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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 26, 2016 - 02:21pm PT
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I didn't want to pollute other threads for specific missing people with any potentially controversial topics.
I have always been afraid of solo hiking, fearing the risk of breaking a leg, a stupid trip and head whack, or something that could end up being lethal if I am alone and far from help.
I can see how people turn to it when finding a partner becomes onerous- either because schedules don't line up when you have limited free time, or if you have so much free time you can't find enough people similarly unencumbered.
I can even imagine the pleasure of solitude in an amazing place. Lately I have been imagining the possibility of going out on my own and discovering the freedom of the hills.
I have a fairly high tolerance for risk in rock climbing, some unroped climbing but typically in the presence of another person, and I used to go surfing and boogie boarding alone (which seems more dangerous- I pulled into a large dark close-out wave once and smashed my face on the bottom pretty hard, blood spattering everywhere by the time I surfaced).
But somehow the risk of having a stupid fail moment with big consequences holds me back from going solo hiking.
What do y'all think about it?
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Oct 26, 2016 - 02:24pm PT
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the best things that I have accomplished climbing, cycling, hiking, trail-running, every single one, was solo. it gets edgy fast, and the moment of trigger-pull for the big badass decisions is way harder when you are alone. still though, the freedom and efficiency gains far, far outweigh those terrible potentialities (wedged in a squeeze chimney in BFE comes to mind).
to live is risky
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Oct 26, 2016 - 02:24pm PT
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If you punch "missing hiker" into google news you come up with a large compendium of incidents and if you really plow through them going back a year or two one thing that sticks out is that many are solo and in their mid-to-late 60s.
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zBrown
Ice climber
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Oct 26, 2016 - 02:50pm PT
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Everything has risks.
Now if you only go soloing 1/2 the time you would otherwise then you cut them down by half.
If you actually die, you'll probably not be that concerned, so it's the risk of significant injury that you need to be concerned about; injury so bad you can't get back to where you started.
This risk too can be mitigated with communication devices, telling folks where you're going and when you should be back etc.
You should be able to keep yourself safe until you get on the freeway and a drunk runs into you and you die.
Hope this helps.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:02pm PT
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I think it depends on where you go and what you do. When I was young and single I used to do it all the time, mostly out of necessity. No one else available to go play. I had some great trip, but I also was far more limited in what I could accomplish. I've done lots of 3rd and 4th class routes in the Sierra, even a fair number of easy 5th solo, but I probably could have done a lot more difficult stuff, or maybe even more with a motivated partner, had I been with someone else.
Nowadays, with three kids, wife, career, etc., if I did get the chance to get out, I'd be fine with solo trips that stayed on trail or were more mellow cross country. I do find I need to specifically train nowadays for a more predictable outcome, and my knee isn't as stable as it used to be, so getting injured is a greater possibility. The wife makes me carry a SAT phone anyways, but I don't have the desire to get really far off the beaten path by myself. 3 or 4 days in the San Gorgonio or Sierra, no problem. Trailless over passes and miles of talus, not so much.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:06pm PT
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hey Dingus, if you leave a vehicle at the trailhead then you have become someone else's problem. Unless you hurl yourself into the ocean you are someone else's problem. We know you pride yourself in being the contrarian, but unlike voting, your demise in the wilderness will be someone else's PITA. Kinda hard to Leave No Trace when you commit Hari Kari in the back country
Solo travelers tend to calculate risk more accurately. Group think often gets groups in trouble. I do 90% of my backcountry travel solo. I love setting my own pace. I also carry an ACR beacon. Not sure I carry it for myself, more so to tell my friends that I have it.
Edit - I quit telling people my expected return date/time, to much opportunity for a false alarm. I prefer to leave a good note in the car at the trailhead.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:07pm PT
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You use protection for other things you do, right? With solo hiking the
only pro you need is a functioning brain and an ACR ResQlink.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:18pm PT
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I've never gone up into the mountains alone for lack of a partner. The draw is strong, seductive. I'm a social type. Being alone, totally self reliant, brings me face to face with myself in way nothing else yet has.
I broke through the ice into a tarn on the way down from Tuttle pass one time. It wasn't over my head, just slushy water shoulder deep. I had on those MSR snowshoes, my ice tools used on the ascent of Langley were strapped to the back of my pack. The snowshoes kept me anchored in the slush. In moments the icy water was in my clothes. I've never felt so alone. I struggled, a race against against time to get to my tools. I fought for my life and won the contest. Hypothermic and near failing I found my bivy, stripped off my clothes, plunged into my bag and woke up the next day. Maybe I'm twisted, but in retrospect this was an intense and rewarding experience. And this is piss ant sh*t compared to what serious alpinists go through.
Oh, and what DMT said.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:22pm PT
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If you approach it with the mindset of a soloist it shouldn't be all that risky
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:28pm PT
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Never had problems with wildlife in the backcountry
Try solo hiking in Alaska, braj! Buy me a six pack and I'll tell ya about Polar bears.
Of course, those personal locator beacons don't cut much slack with them. :-)
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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:49pm PT
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If you approach it with the mindset of a soloist it shouldn't be all that risky
I agree with this. I've done a fair amount of solo backcountry ski touring. Conventional wisdom says this is not safe, as there's no one to find you or dig you out in case of avalanche. So solo touring is very dependent on safe route finding and hazard evaluation.
edit - and yes, I have an ACR PLB, though this is of little use if buried under snow...
re. DMT's story about the body discovered in a tent upon spring melt; I know the skier who found the tent and body. The guy had cancer and committed suicide earlier in the winter. Good way and place to go, imo.
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Oct 26, 2016 - 03:59pm PT
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I don't know, man. I can't imagine not solo hiking. I'm compelled to do it. But, I know wtf I'm doing for one thing.
Awareness.
I'm more conservative in general when alone. I definitely won't do things alone that I might consider with a partner or in a group (but, is that fair to your partners?)
In general, I think we worry about the wrong things. Statistically, you are much more likely to to get into trouble doing a myriad of other things, such as driving a vehicle.
My partner Laura brings up a valid point, in that it might be different for a woman. However, that is mainly due to the human threat, which presumably decreases the further in to the wilderness you go.
I think you are missing out on a whole lot, if you won't even consider the possibility of a solo backpack trip - out of FEAR . . .
C'mon, don't be such a whimp. It forces you to up you're game. Do your research. Be like a boy scout and "be prepared". Take one of those Spot devices, a cell phone, a gps, or NOT. You'd better know how to function out there without those things, even if you have them (in case you drop it in the lake).
On second thought, if you have ANY doubts about going in to the backcountry alone, don't do it. The fewer people out there the better . . .
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/High-Sierra-old-school-style/t12017n.html
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:01pm PT
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So what caliber hand gun did you carry?
Nada, I was young, dumb, and full of myself.
Oh, I also had a large dose of Irish luck. I think I used it all.
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paul roehl
Boulder climber
california
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:04pm PT
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HIked solo all over. Never had a problem with or worried about animals even when stringing up food instead of using bear canisters. Too busy worrying about alien abduction. I like solo hiking and still do it, though it's always a little lonely when the sun goes down.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:15pm PT
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I really enjoy solo hiking and have even done some overnight backcountry ski tours solo. It's usually after a particularlly tough shift at work or something like that that drives me to longer hikes alone. My wife is more okay with it these days since I bought that Delorme In Reach device, it makes it easy to check in on me and we can text with it if needed. For the past several months I have even been doing solo trips to The Tunnels to brush up on solo aid climbing at least once a week. The Delorme offers great peace of mind but won't do me any good if I'm hanging upside down in my aiders with a massive head injury :)
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:20pm PT
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I agree with DMT that Bob very likely knew what he was in for when going on his solo jaunt. From the outside looking in, we speculate about the worst. Part of me wonders whether he was comfortable with that outcome or maybe contemplated it. Kind of 'Get out before you can't get out any more'. I think about that when (in my line of work) I see these old folks with no quality of life or independence and no quick exit. Everyone wrings their hands but they would do that anyways if you endure 8 to 10 yrs. of worsening dementia or the like before finally passing. Still, like the story Kris told, in the midst of it, I think the will to live is strong.
Edit: Interesting comment from Paul. Even though beautiful, I always found the mountains lonely when the sun is setting.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:26pm PT
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IF I GO MISSING ON A SOLO TRIP DO NOT COME LOOKING FOR ME
Well if you can elect that option, I can elect the opposite. :)
Though, if you're well and good gone/dead, then DNR should be respected.
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PellucidWombat
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:33pm PT
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This has been touched on somewhat here and there already, but you just need to decouple how a partner adds to or diminishes the risk.
In a group (of even 2) you have effects of peer pressure, group think, false sense of security with company, temptation to be lazy and let the other guy steer the trip at some points, etc. Also, safety gear might be split up, so if you get separated then you are in more trouble than if you were alone (I have had this happen multiple times in the past, so I usually try to be totally self-sufficient, even in a group).
And even being out in a group is not all that sufficient in place of leaving a reasonably elastic itinerary with an emergency contact anyways. Your entire group might be stuck (esp. a group of 2). I usually do this with someone who knows when/how to go for help. I also usually choose someone who knows the area or range and is familiar with the sort of trip I am doing, so that they can better anticipate what is really overdue, or how tight the deadline should be kept.
If you know how to safely protect a river crossing with the assistance of a partner, then it might be safer. Otherwise, you'll probably drown before the other guy can do anything to help you after you've been washed away (the only caveat I can think of is helping with hypothermia after you have self-rescued since the partner may still have dry clothes).
If you are soloing/scrambling something that you would normally choose to belay, then it is more dangerous. If you aren't, then ... well I wonder what the stats are for fatal falls where survival would have been likely if someone was around to reach the person & administer first aid, and/or call for rescue (which in and of itself might take a day or more to be evacuated). Frankly, I decided a while ago that when scrambling, it doesn't really matter that much if other people are around if I take a big fall. And for smaller falls ... that is where you should be prepared to spend some nights out if soloing (in addition to the emergency contact calling for rescue). Your partner can't carry you out alone if you get a spiral fracture when boulder-hopping.
