warm mitten as the outer layer to avoid cooling off use hats (again use a layer-system) including a warm winter h... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Are mittens warmer than gloves? This is simply a question of the increased surface area of gloves which will therefore increase temperature (heat flux) exchange. Same reason why foxes have smaller ears as further away they are located from the equator. This reduces the heat flux of polar foxes and in this case keeps the body temper... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is it safe to sleep for more than 16 hrs a day at altitudes above 6000m? The weather is very harsh, and the mountain does not allow much area to take a walk on a day when you are not going up the mountain. This sounds like two points mixed up. Is it the bad weather what keeps you on the camp or is it the lack of routes or ideas? For the last part I would suggest to at le... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the best mountaineering quote that you have ever read? The repetition of the really great alpine routes seemed to us much more interesting than discovering obscure little climbs in remote corners. Like ugly girls, many of the ridges and faces which preserved their virginity until comparatively recently did so more from lack of attraction than from int... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to detect a crevasse on a glacier If the glacier isn't snowless (aper) you can probe for spaces under the surface which should be noticed by less resistance in the snow/Firn. Still it is preferable to avoid going in regions where one would expect crevasses. This isn't easy like it is tough to know how the weather is going to evolve i... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to walk as a roped party on a glacier? The answer of @BenediktBauer covers pretty much everything you have to know as a beginner on glaciers. What you also have to know is the proper knot (and that was the second part of your question). You can use the figure eight, like is recommended in sport climbing too (so most people will already kn... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	How to belay on top of a pitch When doing a multi-pitch and you reach a belay station (the top of a pitch) you can choose between belaying the lead climber from the body (like you do e.g. indoors where you aren't doing multi-pitches) or from the belay station (anchor) itself. Can someone experienced please compare those types of ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What to look for in a winter skills course? I can't speak for the Scottish winter and there definitely are differences to the Alps. But still I can give you an overview what is important to learn if you are going to do alpine summer tours in the Alps. The German Alpine Club (German: Deutscher Alpenverein, DAV) is the world's largest climbing ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What do you call a small backpack? (so I can search for it) You can find smaller backpacks called daypacks but regarding the actual activity they are mostly around 25-35 litre. Smaller packs are often used for biking, trailrunning and as climbing backpack. The last mentioned might not be the right ones for you because you simply don't need to attach a rope or... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	How to take care of climbing hands? Being a climber one aim is to toughen up your hands (related: How to toughen up hands?). Building up callused skin is important but how do you keep it? Having dry hands especially from the climbing itself I suffer from skinning. What's the best method to take care of your hands/skin? Just use mois... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Answer	—	A: What to look for in an ice axe for use in classic alpine terrain? Searching an ice axe for what I would call classical alpine terrain isn't that tough in my opinion. There might be fancy new features and very durable items (T-classification) but those might not be necessary for an ice axe typically used as a walking support. Most important for me is the correct le... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	How do you flavour your water on camping trips? Always drinking pure water can be boring and tasteless, especially when you have to filtrate it or use sterilizer/purification tabs which might cause the water to taste really bad. What are easy (lightweight and not complicated to use) ways to get some flavour and diversion in my drinking while bein... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Taking Aspirin in higher altitudes Reading this answer and especially the comments leads me to questions: Should one use Aspirin in high altitudes? Should one use it as a precaution or only when actually getting headache or other problems? I heard that the decreasing oxygen level in the blood will cause the body to produce more ... (more)	—	over 9 years ago
Question	—	Kayaks vs canadians (canoes) from a beginner's perspective As far as I know canoeing is the generic term which contains e.g. canadians and kayaks. What do I have to look for as an absolute water sports beginner in terms of: costs knowledge (eskimo roll and the kind) safety equipment storage room group suitability fun (yes, may be very subjective) Say the... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the proper technique for self-arrest when wearing crampons? Although @ReverendGonzo gave a nice answer I want to start a little debate. There is no explicit answer to this question. Different alpine clubs have different opinions and even different mountain guides in one organization. That being said, I think the process described by @ReverendGonzo (which I wi... