Mountain treks need peak coverage
27. February 2008 by Tridad.
Mount Everest is the world’s tallest peak at 29,035 feet.
It’s the ultimate challenge – braving an atmosphere with very little oxygen to climb to the top of the world.Mount Everest is the world’s tallest (29,035ft) and one of the most dangerous peaks to climb. Despite this, between 1922 and 2006, Everest has been climbed by almost 3,000 people from twenty countries, more than 200 of which have died, the odds being one-in-six of not making it down alive.If you want to try and climb the mountain on a budget it can cost around $US25,000, while guided package trips soar to as much as $US60,000. A permit to climb the mountain costs $US10,000 and along with travel, food, equipment, oxygen and Sherpa fees (a member of the Himalayan people living in Nepal and Tibet who are famous for their skill as mountaineers), and insurance is a must.
May is the best month to attempt to climb Everest as the peak is battered by 100 mph windstorms during the rest of the year. The extreme weather conditions and lack of oxygen at altitude mean that what may start out as the climb of a lifetime can cost climbers their lives.
David Stirling from Lloyd’s broker Crispin Spears says that only a specialist insurer like Lloyd’s would consider covering an Everest expedition.
“Assaults of Mount Everest are far more routine than in the days of Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing,” he said. “Yet however well prepared climbers are, the risks are still significant.
“The type of cover needed for an expedition to Everest would include Accidental Death, Dismemberment and Permanent Total Disablement through to Life cover.
Coverage can also be accompanied with Emergency Medical, and Evacuation and Repatriation expenses in assisting to get you down the mountain into the care of a hospital and returned home.
“Naturally these mammoth personal achievements come with different degrees of risks. Underwriters look for details of the climbers’ experience, their health, as well as personal details like age. Bespoke coverage, benefits, terms and conditions are set per case.”
“The reality is that standard off the shelf products cater for the masses and more unique risks need that little bit of extra care and attention coupled with a willingness of underwriters to accept more hazardous risks. That is exactly where Lloyd’s comes into its own,” adds Stirling.
-from Lloyd’s of London
Ice climbing enthusiasts slip under the radar
11. February 2008 by Tridad.
BY CALEB SHEAFFER
Michael Miscavage knows the best places for ice climbing in the Wyoming Valley, but he’s not talking about any of them. Miscavage, owner of Top of the Slope Ski Shop in Wilkes-Barre, even has a picture of a nearby wall of ice he climbed in 1994, a 200-foot cliff with the intimidating name “The Fang.”
He’s keeping quiet about the locations for two reasons. First, he doesn’t want anyone getting hurt, especially after he heard the recent news.
A New Hope man, Luke Wolfgang, was injured Feb. 2 while ice climbing in the Buttermilk Falls area of Toby Creek, near the rock cut on Route 309 in Courtdale. The rescue effort involved about 60 people from seven West Side fire and rescue departments. The incident publicized a sport that tends to avoid the spotlight.
There is no real reason for ice climbers to seek attention, Miscavage says. People learn of places to climb through word-of-mouth and friends interested in the hobby. It is a sport that takes place under the radar — in areas where few people go, during a time of the year when few people like to be outside.
Also, Miscavage won’t reveal places to ice climb because some are on private property. Often when he ice climbs, he has an agreement with the landowner. You can’t park at these places without the owners knowing you’re there. This season though, Miscavage hasn’t gone ice climbing. The weather has been too warm.
“We haven’t sold as much (ice climbing gear) because the ice hasn’t been that great,” Miscavage said.
According to Frank Slymock, a deputy fire chief in Edwardsville, Wolfgang’s accident occurred because his rope was severed on jagged rocks. Wolfgang fell about 30 to 40 feet, and landed on his feet, like climbers are taught, Slymock said. Wolfgang was taken to Community Medical Center in Scranton, and his injuries were not expected to be life-threatening. Multiple calls this week to Wolfgang’s home went unanswered.
Ice climbers usually use two axes, sturdy boots and metal teeth, called crampons and fangs, attached to the bottom of their boots. Climbers take safety precautions by using rope as an anchor, climbing with friends and wearing a helmet.
Many people who ice climb start by rock climbing, and gradually move to ice climbing. The sports require similar skills, but ice climbers handle tougher terrain and must judge the quality of the ice. People interested in learning to ice climb can expect to spend at least $1,000 for necessary equipment.
“In rock climbing we have a saying, ‘There’s old climbers and there’s bold climbers, but there’s no old bold climbers.’ Limits definitely get pushed, but it’s a sport where you need to have a conservative mindset,” said Brett Simpson, associate director of Quest, an outdoor adventure and recreation program based at Bloomsburg University.
According to Simpson, Quest usually offers classes in ice climbing every year, but didn’t this winter because there isn’t enough ice. This season, Simpson has only done mixed climbing — a combination of ice and rock climbing involving crampons and axes. Mixed climbing is only for advanced climbers, those able to handle changes in terrain.
Simpson only knows a few places to go ice climbing in the Wyoming Valley, and most of them are on the West Side along Route 309. Another spot is at Ricketts Glen State Park, 30 miles north of Bloomsburg and spanning 13,050 acres in Luzerne, Sullivan and Columbia counties. Climbers at Ricketts Glen can face the challenge of the 94-foot Ganoga Falls. For more advanced climbing, experienced ice climbers travel to New York to the Catskills or the Adirondack Mountains.
The sport came easily to Simpson. Originally from Oregon, he began rock climbing in the West, where he climbed more than 2,000 feet. Simpson learned to ice climb with a friend near Noxen. He and his experienced buddy shared equipment and took turns climbing a waterfall.
“You have to deal with the cold and the weather conditions,” Simpson said. “Once you got used to the equipment, and holding things correctly, it wasn’t too bad. Good instruction to start was helpful.”
Terence Daltroff, park manager of Ricketts Glen State Park, said to his knowledge, there have been only one or two ice climbing accidents at the park, and those were both broken legs. Daltroff mainly does more of a hiking form of ice climbing, in which he uses a longer axe and crampons. Rarely does he go on vertical climbs. When he does, it is only to gain respect for the power the mountain has over climbers.
“It does take someone who is willing to be more disciplined and in better shape, more so than other sports,” Daltroff said.
Even the best ice climbers need to double check their safety gear and make sure they don’t strain themselves too much. According to Daltroff, the sport cannot really be classified as dangerous, because those who do it are experienced and cautious.
“I’m a skier with the National Ski Patrol, but I ski and know what I’m doing. Some people might think that’s a daredevil sport,” Daltroff said. “It is the same as driving on the Cross Valley when the weather is bad.”
Miscavage, Simpson and Daltroff all say the same thing: If you plan on learning to ice climb, make sure to take lessons, and when you are learning, test your limits, but not so much that you put yourself in danger.
“You’re pushing yourself, but you’re not pushing yourself to get hurt,” Miscavage says.