Posted on 03/09/2017 9:39:42 AM PST by DUMBGRUNT
Montoya slid an estimated 1,500-2,000 feet down East face of the mountain, later telling his mother he fell long enough "to do a lot of talking, thinking and yelling all the way down."... Montoya suffered severe frostbite, a broken elbow, and a broken pelvis. The fall even broke a chunk out of his helmet. He is being treated at University Hospital in Denver for frostbite to his right hand. They are trying to prevent him from losing his fingers after his glove got wet and froze.
(Excerpt) Read more at krcrtv.com ...
He said"Oh, a little bit".
Did he blame the fall on Trump, racism, Islamophobia, and sexism?
Wow, an amazing story of survival and preparation.
That’s an intense survival tale. Dislocated elbow, broken pelvis, frostbitten fingers, somehow survived a couple of winter nights in the high country, and made his way onto a road.
He survived because he was prepared.
“In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.”
Louis Pasteur
Also helps in other endeavors.
:)
When I used to hike a bit, I’d carry a lot of extra gear and only twice did I need it. And oh did I appreciate it! It made the difference between a very miserable day and a very pleasant, even enjoyable one.
I was never in a survival situation however if I were, I would have been okay for a short while.
I saw folks hiking who didn’t know what they were doing and wondered what might happen to them in an emergency. Then I realized that there enough people roaming the trails that the would probably be okay.
Fall or a slide? Not the same.
"...he ain't tellin ya he slid about half way.... I know because I was in front of him laying down a turd smear wide enough for a 747 to make a landing"
“Fall or a slide? Not the same.”
Exactly what I was thinking. It was a slide.
A 2000’ fall would not have killed him, but the sudden stop would have.
Simpsons did it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UUwQNv7IyU
I have climbed Pyramid Peak. It is near Aspen and is across the valley from the Maroon Bells.
All except spare gloves. I do a decent amount of winter camping and I generally have 2-4 pair of gloves with me of varied thickness. That and extra wool socks
Extra gloves and especially layered. Layered means that layers can be removed and moisture allowed to evaporate.
Evaporation is very important and a dry person is a warm person. Plus, additional gloves can be rotated and wet gloves allowed to dry or there is built in redundancy if the gloves are damaged or lost.
Same idea for socks — light, dress (cheap nylon) pair and wool — reduces the chance of blisters.
No coincidence that it is the fingers and toes that get frostbite. The core manages okay while the extremities suffer.
I lead a Trail Life USA troop. When we’re training the boys for winter camp, we spend a lot of time on socks. If you lose your feet, you’re done for. Period.
I’m also a big fan of layers. My first winter camp, I didn’t even bring a winter coat. Just several layers topped by a shell.
And run away from cotton ANYTHING in the winter. I’ve seen a kid literally scream in pain when his cotton socks froze. To his credit, his wool socks were the same color and he grabbed the wrong pair.
I like to stay just a little bit cool. Too warm, you sweat.
And a knit hat. I’m bald so I usually bring at least two. one to wear and one to sleep in. Even in summer.
Mechanics gloves are my favorites for around camp. Just enough for a layer of warmth but still having full dexterity.
Too few kids know or even care. We need to train the youngsters!
Yup — wool.
And it is surprising how warm you can stay with your core covered and a little exercise. I found that the threshold for covering the lower body was around 20F (dry, low humidity). I live in Colorado. As long as the upper body was covered and the sweat allowed to evaporate.
The technology is pretty cool these days too — Gore-Tex is a must. It is light, sturdy, robust and makes a perfect outer layer. Plus the arms can be removed and unzipped and the coverage tuned for the outside temp.
A few years ago, on a winter camp, my boots cracked. It was about -7F in the tent.
I didn’t notice the cracks and eventual chunks of rubber missing from the boots. The next day topped off at around 20F.
I knew one of my feet was wet but figured I just got some snow down the top of the boot. With wool socks, I wasn’t the least bit cold or uncomfortable so I didn’t even change them. We were heading home in a few hours any, after we jump started most of the cars.
When I got home is when I noticed the cracked boots. They were replaced under warranty and the second pair did the same thing a few years later. I just replaced them with a pair of Sorel’s.
The boots these days give me nasty blisters. I like the full boot (up and over the ankle) for this reason.
However, I have found that the lighter boots (something new and in recent years) work a lot better. I ended up buying an REI branded version that works really well. Lots of ankle support and no blisters. I am trying to remember the model — it has been awhile. What is great is that they were only $75. The pair that gave me blisters were over $200 and I took them back.
I took a real shot last year. Did about 30 miles backpacking with Trail Runners instead of boots. I hadn’t really used them much before. I normally wear boots.
It was OK because they were very light and it was an easy trail, but all in all, I think the boots were more comfortable and offered better support.
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