I'd even apply that self-sufficiency to any hiking off-trail, or if hiking a long ways out on trails with little traffic. Plus being alone definitely makes me more wary and more risk averse, so with marginally different outcomes, I feel like if I am doing anything unroped in both situations, I might almost be safer doing it alone ...
Definitely a different deal with avalanche danger, but I feel like the same overall ideas apply - just with different execution.
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pb
Sport climber
Sonora Ca
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Oct 26, 2016 - 04:59pm PT
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the material entity cannot be possessed. therefore it cannot be lost. and we'll come looking for you if we damn well feel like it ;-[ DMW
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Oct 26, 2016 - 05:02pm PT
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I am super aware that I am soloing when hikeing alone. When i was younger not so much. I do think I actually worry more when I am doing dangerous stuff with Isa. I worried a fair bit after I got sick on the Grand this summer and told her to keep going when I turned back.
She had her phone so I got a few texts and that either helped or hurt depending on the time frame...
The most dangerous thing I do is run a saw alone in the woods. I have an 80year old neighbor who does a lot of solo logging. he has no cell. I check in on him once a week or so but most of the time no one has any knowledge of where he is or what he is doing. Hunting is annother activity that gets my attention. I am scrambleing and peak bagging on oak leaves covered in fresh snow with a loaded gun. What could go wrong? then there is all the other fools out there loaded for bear itching to shoot something.....
It's a dangerous life but I would not want to be stuck watching TV and doing everything by the book.....
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 26, 2016 - 05:07pm PT
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Bottom line.
One should always try to protect themselves from injury and getting lost at all costs whether in groups or solo.
Always think ahead remain completely focused for potential dangers all while simultaneously enjoying oneself.
One should always do this where ever one is both at home and beyond ......
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Oct 26, 2016 - 05:14pm PT
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HTFU.
My wife just left for a 5 day solo hike/camping in designated wilderness.
Just make sure someone knows your itinerary.
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Psilocyborg
climber
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Oct 26, 2016 - 05:35pm PT
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My decision making is much more fluid and confident when I'm alone. Its nice to go where I want, when I want, and how I want.
It is also nice to have zero social interactions for once. It really chews up a lot of your subconscious bandwith, just talking and carrying conversation.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Oct 26, 2016 - 05:59pm PT
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Brick = dick
Too bad you don't have a partner you can brag about. Too bad.
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 06:22pm PT
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When I'm by myself it's way easier to turn back because of thunderstorms, niggly things, and general survival. I find I don't push the limit and am aware that it's okay to say no. Good times. It's funny how that possible twisted ankle becomes more real and concentrates the brain a bit more.
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Paul S
Mountain climber
Portland, Or
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Oct 26, 2016 - 06:47pm PT
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Most of my best adventures have been hiking and climbing alone. Good decision making, responsibility for safety, pushing oneself, are part of the challenge. I've really learned to listen to that "voice" in my head.
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couchmaster
climber
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Oct 26, 2016 - 07:12pm PT
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I'm out off trail solo a lot. F*#k it, don't care. If I do bite it and have my family have to rally, good. They would be the beneficiaries of getting together and getting out. It would be nice to know someone cared, although of course I wouldn't be there.
Re: this quote: "If you punch "missing hiker" into google news you come up with a large compendium of incidents and if you really plow through them going back a year or two one thing that sticks out is that many are solo and in their mid-to-late 60s."
In fact I was going to go out in the woods hiking (if it keeps raining and no one can climb) this very weekend where I believe this little girl may be. They called the search off a bit ago, no reason not to poke around as I just like to get out and really need the exercise for my fat ass.
Not over 60 yet (photo below). It's enough to break yer heart thinking of her family. I've been on some of these rescues, it does ya good to look around and try, but it's better to find that you made a difference. Rare. So very very rare. Ask Werner about that part though. He's the man.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Oct 26, 2016 - 07:14pm PT
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NutAgain,
Solo hiking is surely far less dangerous than driving to the trailhead.
Don't let fear be the ultimate decision maker when you get out by yourself . . . the rewards far outweigh the risks.
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Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
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Oct 26, 2016 - 07:28pm PT
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Its about guiding yourself through your life outside, without mistakes.
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Edge
Trad climber
Betwixt and Between Nederland & Boulder, CO
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Oct 26, 2016 - 07:50pm PT
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When I was a senior in high school, I saved up for a pair of bargain bin ice boots and over boots from EMS, some SMC hinged crampons, a Chouinard alpine hammer, and eventually a used rental Forrest Lifetime axe. With no partner, I remember driving up to Mt Washington and hiking into the Harvard Cabin, spending the night, and then soloing Central Gully as my first ice and/or alpine experience. If I had told anyone that I knew where I was going and what I was doing they would have stopped me, so I didn't.
Through my college years I likely hiked into Huntington alone at least 30 times and climbed most everything there solo, including all 8 gullies in 6 hours when I was getting ready for Cham. It was not uncommon for my roommate to wake up at 2:30 am to find me packing for the 2 1/2 drive and 1 hour hike in so I could be at the base for sun-up.
I never once signed out in the AMC check in book at the bottom, the only exception being if I was climbing with someone.
If I'm alone, there's a reason for that, and I respectfully request that no one put themselves at risk to bring home a lifeless piece of matter. The part of me that counts will already be home, and the rest should remain to return to Mother.
If by chance my last breathe is someplace where rules and regulations mandate a removal (like, say, perched on an Eldo pit toilet), then by all means pick me up, bag me, and my wife will take it from there. On the other hand, if you have no idea where I am, and hoards of dogs and troops of scouts can never find me, well, that would be awesome.
Take every step deliberately, and you'll never lack for purpose.
I still go out solo hiking weekly, and solo overnights with some regularity. I'm most comfortable in my own company, and seek these times outside alone as necessary.
And those ghetto tools I mentioned in the first paragraph? I also used them to climb many NH classics like Repentance, the Black Dike, Dracula, Cilley-Barber, all with partners whose friendships live in memory.
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Risk
Mountain climber
Olympia, WA
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Oct 26, 2016 - 10:43pm PT
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I went solo in 1977 (guess where) and 1982 and then got "lost" and scared the first night out in 1982. From then on, it was the only way to go. Unencumbered wilderness. No flashlight, no gps, no nothing for more than a decade. Days and days seeing no one else at all is an amazing trip to find one's self and to see it on my terms and schedule. I had many a moment when I pushed it almost too far and really did do stupid things, but I made it. Risky? You bet. Maybe I'm called "risk" for a reason.
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Oct 26, 2016 - 11:12pm PT
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Probably at least half of my mountain travels have been solo. Is it risky? I dunno. I just try not to get hurt...so far, it's worked out pretty well.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Oct 26, 2016 - 11:19pm PT
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The more isolated the spot, the more I enjoyed the comfort of bringing an extra days worth of food. Generally you are pretty prepared to hunker down if you break something, or to go slow if you are just semi-broken. Bigger risk is to get lost on your couch and miss out on living.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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Oct 27, 2016 - 12:04am PT
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^^^^YES^^^^
Nut-
Have you ever injured yourself severely when you were with a group?
Sh¡t can happen but you're probably good.
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Watermann2
Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
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Oct 27, 2016 - 01:36am PT
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Good morning Mr. Dingus (I apologize for the rough translation, but I hope to make myself understood) Then, in the first place I congratulate him for his writing (post) on which I fully agree with You, Your thinking agrees with mine, also do not I had never read a mind like Yours, then chapeau !!!
__
""""""""""""""""""""IF I GO MISSING ON A SOLO TRIP DO NOT COME LOOKING FOR ME.""""""""""""""""
"""""""""""""""I knew what I was in for. I do not want anyone risking life or spending time trying to correct my wrong. And for sure, do not send in the drones.""""""""""""""""
_
Only one thing I would say (of course it is my thought, it might be wrong, but not for me): If a man is married, father of a family with small children, and he LOVES his wife and her little children and they LOVE to him, then, I think a wonderful family is more important than all the mountains of the world, and then I would think much to stake my life, knowing that if I die, I would leave a wonderful single family, and love my children and my wife would miss much, as I would be failing them much (I hope making me understand, although I could not properly express my thoughts, because no exact translation.
Cordial and sincere greetings.
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Yury
Mountain climber
T.O.
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Oct 27, 2016 - 04:47am PT
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Two of my friends have died while climbing/mountaineering. One of them was solo.
None of my friends died while hiking or driving to a trailhead.
And what are your own personal stats?
Hiking/scrambling is not that dangerous.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Oct 27, 2016 - 08:14am PT
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Inquistr
Scott Falkner
August 2, 2015
Missing 411, a documentary based on the mysterious and tragic disappearances of over 1,400 children and adults in national parks in the United States, has surpassed its $100,000 Kickstarter goal and continues to collect funding.
Missing 411 — the documentary — is the brainchild of Ben Paulides. Ben’s father, David Paulides, is at the heart of the Missing 411 story. Several years ago, when David Paulides, a writer/investigator, was working on something completely different in a national park, a national park ranger approached Paulides with a strange story.
The park ranger told Paulides that in his 30 years of service within the National Park Service, he had been privy to many searches for numerous missing persons, and some aspects of each and every search had left him troubled.
What the park ranger said was subsequently investigated for over six years by Paulides and compiled into four different Missing 411 books.
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Oct 27, 2016 - 09:22am PT
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Anyone have a parent who adventured a lot? Do you wish they didn't?
Did it rob you of your relationship with them, or did it enrich your relationship - allow you to know them better?
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Oct 27, 2016 - 09:59am PT
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Rule #1 solo hiking: keep your eyes on the trail and your feet. If you want to look elsewhere, stop walking, then look.
Solo hiking has its risks. I combine solo hiking with solo mountaineering.
When I'm 5 day's hike from the nearest road, I worry a little bit about little things like spraining an ankle.
