| ljubitelj gora15. 09. 2013 21:56:49 |
Mountaineering is not a Sunday picnic
This year mountain rescuers record an increase in rescues of uninjured alpinists. Where are the mistakes?
In the last three years, the mountain rescue service has recorded an increase in climber accidents – but in the last year, interventions stand out where they rescued uninjured alpinists.
Jani Bele, president of the information and analysis commission at the Mountain Rescue Association of Slovenia (GRZS), explained to us that one reason is that climbers often overestimate their abilities. They learn climbing on artificial walls, but don't consider that it's something completely different from climbing a natural wall. So for example in an artificial wall – where they master even harder routes – they can return quickly, in a natural wall where they climb say 400 or 500 meters, such a return is more difficult.
Another reason is late entry into the route, they only consider the estimated climbing time, but not that something can go wrong during climbing, that they can quickly get off track and lose the route. Therefore they don't take gear they would need for bivouacking, don't take flashlights, extra clothes. It happens that night catches alpinists due to late entry – night rescues are especially demanding.
Relying on "they will come anyway"
According to Bele, alpinists' training is not the cause of problems, as "schools in Slovenia are among the best".
Gear and preparedness are thus not a problem, but the attitude has changed. "These are probably modern times when the view of alpinism is different too," says Bele. He estimates that the attitude has changed: "In the past we did everything before calling for help, now they call rescuers very quickly."
Issuing invoices is not a solution
Issuing invoices for rescues a few years ago did not prove effective – in some cases even a negative effect showed, as they delayed calling too long because they didn't want to pay. In a few cases it turned out they issued an invoice, but later it turned out alpinists acted completely correctly, but just got stuck. According to Bele, this area needs systemic regulation and precise definition of what "gross negligence" means. The costs of helicopter rescue where participants are not injured are not covered by health insurance anyway.
Bele points out that this year despite a larger number of alpinists, no fatal case was recorded.
Some recent rescues:
Descent at one at night
One of the night interventions rescuers carried out last Sunday. Three alpinists called for help just before one at night, as during descent under the north face of Mala Mojstrovka they were no longer sure if they were on the right path.
As Grega Oblak, member of GRS Kranjska Gora, told us, he and his co-rescuer went to meet the alpinists, when they saw their lights, they knew they were in the right gully. "They were mainly looking for information, but no one could tell them quite correctly. They were top-equipped. They themselves knew where they made the mistake," explained Oblak.
He says the alpinists did most of the work themselves, they were equipped for bivouacking, but decided to descend due to possible weather deterioration the next day. The rescuers waited for them under the wall and then escorted them to Vršič.
This time everything ended happily, but as Oblak says, they should have finished climbing earlier, they entered the wall at nine o'clock.
Friends hurried on
The day before, last Saturday, GRS Celje rescuers tackled a night rescue. In the evening hours at Okrešelj there were nine rescuers who in the evening got notice that two female climbers were in trouble in the wall of Mala Rinka. They were about 150 meters below the top of the wall and inadequately dressed to spend the night in the wall. They helped them out of the wall using rope technique, roped they escorted them through Turski žleb and then to Okrešelj. "This was one of the more difficult rescue actions due to loaded scree at the top of the wall and crumbly last pitch of direct exit from the route, mainly due to darkness, as everything happened in the glow of headlamps," wrote Brane Povše on the GRZS website.
The female climbers were otherwise in the company of colleagues from the alpinism section, who however didn't wait for them, as they went climbing to Klemenča Peč the next day.
Inadequate team
The rescue of two hikers who got stuck on Skuta on the last day of August also took place in the late evening hours. They were rescued by GRS Kamnik rescuers and duty teams from Brnik GRS in cooperation with the Slovenian army helicopter. This time the intervention was caused by inappropriately chosen target regarding abilities and inexperience of the climbing team.
Stuck below Špik summit
On August 11 in the afternoon two alpinists got stuck below Špik summit. With the help of the winch they lifted them into the helicopter and transported them uninjured to the valley.
60 meters on steel cable and telescopic pole
They also carried out a demanding rescue action at the beginning of August in Triglav north face. In Čopov steber two hikers got stuck, the duty team GRS Brnik and Slovenian army helicopter crew intervened. They received notice around 19:30 and flew towards the wall. However, they had to interrupt the rescue due to wind that doesn't allow helicopter hovering. They successfully carried out the rescue the next day.
As Boštjan Griljc wrote, the wall in this part is extremely steep. Even though the helicopter approached as close as possible, the rescuer still had to descend 60 meters on the steel cable, and had to use a telescopic pole to reach the climbers.
Source: http://www.zurnal24.si/alpinizem-ni-nedeljski-piknik-clanek-205683
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