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14 May 2008 09:00

How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

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By Anonymous

Spindrift and windblown falling snow will severely affect your vision, making navigation and even the simple task of looking at a map extremely difficult. The solution is ski goggles. You can tuck them away in your rucksack top pocket ready for use when you are out in the hills in winter. And don’t think this is an issue just for the big hills because you can get caught out just the same on modest heights and moorland.

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How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

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Flying_Duck

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Flying_Duck says

Re: How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

Check that you have no metal nearby, and then trust your compass 100%

26 August 2008 11:45

Anonymous

Anonymous says

Re: How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

The phantom anonymiser has struck - the last post was from me.

Andy Say

26 August 2008 10:13

Anonymous

Anonymous says

Re: How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

LostMe said:

If you lack skills or confidence to be out in white out conditions, stay home you have no business being on the hills in winter conditions

------ End Quote ------

Harsh - but maybe fair.  How long are you proposing to sit it out in this blizzard?  (Anyone old enough to remember the 'Cairngorm Tragedy'?)

If you can navigate competently you can navigate in bad weather - you do the same things but very slowly and you double and triple check your decision making,  If there's a team of you its easier; if you're on your own it takes quite a lot of mental toughness.  You do it small increments and need to have faith in your ability to follow a bearing and measure distance through pace count.  It may well be that crawling is the only way to make progress in extreme wind.

There is a limit to just how far you can go but even the ability to fight a couple of kilometers may well get you low enough to be out of the brunt of the weather.

 

26 August 2008 10:09

LostMe

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LostMe says

Re: How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

If you lack skills or confidence to be out in white out conditions, stay home you have no business being on the hills in winter conditions

26 August 2008 09:57

BikerFool

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BikerFool says

Re: How do I navigate in blizzard conditions?

Not sure I would try, out would come all teh spare clothing (sorry ptc) and the shelter to sit tight!

As Wurtz says above, unless you are in easy terrain (like you will be!) and 100% sure of your exact location when white descends; to go wrong is too easy.

25 August 2008 20:40

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