Posts by Simon Hodgson
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?
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
In a few weeks time I will be taking part in expedition skiing across Iceland. Our kit will be in pulks and we will be skiing with Nordic skis. Uphill I'm sure we'll need skins, but on the flatter ...
You need an antihistamine cream, there are many different brands available, but you'll find them all similarly effective.
