Simon Hodgson‭

There's a book published by Cicerone called 'Europe's High Points' which lists the highest peak in each country, and provides a pretty good description on how to climb them. There are plenty of eas...

posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭

It's pretty hard to check gear without some high-tech equipment. Metalwork really needs to be x-rayed to see if there are any hidden cracks, and rope can be checked by cutting a length off and send...

posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 12y ago by System‭

Well it's been banned for sale in Europe for use in purifying water. (http://www.grough.co.uk/magazine/2009/08/13/eu-ban-will-end-walkers-use-of-iodine) As that webpage mentions Chlorine is an alte...

posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭

I'm about to take part in a Ski Tour across Iceland in a few weeks time, I've just noticed by travel insurance doesn't include Search & Rescue costs, here in the UK mountain search and rescue i...

2 answers  ·  posted 12y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 9y ago by System‭

What sort of rope would be ideal for glacier travel? I have a 10mm 60m rope, but this is quite heavy. Would a 9mm 50m rope be suitable for a team of three, crossing glaciers in the Swiss Alps?

2 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

I clean it out then leave it to dry for a day or two. But you can never seem to get all of the water out of the hose, so I keep mine in the freezer. At -18 the mold can't grow.

posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭

In a lot of places it will be quite difficult finding two trees the right distance apart to hang it. When it's late and you've been walking all day, all you want to do is lie down and rest, you mig...

posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭

I'm using a multi fuel stove (MSR Dragonfly) for a 10 day ski tour, how much fuel should I allow to provide sufficient water for cooking and drinking. Meals will be mostly dehydrated just-add-water...

2 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 7y ago by System‭

Weather forecasters often give two tempertures, the actual air temperature and a 'feel like' temperture that takes into account wind speed. Is there a rule of thumb for calcualting the 'feels like ...

4 answers  ·  posted 13y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 10y ago by System‭

Looks like a bit of Googling found the answer I was after... I'm not 100% sure this is definative, but it does suggest that search and rescue is free. http://www.vagabondjourney.com/travelogue/ice...

posted 12y ago by Simon Hodgson‭

You're right it's very rare to see anyone wearing a helmet whilst scrambling in the UK, that doesn't mean it's not a good idea though! As with a lot of safety equipment, it comes down to personal r...

posted 12y ago by Simon Hodgson‭

I've noticed that polar expeditions seem to favour tunnel tents, and mountaineering expeditions prefer geodesic designs. Is there a reason why one design fares better than the other in its preferre...

1 answer  ·  posted 12y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 12y ago by System‭

If mountain rescue teams in the UK were searching for a walker or climbing caught in an avalanche, would they start with a transceiver search? given that transceivers are infrequently carried by wa...

2 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭

I'm planning to head to the Alps this summer to walk the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. Does anyhow know how far in advance I need to book the huts? Months, weeks or just a few days? Also t...

2 answers  ·  posted 11y ago by Simon Hodgson‭  ·  last activity 11y ago by System‭

Hiking in the Iceland highlands/roads when there's snow on the ground is certainly allowed, although you'd find travel much easier on skis. Be aware in the winter/spring the roads and marker / sign...

posted 11y ago by Simon Hodgson‭