“The Prescription”: accident reports from the AAC
"The Prescription" is a free monthly accident report from the American Alpine Club (AAC). Learn from the choices of others.
Reading about climbing accidents isn’t very enjoyable, but it’s an important part of our education.
The American Alpine Club (AAC) publishes an annual book called “Accidents in North American Climbing”. This is available for purchase, and is free for AAC members.
However, they also publish an accident report every month on their website, called "The Prescription."
From the AAC website: "The Prescription brings you monthly unpublished accident reports, tech tips, links to new online educational resources and much more – all aimed at helping you become a safer climber."
Even better, they keep an archive of the previous monthly reports on the same webpage, so you can scroll down and read a bunch of them.
It's a free resource that can help you reduce your risk and help avoid the near misses and accidents of others, so check it out.
Why you need to drink more water in the mountains
Yeah yeah, everyone knows climbers need to hydrate properly to perform well. But do you know the interesting physiology behind actually why this true?
(From the British magazine "High Mountain", Jan 2004, by I think Andy Kirkpatrick)
Moisture is lost through 3 main methods – sweating, breathing, and excretion.
Much of this moisture is drawn from the space between the cells, which is restored by blood plasma. If you are not replacing the water, blood volume will decrease as this plasma is used up, lessening your performance.
Less blood returning to your heart means the heart needs to pump faster to maintain the same cardiac pressure.
This decreases oxygen flow to your muscles and reduces the removal of carbon dioxide and lactic acid, causing cramps and increased muscle fatigue.
In cold conditions, this reduction in circulation can lead to cold extremities, which is a big factor in frostbite.
The cold itself also compounds dehydration due to moisture loss caused by heating up cold air while breathing (up to 1.5 liters per hour).
So, drink up!
Try to drink at least half a liter 2 hours before exercising, to promote hydration and allow time for excretion of excess water. (For a Hood climb, this means before you leave home.)
In colder weather, it’s best if the liquid is lukewarm. At the trailhead, you can pour hot water from a thermos into your bottles to start off with warm water.
Coming soon: satellite texting from your iPhone
In 2022, Apple introduced satellite texting for emergency services only. That was groundbreaking, and it's about to get a big upgrade. Starting September 2024 with an iPhone 14 or newer (and the latest operating system, iOS 18) you'll be able to send non-emergency SMS / text messages via satellite when you don't have Wi-Fi or cell connectivity.
This is a bonus article, available ONLY for Alpinesavvy Premium Members.
image credit: Apple
Apple already offers emergency satellite text capabilities for newer iPhones. But that's only to connect you with emergency services, and not for direct person to person texting.
Looks like that is about to change. Check out this recent (June 10, 2024) announcement from Apple.
iOS 18 is the next big operating system update, and should be available in September 2024.
If you have a 14 or newer iPhone with iOS 18, you can send texts via satellite when you're out of cell coverage.
This is GREAT news for people who drive or recreate in remote areas, disaster preparedness, and for search and rescue teams.
Last time I checked, a Garmin inReach Mini retails for $400, plus a monthly subscription that starts at $15, or an extra $180 a year. Might want to save your money. And sell that Garmin stock.
Yes, there are lots more questions!
How much will the service cost?
What geographic areas will initially be covered?
What about Samsung phones?
I’m simply passing on the latest news from Apple, and can't answer these questions.
Even without knowing all the details, I think we can agree that this is a huge advancement in technology that could be a tremendous benefit to anyone working, traveling, or recreating in remote areas.
Map of cell phone coverage from all carriers in the western United States, (from a GaiaGPS screen grab)
You can see substantial portions of Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado Rockies, Oregon and Washington Cascades, and the California Sierra lack cell coverage. That's where most of the fun is!
image: GaiaGPS screen grab