Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Know your limits and respect the elements

With the news a few weeks ago of the avalanche victims in Central Gully in Huntington Ravine on Mt. Washington and now a hard pack slide death in King Ravine not far away we all need to pay attention to the dangers of promoting extreme adventures.

In the early 80's I was part of a team involved in the investigation of an avalanche on Mt. Katahdin. I was very familier and had as much experience in the area there in winter as anyone as few went there in winter back then as extreme adventure was not big and few liked to ski the 15 miles each way. The next year some classmates invited me to Mt. Washington 1 12 hours away but I had a bad cold and couldn't join them. While they were on the mountain it got warm and rainy then overnight it froze solid. They fell on the summit cone, one death and one very badly injured. I know what the conditions were like and to be where they were without ropes was not smart, essentially blue ice which in the case of a slip would cause a tumble of a few thousand feet horizontally 500 feet verticle.

The Sierra has a bit of a limiting factor due to elevation but we see the trouble that Richard a highly experienced outdoorsman got into recently.

Too many people want to do the extreme. The extreme is not fun when it gets cold and dark and you can't communicate due to the wind.

Be careful out there!

News of two more Avi deaths from Wyoming recently...

The first reports of that death said King Ravine, but was later changed to Great Gully, which is on the right (south of King) in the same large bowl.

That doesn't change your message, however. I'd echo your comments about being careful out there, know the mountain you're climbing, the prevailing winds/weather patterns, etc.

Agreed! Know your personal limits, its hard to hear of such tragedy's .. The Mountains never sleep and conditions change daily..

Avalanches make no exceptions for mere talent.

Malcom Slesser, With Friends in High Places, page 24