Why are mountains dangerous? Safety precautions in mountain hiking Why steep slopes are dangerous for people

Snowy avalanches, stormy sat down treacherous landslides... All these natural phenomena are associated with mountainous terrain and can pose a significant danger to both people and their homes, roads, bridges and other objects. What is it?

snow avalanche is a mass of snow sliding down steep mountain slopes and moving at speeds of up to 30 meters per second. It is almost impossible to escape from her. The greatest destruction is caused not even by the avalanche itself, but by the air wave that “runs” ahead of it. Avalanches can be caused by intense melting of snow accumulated over the winter, an earthquake and a nearby explosion, causing shaking of the slopes. In Russia, avalanches most often occur in the North Caucasus, the Urals, and in the mountains of Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Avalanche-prone areas are under constant control of special services, which from time to time provoke artificial avalanches (warning the population about this), build protective structures and carry out rescue operations.

It is curious that such a formidable phenomenon as an avalanche often becomes a source of inspiration for poets. “...Avalanches are coming one after another, and behind the rockfall the rockfall is roaring...” sang Vladimir Vysotsky. And how many lines where avalanches are mentioned are there in Yuri Vizbor’s poems! Artists can wax poetic about danger, but in everyday life it is best to avoid it.

To avoid getting caught in an avalanche, You must not go to the mountains in snowfall and bad weather, be aware of avalanche-prone slopes (steeper than 30 degrees), and not cross narrow ravines surrounded by steep “sides.” The most avalanche-dangerous period is spring and summer (from 10 am to sunset). If you notice an avalanche that has occurred high in the mountains, quickly move out of its path to a safe place or take cover behind a high rock. If it is impossible to leave, free yourself from all things, take a horizontal position (with your head towards the avalanche), tuck your knees to your stomach, cover your nose and mouth with a mitten, scarf or collar. If you get into an avalanche, try to “swim” with it, staying as close to its edge as possible. Try to create space around your chest and face to breathe. Don't scream - it's useless: the snow completely absorbs sounds, and screams and meaningless movements weaken you and deprive you of oxygen. If you are buried in an avalanche, do not despair: save your energy and do not let yourself fall asleep - there have been cases when people were dug out from under an avalanche even 5-10 days after the incident.

What is a mudflow? This is a temporary flow of water carrying a large amount of clay and rock fragments of various sizes. Such a flow sometimes suddenly appears in river beds and mountain valleys of the North Caucasus, some regions of Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Mudflows occur after heavy rains, intensive melting of snow and glacier, as well as after an earthquake or volcanic eruption. The height of a mudslide wave can reach 15-20 meters, and the roar of a stormy stream can be heard for tens of kilometers. Places where mudflows may occur and the possible time of their formation are usually known. Mountain rescuers warn tourists and the local population about this danger. In dangerous areas, anti-mudflow dams and dams are built, the level of mountain lakes is lowered, and slopes are strengthened by planting shrubs and trees on them. You can escape from a mudflow only if you manage to avoid it. Having heard the sound of an approaching stream, you need to immediately climb the slope to a height of at least 80-100 meters from the bottom of the ravine. If you were hit by a stone thrown from a mudflow, give yourself first aid as with any bruise: apply a bandage, ice, and when you return to the village, consult a doctor.

Let's landslide is called the displacement (sliding) of soil along the slope of a mountain or the side of a ravine, a steep shore of the sea, lake or river. Landslides happen when water washes away a slope or rocks become too wet. The cause of a landslide can be ground shaking caused by an earthquake, explosion or human activity. A landslide is not always instantaneous: sometimes the earth moves down the slope at a speed of several meters per year, gradually destroying the area. Landslides are a threat to houses, pipelines, roads; they can also become the cause of death, as happened in the summer of 2005 on one of the “wild” beaches of Crimea. Scientists and workers at special stations study landslides and predict their occurrence. If you are in a dangerous zone, you can find out about the threat of a landslide by jamming the doors and windows of the building and seepage of water from the slope. If you feel something is wrong, inform the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees about it, and act according to the situation. After a landslide has occurred, do not enter a damaged house without making sure that there is no threat of collapse. Do not turn on the lights and gas, check that the gas pipeline and electrical wiring are not damaged.