If you're not willing to assume the risks, then don't do it.
FYI
I am a solo hiker
Solo mountaineer
Free-solo rock-climber
Solo scuba diver
Solo whitewater kayaker
Solo technical caver
I have been soloing for almost 40 years, and I've only had a handful of near-death experiences while soloing.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 27, 2016 - 10:06am PT
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After a very serious injury I decided, under the haze of youthful dementia, that my first real
outing should be the solo of a long and serious Cascade route. Perfect logic, right? It all
went swimmingly (that's my climbing style) and I was walking down a Julie Andrews alpine
meadow looking for some enchanted spot for the night. I came to a downed log. It was
surprisingly large for being at the tree line. Rather than exert myself, or do something un-lady
like to get over it, I stepped onto the bark on top of it. Did I mention the log was lying downhill
at a 10 or 15 degree angle? Yep, just as I weighted my foot that little birdy chirped in my ear
how dumb a move that was. When the bark slid away all my weight came down on the just
nearly destroyed knee. The pain was tremendous and I seriously thought I was done for. I
would lie there with Julie Andrew's vision haunting me while the maggots feasted on me. I
bivied next to the log, sans water, and spent the night fighting off snafflehounds. The next day
I wrapped it with an Ace and limped down the rest of the descent and the 7 mile hike. See?
It was the hiking that nearly did me in.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Oct 27, 2016 - 10:30am PT
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kingtut, you don't think we get this?
the ones it's never happened to?
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Oct 27, 2016 - 10:32am PT
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Cragman, haven't you done a lot of your searching for Matthew solo?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 27, 2016 - 10:44am PT
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Nice post Dean. All of us cherish our time alone and sense of independence. We have the luxury of believing in control when things go well. When they don't, then we realize our dependence on others and how frail we can be. I've always been a little more circumspect about risk of injury after blowing out my knee in my early 20s. That quickly shattered any false illusions of infallability or that care alone will prevent a bad outcome.
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John M
climber
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Oct 27, 2016 - 11:09am PT
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1.) They never thought it would happen to them.
that would be untrue about me. If I had gotten injured solo, I would have been grateful for a rescue, but was well aware that injury could happen to me and had thought long and hard about what that might be like and what I might have to do to rescue myself or how my life would end. I prayed I wouldn't have to suffer long, but knew that it might happen.
I have not been majorly injured in the back country. Only sprains and strains. Those were still miserable to hike out with, but I was able to do it. I have been quite ill in the backcountry. I hiked out with no pants because I had sh#t all over my pants and decided to bury them rather then carry them. ( food poisoning ) and there was no water where I was. That was a fun hike. I was covered in vomit and sh#t was running down my legs for 12 miles, but I knew I needed to get out because the stream I had hiked to for an overnighter had no water in it and it was hot and I had gone through my quart of water the day before. Fun fun..
Its a mind set combined with strength of will. I would say 70 percent of my adventures in the back country have been solo. Plus surfing and skiing solo. I love it.
The one thing I was kind of ignorant on before coming to the taco was how much the family could suffer if you are not found. Based on that, I would consider getting a locator beacon. But am poor, so haven't and I still do long hikes solo when my health allows it.
I have talked to my family about this. Parents and brother and sisters. I am not married and have no kids. They know how I feel. That I don't want them spending a lot of effort trying to find my body if I am lost. Give it a certain amount of time, but don't do this years later thing of trying to find the body. That in my opinion is just a waste of time and resources. Spend those resources on people who might still be alive.
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Oct 27, 2016 - 11:20am PT
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Wow, I feel solo hiking is actually safer then staying home in the city. Solo climbing, solo free diving, solo surfing. Those can perhaps be a tad riske', but solo hiking? Come on..
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Belmont, California
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Oct 27, 2016 - 12:54pm PT
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When I was in my early 20s, I wandered all over the southern Sierra solo - Kings Kern, Brewer Basin, Lucy's Foot Pass, Evolution Basin. Sometimes not seeing anyone for a week. Soloing in the Palisades and the Clark Range.
Never gave a thought the personal safety issues. I was young and immortal. Should have joined the Marines. They could have used me in combat.
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Al Barkamps
Social climber
Red Stick
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Oct 27, 2016 - 12:55pm PT
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In general, I think we worry about the wrong things. Statistically, you are much more likely to to get into trouble doing a myriad of other things, such as driving a vehicle.
This is utter nonsense....
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Oct 27, 2016 - 12:59pm PT
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Please show us some numbers Al.
Shall we compare solo hiking fatalities to solo driving fatalities?
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Oct 27, 2016 - 01:21pm PT
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Jon, interesting comparison, although I find that some of the listing are somewhat hard to interpret.
For example, in the obesity section, they list people as "2x the risk of dying".
Actually, no. The risk of dying is identical, irrespective of weight.
I just mean to say that one has to be careful interpreting statistics that were not completely explained, or not meant to compare one thing with another.
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Al Barkamps
Social climber
Red Stick
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Oct 27, 2016 - 01:39pm PT
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Please show us some numbers Al.
Shall we compare solo hiking fatalities to solo driving fatalities?
An average mortality rate per year for driving is around 1.1 deaths per 100 MILLION vehicle miles driven and certainly includes passenger deaths. What's the statistic for hiker deaths per miles walked? And is the driver's risk of death only if crashing alone against highway furniture? Or against other drivers? What's the comparable risk of death when a hiker walks into another hiker?
If you don't want to think of it that way....compare the amount of time spent driving versus time spent hiking. But these are just 1st order ways of comparing risks. Regardless, hiking alone is far, far riskier.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Oct 27, 2016 - 02:50pm PT
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I free, lead rope-solo, solo distance swim and have done both for over forty years. I thoroughly understand and accept the risks involved; either would be a stupid activity if I didn't.
Now I don't actually do much hiking, but it's not hard to imagine the various risks, particularly in places like the Columbia River Gorge where lots of things could potentially go wrong. Risk management is a funny deal though. We are all subject to human foibles and my thought in general has always been that it isn't the things you know about and are guarding against that are going to get you, but rather all the subtle, overlooked, or overly familiar things you didn't think about or that have faded into the background noise.
And it's also a matter of what level of risk you are willing to accept. I was surfing in San Onofre last week on too small of a board with my legs hanging in the water like so much bait while waiting between sets. It wasn't a great feeling given there are no sharks at my local crags. And it wasn't particularly comfortable to know that a shark attack is a random occurrence completely out of my control - I especially didn't like that part - but other than getting a longer board I'll probably be back out there the next time I'm down that way.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Oct 27, 2016 - 03:03pm PT
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The Buddy system Buddies are best when the thing you need most is Help
Captain Obvious
of course coming from a person who goes off the beaten track looking for rock at the drop of a hat.
Ive stumbled Badly, and fallen, pulled rocks, and a tree stump on my self . . .
so far Ive only had to crawl out once .
One wake up call
The Phone coverage that I enjoy is of little comfort .
Im always off beyond "bubba's" ability to reach me before dark.
or some times before sunrise( NoT any more, That Wake up call)
I weigh the risks, I am seriously in touch with my abilities and play on the edge.
the risks are real and I'm careful, focused but I find it is better not to dwell
better not to project ... I've been going top down for years now unlike Joe .
but like JH I've talked to my wife and it is what i love most and Need to do.
I don't actually, say any of this in as boastful way. Ive tried to cultivate pre-dawn climbing partners
There are Two Drunken Sots Ive dragged with me, It ends up being More risky.
Smooth fast and Light by myself Im sure that most of us know and do some of this.
So the way that many have felt about The Lost Hiker
Who had a rescue "spot" locator device and is still lost Hits none to far from home for me too.
EDIT: YES , TheBRAVECowboy , JH - IS !
and to add, you are no slouch in the full on, on the edge game, hats off to you...
Tragedy
MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, Colo. — A Greeley man died on Longs Peak on Saturday after falling 100 to 150 feet, according to Rocky Mountain National Park officials.
The 61-year-old man apparently slipped on ice along the Narrows section on the Keyhole Route, according to park officials.
Visitors in the area called park rangers at about 10 a.m. Rangers used a helicopter to get to the summit and were able to recover his body a little before 6 p.m.
The man’s name will be released after his family has been notified.
Apparently ~ Jim Detterline
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 27, 2016 - 03:09pm PT
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When I was in my early 20s, I wandered all over the southern Sierra solo - Kings Kern, Brewer Basin, Lucy's Foot Pass... About 8 years ago, after I became a dad, I got a week off while the wife was visiting her mother in law and hiked back toward Lake Reflection, thinking I would cross country over Harrison Pass, hit Mt. Stanford, chug down toward Milestone, maybe hit Table, tag Milestone and across Milestone Basin back over Sphinx Pass and out. Long story short, I missed the drainage leading up to Harrison and walked to Lake Reflection, thinking I could hit Lucy's Foot instead. I started up into all that talus and I just thought, 'nope, not by myself'. It was pretty chill, but I just kept thinking of all the things that could happen, whether I planned it or not. Still had a great trip chilling by the lake and checking out the great scenery (much better than hanging at the mother in law's). I would love to go back and do my original itinerary, but with some company instead.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
Boise, ID
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Oct 27, 2016 - 03:14pm PT
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Yer gonna die, anyway. Might as well get on with it.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Oct 27, 2016 - 08:29pm PT
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Got a text from my wife today.
She camped above 8k ft last night in the southern sierra. High/mid 20's at night.
She's dropping down to lower elevations for the passing storm then back to her planned route.
Hiking alone should be encouraged for those that wish to do so.
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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Oct 27, 2016 - 08:51pm PT
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Also I have a partner now, a partner who likes doing as I do. So while I still feel the call of solitude, I enjoy more partner time than I have in the past.
I still don't tell her where I am going though, when I do head out. She understands.... sort of.
Don't be fooled, Dingus put that partner bit in for someone else's sake. From what I can tell, on occasion, he'll relent if someone asks to come along and shows up at the trailhead, just like most of us. And will still do get all the Solitude he wants just the way he wants it.
