Ice climbing - environmental “red flags”
Premium Members can read the entire article here:
This post (shared with permission) is an Instagram post from Kel Rossiter, an IFMGA guide and owner of Adventure Spirit Guides. Connect with Kel on his website and Instagram, @adventurespiritguides
Photo: Capt. John Crowley/Duchesne County Sheriff's office
Kel Rossiter writes:
“We're moving into transition season here for ice climbing. Recently, I was asked to name the environmental factors to get my attention relating to hazards. These are the five I came up with.
The field of avalanche science has a lot to teach the climbing community in terms of risk analysis. One tool they use are the “red flags” - things like wind, heavy snowfall, etc. that should serve to get skiers attention when deciding when and where to go.
There are similar red flags in ice climbing. I came up with five, there are likely more.
Nighttime temperature above freezing
Daytime temperatures above about 40F/4C
Rain
See Premium Member article
See Premium Member article
The first three red flags have to do with warming, obviously not good for ice, which substantially increase overhead hazards.
Red flag number four . . .
Red flag number five . . .
None of these red flags are showstoppers for me. But if several of these are stacking up, it's a sign to me that I might need to change venues to shady places, a place with less overhead hazards, etc. And although I did throw out the number of 40°F/4 C, this is of course not an exact science.
There are other hazards in ice climbing, such as avalanches, cold temperatures leading to frostbite and hypothermia, and high consequence of falling. These are different than an environmental red flag, meaning hazards that have a direct effect on the ice I intend to climb.”
