Summit or Bust?!?

[Jim lombard]

Summit or Bust?

Winter hiking season is approaching fast and I wanted to find out how far you will push to make the summit. I look back at last winter and see a number of times when weather was pretty bad and we decided to just turn back.....twice when we were barely 100 vertical feet from the summit!

Do you push on when the alarm bells are ringing in your head? How about if a companion suddenly gets sick? In 2004 I've retreated from a mountain before reaching the summit four times, the hardest one (and easiest decision) was at 18,000 feet on Kili when my wife collapsed from exhaustion and AMS. We made it to Barafu safe and sound but discouraged.

Maybe I'm not a real mountaineer but is a summit worth your life?

 

[Peakbagr]

Jim,

In my mind, there's 2 issues. The first is the human factor.
Where someone is exhausted, sick, or otherwise in danger, like you, a no brainer. This has happened to my parties, but with rare occasion.

The more questionable one is weather or conditions related. We tend to be over-prepared and take a good look at the probable conditions before setting out. I can't recall where a case of treeline whiteouts, high wind, poor visibility or the like has ever turned us back. Maybe just lucky that we haven't had to face one of these calls, or been so far from assistance where prudence would rule.

PB

 

[bobandgeri]

We just started Winter Hiking to summits last year, although we have been doing long snowshoe hikes on traisl for a long time.

If the forecast is calling for a storm we modify our plans to at least do a trail below tree line if not to an inside alternative activity.

If the weather startes to turn bad after we are underway, we turn around no matter how close to our goal we are.

When ever somebody else has misfortune we talk about it in detail so that we learn from it.

 

[HikerBob]

I never have any qualms about turning around. The summit maybe the objective but getting back down is the goal.

I often hike solo and that makes me even more cautious. When hiking with others I consider the 'start as a team, finish as a team' rule to be golden.

Bob

 

[Jack Waldron]

I'm been winter hiking for many years and have turned back many times due to changing conditions, equipment problems, losing the trail, and fatigue/illness of some members of the group. I've never regretted any decision to turn back.

I have regretted some foolish decisions to push on. Once in my exuberance to reach a snow covered summit I completely ignored the obvious fatigue of my 2 partners. As we slowly hiked out late, in darkness, on a trail with black ice I realized how dumb I had been. That decision I regretted.

 

[carole]

I have turned back in summer when the pouring rain just made it no fun to continue.
I have turned back before winter when wind chills were too cold to safely continue.
I have turned back in winter when the choice was to continue breaking trail to a second summit (time factor being considered) or go back on the trail we just broke out.
I turned back last winter on Adams when it would have meant crawling in 60mph winds the last .8 to the summit.

But…
I have pressed on in pouring rain and had fun.
I have pressed on in fog so thick you couldn’t see the next cairn.
I have pressed on in wind that continued to blow me over.
I have pressed on when others are turning back because of winter conditions ahead.
I have pressed on because it was the lesser of two evils to continue to ascend then to descend the way I came.

Basically it comes down to was I prepared (as well as any with me) and comfortable about continuing or not. No regrets either way.

 

[Camper58]

The summit maybe the objective but getting back down is the goal.



Bob

HikerBob - Perfectly said. While I like to think I always keep that in mind, in reality I probably don't. I've never had a real tough call to make regarding turning around or not, mostly because of time, not fatigue or weather.
I think I'll try to keep that little mantra in my head from now on. Can I quote you?

Camper58

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Camper58,

Two more bumper sticker quotes for you:

Getting to the summit is optional; returning to your car is not.

The mountain will be there next year; make sure you are.

 

[Bushwacked]

Like HikerBob, most of my climbs are solo (even in winter, for better or worse), so I'm definitely on the cautious side. Like Jack said, I've never regretted a turn around. It's never felt like the wrong or overly cautious decision. Finally, like Mohamed and harryk said, the mountain ain't going anywhere. Stay safe and knock it off another day when the stars line up right.

 

[percious]

Ive turned back Four times.

1st time we turned back was our first attempt at Colden. We did not have sufficient gear to handle the winter conditions, and we did not make it to our pre-determined base camp. My buddy got hypothermia, and we spent a cold night in a 3 season tent.

2nd time was Gothics, and 10ft of snow on the summit impeded our further progress to the real summit. A storm was rolling in, and we didnt want to get caught on the ridgeline.

3rd time we turned back from Gothics, this time because members of my party did not feel comfortable continuing on the icy ridgeline, despite our crampons.

4th time we turned back was that first cold snap last year. -30 degree temperatures were no picnic, and after a night at bushnell falls, we decided Marcy would wait till next year.

