Mountain Climbing Risks: 20 Hazards to Be Aware Of

Often while mountain climbing you find yourself in ‘no-fall zones’, these are those areas where you don’t have any protection such as ropes, harnesses, etc. and a fall would result in death and in such situations, it is essential to know that you’re within your own personal limits before you enter the no fall zone. Reading route descriptions, listening to more experienced people, and practicing on easier terrain will all allow you to judge mountains and that will really prevent you from falling.

Avalanches

Avalanches are massive packs of snow that come loose from mountains and slide down, sometimes it slides down for thousands of feet with almost 100 miles per hour. Avalanches are dangerous because it can bury you alive in snow and then trap you there until you suffocate, even they can crush you to death.

How to avoid it: 

Avalanches can be avoided by two steps: Firstly, proper planning, not venturing into severe avalanche terrain. Secondly, proper recovery, having the right tools and partners to dig you out if you ever do get trapped. Avalanches scares climbers the most because the thought of being trapped in a snowy tomb, slowly running out of air while you are unable to breath, is really the most scariest thing.

Avalanches are uncontrollable risks that you can plan for but you can’t do too much to prevent as often times they are caused by factors that are completely out of your control, so the only thing for you to do is to stay away from avalanche terrain.

One of the greatest mountaineers of all time, Alex Lowe, died in a massive avalanche.

Weather

The risk of sudden weather changes mostly in the form of storms, which happen often in the mountains and it is quite dangerous because sometimes storms can change the conditions, which makes your travelling harder and may expose you to the other danger elements.

How to avoid it: 

Good planning and preparation are the only way to avoid this danger which means you should always know the weather report for your specific mountain before you leave the house, and you should always carry one extra layer of clothing on you (and one extra meal in case you get stranded).

Weather risks are mostly related to the chance that you get caught in an unforeseen storm while mountain climbing and this can expose you to the elements like hypothermia and can make travelling more difficult . Always try to get the accurate weather report and of course, if the weather looks bad, you should just stay home and plan for mountain climbing the other day.

Exposure

Exposure means being subject to the weather for too long, it can be both hot or cold and it can be dangerous because staying outside for too long in extreme conditions can mess with your body’s ability to function and even your brain would not have the ability to think.

How to avoid it: 

To avoid exposure while mountain climbing there is absolutely nothing to do except to over-plan and over-prepare and bring extra layers if it is supposed to be cold, and extra water and energy drinks if it is supposed to be hot.

Exposure to the elements can actually mess up your thinking and make it hard for you to function and even too long in the sun can give you a heatstroke and too long out in cold can give you hypothermia.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is the damage done to your body when you spend way too long in the cold. It can be really dangerous because symptoms of hypothermia is that you start with losing feeling in your digits, which can progress to frostbite and eventually result to organ failure.

How to avoid it: 

To avoid Hypothermia you need a proper planning, which includes the following four things.

• Dressing properly: Bring more clothes than you need to prevent yourself from Hypothermia.
• Calories: Having food in your stomach or a hot drink is is a must.
• Moving: To prevent the symptoms of Hypothermia from getting too bad is to move around to generate heat internally.
• Awareness: You should be aware of Hypothermia properly and know about it’s symptoms so that you can act accordingly.

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness actually means lack of oxygen to your brain caused by high altitudes and this occurs usually above 10,000 feet. Altitude sickness is considered as danger in mountain climbing because it can cause dizziness, flu-like symptoms, weakness, and a lack of critical thinking ability.

How to avoid it: Proper acclimatization is really the only way to properly avoid altitude sickness, which means going up the mountain in small chunks and descending again at night so that you can sleep at lower altitudes. You can also carry bottled oxygen, though this is usually reserved for extreme circumstances.

High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema

Pulmonary Edema buildup of blood in your lungs A pulmonary edema can be really dangerous because it can make it difficult to breath and if this progresses too far, you won’t get any air into your lungs.

How to avoid it: 

The only cure for Pulmonary Edema is to get to a lower altitude and if you have bottled oxygen, giving it to the person may help, but descending immediately is the only way to save their life.

Cerebral Edema

Cerebral Edema is swelling of the brain and it can be really dangerous because brain swelling can result in disorientation, nausea, seizures, and death.

How to avoid it:

 It is quite similar as a pulmonary edema, you need to descend as quickly as possible. There can be many types of medical jargons, but the best way to save yourself in case of Cerebral Edema is to descend down the mountains as soon as possible.

Exhaustion

Fatigue is something which can cause in your muscles by long periods of high exertion and fatigue can be dangerous because it makes it harder to operate and you are more likely to trip and fall, more likely to forget something, and collapse.

