Solo ascents and mountain trips alone

Solo climbing or hiking in the mountains

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Is it possible to go to the mountains alone?

I'm not going to promote solo climbing in the mountains - it's always a big risk. But the number of people who want to "get off" away and put their nerves in order in the silence of the wild nature is growing every year. What to do if you know that you are not permitted, but really want to do something? It is useless to dissuade, anyway, a person will do, as he wants.

The solution is obvious. You don't need to prohibit anything. It is necessary just to rationally reduce the risks. To do this, there is a set of simple rules that will help, if not eliminate, but significantly reduce the possibility of unpleasant consequences.

Read and share this article with those who like to wander alone in the wild.

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I decided to deal with this issue after I was involved several times during the season as an expert to do search work and independent analyzes of accidents in the mountains. Accidents, in particular, related to unsuccessful attempts of solo ascents and mountain hikes.

To be honest, I have a certain inclination for such walks myself. So I decided to analyze this issue in more detail, draw some conclusions and make recommendations based on the analysis of the real acccidents.

If you ask the question directly - is it possible to go to the mountains alone at all, then the classic answer that can be obtained within the framework of any standard safety rules will be a categorical no. You can't go to the mountains alone.

However, for many mountain lovers, being in proud mountain loneliness is the deepest and most desirable pleasure - you can’t blame them for this, many people find more useless ways out of the tight ring of everyday problems. And no safety precautions, reasonable arguments and statistics of the tourists missing in the mountains will not help - anyway, there are many who go to the mountains alone and rake problems on their butt. In general, no matter how you dissuade, these people will go anyway.

Based on this, I would rather answer this question less categorically - you can climb alone, but with the utmost care, without going a single step beyond the stock of your own experience and observing all safety rules.

The fact is that when hiking or climbing alone in the mountains, those situations that in a group format would remain just annoying troubles, in the case of being solo, can become a serious or even fatal problem. It is an obvious fact that any emergency situation in the mountains, regardless of its genesis, is as dangerous as high is the probability of the delay of getting the help or assistance in case of need. Accordingly, if there is a sufficiently large and strong team, assistance, if necessary, can be obtained immediately. What happens if you're alone?

Unfortunately, not everyone understands the real level of danger in the mountains, because even a twisted leg on a mountain path can cause a tragedy if you cannot get outside help and still cannot solve the problem on your own. Any danger in the mountains, be it bad weather, rain, snowstorm, avalanche, mudflow, rockfall, etc. are exacerbated many times in the case of a single confrontation with the elements.

Even worse, if elementary safety rules are violated (failure to provide information about the route to rescue services, deviate from the route, neglect to transmit information about one’s location), in the event of an accident, the provision of assistance will be extremely difficult, requiring the involvement of large resources and as well may lead to additional victims.

So, if you want to climb Elbrus alone for example, for example, you need to be aware that in the case of accident rescuers and volunteers will be looking for you, risking their lives. And most likely they will not find you alive. Or will not find at all.

And yet, if the decision to go to the mountains alone is already made, what rules should be followed in order to, if not to avoid, but at least reduce the risk of falling into an extremely unpleasant situation?

The following rules, common to all mountain activities, but of vital importance in the case of a solo trip, must unconditionally be observed:

1. Presence of a detailed route of the trip (track), indicating the thread of the route, bivouacs, way points, dates of entry and exit from the route

2. Registration (consultation) at the local rescue service - remember - nowhere can you can be prohibited at doing anything. Registration only gives to the rescuers the opportunity to find you fast if something happens.

3. Availability of climbing insurance covering the risks according to the route. In some cases, this is an additional incentive for rescuers to search more actively or to attract additional funds for researches.

4. The presence of sufficient equipment for confident navigation on the route and the ability to use this equipment - the issue of mountain navigation was presented in other article!

5. The presence of an emergency communication channel (cellular, satellite, radio)... It is highly recommendable.

6. The presence of an "emergency scenario" - a clear sequence of actions in case if you need help from outside.

7. The presence of a controlling person responsible for the implementation of the "emergency scenario" in case of your call for help or loss of communication – in regard of solo climbing, this is the most important point of the safety rules.

I will analyze the last point in more detail, because it cannot be neglected in any way - the timeliness of providing you with assistance depends on this, in the event that something does not go as planned. Why is an additional controller needed? The fact is that the rescue services are responsible for performing rescue operations if necessary, but they are not physically able to track your movement along the route.

The maximum that can be expected from them is a certain professional reaction in case if you give a SOS signal or do not leave the route within the stated time. As a rule, in the event of an accident with a solo climber, this reaction occurs too late. Therefore, when going to the mountains solo, it is imperative to think over the communication channel through which you will be monitored from outside more carefully, and, if necessary, that some person will perform a certain “emergency scenario” agreed in advance. And this is not a whim - this one can really turn out to be a matter of life and death.

What does it look like in practice? Going on a mountain trip, you agree with a reliable person that every day (and if the route is difficult, then more often) you reset your location in a certain way - this can be a satellite tracker, SMS with coordinates if there is a cellular connection (you need a skill of working with waypoints), control communication sessions by radio.

With this person, you coordinate in advance the sequence of actions in case of the loss of communication - the accuracy of your partner's actions, in this case, will mean for you, no less, the opportunity to stay alive.

This should be understood by both you and the person with whom you agree on interaction.

Typically, an "emergency scenario" involves immediate informing the local rescue service of a possible emergency, with the transfer of all available information about your location and the exact details of the section of the route on which the communication failed. That is, the person controlling you must have all the necessary information for possible and prompt contact with those services that can provide timely assistance, and transfer to them the details of your insurance policy together with the exact information about your route.

This person must understand the full measure of responsibility that he takes on - any delay in the actions according to the "emergency scenario" can lead to tragic consequences.

So, in conclusion. When going to the mountains alone or in a weak group, you must be aware that as a result of your mistake or negligence, not only you can suffer. A lot of the most serious problems will go to your loved ones, and a lot of stressful things are waiting for strangers who will be involved in the emergency you have created, by their duty or conscience.

Being aware of your own actions and possible responsibility, follow the elementary safety rules - and enjoy the amazing world of mountain nature with health and peace of mind, with friends or alone - let the rescuers do nothing, it will only make everyone feel better!

The author of the text and photos - Alex Trubachev

MCS EDIT 2023