North Shore Rescue shared the story of a just lately rescued hiker who, just like one other current case, suffered a suspected leg fracture regardless of carrying the correct footwear and carrying path crampon-like traction units.
In accordance with a Fb publish from the group, the injured man is believed to both have deliberately slid on his bum or slipped and slid, both hitting the terrain in an irregular manner or digging his crampons into the bottom within the course of. Regardless of the case, the hiker suffered a suspected leg fracture after the leg stayed put whereas momentum carried him ahead.
North Shore Rescue offered a floor crew, together with an Superior Medical Supplier – ER doctor member, in a tracked Aspect-by-Aspect. When the crews reached the topic, situated on the Hollyburn Mountain path at Cypress Mountain in British Columbia, he was offered medical care, packaged right into a stretcher, and carried all the way down to the automobile. The automobile introduced the injured hiker to the Cypress Nordic base the place he acquired additional care.
The snowpack on the North Shore mountains, notably that on-trail, may be very effectively compacted, icy/slippery, and can doubtless stay so for the foreseeable future given persevering with low temperatures. As well as, the snowpack is under common, that means that the terrain options (bumps, dips/holes, and many others) which might be sometimes stuffed in by this time of 12 months aren’t. Compounding the issue, on downhill sections of well-liked trails, path customers usually slide/bum slide down (deliberately or in any other case), additional slickening the path floor. Whereas it could seem enjoyable, you’ll be shocked how briskly you choose up velocity, how exhausting it may be to manage, and the way a lot it hurts to bump over a tough uneven floor.
In these circumstances, hikers have to train a lot warning. Each of our final two topics on Hollyburn had been carrying correct footwear and utilizing path crampon traction units, but nonetheless discovered it troublesome to descend the slope.
As we mentioned within the first (ankle damage) debrief publish, bum sliding – whereas showing enjoyable and a fast manner down – is fraught with danger. It is extremely straightforward to choose up velocity and get uncontrolled, particularly when bouncing over uneven terrain.
Whereas we extremely advocate footwear traction units (crampons, path crampons like Microspikes, and many others. – not snowshoes in exhausting packed slippery path circumstances), paradoxically, they will also be a danger when sliding. When sliding with spikes, there’s a danger that they are going to dig into the bottom – stopping your foot/decrease extremity in its tracks – whereas your momentum carries the remainder of you on, inflicting vital damage corresponding to what we’ve got seen these final two rescues. (This is the reason skilled mountaineers know to boost their feet-crampons above the bottom when sliding – a talent discovered together with ice axe self arrest strategies.)
All of that is to say that recreationalists should take a lot care when climbing on slippery floor. It’s sometimes a lot more durable going “down” than “up”. Having strong footwear and traction units (crampons, path crampons, and many others.) is vital, however as these final two rescues have demonstrated, aren’t essentially sufficient. Cautious foot placement, selecting your path correctly, additional stability/traction help (poles, ice axe, and many others.) all go an extended solution to making certain secure travels.“
