The Swiss Alps. Kev Reynolds

      The icy heart of a glacier – to avoid close acquaintance rope up and stay alert!

      The sheer scale and variety of alpine scenery is another major difference, and in Switzerland alone a climber could spend a lifetime of active holidays in one area after another without repeating a single route. But in the Alps climbing is a more serious business than in non-alpine areas, with objective dangers that should never be ignored. Rockfall, for example, can occur on almost any route, seracs can topple without prior warning, and even the most innocent-looking glacier may have hidden crevasses.

      To climb safely in the Alps involves a number of skills, including a combination of rope management, route-finding ability, appreciation of snow and ice conditions, crevasse identification and an understanding of crevasse rescue, as well as fitness and good acclimatisation.

      Knowledge of alpine mountains and mountaineering only comes with experience, but is essential to enable the climber to select a route that is in good condition, to recognise potentially hazardous snow and ice conditions, to detect the presence of crevasses, and predict changing weather patterns. Experience tells the climber what time to set out, when it is safest to deal with difficult or dangerous sections of the route, when and where the greatest threat of avalanche lies, or where rock is likely to be free from a glaze of ice.

      Navigational skills are essential for safety and success in the mountains. Correct route-finding on both rock and glacier will save time and energy and limit a climbing party’s exposure to danger. Close scrutiny of the appropriate maps and guidebook (where one exists) will be extremely useful. But with glacial recession and rockfall changing the mountains from one season to the next, quizzing other climbers who have recently done the route will often be the most beneficial approach. When on rock finding the correct way can be helped by signs of previous climbers, but beware of following other parties unless you’re sure that they are on the same route you wish to climb. If the moves are much harder (or easier) than the grade your chosen route warrants, there’s a good chance you’re off-route.

      As well as rock, snow and ice climbing skills, rope management should be practised in advance on climbs at home until they’re second nature. But the alpine environment has demands beyond those of Britain’s mountains, for safe movement on glaciers, for example, involves its own technique. While ‘dry’ glaciers (bare of snow) are usually safe to cross because crevasses are clearly visible, on snow-covered (‘wet’) glaciers where crevasses are hidden, parties should cross roped together 15m apart. Three on a rope is the minimum for safety on a glacier (four for preference), but even then it’s not easy for two people to haul one unfortunate victim from a crevasse. Crevasse rescue is a skill that all would-be alpinists should practise.

      Being fit on arrival in the Alps enables a party to move quickly and safely over a variety of terrain, and combined with good acclimatisation and stamina will allow them to complete long and arduous routes without fatigue impairing their judgement. Speed and efficiency equal safety.

      ALPINE INSTRUCTION FOR BEGINNERS

      Basic skills can be learned to an extent from various instruction manuals and DVDs, but mountaineering courses have a more immediate practical impact. Among those based in the Alps, the International School of Mountaineering (ISM) run alpine courses from their operations centre in Leysin (www.alpin-ism.com). Alpine instruction is also given by qualified British Mountain Guides (www.bmg.org.uk), and a number of commercial organisations run courses and mountaineering holidays in the Alps. Study advertisements in the outdoor press for details. For an entertaining primer, John Barry’s Alpine Climbing (Crowood Press, 1995) is highly recommended.