Treating Hypothermia

I’m just snuggled up by my fireplace on a cold rainy day which is inspiring me to talk about the cold, specifically hypothermia.

 

Problems with the cold have been on my mind a lot lately. I did just return from working in Antarctica where it was quite cold. Since being back in California, it has been raining and snowing, a lot. We are being hit by the “atmospheric river,” and while these are relatively warm storms, it is still colder and damper than most people are used to – especially in sunny California. On top of that, I recently attended a lecture by the renowned cold physiology scientist, Dr. Giesbrecht aka Dr. Popsicle, on hypothermia and crevasse rescue[i].

 

All of this led me to write this article. Let’s talk about what’s going on physiologically when we get cold, discuss the decision process needed to determine when it is causing a problem, and the actions to take to prevent it from becoming something significant (AKA hypothermia).

 

So, first things first, cold will always be a problem when we are losing heat faster than we can replace it.

 

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Petite Griffon

This outing brought all smiles!  Petite Griffon is a striking pinnacle nestled between Mount Abbot and Mount Mills.  I am always willing to hike far for routes with good names or striking lines and this was no exception.  My GPS reported a little over 11 miles roundtrip for 2 pitches of climbing.   #Worthit

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TRIP REPORT: Checkered Demon Couloir

 

Last week my partner and I took advantage of a cold snap to climb Checkered Demon Couloir.  Checkered demon peak is on the Bishop skyline and the couloir is hidden on the right side.  It had been on our list for a few years.  Chasing snow & ice in the Sierra Nevada is an ephemeral hobby.

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