Edited by Rachel Duncan 4th Edition ISBN 0-907649-91-2 London ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

74 RGS-IBG Polar Expeditions Manual www.thepoles.com offers hire and purchase options for iridium/Motorola handheld satellite phones with global coverage
Chapter 8: SAFETY Safety 75 This chapter may seem surprisingly short. That is because most of the aspects of safety have been excellently covered in the following publications: Fyffe and Peter’s definitive Handbook of Climbing, Langmuir’s Mountaincraft and Leadership, British Antarctic Survey’s Field Manual (and other national operator manuals) and Chris Furse’s Arctic Expedition Handbook. Expedition safety planning and safety management starts at the planning stage. Writing a Risk Assessment for the expedition and preparing an emergency plan to cover as many contingencies as you can think of are important and now standard components of expedition planning. As they are not intrinsically polar they are covered in detail in other publications and training organised <strong>by</strong> The Expedition Advisory Centre. 8.1 Snowfields, glaciers and ice-caps Snowcraft may be your weakest skill and although snow and ice techniques, methods for roping up, crevasse rescue and other safety procedures are well covered in a number of publications there is no substitute to pre-expedition training; winter visits to Wales or Scotland will be worthwhile. Also learn about avalanche dangers and their causative conditions. Plan to spend the first day of your expedition on snow re-practising techniques and re-familiarising yourself with all the equipment. For example, try out crampons; fitting them in the cold on a slope is very different to that in the warmth of the UK; practise iceaxe arrests; dig a simple snow hole; set up a crevasse rescue. In other words, hone the experience gained during pre-expedition training The safest way to travel over snowfields and glaciers is to rope-up, preferably wearing a full body harness. However, roping needs to be tempered with experience and common sense, and a key consideration is the ability to travel safely yet quickly over ice and snow. Being roped will slow down most parties and whether you are descending mountains or crossing glaciers, the ability to effect a rapid retreat should weather conditions deteriorate is most important. Aim to develop your skills so you can correctly decide when and where not to rope-up. Dry glaciers (i.e. glaciers free of snow) present few problems even to inexperienced travellers because crevasses and holes are easily visible and provided you have good crampon and ice-axe technique, ropes are not required. Beware of a fresh fall of snow which can quickly mask crevasses and make roping-up necessary. There are several different ways of roping-up on a glacier and personal preferences and glacier type often determine which system to employ. Safety relies on keeping a taut rope between team members. Review and try various methods, but do bear in mind: • Three is the ideal number on a rope. It is difficult for one person to arrest another's crevasse fall and extremely difficult for one person unaided to recover another from a crevasse. • You must be able to quickly and effectively arrest the fall of the person behind you as well as the one in front.
Page 1 and 2:
Edited by Rachel Duncan 4th Edition
Page 3 and 4:
6. NAVIGATION......................
Page 5 and 6:
INTRODUCTION TO THIS EDITION This m
Page 7 and 8:
The Polar Environment 7 except for
Page 9 and 10:
1.3.4 Precipitation Figure 1: Wind
Page 11 and 12:
The Polar Environment 11 UK MET OFF
Page 13 and 14:
Planning 13 you will probably enjoy
Page 15 and 16:
Planning 15 up and identifying any
Page 17 and 18:
• Litter search completed before
Page 19 and 20:
Campcraft, Equipment and Clothing 1
Page 21 and 22:
Campcraft, Equipment and Clothing 2
Page 23 and 24: Campcraft, Equipment and Clothing 2
Page 25 and 26: Campcraft, Equipment and Clothing 2
Page 27 and 28: 3.5.5 Head and face Campcraft, Equi
Page 29 and 30: **Misc distress beacon altimeter wa
Page 31 and 32: Sportsnett Norge AS PO box 5914 Maj
Page 33 and 34: 4.2 Nutrition Food and Cooking 33 T
Page 35 and 36: Food and Cooking 35 proposed, then
Page 37 and 38: Food and Cooking 37 When melting sn
Page 39 and 40: Polar Food Suppliers: Food and Cook
Page 41 and 42: Transport and Travel 41 and from Ne
Page 43 and 44: 5.2.3 Landing sites Transport and T
Page 45 and 46: Transport and Travel 45 If it is no
Page 47 and 48: Transport and Travel 47 are a relat
Page 49 and 50: Transport and Travel 49 the correct
Page 51 and 52: Transport and Travel 51 those ‘ba
Page 53 and 54: Morale Manoeuvrability Transport an
Page 55 and 56: Transport and Travel 55 • Packing
Page 57 and 58: Transport and Travel 57
Page 59 and 60: 6.2 Compasses Navigation 59 There a
Page 61 and 62: Navigation 61 Along with your sexta
Page 63 and 64: 6.10 Marking of routes Navigation 6
Page 65 and 66: Websites: o Zeiss Yachtmaster Navig
Page 67 and 68: Communications 67 sizes that are hi
Page 69 and 70: 7.4.2 Distress systems i) Emergency
Page 71 and 72: Communications 71 The selection of
Page 73: Communications 73 Avoid getting fue
Page 77 and 78: Safety 77 For further information s
Page 79 and 80: Safety 79 There are a number of ani
Page 81 and 82: Safety 81 8.7.7 Midges and mosquito
Page 83 and 84: Chapter 9: POLAR MEDICINE Polar Med
Page 85 and 86: Polar Medicine 85 9.2.2 Food Food i
Page 87 and 88: Polar Medicine 87 Rescuers must be
Page 89 and 90: Polar Medicine 89 to undertake a sm
Page 91 and 92: Photography under Polar Conditions
Page 97 and 98: 10.6.2 Film instructions Photograph
Page 99 and 100: Appendices 99 (0)1539 737757; fax:
Page 101 and 102: Appendices 101 HERBERT, W. (1969) A
Page 103 and 104: Appendices 103 BELETSKY, L & PAULSO
Page 105 and 106: Contacts Canada Appendices 105 Cana
Page 107 and 108: IV. Greenland (and Iceland) Appendi
Page 109 and 110: Appendices 109 Flugfelag Islands/Ai
Page 111 and 112: V. Svalbard (Norway) Appendices 111
Page 113 and 114: Appendices 113 TILMAN, W. H. (1987)
Page 115 and 116: Appendices 115 OUSLAND, B. (1994) A
Page 117 and 118: Permissions Appendices 117 Under th
Page 119 and 120: Appendices 119 SALE, Richard (2002)
show all

Edited by Rachel Duncan 4th Edition ISBN 0-907649-91-2 London ...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?