US Army mountaineering techniques (basic)

of the scalp, the hair to stand up, and a slight crackling and appearance of a blue
light (St. Elmo's fire) on metal objects. During a thunderstorm, the following
guidelines can help you reduce injuries due to lightning.
Avoid summits and ridges.
Stay away from prominent objects, mainly metal objects.
Avoid gullies filled with water.
Avoid overhangs and recesses.
Avoid cracks in wet rock; lightning ground currents follow them.
Take up a squatting position on dry ground or a rucksack with knees
drawn up.
Keep the hands and upper torso insulated from the ground. Avoid metallic
objects extending from the upper body to the ground.
Crevasses. Crevasses are formed when a glacier flows over a slope and makes a
bend, or when a glacier separates from the rock walls that enclose it. A slope of
only 2 to 3 degrees is enough to form a crevasse. As a glacier makes a bend, it is
likely that crevasses will form at the outside of the bend. Therefore, the safest
route on a glacier would be to the inside of bends, and away from steep slopes and
icefalls. Exercise extreme care when moving off of or onto the glacier because of
the moat that is likely to be present.
6. Cover and Concealment. When moving in the mountains, cover can be provided by
outcroppings, boulders, heavy vegetation, and intermediate terrain features that mask
maneuver. Fighting and temporary fortification positions are often difficult to dig because
of thin or stony soil, and selection of these positions requires detailed planning. One
easily excavated rock type is volcanic tuff. In other areas you may find boulders and other
loose rocks that can be used for building hasty fortifications. In alpine environments,
snow and ice blocks may be cut and stacked to supplement dug-in positions. As in all
operations, positions and routes must be camouflaged to blend in with the surrounding
terrain and prevent aerial detection.
7. Observation. Because of weather and ground cover, observation in the mountains
varies. The dominating height of mountainous terrain permits excellent long-range
observation. However, rapidly changing weather with frequent periods of high wind, rain,
snow, sleet, hail, and fog can limit visibility. The rugged nature of the terrain often
produces dead space at midranges.
Due to low cloud cover at higher elevations, observation posts (OPs) established on peaks
or mountain tops may be ineffective. On higher elevations, high wind speeds often mask
the noises of troop movement. In order to provide visual coverage of the battle area, OPs
may need to be established laterally, in depth, and at varying altitudes.