Post by kensmall on Apr 14, 2014 13:55:54 GMT -8
The most important skill that’s routinely exercised on glacier climbs – though definitely not the most important one to have – is body management, assuming it can be considered a skill. A lot of points about body management are made here and there in other parts of the text, but nowhere that indicates how poor body management in roped glacier climb can result in godawful inefficiencies that are much less common in unroped climbing, partly because when one person in the party stops, everybody stops. A point that should come across to all beginners: It should be considered inexcusable to have to take off one’s pack to get at sun screen, sun glasses, food, or water. Ideally, on a typical glacier climb of 5000 ft or so that starts cold and has gradually warming weather, rest breaks should be 2-5 minute standing breaks for water, sun protection, etc., with one clothing break where everybody removes their pack and adjusts clothing. Sleep can be an issue. It’s extremely common for strong, well-conditioned people to do a glacier climb on little or no sleep and seemingly do fine. But that doesn’t mean there is no cost in reduced stamina and alertness. I’m not sure what can be said about it. Talk to your doctor about sleep aids?
I think the Mountaineers does a generally poor job of teaching body management, probably through no one’s fault, since it is hard to see how to teach it, except perhaps to put a couple of paragraphs in the right place in Freedom or by mentioning it in lectures. It doesn’t lend itself to practices or demos at field trips or lectures. Have students pair up, put on sunscreen and check each other out for missed spots? Then there is the matter of – um – elimination. A demo of how a droppable seat can enable you to drop your pants to answer a call of nature? Let’s not go there.
I think the Mountaineers does a generally poor job of teaching body management, probably through no one’s fault, since it is hard to see how to teach it, except perhaps to put a couple of paragraphs in the right place in Freedom or by mentioning it in lectures. It doesn’t lend itself to practices or demos at field trips or lectures. Have students pair up, put on sunscreen and check each other out for missed spots? Then there is the matter of – um – elimination. A demo of how a droppable seat can enable you to drop your pants to answer a call of nature? Let’s not go there.