Podcast

[NOTE: This article is adapted from When Disaster Strikes: A Comprehensive Guide for Emergency Planning and Crisis Survival]

The first time I met Hugh Herr, he was partnered with a buddy of mine to climb a famous “hard man” Yosemite rock climb called “Astroman.” Just a 16-year-old kid at the time, Hugh was one of the hottest teenage rock climbers in the world, and already making quite a name for himself as a rising young “rock star.” The following winter he was developing his ice climbing and mountaineering skills in Huntington’s Ravine on the slopes of New Hampshire’s Mount Washington—famous for its high winds and severe weather. After successfully completing a difficult ice climb, Hugh and his partner Jeff Batzer decided to continue on to the summit of Mount Washington. The weather was horrendous—full blown blizzard and “whiteout” conditions. Before reaching the summit, Hugh and his partner decided to turn around. However, while descending the rather featureless summit cone of Mount Washington in whiteout conditions, they became disoriented and mistakenly descended into the “Great Gulf Wilderness,” one ravine over from where the rest of their gear was stashed and a warm fire awaited them in the Harvard Cabin nestled near the bottom of Huntington’s Ravine. Stumbling through deep snows in the Great Gulf, at one point Hugh’s feet broke through the snow into a creek and got wet. When the two climbers did not return to the cabin that night, a search was launched in which one would-be rescuer was killed in an avalanche. After spending three nights outside in -20°F (-29C) conditions, without the protection of either tents or sleeping bags, Hugh and Jeff were finally located and rescued. Both men suffered from severe hypothermia and frostbite. After weeks of fighting to save Hugh’s gangrenous feet, both legs were amputated just below the knee. His climbing partner Jeff also lost his lower left leg, the toes on his right foot, and the fingers on his right hand.

Tips for Surviving Outside in Extreme Weather and Subfreezing Temperatures

Every year people get lost in the backcountry near where I live in the High Sierras and end up spending one or more unplanned nights outside in the snow and extreme cold. Some of those folks live to tell the tale, and some of them don’t. Hopefully you will never need to spend unexpectedly long hours outside in extreme weather, but in case you do, here are a few tips: