Archive:July2011 neve crossing
Contents
The Plan
Beginner friendly. Cross the Garibaldi Neve while there's still enough snow to cross the crevasses. Start at Elfin, tent at Pringles Ridge on the Neve and probably at TABLE Meadows and exit via the Barrier Trail.
Dates
The trip meeting will be on Wednesday the 29th - 6:30pm, in the clubroom. If you know what you're doing and can't come that's OK but please send a representative so I know you're coming, and don't have to organize people individually in addition to the whole group. If you don't know what you're doing, then you should really try and come personally, especially if you've never been on a glacier before.
The trip will be on the 1st-3rd July.
Kit
We'll be sleeping somewhere... on the snow. We'll need tents, or at least a tarp. A sleeping bag and pad are needed, and they should be reasonably warm. In July it can be really warm during the day, but will be cold at night if it's clear (below 0C).
Likely it will also be hot, and quite sunny - so suncreen, sunglasses, a hat and a bandanna are a really good idea. On snowy terrain it is possible to go painfully close to snow-blind in a weekend without sunglasses.
We're also bringing some glacier kit. Enough rambling - it's listed below, might get updated as we get closer to the date.
Other stuff includes (list reserves the right to be amended):
Clothes
- 1 set of non-cotton clothes (just the one on your back)
- 1 additional warm thing (fleece / down jacket)
- rainjacket / pants (if it is supposed to rain. Otherwise a nice light breathable softshell would be better)
- toque (best warmth/weight ratio going for clothing)
- gloves
- boots
- sun hat
- gaiters
Shelter
- Tent (not everybody...)
- sleeping bag (a summer bag is probably good, depending how warm you think you sleep)
- sleeping pad
Miscellaneous
- Burly container / outer bag for carrying poo bags
- Sunscreen
- Headlamp
- lip balm
- sunglasses
- camera
- Toilet Paper
- Toothbrush
- Lighter
Gear
- skis, snow shoes or good boots (you should only bring skis if you know how to use them, if you don't have nice stiff boots you should bring snow shoes)
- ski/trekking poles (poles are highly awesome for hiking. I can't recommend bringing poles enough)
- ice axe (the lightest you can find)
- climbing harness
- locking 'biner
- helmet
This is the minimum, if you know how to use them you may also wish to bring
- rope (or be one of 6 friends with someone who has one)
- a few prussiks and extra biners
- webbing
Food
- stove + pot + fuel + lighter (or be friendly)
- Plastic thing to eat out of (old yogurt container? Or something fancier)
- spoon
- 3 x Lunch, 2 x Dinner, 2 x Breakfast - remember you'll be on the move all day so bring snack food as well.
- Most people can eat somewhat under 1kg of food per day (we're talking dehydrated food - no heavy water).
- Water (ability to carry ~2L, depending on your size).
- Water purifier drops (optional)
Luxury
(some things might be worth their extra weight, including):
- songbook
- 1 pair extra socks
- down slippers for camp
Pack
And a pack to put it all in. Remember - stuff is heavy, so don't bring too much stuff! If you show up with a pack larger than 50L, Line will tear it apart in the parking lot looking for extra weight.
Hazards
Glaciers
Although there are many hazards, the large amount of glacier travel involved in this trip will make that the primary concern.
On a glacier snow is a mixed blessing - since it covers up the crevasses. This can be good since it lets you travel over them, sometimes without even knowing they're there. If can also be bad, because the snow may collapse suddenly and you fall into a crevasse. The normal solution is to 'rope up' where you tie yourself together with your climbing partners so if you fall in your friends stop you from hitting the bottom. When we travel on snow we'll rely on the 'huge rope team arrest' idea. By making really large rope teams no finely tuned skills are required in the event of a crevasse fall - just rely on the extra weight. This does mean that we'll have to avoid steep snowy terrain, but probably we should be doing that anyway.
Yourself
This trip will involve what's often called "General Mountaineering" - the sort of stuff you learn at Glacier School. Most of these skills are actually quite simple, but could have fatal consequences if done incorrectly. If you're asked to do something, or see everybody else doing it, (like put on a harness, rappel, rope up - anything) and you're not absolutely sure that you know how to do it speak up and ask for help.
If you do something incorrectly it may be too late before your error gets noticed. You are responsible for your own safety.
