Mountenering

Basic knowledge of mountain climbing

Mountain climbing like other adventure activities are a heavy sports activity. Activities that require excellent climber fitness condition. The difference with other sports, mountain climbing done in the middle of the wild outdoors, an environment that is actually not a human habitation, let alone a child of the city.

Good climbers are aware of the dangers that will confront in their activities which is termed the dangers of objective and subjective danger. Objective danger is the danger that comes from the properties of nature itself. For example, the mountains have a cooler air temperature plus the freezing wind, the rain without shelter, steepness of the surface which can cause people to slip at once at risk of falling rocks, and the pitch-dark night. The nature of the hazard can not be altered humans.

However, novice climbers often climb the mountain as a recreation consider ordinary. Moreover, to the mountains popular and "easy" climb, such as Gede, Pangrango or Salak. As a result, they neglect the physical preparation and climbing equipment. Not infrequently in between their bodies coated with only a T-shirt with the stock or water biscuits perfunctory.

Although can not be changed, in fact climber to reduce its negative impacts. For example, by bringing warm clothes and a thick jacket to protect themselves from cold air. Bring tents to protect themselves from the rain when camping, bring a flashlight, and so forth.

While the dangers of subjective self comes from the man himself, that is how ready he is to climb the mountain. Is he healthy enough, strong enough, adequate knowledge of the compass on the map (because there are no traffic signs on the mountain), and so forth.

As an illustration, the National SAR Agency records that from January 1998 to April 2001, there were 47 victims of mountain climbing in Indonesia, which consists of 10 deaths, 8 people missing, 29 people survived, two people were seriously injured and one person lightly wounded, of all recorded ascent (National SAR Agency, 2001)

Other data, from 1969 to 2001, Mount Gede and Pangrango in West Java have been eating as many as 34 people dead. Furthermore, from 4000 that tried to climb Mount Everest as the tallest mountain peaks in the world, only 400 people who managed to reach the summit and about 100 people died. The average accident that occurred on the climb below 8000 m have been recorded as much as 25% in each period of ascent.