Dingus I believe all your partners understand when you head out with nary a word, and are glad when you come back to journey another day. Your selfie trip reports are always, and continue to be, a pleasure.
I don’t often go out solo, mostly because more often than not, there's someone willing to show up at the trailhead. But though it doesn't happen often in my life, I understand it, value it, understand and accept the desire in others.
It does surprise me when I hear "I never thought it could happen to me." When I'm solo hiking, I have the same attitude as I do with the rest of my Life. Anything and Everything can happen to me. It's simply a matter of when and the level of pain I'll be in when it does happen.
So far so good...
Thanks for sharing folks!
Cheers
LS
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Oct 27, 2016 - 08:52pm PT
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Where I don't like hiking, my wife does and has enjoyed trying to put up fast solo car-to-car times on all the difficult Gorge hikes. I wasn't in much position to tell her she shouldn't do it given I rope solo all the time; but it did make me a bit uneasy even though I could track her via cell phone most of the time. Definitely a to each his own sort of deal.
P.S. Excerpt from link in the 'lucky base jumper' thread:
Interviewer: "I couldn’t help notice that you were rolling solo in Chamonix. Is that normal on BASE trips for you?"
Lucky Base Jumper: "Yeah, it actually seems to be a theme for me."
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Oct 28, 2016 - 08:13am PT
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This is an interesting thread. Most climbers probably don't think of hiking as that risky of a pursuit. The solo aspect obviously moves the risk needle significantly.
I've done a bit of solo stuff and I've not really ever had a way to get in touch with anyone in an emergency. I have felt a bit like DMT seems to on this.
Now that I have three kids of modest ages, I do feel a little different. I cannot afford to fall into a talus hole at this time of life.
It seems like being out on a solo adventure is such a meaningful way to interact with the outdoors that people are always going to do it.
SAR folks are awesome!
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
ColoRADo
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Oct 28, 2016 - 09:54am PT
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I've done maybe 50 of Colorado's peaks above treeline solo and have literally hiked/run thousands of miles in the hills alone. My biggest fears are always other people but I figure if anyone messes with me, I can likely out run them. Plus, sometimes I'm in areas where few people visit.
I've started leaving a note on my car stating my objective and when I'm expected back. I also usually have a "safety" that I tell the same info to. I pay attention to my surroundings, weather, food and water, how I feel, etc...
I can't seem to find consistent partners to get out with. That's not going to keep me from going tho. Sometimes I'm out there longing for company but much of that time, I'm basking in the vastness and the silence that you can only tap into while being alone in nature. I highly recommend it.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 28, 2016 - 10:24am PT
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^^^^^ And then there was the case of the couple who went for a hike in northern Washington.
They got back to their car to find it broken into. Nothing was really taken except, it later turned
out, the car registration. The scumbags drove to their home in Olympia and knew they had
days to ransack the place. DON'T LEAVE YER REGISTRATION IN THE VEHICLE!
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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Oct 28, 2016 - 10:25am PT
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We play our cards the way we see fit. If this fits you, go for it!
If you survive, you can come back and regale us with tales of your extraordinary, insane strength of mind, if that's the way you roll. Or better yet, you seem like the type who's got the strength of mind to overcome our brain's narcissism, and tune into your own sense of humility out there on your own :-)
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Beatrix Kiddo
Mountain climber
ColoRADo
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Oct 28, 2016 - 10:28am PT
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Hey Dingus! Yeah, I've never thought of that! I try to always let someone know so moving forward, I may skip the step of leaving the note on my car. You may have just saved me from some smashed windows. :-)
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John M
climber
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Oct 28, 2016 - 10:43am PT
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Easier to just put up a sign saying that this area is under surveillance by cameras. Get an official looking sign made up and take it with you. That should freak the thieves out.
If you still want to leave a note in the car, then I suggest leaving it someplace like under the mat. Thieves are unlikely to search the car for something like that. But the police most likely will.
Hide registration someplace other then glovebox. For those thieves looking for your address.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 28, 2016 - 10:54am PT
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Also, at trailheads near major highways and urban areas? My biggest solo hike fear is the final 200-feet to my car in the parking lot, after dark. I mean, you don't know what's waiting for you there, right? I live in LA (and subsequently hike there alot) and have never once had that concern. Did something happen once that gave you the willies? I'm far more concerned when I go hiking in the Southern Sierra and all the folks wandering around with guns.
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
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Oct 28, 2016 - 11:00am PT
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I've started leaving a note on my car stating my objective and when I'm expected back...
want to leave a note in the car, then I suggest leaving it someplace
not readable from outside your locked car.
Yes, I do this frequently.
Definitely do NOT leave a note visible to outsiders. This is
practically an open invitation... to the bad hombres.
Another place to be esp circumspect are parking areas of Emerald Bay.
Go figure, eh? Such a pretty place.
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Oct 28, 2016 - 11:23am PT
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Hunters and rednecks with guns don't bother me much. That's been based on my observations of how careless some of these guys are with their firearms. I've hiked out of trails to see guys shooting at a low (barely a bump) hillside where, just over the rise, a hiking trail follows the direction in which these knuckleheads were shooting. Who goes shooting at a popular trailhead? I'm much more worried about the guns I can see (and hear!) than the ones I can't.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Oct 28, 2016 - 11:25am PT
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After hiking solo in the Angeles Forest I came back to find my car broken into and about $500 worth of gear stolen from the trunk.
I stopped leaving valuables in my vehicles after that.
This was back in '79 or so.
I was armed at the time (legal back then) and am glad to this day that I did not catch the thieves in the act.
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Gorgeous George
Trad climber
Los Angeles, California
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Oct 28, 2016 - 11:30am PT
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I seem to remember from somewhere that people that don't go out alone feel that way because of the company they keep.
Part of the adventure is facing our inner fears. Those that succeed without injury have planned accordingly.
A diver's motto comes to mind: "Always plan your dive, and dive your plan."
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Oct 31, 2016 - 03:08pm PT
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My wife just got back from 5 days solo in the Golden Trout Wilderness in the Southern Sierra's.
Lot's of beautiful photos, a few bruises and a great attitude returned with her.
Solo hiking is a treasure for those not afraid to hunt.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Oct 31, 2016 - 04:46pm PT
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Use to be in the 80's and 90's Vivian Creek at San Gorgonio was notorious for break in at the trailhead.
I stopped going there when one day I was hiking down from Halfway Creek and some bozos were firing a lot of rounds down at Vivian Creek. I mean a LOT of rounds. I waited around up high for a few hours until it seemed they ran out of ammo. Blew my whistle every few minutes as I headed down, when I got to Vivian there was no one there. I remember once hanging around Vivian and seeing a nice herd of mountain goats coming down to the creek. Hope these bozos did not shoot them.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 31, 2016 - 07:18pm PT
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Lots of interesting replies here.
I've done quite a bit of solo hiking/exploring as a kid growing up in a rural area, some night solo scrambling in the wonderland of rocks in Jtree, and even some solo night hikes where I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. But somehow that has always been in a separate mental category from "going on a backpacking trip alone." I never looked favorably on that.
Maybe now, because it's the first time in my life where it might come up more often as a solution to a problem (finding a partner overlapping schedule on the rare weekends that I have available, sometimes discovered at the last minute), that I'm thinking about it more.
Hiking itself doesn't seem to be the issue. Seems more like regulating my impulses to go explore that interesting looking outcropping over there <looks in any direction>....
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Oct 31, 2016 - 10:56pm PT
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Hiking itself doesn't seem to be the issue. Seems more like regulating my impulses to go explore that interesting looking outcropping over there <looks in any direction>....
It certainly can be. Generally, a few die on Whitney each year (main trail), which generally has so many hikers you can't spit without hitting somebody.
Altitude of course, is the reason.
So, I think that we need to defer to the Boy Scouts on this issue more than anything: be prepared.
Add that the ancient admonition of the Temple of Delphi: Know Thyself.
Learn appropriate lightweight technique, and reduce the possibility of injury from overpacking.
Get certified in Wilderness First Aid, at least. The life you save may be your own.
I have to say that if you are going off the major beaten paths, one of the PLB-type seems reasonable.
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chainsaw
Trad climber
CA
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My Dad started taking me flyfishing when I was four. By the time I was eight, we would split up and rendezvous at dark. I just got used to fishing alone and being miles from him and miles from the car. Eventually I developed a sense of security alone in the woods. The world is the world. Its not generally hostile. The back country becomes your backyard when you hike it enough. Ive been benighted in shorts and shortsleves with naught but a flyrod. Ive run out of water and drank puddles. Ive burried myself in pineneedles and dirt under a fallen tree to keep from freezing. It can get hairy. Ive crawled on my belly through brush in the dark. I was stuck in slash and brush so deep on one occasion that I ditched my pack because I couldnt move with it strapped on and it was too steep to give up a hand to carry it. I fell in a deep snow well next to a boulder with snowshoes one time and got stuck. Had to climb back down in to retrieve a shoe after nearly pannicking while climbing out. It was too slick to move and I had slid down and under the boulder. Ive been surrounded by coyotes who wanted to punk me and been tracked by hungry bears. Had lotsa solo encounters with rattlesnakes....been washed downstream. I never ever wear waders anymore!
But truthfully, the most scared Ive ever been in the wilderness was when I encountered other solo hikers. Ive run across some sick f*#kers out there. Once I was with a friend on a hike out of Waltons Grizzly Lodge summer camp near Portola, Plumas National Forest, when we encountered a totally sketchy tweaker, who had been on a rampage in the woods for who knows how long. We first heard what we thought was a bear growling and snarling. We saw the brush shaking as this thing barrelled down the hill at us. It was scrapping on all fours and thrashing the vegetation as it raged and snarled like it was going to maul us. When the rabid monster was upon us, it stood up and we saw that it was a man all bloody and scratched up. He was filthy and his tattered clothes were ragged and torn. This caveman looked like hed been scrapping through the brush and dirt for a week. And he had a big old scythe! Like were talking a grim reaper pick axe type thing.... He stood up when he realized we saw him, apparently unaware that we were even there during his rampage, pretending to be a wild animal. When he saw us, he stood up and spoke: "hey how's it goin?" as if nothing was out of the ordinary, scythe in hand, looking like death incarnate. His eyes were dilated and crazy like they were going to pop out of his head.
