CLIMBING THE GRAND HAS NEVER APPEALED ME, though it certainly does many of my friends and acquaintances. (One of my closest friend's husband is attempting it this next weekend.) It requires an advanced body of physical fitness and experience----in both high altitude hiking and technical climbing often on sheer rock and ice cliffs---than I care anything about getting. (Most mountaineers hire Exum Guides to achieve their bagging the summit aspirations.)
In addition to the best training and guides, climbers sometimes must turn back, correcting their efforts mid-course, due to sudden nasty weather rolling in causing a treacherous climb to become a deadly undertaking. Many climbers have chosen to forge ahead in such adverse conditions never to return to tell the stories.
Not my cup of tea by a long shot. There's plenty of fabulous hiking on high, dry, steep ground to keep me occupied here for decades to come.
This season with above average snowfall which continued well into May, many these ultra-difficult peak climbs are even more challenging than usual.
Over the past few days, two rescues by the National Park Service (NPS) of experienced hikers/climbers took place on or near The Grand. Thought it would be interesting link to the news source that details how these fortunate climbers got into and out of trouble. No one died and rescues were accomplished just before darkness set in--- 'pumpkin time'--- when helicopters and rescuers are required to ground their efforts until morning.
Both maneuvers involved dangling injured/compromised climbers from a 100' rope fastened inside of helicopters. I'm sure at the point you're rescued---often freezing cold, injured or very sick---being flown in a basket is an appealing prospect to the alternative. However, this possibility is another reason I have zero, ZERO I TELL YOU!, interest in climbing some of these peaks now or ever. Still I admire the brave, highly motivated souls who go for it.
BTW, most if not all these rescues are now billed to the hikers, rather than taxpayers, with tabs which can skyrocket into the tens of thousands of dollars.
Below, Are we having fun yet?
I only recently learned about Grand Teton, via reading this http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1188183/1/index.htm article about three parties being pinned down last summer due to severe lightning. There was at least one death: a man catapulted off the mountain by the force of a lightning strike. There were injuries, and severe pain from being hit by lightning (and from being subjected to severe static electricity? Can't remember, exactly). I do remember that some climbers threw all their metal in a pile, and the pile began snapping and crackling at various times, from the electricity. Scary.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do remember when you had to hustle down a mountain due to approaching electrical storm. Yikes. I was in similar situation, once, though maybe not in the same degree of peril as you were.
Yet, musing about the Tetons takes a backseat to the pure adorableness of your granddaughter on the Thames. She cranks adorable up to eleven.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the mountain I had to descend last summer as quickly as a bunny rabbit--- even falling and skinning my knees badly---was next to The Grand.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens is that when you get above tree line, you're only on mostly granite rock, which super conducts electricity...so there's practically no place to hide. Very scary when lightning starts crackin up there!
Aw shucks, thanks, Greg!....she is pracious ti ne...and am getting really eager to see them again in early fall!
ReplyDeleteThe conductivity of granite explains some of what happened to the three parties of climbers last summer: lightning would strike, electricity would be conducted across the face of the rock - to the locations where the climbers were desperately hunkered down - and climbers would be shocked and burned by the electricity. One woman said the pain was worse than childbirth.
ReplyDeleteIt is a terrifying and extremely dangerous ordeal to live through lightning at the top of these rock solid peaks. That's one reason these big time climbing mountaineering services, like Exum, make the climb up to tree line one day, spend a short night camped there, then go for the final summit before dawn the next morning....when the likelihood of strong storms is less. In general, the worst lightning happens late in the afternoon.
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