What is the most life threatening thing in the high mountains: high altitude, wild animals, steepness, difficult terrain or weather? Based on my experience of crossing 300+ passes in the Himalayas it’s very clear: the weather is your greatest adversary at higher altitudes. It’s pleasant to go for a monsoon hike in the Western Ghats of South India and get drenched but it’s life threatening to get into wet / cold weather in the high mountains: rain, snow, wind, cold, white out. A deadly combination.
NEVER go out in the high mountains without checking the weather forecast. A human being is extremely vulnerable to the weather elements. At higher altitudes weather tends to get more extreme and you are more exposed.
Temperature
In higher altitudes the temperature drops significantly after sunset. It can be a pleasant 20 degrees blue sky at 5pm and suddenly drop to minus zero after 6pm till the next morning. It’s therefore important to plan on reaching your campsite latest by 5pm so you can pitch up and snuggle inside your warm sleeping bag before it gets too cold. My rule #1 for camping is to pitch up out of the (cold) wind which will drain your body warmth the entire night. It is much warmer / comfortable to sleep out of reach of the wind.
Stay Dry
No doubt the most important item in your gear set is your rain jacket. You cannot afford to get wet in rain or snow at higher altitudes where temperatures are low and winds are high. This combination can quickly drain your body heat and lead to hyperthermia and fatalities. You need to keep yourself (and your camping gears – sleeping bag, clothing) dry and warm at all costs. If weather turns worse or continuous to be bad, it’s better to pitch up and get inside your tent to stay dry / warm. Your rain jacket can only prevent you from getting wet for a limited time.
Summit Timing
When climbing peaks or crossing high passes plan your journey (schedule, night halts) in such a way that you can complete the summit / pass crossing during morning time when the weather is usually more stable. Avoid a late-afternoon summit or crossing when the weather gets more volatile. Weather can change very fast at higher altitudes. Getting stuck in bad weather – blizzard, snow/rain, white-out at the highest point in your hike means trouble as you ll be more exposed / vulnerable at higher altitudes.
This means that you need to plan for a sufficient high base camp the previous day to have a quick approach to the pass / peak and safely make it across / return from the summit.
Floods
Sudden heavy rainfall can turn peaceful streams into deadly torrents making it impossible to cross. This situation can get you completely stuck unable to proceed further or go back if surrounded by river crossings. Once the water level crosses your hip and the speed increases it can be very dangerous to cross a stream. Again, check the weather forecast before you head out and in case you do get stuck, pitch up and wait until the water level reduces before you attempt any wild stream crossings.
White-out
This weather condition refers to a dense fog or mist which can suddenly appear. Side-effect of this is that visibility gets greatly reduced and you are likely to get disoriented and wander off track. In this case it’s better to pitch up again and wait for the weather to clear out and visibility to improve instead of getting lost and into dangerous / steep off-track terrain. A white-out in a snow covered landscape (see below) will completely disorient you unable to identify or maintain any direction. Only proceed further if there is a clear foot trail or GPS log to follow.
Snowfall
The main problem with snow is that it blanks out your trail and makes it easy to get lost. A snow covered landscape looks completely different from the original one without snow. Heavy snowfall can get you snowed in, unable to proceed further or back. With limited food ration this leads to a tricky situation. You might be peaceful asleep in your shelter while some heavy overnight snow adds 1-2 feet of snow cutting off your way back to safety. So once again – always check the weather forecast before you head out. Once the snow level goes above the knee level the effort increases significantly to hike through.
Assignment
Acknowledge your understanding that weather plays an important role in planning your journey / timeline. Remember – bad weather is your worst adversary at higher altitude. Always check the weather forecast before heading out