Having hiked there to meet a group of thirty six year olds on an overnight (cubs and polars we called the little guys) we politely disengaged the Charlie Manson looking fellow and found our group. We told the other leaders what was happening and sure enough, "Axe-man" as he became known in Waltons lore, wandered into our camp. The directors asked him politely to leave and he got angry and left. Hours later about 11pm, councilor Billy Butt Chafe was telling the polars and cubs a scary story about "Stump Man" who impaled a child on a sharp limb of a treestump (previous Waltons lore.) It was one of those camp stories that had been around for years. We used stories like that to keep kids in their bunks from wandering off at night. When Billy got to the climax of the story, one of the kids pointed off in the darkness and said "Thats him!" I kid you not, the axe man had snuck back into our camp, his gruesome, greasy features glowing in the firelight as he grinned psychotically holding the scyth above his head.
Immediately, we councilors went into action. Two of us calmed the kids down, most of whom were screaming and wiggling frantically in their sleeping bags. Three coucilors surrounded the axe man and told him to leave. I lied to the kids, telling them that the guy was part of the story and that we had planned it to scrare them, while the other councilors escorted the guy away. After he left we had a meeting to discuss what to do next. After about an hour of keeping watch, it was now about midnight. Thats when we heard the sound of a heavy metal object hitting an old metal shack wed passed on the way in. The axe man was demolishing the shack about a half mile away with his scythe. Then the gunshots were heard. We could hear him unloading a volly of rounds from a handgun into the shack. At this point we had a crisis that had to be managed. I made up another lie. I told the kids that the camp director had called us on the radio, warning that a rainstorm was coming and that we needed to hike back to the dorms, some 2.5 miles away.
We organized the kids into their groups and gave them numbers. Hiking back along the trail we had the kids do "sound off" to keep them together and accounted for as we marched the thirty six year olds back to Waltons in the pitch black. As I was not assigned a group at the time, I was designated straggler patrol, taking up the rear. We had to march past the shack on our way and saw that it was destroyed. I remember recalling friday the thirteenth type summercamp horror movies. We were now officially in one. Adding to the mood, my buddy played Pink Floyd Ummagumma on the boom box as we followed the group about forty yards behind, It was the most surreal experience of my life up to that point. Because flashlights were needed for the kids, we tiptoed along in the void of darkness, praying that the axeman would remain hidden. Fotunately, we made it back to Waltons about 2am and summoned the sherriff after putting the kids to bed. We councilors stayed up the rest of the night reveling in the impossible fortunate outcome that we made it out alive. Law enforcement searched the area we were camping to no avail and found only shell casings. That was thirty years ago, and I presume that "Axeman" has passed away. But you never know. Perhaps hes still out there. "Hey Billy, there he is now!!"
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 1, 2016 - 10:41am PT
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Holy Moly chainsaw, that would be some serious anxiety being responsible for a bunch of little kids in a situation like that.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Just go do it Nutjob, and yeah, "regulating my impulses to go explore that interesting looking outcropping over there " is a good practice.
Worst solo-hiking moment I can currently recall [Grand Gulch, UT, solo, 10 days]:
Trying to get up to an alcove that may or may not have held a ruin, wearing Tevas. Took a 30' skidder down a slab and ripped off some toenails; forced to finish multiday hike with resultant pain/damage. NBD.
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Does taking your pooch count.
Could be a liability.
I took Jack down in to Fish & Owl canyons once. It was cold, the creek was frozen over in the AM. I'm hiking along, thinking, "I wonder where Jack went". I start calling him, then I hear this crashing sound coming from the direction of the creek. I got to the bank just in time to see my beloved dog's head slip beneath the surface in a hole in the ice, directly in the middle of the creek. I just reacted - and jumped in after him! It was waist deep, I still had my pack on. I lifted Jack out of the icy water, then myself.
I found a sunny spot for a while, but then the sun started sinking, so I did about 3 hours of fast hiking, generating enough body heat to dry my clothes. Luckily, my sleeping bag stayed dry.
On second thought I feel safer without the pooch . . .
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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There have been some terrific replies. I'm still all for solo hiking and would love the chance to do more. pud's post about his wife's trip, for example, reminded me how much of the Golden Trout Wilderness I've wanted to check out. I'm up around there alot, but it's usually with the kids in tow, so I haven't been able to do that much other than a hour or two jaunt or quick overnight. It's just the sketchy off trail or heavy duty X-C I'll probably avoid in the future. I still very much intend to do off trail stuff. I look at topos and see all kind of places that I still want to go. I'll miss the sense of solitude and self reliance of going by myself, but I'm just in much better headspace and can enjoy it more if I have company nowadays.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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The Golden Trout is actually a great opportunity now. It had been basically totally neglected----the Forest no longer employs ANY trail workers for the area. However, four separate groups have each made contributions in different areas, to clean up the trails. Almost everything is now rehabilitated and passable. We're talking thousands of fallen trees.
But it had been so neglected, it had become a real ordeal to hike. So people got out of the habit. So....good trails, but few people in most areas.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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They don't always put trails where you want 'em, it's true.....and yeah, I'm with Jody.
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i-b-goB
Social climber
Wise Acres
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Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. 11 Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? 12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Holee Shite Chainsaw - you weren't a Scout Counselor at Camp Old Indian by chance ?
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chainsaw
Trad climber
CA
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Sorry, Im not familliar with camp Old Indian. Where is that? I worked at Walton's Grizzly Lodge on Grizzly Road just South of Lake Davis at Grizzly Ice Pond.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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the adventures of camp kill a kid never cease to amaze me... and why didn't you guys get the hell out of there the first time you encountered the ax weilding crazy person?????
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Rexi
climber
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My approach to life and the activities i do is that everything we do is an evaluation of risk vs advantage/reward/experience.
driving a car, playing tennis, riding a bike...... all of those things are risky but most people thing the risk is acceptable considering the rewards.
Then we line all activities up somewhere on that spectum, some things are very dangerous but highly rewarding if things go right. Some people would consider regular sport climbing to be on that end of the spectrum but most of us in this forum would not agree. -so the evaluation is personal preference.
About the solo factor. I do alot of solo winter windsurfing way up north in scandinavia. In those conditions where everything is around freezing and winds around 30knots, many things can cause serious problems. Just minimal gear failure you simply can´t fix and the cold, 4 hour daylight and so on means you simply can´t and probably won´t be rescued. -i manage risk though, with choosing specific spots with less current, don´t sail side-off wave spots no matter how tempting it is (ok i may have cheated on this once or twice) and so on. To me the risks i take are worth it due to the rewards i get.
To me it just depends where solo hiking would end up on your risk vs reward spectrum and if you find the risk accapteble. No right answer to the question.. :)
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chainsaw
Trad climber
CA
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Hi Tradman, we thought about leaving immediately but the logistics of moving the group in the dark was a daunting and problematic plan. We initially decided that keeping the group together close and keeping watch was safer than spreading out on the trail in the dark. So we hunkerred down. It was when we realized the axeman had a gun that we decided to evacuate. With a firearm he could pick us off at a distance and our circled wagons defence seemed inadequate. It was a night of difficult decisions. I am extremely proud of the way all counselors conducted themselves that night. It was terrifying and real. The adults didnt panick. Instead we were rational and thought and discussed and concensed on our plans. We cooperated. Sometimes the best action is to assess the situation, and after consideration, sometimes the best decision is not to act at all. We didnt want to act rashly and make our situation worse. All things considered, it initially seemed that staying put was the safest choice for the kids, even though it meant putting us counselors on a dangerous guard duty. When the shots were fired, we decided that we were ineffective as a shield from that and chose to bug out.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Shure it made a good story for the kids to tell the rest of their lifes.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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I went up above treeline solo on sunday.
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chainsaw
Trad climber
CA
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The kids dont really know the story. We adults decided that if we told them what was really happening that panick would ensue and we couldnt let that happen. So we made up the story about an inclement rainstorm as an excuse to leave.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Dec 18, 2016 - 02:12am PT
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hey there, say... just a bump...
please, do NOT do this... your family wants to see you
for the holidays... :)
just a ' mommy note ' from me...
*a relative recently died in south texas, and
and we loved him... he was hunting and had his nephew with him...
however, IF HE HAD been alone... no one would have found him
for days... :(
at least, someone WAS with him... :(
we are all very very sad though...
yes, no matter what, it is REALLY BEST to not go alone, :)
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Mar 23, 2017 - 08:23pm PT
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solitude taught me more than any mentor. solitude by choice is powerful, and good, IME. To be lonely and purposeless, as in the current thread on unanticipated increases in mortality of white middle class/middle age males, that is to be cursed metaphysically. A curious twist on the current supremacy of the white anglo male.
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Mar 23, 2017 - 08:41pm PT
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to be sure, the partnerships in climbing and outdoor-ism generally are a potent goodness. yet the fractious nature of human beings to this day, and the power of the solo outdoor endeavor, these things speak to an evolutionary and personal value of indifference, avoidance, and achievement as-separate-as-possible from Humanity.
no one pays the price but the loner themself, just as death is a strictly personal experience. 'sokay with me.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 23, 2017 - 08:52pm PT
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And when you go on a solo trans-Cascade ski traverse you don"t have to worry about relying
on some crankloon companion to dig yer sorry azz out of an avalanche. It's so much more
fulfilling doing it yerself!
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okie
Trad climber
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Mar 23, 2017 - 09:41pm PT
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My most satisfying outings have been solo. Being alone in the mountains is a strong primal shot. Your question is rhetorical anyway. You already know the risks. You will either return or you won't.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Mar 23, 2017 - 09:52pm PT
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It's nice to have partners. But it's equally nice to do things
by oneself. Solo hiking is one of my favorite activities.