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Foam vs hardshell climbing helmets? In my opinion you should also take the hybrid helmets into account. As far as I know, hardshell helmets are more robust than foam ones but they are heavier. That's also the reason they invented the hybrid, to get a compromise of both. Hybrid has a thinner hard outer shell (lighter than the extremely... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Question	—	Differences for bivi packs I would like to do a winter bivouac but have no gear for it yet. Especially the choice of a bivi pack is really tough for me because I'd prefer to be able to use it also in summer as a rescue item and therefore size and weight matters a lot. For bivi packs, what do we have to look for referring to ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Question	—	Planned winter bivi There is emergency equipment to survive nights, like emergency blankets and bivouac packs. As opposed to this, if you plan to stay overnight on winter trips (e.g. in the Alps) you don't just want to survive, you want to have a relatively comfortable night. Of course you bring an isolation pad and a ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Question	—	What is a tour book used for? I recently started to write a little tour book. The main reason for this was, I was told some guides want to see this as requirement to take you along. Is this true? If so, for which tours/organizations is it standard procedure to check your tour book first? Of course it's nice to have a short o... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Compare running fitness to hiking I don't think it is difficult to give an exact correlation between running time and hiking endurance. I think this is impossible. I will give you an example from myself: I am not a good runner because my lungs aren't the best. Nonetheless I can hike quite a lot and had no problems at 12.500 ft. Als... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Climbing Mt Kazbek in Georgia Being young, athletic, fit and having great conditions won't help you if you are missing experience in techniques/tactics required when going over glaciers. Kilimanjaro is a high altitude mountain, but it is technically easy. You don't have to touch a glacier there so it's not really a good reference... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Allemansrätten: What restrictions? It's not a myth. In Sweden allemansrätten (lit. "the everyman's right") is a freedom granted by the Constitution of Sweden. Since 1994 the Instrument of Government says that notwithstanding the right to own property "everyone shall have access to nature in accordance with allemansrätten... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Question	—	Activities at the campsite Inspired by a comment by Kate Gregory I just have to ask this question: What to do on your spare time while being at the campsite? Being outdoors several days while having good friends around and the weather is gracious with you might be easy. But still, good ideas are welcome. So we could read bo... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Is there a definitive list of the tallest mountains in the world that require little or no mountaineering experience? Referring to @theJollySin's answer: In Europe the mountains aren't that high but you still have to go over glaciers on most routes to the high summits. So you need to learn some basic safety/rope skills. And you can find really tough routes on smaller mountains, so you just have to read tour descrip... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: Advantages of wool/felt jackets I recently read an German article about merino wool which is well worth reading. I am just posting it here because I know you are German too @Paul. What you can expect by merino wool (and I think likewise in other kinds of wool) compared to the usual Softshells/Fleece made from synthetic fiber is: ... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: What is the point of hiking boots, versus any comfortable walking shoes? You are using your old used sneaker-like city-shoes, sport-shoes or jogging-shoes to go hiking? Well, those are made for really flat paths without lots of surface irregularities and they aren't designed for rough conditions (wet and/or cold, difficult terrain, bigger loose stones and so on). Saying t... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How precise is a pedometer for estimating on a backpacking trip? Searching online I found lots of useful informations, like e.g. wiki says: The accuracy of step counters varies widely between devices. Typically, step counters are reasonably accurate at a walking pace on a flat surface if the device is placed in its optimal position (usually vertically on the b... (more)	—	almost 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How to prepare for a 1 day 10 mi hike around Gettysburg, PA? In general you can't do that much in two weeks, regardless being 20 or 80 years old. It depends on your general fitness level and your life habits. If you usually are a healthy living (wo)man, being active, eating balanced, no-drinker, no-smoker and so on, it will be easier to get a proper endurance ... (more)	—	about 10 years ago
Question	—	Indoor vs. Outdoor sport climbing As I started indoor climbing this year I would like to know what distinguishes it from outdoor sport climbing, especially when you are lead climbing. I know that there are huge differences in safety, like outdoors there aren't always bolts available as belay points (like indoors) so we need to use... (more)	—	about 10 years ago
Answer	—	A: How do you determine how long a hike will take? Last year I was taught an approximation by a mountaineer guide. It is an average and worked quite well for me. Of course you need adaption for alpine tours (3000m+), physical condition, weather, extremely rough paths and so on. The rule is: 4km per hour on a flat path 400m altitude per hour take t... (more)	—	about 10 years ago

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