The Do’s and Don’ts of Mountain Climbing – The Weather

Whether you scale a mountain just to escape the crowded streets of the metropolis or a hardcore mountaineering enthusiast, there are preparations that need to be followed in order to guarantee the safety of everyone—and it exempts no one. Since most people consider mountain climbing as an extreme sport, precautionary measures must be observed. One must always remember that most mountains are secluded from the civilization. This fact alone eliminates the idea of calling professional help if need arises.

Despite its danger, mountain climbing activities can be successful when certain measures are observed. These measures are so important that they are known to separate danger to safety.

Albeit the common misconception about this activity is all about physical strength, well, you better muster you sense up because you are in for a little wake up call. This activity, though admittedly requires physical strength, does not primarily relies on how much physical pressure the participant can manage before surrendering to his/her knees. Mountain climbing is literally beyond that.

In this blog, I am planning to create a series of entries solely dedicated to what first-time climbers have to do and expect in mountain climbing. This is a very strenuous activity but the reward after it so enormous. On my first blog entry, let us talk about the weather.

If you are planning to avail a mountain guide as you climb the mountain, then you are one step ahead over danger. A mountain guide will just as surely ensure that the climbing company will take the most common trail on the way to the top. However, a mountain guide doesn’t mean everything in this extreme sport. Thought the tracks may be common, this doesn’t lead the guarantee that the entire trail would be safe, does it? Experienced as the guide may appear, mountain climbing, like any other sports, has many additional factors that consider its success; each factor also determines the participants’ safety.

To avoid meeting such disastrous events, plan ahead before rushing to the mountainside. Know all the details there is to know about the mountain: its altitude, the trail you’ll be taking and the kind of terrain you’re likely to meet. This way, you could at least orient your body to expect what kind of conditional hardship it will encounter once it has gone outside its typical normal zone.

Also, always take note of the weather. If you’re planning to hike in a mountain on a 40° Celsius sun, then you are on a constant battle of losing your water every single minute. Not to mention the fact that extreme heat aggravates the heart forcing it work harder than normal. This incident could lead to heat stroke or dehydration, which is both deadly, by the way. If you are to stay away from this activity when the sun is scorching hot, well, you better avoid more it when the sky is sending its mixed force of water and air called rain. Obviously, the trails on the mountains aren’t concrete. There are parts of the mountain where studded stones are laid to offer a better foothold when climbing but most of the trail has nothing on but exposed earth. The studded stones and bald earth make the best roadway of the mountain through the peak but is nonetheless treacherous when the rain falls down. Even on a mild downpour, the trail becomes so dangerous that some rangers would prohibit any activity inside the mountain. Everything, from the trail to the fallen trees that offers hand support, becomes slippery making the climb tenfold more fatal.