How to avoid it: 

To avoid getting exhausted while mountain climbing the only thing which you can do is stay within your limits, don’t push yourself to much and don’t burn all your energy to reach the summit, because the descent is equally exhausting and can be dangerous too.

Rockfall

Chunks of rock that come loose from above you is known as Rock Fall and it is considered to be dangerous because even a small rock can break bones or cause serious brain damage if it hits you!

How to avoid it:

 To prevent yourself from rock fall always wear a helmet and make good decisions and you need to put it on any time you think you’re in an area where rock fall may be a possibility.

Things you should do to avoid rock fall are:

• You should avoid terrain that’s steeper than 40 degrees
• You should always stay away from high-trafficked areas
• Stay away from loose rocks where you are, or rocks strewn around because it could be a sign that lots of rocks fall from above and land in that vicinity
• Changing of seasons and specially on spring because rock fall is quite probable during that season

Icefall

Chunks of ice that come loose from the mountain is called ice fall and it is dangerous for the exact reason as rock fall

How to avoid it: 

To avoid ice fall during mountain climbing you need to wear your helmet and make good choices. These helmets should worn every time you see a massive chunk of ice and you should be extra careful during the middle of the day and afternoon as during that time heat is at it peak, which in turn melts down the large chunk of ice.

Snow Blindness

Snow blindness is a temporary condition that causes you to lose your vision due to too much light and it can be quite dangerous because going blind on a mountain side makes most things like walking, climbing, and route finding almost impossible.

How to avoid it: 

To avoid snow blindness you need to use sunglasses, mountaineering glasses, or ski goggles to shield you from the glare.

Crevasses

Crevasses are the cracks in a glacier that can be up to hundreds of feet deep and it can be dangerous because if you fall into a crevasse that are often covered in a thin layer of snow and, you might die on impact, break a bone, or become stuck.

How to avoid it: 

To prevent yourself from crevasse falls you need to roping up on a glacier is the best way to avoid this.

Broken Equipment

It is really dangerous when the gear you rely on fails such as a carabiner breaking, protection coming loose, your ice axe snapping, or a rope being cut and it is considered to be dangerous because mountain climbers rely on their gear to safely see them through various situations.

How to avoid it:

The only thing you can do in this case is to prevent the equipment from breaking and taking proper care of them. You should use these equipment very cautiously so that it does not break if it breaks then we can’t walk properly.

Navigation

The danger of getting lost due to an error on your part as it can be quite dangerous, ending up in the wrong place while mountain climbing can put you in some seriously scary scenarios.

How to avoid it:

 Practice, skill, and proper equipment and you should use proper GPS, because if you get lost then it would be really scary.

Summit Fever

Becoming obsessed with the objective of your climb and this can be quite dangerous as this can cause tunnel vision and make you blind to the other risks mentioned on this list especially fatigue.

How to avoid it:

To avoid this you need proper mental discipline, there is no hurry in climbing up the submit, because hurry might cause a great deal of trouble.

Injury

Injury can be any damage done to your body while on a route and injuries can be life-threatening at the moment, or they can make it much harder for you to get to safety.

How to avoid it:

Basically to avoid injuries you have to be careful with every footing while climbing up the mountain. Injuries can be really dangerous so be careful with every steps and always carry a first aid box along with you.

Animals

Wild animals who don’t like you invading their territory and it can be considered because humans are incredibly physically weak, and a whole host of species bears, moose, cougars, wolves could kill you if they wanted to.

How to avoid it: 

Go with a group, make lots of noise while on the trail, and carry bear spray and also carry fire with you it will scare off the wild animals if they comes to harm you.

Hunger and Dehydrations

When your body doesn’t have enough food or water and it is considered as dangerous because these can make it hard to focus, can ruin your strength, and in extreme cases, will cause your body to become unconcious,

How to Avoid it:

Prepare yourself properly , bring lots and lots of food and water for mountain climbing, we would recommend you to bring 300 calories for every 1 hour of walking you do, and 1 litre of water for every 2 hours of walking you do.

Carelessness

A lack of awareness and a failure to fully realize the risks you are facing can be really very much dangerous and carelessness can be dangerous because it can heighten the threat of every dangerous risk mentioned in the list.

How to avoid it: 

Eating and drinking enough, not over-exerting yourself, and not underestimating the route that you are on which in other words means that you have to be really careful with every step that you take while climbing up the mountains.

So, be safe and remember all these to have safe mountain expeditions as your safety matters to us the most.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):