I wouldn't solo climbing--not in my genes. But hiking, even in
grizzly country by myself is truly a pleasure. (of course, with the
bruins it has a heightened awareness. . .)
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kief
Trad climber
east side
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Mar 23, 2017 - 10:12pm PT
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Last couple of comments by cowboy call to mind something Ed Abbey once said:
One man alone can be pretty dumb sometimes, but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork.
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Reeotch
climber
4 Corners Area
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Mar 24, 2017 - 04:58am PT
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+1 for Ed Abbey
Remember freedom and "safety" are inversely proportional.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Mar 24, 2017 - 06:05am PT
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but for real bona fide stupidity, there ain't nothin' can beat teamwork.
We the people.
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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Mar 24, 2017 - 11:04am PT
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I just went on a 19 day two man trip down the Grand Canyon. Leading up to the trip, the idea of it - the risk (especially the risk of my friend getting hurt, and me being left to deal on my own) - was freaking me out! I almost couldn't do it, but somehow managed to overcome that fear.
Super great trip. I got to row everything. Day after day of near solitude and being forced to hit the big waves head on.
In retrospect, there was no risk. We skated through cleanly with only happy memories. What was all that fuss in my brain beforehand?
It's hard to predict the future when all we know is the past. But it's probably the best that we've got.
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dirt claud
Social climber
san diego,ca
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Mar 24, 2017 - 11:34am PT
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This is a great book I'm reading on this subject. It covers all kinds of deaths in the GC but much of it is devoted to below rim hiking and river rafting incidents. One of the main things I've learned from this book is how you become your own worst enemy when things like dehydration take effect. So many people died making really bad decisions because they were not thinking straight. Many stories of people dying trying to climb things they normally would not have but did due to desperation of being lost, thirsty, hungry, etc... Sometimes that other person telling you "hey, that sounds like a bad idea" is all it takes to save a life.
Solo hiking is very fun though and mind opening. I can't say I have done anything near what some of you guys have done though. Crazy stories Chainsaw!!
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Scole
Trad climber
Zapopan
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Mar 24, 2017 - 11:46am PT
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Why are we told not to do stuff solo? Is it because of the risk? I think not.
Like Sierra Ledge Rat posted up-thread: I have hiked, climbed, skied, kayaked, surfed, caved, etc. alone my entire life. In my opinion, we are warned never to do anything alone because it is so addicting, and we become more independent in the process. Those who tell us not to have adventures alone are simply imposing their fears on us.
It is important to have your sh#t together, however: If you are competent in the mountains you should have no problems. If you do then you should be able to resolve them, or you shouldn't be in the mountains in the first place.
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Mar 24, 2017 - 12:56pm PT
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I'm like DMT from the standpoint that I was free to "run with scissors" when I was a kid. The big rule was to get home before dark, and pretty often my definition of "dark" didn't correspond with my Mom's.
I can't speak to raising kids today since I don't have any, but along the street where I live there are several families and the only time I see the kids is when they are between the house and the car to go somewhere. Sad.
Speaking for myself, being alone in the mountains has an added edge to it which I enjoy except when I don't. I've been out there when things have gone seriously wrong, and part of my coping strategy was to conjure up an imaginary partner. It wasn't voluntary, suddenly there was another soul there I could lean on.
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wbw
Trad climber
'cross the great divide
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Mar 24, 2017 - 01:48pm PT
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Try solo hiking in Alaska, braj! Buy me a six pack and I'll tell ya about Polar bears.
And when you go on a solo trans-Cascade ski traverse you don"t have to worry about relying
on some crankloon companion to dig yer sorry azz out of an avalanche.
Reilly, the man that always has to one-up everyone, no matter the topic, the time or the place. If only I could be the expert on everything that you are.
So comforting to know that you're not bland, braj!
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Ksolem
Trad climber
Monrovia, California
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Mar 24, 2017 - 02:08pm PT
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Reilly, the man that always has to one-up everyone, no matter the topic, the time or the place. If only I could be the expert on everything that you are.
Having Reilly as a neighbor is great. It saves me the stress of having to know about things. He's been a source of sage advice on everything from what camera to buy to who to call for HVAC, and he's right every time.
Of course were I to refuse his advice there's no telling what he might do...
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Mar 24, 2017 - 02:20pm PT
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Most of my hiking as been solo. Most of the time I prefer solo.
On one of my early hikes my knee got twisted and cranky. I had that moment of panic of being about 14 miles from the trail head in a very lightly used park. Then I realized I have 1.5 days worth of food, easily stretchable to 3 if I wasn't cranking out miles. I was in a stream bed where puddles gave easy access to water, and I had all the shelter I would need to survive for days. The panic was gone, and I just slogged my way out with a gimpy knee.
I can't say I have ended up panicked since, even when things were objectively quite a bit more dire. Having a partner doesn't help my actual biggest fear, god damned poison oak!
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Mar 24, 2017 - 02:53pm PT
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I go solo hiking all the time. My husband can get a bit worried - so then join me.
I did have that crazy incident when I dropped my radio, looked for it wasting time, and came out after dark. My husband talked to a scarey dude saying profane things about me. We didn't need that emotional distress.
I tell him where I am going. I take at least one form of communications, and I take fewer risks alone. Risk of getting old and fat while wallowing on the couch is 100%.
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hamik
Mountain climber
San Francisco, CA
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Mar 24, 2017 - 02:58pm PT
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I'm in a work and family-induced climbing drought that's forecasted to continue for some time. When I daydream about my happiest climbing days, two episodes come to mind, both solo.
In the first, I got some uneasy sleep in the South Lake parking lot the night before doing the Palisade Traverse, which is a modest endeavor. But I was near the peak of my physical fitness, it having been the week before I left for Peru, and I ran most of the approach and scurried along from Thunderbolt to Sill in 2 hours, 58 minutes. Others have written more eloquently about the joy of moving quickly over sunny rock, and my day was an unending dose of it. I actually shed a couple tears on the talus field under Sill, since I just love jumping from boulder to boulder in talus that much. If anyone finds my entry in the Sill register and could take a picture of it, I would be *so happy*.
The other time, there was a forecast for a modest windstorm in the Sierra, and it struck me that I'd only read about our crazy 100 mph ridge gusts but never experienced them. So I skied up towards Split Mountain, staked out my tent near Red Lake, couldn't erect it because the wind broke my poles before the tent was even standing, and slept inside the collapsed structure, which was essentially a flapping nylon human sandwich. It was cold, and I didn't sleep at all because of the noise. But when the sun came up I got another dose of that joy: wind blasting me around, knocking me over on my skis, no humans in sight. Which idiot would've gone out with me that time?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 24, 2017 - 04:35pm PT
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wbw, we're all here to spray in some manner or other. I like to spray about how stoopid
I've been and gotten away with it. I can't help it if it's true. I just don't want to bore you with
inane details and sanctimonious proclamations of how uplifting it was.
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Mar 24, 2017 - 05:15pm PT
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I backpacked solo up Conness one summer day. Late in the afternoon a storm rolled in when I was well on my way up. I considered retreating as I had no tent. About that time two hikers hurrying off the mountain passed me about 100 feet away. They did not see me and I deliberately remained silent, I felt a compulsion to sit out the storm. I knew that if I made any contact the opportunity would be spoiled.
The rain began pelting me and I dropped my pack and deployed a space blanket. I found a spot next to a rock under a small tree and wrapped myself up with my pack under my knees. It rained ferociously and with each flash of lightning I braced myself for the crack and boom of thunder just above my head.
After the storm passed I exited my cocoon and stood under the clearing sky. I do not think I have ever felt so alive.
edit: hey moose, I bet I can hike slower than you (was that spray?)
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 24, 2017 - 05:32pm PT
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Lots of good stuff here making me smile :)
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rbord
Boulder climber
atlanta
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Mar 24, 2017 - 06:19pm PT
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Risk is just something that's going on in our heads. If we knew all the relationships between all the variables, and the value of all the variables, then we could calculate the risk of a bad outcome, and it would be either 0 or 1.
But we don't have all the information, so we do all these human heuristic computations that have been swayed by 4 billion years of human evolution. Spiders - ahhh!
What's the retrospective risk of a bad outcome for Bachar or Potter? 1. What's the risk for Honnold? 0. The rest is just stuff that goes on in our brains.
Do we have a sense of what the variables are that affect our risk? Sure, I believe we do.
And people are really good at believing. It's what we do. Cheetahs are really good at running.
But ultimately, if you want to go for a hike, or sit on the couch, yer gonna have to work out the math for yourself. If you're looking for the right reference class, there's only one, and it's you.
Hope you decide to go :-)
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DonC
climber
CA
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Mar 24, 2017 - 06:42pm PT
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I do most of my hiking solo. A few years ago, summer of my 60th birthday, I did the John Muir Trail solo in 14 days. I had done it two times previously at ages 20 and 50. Doing it solo during the summer of a major milestone birthday was pretty special for me.
There are enough people on all but the most remote trails, that "solo" only means that you are self sufficient in carrying everything necessary, making all decisions, and camping alone. Other than that, you see people frequently, and often hook-up and hike and talk with others parts of some days.
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AlanDoak
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Mar 27, 2017 - 12:02pm PT
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It's also risky to eat solo, with noone to perform the Heimlich manuever on you; shall we only eat solid food in the company of others?
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PAUL SOUZA
Trad climber
Central Valley, CA
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Mar 27, 2017 - 12:07pm PT
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Solo hiking is only as risky as to how big your ego is and how much you lack self and situational awareness.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 27, 2017 - 02:49pm PT
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Solo hiking is fabulous. The main attraction, for me, is being able to go at your own pace.
