Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board The Walk, an open debate

Doug, here is one of my favorite quotes from the mountaineering literature

Climbers have the rare ability to gamble the rest of their lives on one step.
Joe Simpson, Dark Shadows Falling, page 196

Quick question: When descending a mountain a patch of gravel over a big rock is encountered (e.g. before the ledges on the MR), what is the best way of dealing with these "ball-bearings from hell" when going around or jumping over is not an option. I quickly learned that leaning back into the hill was, perhaps, not the best approach.
I agree with everything said about Shin. Eventhough I have only met him once (recent Candlelight peak hike), I found him to be one the most caring, sincere and guileless people I have ever met. I look forward to hiking with him again.

Gary

Hi Gary, Harvey posted the quote from Joe Simpson , I referenced it in the change of travel and not adjusting your method of control. Your choice of location is very special. I have had one good friend die in this section and another very lucky to have had full recovery from a fall in this location.

Several things are working at once , slope/angle of the rock, decomposed rock loose on the surface and your force increased because you are heading down and all this in a few short steps, This is the part of looking many steps ahead so you don't walk into the trap. Next STOP and focus on the conditions, use hands and feet? should I Down climb this section or face forward and use my hands for balance and extra control, lowering my body down , also poles can be used to control the downward travel but this is not something that works that great, many times the forward pole will slip and throw off your balance.

Control your speed , it is easy to travel faster downhill and get out of control . Your sole material is a large factor in this type of terrain , many of the boots on the market are not so great on friction so you need to test this with each pair of boots/ shoes you have. Also the temperature will change the friction /holding strength of your soles, The type of rubber may be great at 60 degrees but at 15 may have 0 traction and turn into a rock hard stiff soles with very little flex ,not allowing you to ' "smear" into the slope .


Can you see a way around this section that reduces you risk ? Always the first choice. Then the next question? Where will I fall and how bad will it be. I think about the risk of a fall at every step and expect it at least once on every trip. I'am always looking for a recovery point in the fall, what can I grab? how can I increase friction using my body and how do I protect my head during a fall? Stay in the fall line and know what the landing area will be .Steep slopes with brush and loose gravel are always risky the brush can shadow the loose rock and may lead you into thinking I can grab the brush and recover, this never works.

Granite can hold moisture on the surface and this may freeze causing a very slick surface. Look for dark streaks on granite as a clue for moisture or ice, One day I was coming down one of the short cuts on a very long slab, I had been over this section many times I knew the area would be wet so I slowed down and moved onto the wet area , two steps into the area I had hit solid ice, since I was moving slow tested the third step I was able to stop, balance and return to the dry section. A fall in this section would be very serious. Thanks Doug

Great thread Doug. When in the mountains, deserts, hillsides, just about anywhere to get away from it all, sometimes things go into autopilot. Walking along, the scenery making the cares wash away, and suddenly you double over as you step into a gopher hole or almost step on a rattle snake.

The most pleasant, fun, relaxing places on earth usually require the most attention. But that attention brings in the best information, senses keener, noticing things, specific things in the wilderness that may have been overlooked strolling without a care in the world.

Reminds me of the trip I did with my B-I-L and nephew 10+ years ago. They couldn't understand why I kept talking about ball-bearings up in the mountains. On the way down, on the slabs below Clyde Meadow, my B-I-L slipped on some of those dang ball-bearings. Luckily for him, he grew up in a family of Stuntmen and new how to fall and recover gracefully. When he stood up (undamaged), he said "Now I know what you're talking about!"

Thank you for your well-considered feedback. I think the "take home" when navigating this kind of terrain is to proceed VERY CAREFULLY!
The other "gotcha" to exacerbate the problem that James speaks about is complacency. After doing the hard work climbing the mountain, being tired, and lusting for a WP hamburger all conspire to diminish judgement. BIG MISTAKE.
Anyway, thanks again...

gary