cell reception

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clustiere

Trad climber
berkeley ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 27, 2017 - 11:27am PT
Hey all,

I just made a climbing plan with a friend with hight sierra hopes but was informed that they would need to be in cell reception the entire trip because they are on call as a doctor. So here is my question..... Are there any alpine routes or areas that are cell friendly within a reasonable drive from Berkeley? I know lovers leap, however I would love to go somewhere new as Ive climbed that place silly. I was thinking about doing north peak and conness as a long day scramble or moon goddess on Temple.....is there service up there? Where else comes to mind where people have had CONFIRMED cell service. Thanks y'all.

Clustiere
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Jul 27, 2017 - 11:38am PT
Clustiere the answer is pretty much "no" if you have to be GUARANTEED service throughout the trip. I often catch a few bars on many summits but typically don't have service on the approach. Verizon seems to be waaaay better in the Sierra than any other service carrier. That's a given in my experience.

A couple options that are "close" to the road and have a clear line of sight to the east would be Emerson's Southeast Face (3/4-full day) or a trip in the Mammoth area. I really like Crystal Crag's North Ridge (a nice 1/2-3/4 day). Both of these have fantastic climbing and an alpine feel close to cell reception.

I'm a doctor and always just make somebody else take my call! Tell your buddy to get a life, get somebody to take call and put his cell phone away and take a real vacation! I'm actually considering some of the new, small, more affordable sat phones out there for future trips though. He's a DOCTOR! Tell him to spend the cash and get a sat phone!

Enjoy!

looks easy from here

climber
Ben Lomond, CA
Jul 27, 2017 - 11:40am PT
Can they be on call while 4 hours driving, 4 hours hiking, AND halfway up a mountain away?
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
Jul 27, 2017 - 11:43am PT
He's a doctor, he should invest $400 in a delorme inreach. Uses satellites, can be used virtually anywhere.
clustiere

Trad climber
berkeley ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 27, 2017 - 11:58am PT
Thanks for the route recommendations!!!! Any success at eagle lake, gong show, or Patricia bowl? Last time I went to those places Was over 10 yrs ago.


PS its a three day plan not a long week...
Jon Beck

Trad climber
Oceanside
Jul 27, 2017 - 12:01pm PT
They as in plural? money is no issue. Rent a sat phone, as doctors they are likely going to need to have conversations, pretty cumbersome on a Delorme.
guyman

Social climber
Moorpark, CA.
Jul 27, 2017 - 12:25pm PT
One can get great cell service at the "Candy Store" in the A-Hills.... 4 bars!
looks easy from here

climber
Ben Lomond, CA
Jul 27, 2017 - 02:22pm PT
I'm still confused how someone can be on call during a 3 day trip to the backcountry, cell reception or no. Do they just need to be able to answer questions? Or is there a gap in understanding between you and the doctor about how available they really need?
micronut

Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
Jul 27, 2017 - 02:55pm PT
Do they just need to be able to answer questions?

Yep. That's the way I do it. 95% of "on- call emergencies" can be handled by me listening on the phone and giving my patients a few pointers. Bleeding heavily? Do this. Achy but not painful? Suck it up. Clot fell off? No big deal, see you next week. Swollen the size of a regulation volleyball.....yeah...call my other "on-call" guy and he can see you asap.

I always give my patients my cell phone number and tell them to call me if anything is out of the ordinary. I tell em I'll be fishing or climbing or playing outside probably but go ahead and give me a call. Then I shoot em to my back-up guy if it really needs medical attention.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Jul 27, 2017 - 04:58pm PT
If he's a doctor he can afford an Iridium 9575 satphone, no?
WBraun

climber
Jul 27, 2017 - 05:41pm PT
micronut -- "I always give my patients my cell phone number and tell them to call me if anything is out of the ordinary."


Phone rings .... Hello?

... I need help.

Huh? What's wrong with your teeth?

Ummm nothing.

Huh?

I'm out of gas ,,, can you fly your airplane to me with a can of gas?

Huh?

Don't all doctors have airplanes to make remote house calls ....?

WTF .... huh?????


clustiere

Trad climber
berkeley ca
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 4, 2017 - 09:30pm PT
Crags out of Mammoth? My buddy's who lives there can put us up...mammoth crest and the other nearby walls?
ionlyski

Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
Aug 4, 2017 - 09:42pm PT
Cluster,

With respect, doesn't this really belong on the "1st World Problems" thread? It's actually a pretty good fit when you think about it. Have fun!

Arne
clustiere

Trad climber
berkeley ca
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 5, 2017 - 08:57am PT
Except that it's people on med-cal and Medicaid being served.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Aug 5, 2017 - 09:35am PT
So why not a satphone?
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Aug 5, 2017 - 10:29am PT
So why not a satphone?

The sat phone idea, for me, was a much better idea than reality. We took a month off last summer but I couldn't be away from my job like that. Hey, I'll get a sat phone and that will be perfect. It turned out to be very frustrating.

You can get a Iridium sat phone which are geostationary satellites and are more reliable, but more expensive and have a delay since they have a higher orbit. (Think of the delay you hear from TV/radio reporters in the middle east).

Or you can get the relatively inexpensive Globalstar phone like I did. However they use lower moving satellites. They claim in north America there are "almost always" one in view, but that isn't my experience. Calls would drop quite frequently, and you can't connect again until, seemingly, another satellite comes into view. It is really hard to have a business conversation, and impossible for an important conference call, when you drop off and come on again 10 minutes later.

So my very cool idea of being in the backcountry while the other party thought I was behind my desk wasn't a reality.

That possibly could also be a problem for a doctor. Though maybe the delay of the Iridium satellites is acceptable.

BTW, this is also why Garmin/Delorme Inreach PLB is in my opinion better than Spot (Especially in Alaska where Globalstar satellites are even less visible) Inreach uses the more reliable Iridium network while Spot uses Globalstar.)
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Aug 5, 2017 - 10:46am PT
BTW, this is also why Garmin/Delorme Inreach PLB is in my opinion better than Spot

Don't count on either in a pinch. Read the reviews.

Our friends on the JMT have an Inreach. He is a Caltech Masters EE, not to
mention a PhD in Neuro Biology. They were supposed to text/email us to
resupply them at Kearsarge Pass last Monday. We never got a thing but,
luckily, went up there anyway. He is really pissed off. What if they had
a real med emergency with his brittle diabetic wife?

If you want your life saved buy an ACR, or an Iridium, or an aviation
handheld that you could call passing airliners* with (as has happened).

*or military flights
Ney Grant

Trad climber
Pollock Pines
Aug 5, 2017 - 12:22pm PT
I'd trust the InReach two-way device. I was an early user and have used it for years. As a pilot, I've used it extensively for tracking and "I made and I'm OK" messages. Plus communications. If you get the green acknowledgement light from the device that it has been received from the Satellite, it has been 100% for me. Combined with two-way so you can get an acknowledgement from the recipient, that would be good enough for me.

I wouldn't just press the SOS button and wait. I'd make sure I'd have two-way communications with someone. It did early on send an empty message to my wife so in that case it "failed" even though if you went online my track was there. But again if you made sure you had two-way acknowledgement I would and do trust it.

I have a portable aviation handheld and that thing is heavy.
Ken M

Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
Aug 5, 2017 - 09:13pm PT
Bleeding heavily? Do this.

Or as our surgical colleagues say, "bleeding always stops"

;)
jeff constine

Trad climber
Ao Namao
Aug 6, 2017 - 06:21am PT
Leave your junk electronics at home, what U need to call for help? LOL
Messages 1 - 20 of total 22 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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