Sure, an accident can happen but if you are fit, prepared and thoughtful solo hikng is no more dangerous then driving to the movies and certainly less dangerous than riding a motorcycle anywhere.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Mar 27, 2017 - 02:55pm PT
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My own informal survey, conducted in the San Gorgonio Wilderness on weekdays over the past twenty years or so, finds almost every party I encounter is a solo hiker.
Another survey, of this season's deaths on neighboring Mt Baldy, finds that every hiker who got the chop there this year was hiking with at least one partner.
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Mar 27, 2017 - 03:37pm PT
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Alan, funny you should mention solo eating as when I'm alone I consciously slow down my eating and chew thoroughly, especially apple, as the thought of choking has occurred. Stupid maybe, but I tend to eat too fast ........... Once coughed while chewing carrot and got a piece in my sinuses.
Just bought an ACR ResQlink to make the wife happy. Actually makes me feel better too, as the consequence of bodyily damage solo and away can be considerable. I know when I'm alone I'm way more careful of where I step.
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EdBannister
Mountain climber
13,000 feet
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Mar 27, 2017 - 10:14pm PT
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nut, if you have kids that depend on you,
there are some risks not to take that you might otherwise.
but where that line is is yours to draw.
i think it irresponsible for a parent with a kid 18 or under, to base jump, or climb solo,
or other stuff,
but solo backpacking is not on the list for me, and i find it the most peaceful of pursuits..
i let somebody know where i went in, and when i expect to be out..
the only time i could ever say i got hurt walking, was when i was with others, i started a boulder in the north gully at Tahquitz, i would never have walked there alone. when by myself, i generally stay on trails and make sure i don't assume risks like talus that might not be stable.
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perswig
climber
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Mar 28, 2017 - 03:30am PT
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And people are really good at believing. It's what we do. Cheetahs are really good at running.
rbord, funny and true. Well said!
Dale
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Mar 28, 2017 - 04:02am PT
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I do a lot of solo hikeing.. Its safer than dieing at work....
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Aug 31, 2018 - 12:12pm PT
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two more bad ones up on Long's this week.
heal up injured hiker!
and a thank you to first responders! May the h-pay begin to cover your costs.
i did the watery-iced cables route last week in tennies and the descent of the greased-out rounded silky-like-wet "cl 3" was worse than the wet icy sh#t on the N side
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ec
climber
ca
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Aug 31, 2018 - 01:21pm PT
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When I was a teenager, I’d spend a week (plus, on occasion) backpacking solo in the Sierra; NBD. It coulda been lonely, but it never was. Maybe that’s why I talk to myself all the time!
Only once I got in uneasy terrain, but prevailed. Then I leaned how to rock climb to not have that happen again!
On a couple trips with groups, there were personality conflicts between others that made the trip miserable.
 ec
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aspendougy
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Aug 31, 2018 - 07:03pm PT
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Some people, prior to reincarnating, make a conscious decision that they will die alone in the wilderness in their early 60's. But not everyone who is late coming back falls into that category, that's why we have SAR.
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Psilocyborg
climber
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Aug 31, 2018 - 09:16pm PT
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It was the first night of a solo backpacking trip. Earlier in the day I had got off work a little early, headed up the 395, grabbed a permit, and started hiking up the kearsarge pass trail. I left the trail at a creek crossing to head over to the lakes that sit below its north face. It was evening bu the time I made a campsite somewhere along the east side of Bench Lake.
https://caltopo.com/map.html#ll=36.76274,-118.36129&z=17&b=t&o=r&n=0.25
By the time I set up, cooked and ate dinner, it was night and I was just going to gather some water at the lake and go to bed. I had camped maybe 20 yards from the lake, but I had to go maybe 100 yards south to avoid some dense brush to get to the lake. It was still a bushwack to get to the lake, but it was short, and I could see a large flat boulder right on the shore, so I made for that. I bushwacked through, jumped up on the boulder, and directly on the other side of the boulder was a small beach for me to get water, and zap it with my steripen.
This boulder was perfectly flat, and rectangular shaped,and generally the same dimensions of a large boardroom table....12'long, 5'wide, maybe less than 4' tall. While I am gathering water my back is to the boulder, and I am in good spirits. I finish up, stand up, and turn around to face the boulder and jump up onto it, when suddenly WHOOOSH!!! Something very large and very white flews in front of my face, over the rock.....it was headed upwards....
It scared the ever living fhck out of me. I was frozen and time stood still as my brain reeled, the sudden rush of chemicals facilitated about a million thoughts in a moment calculating all the possibilities of what the fhck that was. Suddenly,a thought popped in my head "An indian died here" and I looked down at the rock and had a fleeting memory of a male indian dying on this rock as a female indian mourned at his side.
Still pulsing with adrenaline, I just jumped up on that boulder and walked back to my campsite trying to figure out what it was.
Much too big for a bird, it could only have been a deer or mountain lion. But where was no sound before of after the whoosh. No running though the bushes that surrounded the area, no breaking of sticks. There was only a whoosh and a white flash arcing upwards.
This story is no ghost story, or stretching of the truth. It happened exactly as I have written it.
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Moof
Big Wall climber
Orygun
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Aug 31, 2018 - 09:28pm PT
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I’ve done a lot of solo trips. My two most “exciting” encounters were on group trips. Mama bear with a yearling on a stretch of overgrown trail where it would be months before we would be found, then a mountain lion killing a deer at 6 AM about 40’ from our tents.
I think I need to stick to nice safe solo trips.
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Psilocyborg
climber
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Aug 31, 2018 - 09:57pm PT
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I ran into a moma bear with two cubs on a solo backpacking trip in SEKI. I suddenly saw them on the trail ahead, and instantly started walking as slowly and quietly as possible to my right off trail.
It didnt seem like they noticed me at all, and They were probably not more than 150-200' away. Mom started scrounging around for food, and the cubs were playing and stumbling around, running all over the place. I continued my attempt to get farther away from them. Then the stupid cubs started RUNNING TOWARDS ME. I stopped and had no idea what to do. I just watched the stupid cubs getting closer and closer (they still didnt seem to see me) and thought "here we go" I was 100% certain I was about to get attacked by momma.
Within seconds of them reaching me I suddenly hear a "GITOUTTAHERE BEAR! GO ON BEAR GIT!!!" It was a horse packer with a mule train. I looked back for the bears and they were gone.
I walked up to the guy and thanked him for scaring the bears off because that surely would have ruined my day
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Aug 31, 2018 - 10:20pm PT
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Had a bureaucrat ranger tell me I could not have a guide permit because he heard I had climbed solo.
I explained that I was roped, but he said it was still unsafe without a partner,..
So,.. when I guide is the client supposed to be my backup?
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Aug 31, 2018 - 10:35pm PT
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"Safest with a partner" wisdom has been expanded by some who say you should only backpack in groups of three. If one gets hurt one goes for help and the other stays with the injured. I do not subscribe, mostly solo trips for me, love it.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Then the one that goes for help is solo.
Ultimately the biggest factor is a combination of competence and good judgement.
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ec
climber
ca
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OMG, Ron, your RIGHT!
LoL...ec
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johntp
Trad climber
Little Rock and Loving It
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Missed this thread before now. Interesting viewpoints.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I find it very interesting that a bunch of people who climb up the sides of cliffs and mountains are debating whether or not it is safe to take a walk by yourself.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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^^^^ I was going to say the same thing last night but it seemed too obvious. 😉
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ec
climber
ca
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SLRat, really. A few weeks ago, I was almost hit by a vehicle driven by someone looking at their PHONE (uh, not in the wilderness, but alone)!
ec
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Flip Flop
climber
Earth Planet, Universe
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You really need four adults plus one adult for each injured or lost adult. Maybe a pair of sentries at each non traditional trail junction. Each should carry a CB radio.
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ManMountain
Mountain climber
San Diego
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The closest I've come to getting the chop while "hiking" solo was on a fishing trip after work on a small creek a 30 minute walk from my house. I hopped up on a dining table sized boulder and as I stepped off the dang thing rolled 120° and I barely was able to lunge out before it woulda pinched me like a bug at the pelvis. It bloodied my lower leg and peeled off one boot. I was so shook up I actually barfed and it took me ten minutes to regain my composure and hobble back home. Also broke my favorite bamboo fly fishing rod. No parked car would have meant nobody would have looked for me until I missed a day or two of work. The point being *it* can happen anywhere-anytime if your number's up.
I've hiked/mountaineered/explored solo & with others for 50 years with no major mishaps and consider it much less risky than the drive to the trailhead. In my early 20's I got in to the climbing scene, 5.5-5.9 multipitch stuff and a lot of winter crampon/ice axe/rope stuff, but after a few sphincter tightening events and more than a few acquaintances who were severely injured (one paralyzed) I decided the risk/reward ratio wasn't for me and hung up my gear.
But the experience was well worth it; I learned how to protect myself, move safely and most importantly, judge when the next pitch is too risky alone and it's time to turn around. These days it's always "what's the easiest route up" for me and in a few recent ropeless group backpacks I've said nope, that's too steep/exposed/slippery/rockfall/unstable snow/bad weather, I'm turning around here. Didn't care what others thought, but usually we all bailed because I was the "old man".
Call me a pussy, but you can control your risk to a great degree by understanding what you're facing based on knowledge gained by dabbling in technical climbing. Lest you think I'm just a duffer, I climbed toproped pitches @ 5.11 clumsily at my best and decided that's it for me.
Hiking solo on established trails, pfft, no problemo. Your risk/reward ratio is near zero, the likelihood you'll encounter others if you're incapacitated is high, and the mountain lion/bear/whacko/surprise medical problem statistics are practically nil.
Solo I'll admit I've carried a PLB for the last 6 years, and now carry a Spot/Explorer satcomm device, but it's only because I now mostly solo explore really remote regions using my built Jeep as a basecamp with one or two day hike forays where it's fabulous country but not another soul will be there in years.
