I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a morning person. But I've come to accept the fact that my peak-bagging habit requires me to rise early on the weekends.
The practice of departing for a climb before dawn or at first light is known as getting an "alpine start." As unpleasant as it may seem, hitting the trail very early is the only way to avoid afternoon thunderstorms.
Thunderstorms are simply a fact of life in the high country, particularly in the summer months.
For a good overview of weather patterns in the high country, check out the "Consider the Weather" section in this article on the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI) website. It explains that the storms we experience in Colorado from June through September are caused by rising warm air masses and can bring heavy rain, hail, and lightning.
No one likes to get caught in the rain or hail. But the real danger is lightning.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), lightning has killed an average of 58 people per year during the past 30 years – more than either tornadoes or hurricanes.
This page on the NWS website offers tips on avoiding thunderstorms and treating lightning strike victims. Key takeaway: Seek shelter!
Choose your start time depending on the distance of your hike (also taking into consideration your average speed on the trail). The standard rule of thumb is to be off the summit by noon. However, in my experience, it's best to be back below treeline by noon.
It's very easy to get "summit fever" and push on when you know the weather is rolling in. I've done it myself, on the Atlantic-Pacific-Crystal trifecta of top 100 peaks.
The black clouds looming overhead in the photo below turned into an electrical storm that literally had my hair standing on end. I made it down safely, but not without taking far too great a risk.
6 comments:
Sarah,
I really like the phrase "alpine start." I just went to two poetry events this week and even though I might not use an "alpine start" to climb a mountain, I think I'll have to use it in a poem sometime!
I could relate to this a little bit, too, because my husband and I got up early last Friday to go fishing on a mountain. In the afternoon we climbed a hill to a higher lake and there was afternoon thunder and VERY close lightening. Even though we were still among trees, it's still scary and I can't imagine being on the top of a bare mountain peak when a storm strikes.
I liked reading this post for the nature aspects of it. That's good for adaptability :) and reaching a broader audience while staying within your niche topic.
One last comment - I love the pictures in your previous post. Great job illustrating what the ratings really mean.
Hi, it's a very great blog.
I could tell how much efforts you've taken on it.
Keep doing!
Excellent Post Sarah! This is my first time exploring your blog, but I can see why people enjoy your site. The information you present is very well written and provides valuable information to all those who may be interested in climbing. Even though there isn't a mountain within 4 hours of my house, I still feel like I learned something!
Rachel - I'm glad you like the phrase! I wasn't sure how familiar it would be to most people, but it sounds like it's new to you. You're right, lightning can be very scary no matter where you are... I wasn't exaggerating when I said my hair was standing straight up that day on Pacific Peak, and it was about the scariest thing I've ever experienced!
Kevin, thanks for the positive feedback! I'm glad to hear you find this stuff informative, even if you may not put it into practice anytime soon. You'll have to make a trip out West sometime!
Sarah
Hi Olive Tree - Thanks for visiting my blog! I'm excited to have someone reading from Taiwan.
Sarah
Lots of excellent tips in your articles. I like that you think about what you are doing and have done.
Gary Neptune
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