I do kind of regret turning back on Gothics twice, but our decisions were sound. Gothics is still there to hike.

-percious

 

[Rick]

Getting to the summit is optional; returning to your car is not.

Awesome Quote Mohammed
Have you copyrighted it yet?

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Awesome Quote Mohammed
Have you copyrighted it yet?

Alas, I cannot copyright it since I did not originate it. I probably first heard both quotes during the Boston Chapter's Winter Hiking Program, or maybe from a trip leader on an AMC hike.

I hike alone, at times, year round, and believe that a willingness to turn around is an absolute requirement for a solo winter hiker.

 

[Stan]

Real Mountaineer?

Summit or Bust?

Maybe I'm not a real mountaineer but is a summit worth your life?

If being a "real mountaineer" means leaving your good sense at the trailhead, then that's a claim I can do without. I doubt that's the case because there is little dispute that there are much more nobler reasons to die for than one's ego.

 

[Jim lombard]

I believe somebody here has this quote under their name:

There have been joys too great to be
described in words, and there have been
griefs upon which I have dared not to dwell,
and with these in mind I must say, climb if
you will, but remember that courage and
strength are naught without prudence, and
that a momentary negligence may destroy the
happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste,
look well to each step, and from the
beginning,think what may be the end.
Edward
Whimper

Thanks for your words, wisdom and quotes.....

 

[spaddock]

So far the only time I've turned back on a hike before the summit was out in BC on a solo hike when I was just discovering the sport. I had to beat dark (no headlamp) and I also didn't want my car to be locked into the parking lot for the night.

With the advent of lightweight LED's I now carry my headlamp on every hike, regardless of the time I expect to complete it. This practice has saved me a couple of times already this year.

This year I've been finishing in the dark on almost every hike. I fully admit I hate turning back. It's hard for me to do. Once I get a goal in my head its hard to shake. I've come to realize that night hiking really isn't too bad depending on the route you're on. I guess knowing that their is a "midnight 46'er" out there who's done every peak in the dark, it makes me feel a little better knowing I'm not the only one that's done it. Plus adventure racers go all out for 48+ hours straight. I guess all that is to say I'm less worried about darkness (in summertime anyways) than in the past.

Weather and physical condition are a whole different story. I haven't had to turn back because of weather but I definitely have modified routes because of my conditioning. Last March we set out to climb the Wolfjaws and Gothics and Armstrong over the course of two days. It was a pretty high goal for us. I had had a sprained ankle and was just getting back into hiking. Anyways... the forecast changed and it got down to -22 C that night, but on top of that we were just worn out by the time we got to the really steep part below the wolfjaw notch (from ausable road). We ended up just doing Upper Wolfjaw that trip but we came back with smiles on our faces.

I want to push my limits but be smart enough to realize when I've reached them.


S.

 

[snowshoe]

That is an easy one, Turn Back, why put your life on the line and the people rescuing you, for a summit. Mohamed said it best with his quote.

It is not all about climbing to a sumite but just enjoying being outdoors even if that means turning back and haveing to hike around the lower elevations. There is always another day to climb that mt even if it means taking a day off from work and loosing a days pay, it is better than loosing your life.

 

[Jim lombard]

Quote by Spaddock:
With the advent of lightweight LED's I now carry my headlamp on every hike

I'm going to buy an LED headlamp after both of my headlamps failed at 17,000 feet. Fitz and I had similar ones and they both blinked out at the exact same time. My smaller headlamp also failed in minutes. Anne's Petzl headlamp was fine but I noticed all the LED headlamps I saw were working just fine.

Both my headlamps are AA and AAA battery powered and the cold might've had something to do with it. I think the LED's must draw less of a load from the batteries.

 

[spaddock]

Both my headlamps are AA and AAA battery powered and the cold might've had something to do with it. I think the LED's must draw less of a load from the batteries.

I've also read that the new Energizer lithium AAA's are better in the cold as well as lighter than regular alkalines.

I carry a lot of AAA's with me now since they power both my headlamp and GPS. I haven't been able to find the AAA's around town (Ottawa) only the AA's. You can order the AAA's from backpackinglight.com.

 

[stoopid]

Maybe I'm not a real mountaineer but is a summit worth your life?

Definitely not worth my life, and I've cancelled a few summit attempts because of weather conditions (took me three tries to climb Rocky Ridge Peak).

 

[Jim lombard]

I was using the Energizer Industrial Alkaline AAA batteries and they failed. The Lithiums are about 4-5 times more expensive but maybe I'll have to get a pair for the winter. I'm also looking at the Pelican 2620CS which is a Xenon/Led headlamp and uses AAA batteries. The LED backup says it has a battery life of 80 hours.