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

Safety 77
For further information see: Arctic Expedition Handbook, by Chris Furse (p.130),
Handbook of Climbing by Fyffe and Peter, Mountaincraft and Leadership by Eric
Langmuir, Snow Camping by McNeish, and the British Antarctic Survey Field Manual.
8.4 Tundra
Tundra surfaces can range from a pleasant dry, springy turf, as agreeable to traverse as a
heather field, to a wet, insect-ridden quagmire.
• Do not assume from your map that where the symbol for water ends, dry land
begins because underlying permafrost may prevent drainage leaving several miles
of sandflats or boggy terrain. Try to bypass these areas or use an all-terrain vehicle!
• Drinking water can be in short supply on foul and boggy tundra. (Signs of
dehydration in your party may be indicated by premature exhaustion and
irritability). Avoid drinking directly from glacial streams as suspended rock flour
may lead to stomach upsets. Try to find meltwater from a clean snowbank or carry
sterilising tablets to purify suspect water;
• Many animals inhabit the tundra, from moose to mosquito. Be prepared.
8.5 Ten rules for survival
1. You must help yourself. You cannot depend on someone else to think for you. In a
survival situation confidence in your own ability and a will to live can make the
difference between life and death;
2. Prepare yourself for a possible emergency whenever leaving camp and travelling
beyond the normal lines of communication or civilisation;
3. Tell someone or leave a note as to when and where you are going and when you
expect to return. Make a plan and stick to the plan;
4. Never leave camp or travel alone. The buddy system helps in the prevention and
early treatment of frost bite/hypothermia. If one person is injured, the other can go
for help;
5. Don’t fight the environment. It will invariably win. Wait out bad weather. Go round
obstacles;
6. Know basic first aid;
7. Know how to make an emergency shelter;
8. Obtain water. But don’t eat snow. It takes too much energy for the body to melt
snow and cools the body’s inner core;
9. Conserve heat. Eating adds fuel and increases energy levels.
10. Use your head. Analyse your options and then plan the best course of action.
8.6 Objective dangers
The following objective dangers are well covered in the safety manuals listed previously
but you should be ready for them:
• Water hazards – melt pools, melt streams, tides, tide cracks;
• Differing snow conditions;
• Crevasses;
• Cornices;