Mountaineering Ethics will help protect the Mountain Environment. Source: Flickr by dino_olivieri.
To coincide with
International Mountain Day 2009, the
UIAA International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation released their new code of
Mountaineering and Climbing Ethics.
The UIAA’s bold summary encompasses the thinking behind the declaration:
Stretch Your Limits, Lift Your Spirits, Aim for the Top!
The mountaineering and climbing ethics code encompasses the following twelve points, which I have summarised below:
- Individual Responsibility – Be responsible for yourself, for others and for the environment.
- Team Spirit – Support and encourage your climbing team members.
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Bike and Ski at the same time!
The winter sport of skibiking, or skibobbing as it is also known, has been around since the 1950′s. A skibike is quite literally a bike with skis instead of wheels. Most of the other normal features of a bike have also been removed, such as the pedals, chain and brakes. Skibikes tend to be ridden down hill only and let’s face it, only a wuss uses brakes! Skibikes do have suspension however!
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Mountain villages are at risk from natural disasters. Source: Flickr by www.viajar24h.com
In order to improve the welfare of the indigenous
peoples of mountainous regions the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has initiated an annual
International Mountain Day. This year the theme is
Disaster Risk Management in Mountains.
Mountains are hazardous places. Many mountain communities live under the threat of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, avalanches, landslides and floods.
José Antonio Prado, Director, Forest Management Division, FAO.
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Worcestershire Beacon in the Malvern Hills
At CheapTents.com we are always interested to hear from walkers, climbers and campers about what they have been doing and where they have been enjoying the outdoors. For example, Freddy Phillips recently got in touch with details about his wild camping expeditions. In this post, Steve Dempster praises his favourite walking destination: The Malvern Hills.
The Malvern Hills
– The Heart Of England’s Best Feature!
The Malvern Hills straddle the border between Worcestershire and Herefordshire, running in an almost perfect North-South line for some nine miles. Though of relatively modest height – The Worcestershire Beacon is just under 1,400 feet – and virtually surrounded by the town of Malvern and villages such as Colwall, there is a surprising feeling of remoteness once the ascent begins.
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Ofcom, the Government body that oversees communications in the UK, has agreed to ‘roaming’ for emergency calls. This means that when a caller has no signal from their provider, the mobile phone system will switch them to any other provider’s emergency signal if there is one available.
This move will hopefully lead to increased safety on the mountains as it should increase the chances of being able to dial 112 or 999 from your mobile in an emergency. The move of course does not guarantee that you will get a signal as there are areas which are not covered by any operator.
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We always encourage our readers to get in touch and share their views when they feel strongly about something. Freddy Phillips did just that and got in touch to respond to our article on wild camping. You can read Freddy’s response below.
Wild Camping
On the matter of wild camping, I do this routinely on multi-day walks and now that I have disengaged myself from the restrictions of a working life I have time to tackle the many long distance walks that excite the imagination and itch the footfall.
Freddy Phillips High Street summit - Freddy Phillips ©
The Khumbu Icefall at Everest Base Camp is the destination for Khumbu teams 1,2 & 3. Source: Flickr by mckaysavage
The Royal Navy Khumbu Challenge is currently under way in the Nepal Himalaya. This is particularly special expedition, since it is the inaugural expedition for Project Fortitude. Project Fortitude is a Royal Navy / Royal Marines initiative which will help service personnel who have been physically injured or who are suffering from psychological injuries. Through Adventure Training, Sport and Challenging Activities Project Fortitude can bring “Opportunity, Challenge, Focus, and Belonging” to injured personnel, which will help with long term rehabilitation. The Khumbu Challenge was officially launched last year by Prince Harry.
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11th of December is International Mountain Day
For most people who go walking, trekking, climbing and mountaineering the
mountains are a place to have fun and challenge yourself. For many people however, the mountains are their home, providing their livelihood and are their way of life. In order to improve the welfare of the indigenous peoples of
mountainous regions the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has initiated an annual
International Mountain Day. Since the first International Mountain Day in 2003, December 11th is used to highlight important issues that affect the mountain environment and those people who live there.
Each year International Mountain Day focuses on a key aspect of mountain life or the environment. The issues raised to date are outlined as follows:
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The Route to Scafell Pike via Mickldore
Recently I wrote about doing a hike and scramble up Scafell Pike in the Lake District. What outdoor gear should be taken on a day walk up the highest mountain in England? This would obviously depend upon the time of year and the expected weather conditions. Below is a list of the outdoor gear that I took with me on my hike, indicating what gear I used and did not use.
The Walking Gear I Took Up Scafell Pike
The hike took place in mid June, not far off the longest day of the year. The weather forecast was for glorious, uninterrupted sunshine all week.
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Hardly something to worry about in the UK but altitude sickness can be a serious problem when you start to go over around 2500m or 8000ft.
What is altitude sickness?
Altitude sickness is caused by the effects of low pressure ( usually due to high altitude). The mildest form of altitude sickness is Acute mountain sickness (AMS) which is essentially headache and nausea at about 3000m or more and is a benign illness. AMS can however progress into high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). These are both serious life threatening conditions.
Altitude Sickness Warning sign(s)!