Why carry a locator? I note above a bunch of folks say "If I disappear on a solo hike don't bother looking for me, I've died gracefully". Two problems with that philosophy: one, if you don't die instantly a primal instinct will kick in and you will use any means available to live one more day, and two, if you are dead and being actively tracked by a satellite device it'll make SAR's job so much easier; you owe it to them. But mainly, satellite tracking means all my friends including my 90 year old mother can follow along, and others can send me messages about supercool stuff near me I'm missing. PLBs are no substitute, they're an SOS signal which kicks in a major SAR effort, no two way communication.
I'm almost 70 now so my attitude is ridiculously old school, but I still solo hike 60 days a year and it's the love of my life, there's nothing like a 30 day trip in nature's magnificence; recently when I return I'm finding I have trouble conversing with people because I haven't spoken a word in two weeks, how cool is that?
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GuapoVino
climber
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I've been solo hiking, backpacking, paddling and a few other things the last several years since all my regular partners have scattered with the wind. In some ways it's more dangerous because there's is no one to go for help take care of you in the event of an accident. But in other ways I think it's safer because I'm free to make all the decisions (no decision by committee), I can go as slow as I want, I can be more cautious without the risk of pissing anyone off, I can turn around and go to plan B, I can pull the plug and go home.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I've been a soloing fool since the 1970s
Free solo rock climbing
Solo big walls
Solo mountaineering
Solo technical caving
Solo scuba diving
Solo whitewater kayaking
I have an interesting perspective from solo scuba diving. I carry two of everything when solo diving (two masks, two tanks, etc.). The one exception is that I don't have two brains to ensure good decision making.
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WBraun
climber
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It's never ever been done (solo hiking).
You are never ever solo ......
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clifff
Mountain climber
golden, rollin hills of California
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Well climbing is about 1000 times more risky so you should definitely give that up.
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EdBannister
Mountain climber
13,000 feet
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John Muir
Collin Fletcher
Norman Clyde
all, walked almost exclusively, alone.
interesting that many here who advocate bouldering i.e. grounding on a big ledge,
also condemn assuming the risk of solo hiking which i think might be a bazillion times more safe....
earlier i stated it happened to me, when i was with friends and assuming the risk of talus that i would not if i were solo... but friends or no friends the block still went over my ankle.
meanwhile, reflecting on miles walked solo, the total is over 6,000, with 30 last week, and so far the rule of staying on trails or low angle, and no ice or snow negotiation when solo has yielded a no accident rate.
animals??, never wanted to piss off a bear with a pea shooter so i carry a small bottle of starting fluid and a butane lighter, 8 foot flamethrower.. everything goes the other way.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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How risky is it? No more risky than a walk in a national park.
I can count on one hand the number of solo walks I've completed. I've been mindful every step of the way, lemme tellya.
But the huge majority of my rambles aren't planned trips but photographic endeavors, which is by its nature a pretty solitary gig.
Number one rule when you are on your own is to know nobody's gonna do you much good if they don't know where you might be.
In a talus pile in the Ditch, on the banks of the old Merced, or simply walking across the street to visit the ATM, anything is possible, but my most-often-played scenario of what MIGHT happen is this:
I'm looking up at a soaring rock or the treetops and have my camera up in my face and I decide to step back to frame the shot better and I back right off of the boulder on which I'm standing.
It keeps my attention focused on safety.
It's nice to see this thread's fairly civil. It's certainly a serious subject with which most of us have a good deal of experience.
It was interesting to read through some of this. And I was halfway through the thread before Capt/Skully mentioned the possibility that N was gonna die!
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Sep 17, 2018 - 06:23pm PT
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Ed, ,........ were you hiking with your flamethrower a month ago in northern Cal?
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Sep 17, 2018 - 10:22pm PT
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Ed, great minds think alike. Years ago I actually started working on a commercial version until
I soon realized I would be liable for millions on something I would only sell a few thousand of.
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 17, 2018 - 11:18pm PT
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Ya know, I just realized I had a job where every day I spent hours hiking on my own in a rain forest (with binocs chasing down rare bird calls), and never once thought of it as unsafe or questioned it. It was a non-issue and I relished it. But still, if something happened to me, a group of people would’ve come out looking for me by the end of the day.
I guess my big concern for solo overnights is breaking a leg or tripping and hitting my head when I’m a multi-day crawl back to civilization or people finding me.
At this point, I think the only thing stopping me from heading out on my own is I’m in a busy phase of life with minimal time for adventures. But I’d love to be sitting in a tent in the rain on my own somewhere remote. That said, I’d almost always choose hanging out with a friend if that’s an option. So much of my human interaction is virtual these days that it’s a treat to hang out in the flesh with people I like.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Sep 18, 2018 - 05:08am PT
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As age overtakes youth the risk goes up exponetially.
I'm a cellphone carrying lost man in the woods or was till the threat from tics became more of a threat than my stupid pathless wandering.
Edit:
That is exaggerated Hyperbole, I'm never lost & as JD points out the wisdom to not solo choss in the wild, has come with age, most of the time. .. .
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 18, 2018 - 06:08am PT
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Life is a gauntlet of risks ....how, I sometimes wonder, does anyone make it thru their teens?
I love to hike in the mountains and, most of all, I enjoy going solo. I don’t feel that the risks increase “exponentially” as you age. On the contrary, I feel the risks decrease. What age takes from you in the physical realm is counterbalanced by an increase in wisdom.
I will continue my solo ramblings in the mountains sans any egregious electronic distractions. I will however, in most cases, tell my wife or others where I am going.
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Charlie D.
Trad climber
Western Slope, Tahoe Sierra
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Sep 18, 2018 - 06:52am PT
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Solo hiking risky? Ever been talked into something risky while hiking by your partner?
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
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Sep 18, 2018 - 07:37am PT
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Risky? Yes, but not significantly so, In my estimation. I drive my car on the freeway still too.
I have been solo hiking throughout my life, and do not plan on stopping anytime soon. But there is always at least one person that has an idea what is on my agenda and where I am headed... unfortunately... the beauty of solo rambling is you dont have to have plans and are on no ones schedule but your own, which sometimes might mean you end up places you did not plan on going...
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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Sep 18, 2018 - 09:56am PT
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My most formative nights out have all been solo, or with only a dog for company.
One springs to mind. When I was sixteen, I told my grandpa that I was going to move to CO and become a known steep skier. I’d be in movies and stuff. My grandpa, being the adventurer and also a pragmatist, gave me $500 and permission to skip school for a week. Only catch, I had to report back to him after my trip whether or not I still wanted to continue with my plan to travel alone. So, I packed up and left home for a week. I hiked Franconia Ridge in NH, bivied on the summit. From there I drove to Canada and bought a case of beer. I headed back to Murrica and got myself a hotel room near Moosehead Lake, where I considered my options and stayed a second night. From there, I hit up Baxter State Park in Maine. I hiked Kathadin (sp?), and after crossing the knife edge in a heavy, heavy fog, I realized that being alone out there could be pretty dangerous. I was walking back to camp in a beautiful hardwood forest when I heard trees crashing around in a way that didn’t make sense to me. I shouted out some bear warnings and hoped it wasn’t actually a bear. My shouts didn’t change the timbre of the timber rattling around and I soon realized that I’d stumbled upon two moose in the rut. One male and one female, not two bulls fighting. I found high ground on a large boulder and waited for them to finish, then completed my walk back to the tent uneventfully. Two months later my parents dropped me off at the bus station in Concord, NH, where I had a train ticket to Denver, $1500, and a skateboard. I hitched around CO for two weeks, a little kid from NH, and had the best time meeting new people. Never looked back.
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Sep 18, 2018 - 10:23am PT
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Leaving in one hour for a solo six day backpacking/peak-bagging trip into the Emigrant Wilderness/edge of northern Yosemite.
And Brandon, can I "one-up" you in a small way? I'm taking two dogs ;)
I'll try to post up here if I return.
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Pappy
Ice climber
Warren, VT
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Sep 18, 2018 - 11:04am PT
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I hiked the pct in ‘81 (before everyone and their frickin’ brother decided to do it too) solo 75% of the time including the Sierras and North Cascades. Obviously there is some greater risk, but so marginal I never gave it a thought. It is a little funny that people would fret about it on a climbing site , but maybe they’re sport climbers.
Meanwhile, my wife just finished the hundred highest in the Daks, solo and navigating by map and compass—GPS is cheating. Some of those peaks are really out there, requiring lots of hard core bushwhacking and figuring out which unmarked bump is the right bump. When she would go back into the Sawtooth range I’d tell her to be careful, if something happened it would only be dumb luck to find her. But she’s competent and prepared (she’s also done the ADK 46 solo in winter) and I didn’t worry about it too much. Neither of us think that a spot or anything similar is worth the weight. She finished the 100 on her 61st birthday, so I guess she’s in that dangerous demographic too. Pfffft.
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dee ee
Mountain climber
Of THIS World (Planet Earth)
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Sep 18, 2018 - 03:25pm PT
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Kudos to everyone who engages in solo activities.
Just make sure you are up to the challenge/danger.
...and yes, I'm with Dingus and TBC.
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Inner City
Trad climber
Portland, OR
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Sep 18, 2018 - 09:52pm PT
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Woah Pappy, your wife is a badass solo peak-bagger, hiker! In winter no less...
Solo hiking is fun and rewarding. Risk is everywhere in all forms of adventure. Good judgement and even some good luck are the key ingredients in my view.
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EdBannister
Mountain climber
13,000 feet
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Sep 19, 2018 - 01:37pm PT
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Pappy you are the man!!
Obviously there is some greater risk, but so marginal I never gave it a thought. It is a little funny that people would fret about it on a climbing site , but maybe they’re sport climbers.
or:
effects of the nanny state have reached the climbing community
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Sep 19, 2018 - 01:39pm PT
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The risk in an activity is closely related to the person doing it.
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ec
climber
ca
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Sep 19, 2018 - 01:50pm PT
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Well stated, Jim!
ec
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Sep 19, 2018 - 02:03pm PT
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The risk in an activity is closely related to the person doing it.
#justsaynotogenepoolpolluters
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