Mountains live a unique life. Seeming from a distance dead and motionless, they are in continuous movement. Silent silence gives way to the roar of landslides and the roar of a storm. A warm sunny day gives way to a harsh, frosty night.
When a person gets into the mountains, he has to fight the elements - a force many times greater than the physical strength of a person.
And in this struggle, a person emerges victorious only when he turns out to be stronger than the mountains. The climber arms himself with technology, experience, knowledge, and the power of his mind, and with these powerful means of struggle he emerges victorious. At every step, the climber is threatened by dangers, both obvious and hidden. To overcome them and pave the way to the peaks, the climber must know a lot, understand a lot and see a lot; must know well the dangers of the mountains, anticipate them, solve them in advance and be able to avoid them.
The dangers of mountains are conventionally divided into two groups: objective dangers that exist in the mountains by themselves, and subjective dangers that arise for reasons depending on the climber himself. Objective dangers, in turn, can be divided into general and local dangers. General hazards can threaten everywhere, regardless of terrain and location; These include: rain, fog, storm, thunderstorm, darkness. Local dangers arise only in certain areas: these are rockfalls on and from rocks, avalanches on snow, firn and ice slopes, hidden cracks on glaciers, etc.
One of the most serious dangers that a mountain climber has to contend with is bad weather. A mountain that is easy to climb in good weather becomes very difficult and dangerous in bad weather.
Rain
During or after rain, small mountain streams turn into turbulent and dangerous torrents. Grass-covered mountain slopes become slippery. Rain makes small scree unstable, which, with prolonged, even light rain, begin to slide, sometimes in very large masses. It is not only difficult to move on wet scree, but it is also difficult to catch a fall; It is also easy to get hit by rockfalls here. Even a little rain does a lot of destruction in the rocks, resulting in rockfalls. Climbing wet rocks is not only difficult, but also dangerous.
When the temperature drops after rain, the rocks become covered with a thin icy crust, and then climbing them is very dangerous. On snowy and firn slopes, rain can cause an avalanche; on a glacier, it weakens the strength of snow bridges over cracks. During rain, you need to be especially careful about rockfalls and avalanches in gutters and couloirs, which are natural drains not only for water, but also for stones and snow.
If it rains, it is best to interrupt the ascent and take shelter in a tent. In case of rain, you should have a storm suit with you.
Storm and cold
A storm in the mountains is a strong wind with sharp gusts. The storm can be snowy or snowless. Even in gorges, the force of the storm is not only very noticeable, but sometimes forces one to take the most drastic protective measures. The higher the altitude and the lower the air temperature, the greater the strength of the storm, the greater the danger. Severe frost in calm weather is more easily tolerated than mild frost in strong winds.
A snowless storm often rages even in completely clear weather. Then from below, from the gorge, you can learn about the storm raging on the tops of the mountains by the so-called “flags”, or, as they also say, “smoking peaks”, when snow dust is blown away by the wind from the ridges and peaks and spins on the leeward side.
On the crests of ridges or on individual open ledges, the storm manifests itself especially treacherously; A climber walking in almost complete calm suddenly receives an air shock, which is enough to knock a person off his feet. The storm can cause rockfalls and avalanches.
A snow storm is even more dangerous. Fighting a storm in the mountains is mainly a fight against the cold, and it follows that the best means of protection is sufficiently warm and windproof clothing. If it is impossible to continue moving, a tent will provide an indispensable service; if there is no tent, you need to dig a cave in the snow or firn; on a glacier you can descend into a shallow crack, having first checked the reliability of its bottom, you can hide in an ice cave; on the rocks it is best to hide in a niche or put down a cover of stones. At the beginning of a storm, you need to put on your entire stock of warm clothes. In bivouacs, you must stay together, pressing closely together, and under no circumstances disperse separately.
If you need to continue moving in a storm, you must avoid the crests of ridges and individual open ledges, so as not to be thrown off by a strong gust of wind. The windward side should be avoided, which is preferable to a more difficult area, but protected from the wind. Particular attention should be paid to the thoroughness of security, to the possibility of rockfalls and avalanches. If the climbers were going untied, they need to get connected.
Storm
A thunderstorm usually does not last long, but it may be followed by prolonged rain, snowfall, or a storm. Often a thunderstorm is accompanied by hail. Thunderstorms are dangerous due to electrical discharges that can cause death or severe burns. Lightning mainly strikes the most prominent places and primarily tends to the metal.
The closer a climber is to the site of electrical discharges, the greater the danger he is exposed to. Therefore, when a thunderstorm approaches, climbers who are on the ridge, on the gendarme, on a separate ledge, must immediately descend under some kind of cover. All metal things need to be placed away from you, but not below you or above you, but up to the side. The approximate distance to the place of electrical discharges can be calculated as follows: count how many seconds will pass between the appearance of lightning and the clap of thunder, divide the resulting number of seconds by three, and get the approximate number of kilometers separating the climber from the place of electrical discharges. During a thunderstorm, you need to beware of rockfalls and avalanches.
Fog
Fog primarily has a suppressive effect on the psyche of a novice climber. When there is fog, movement on the glacier and along the rocks is difficult due to the lack of visibility. It is very difficult to determine the duration of fog, so it is difficult to decide which is better:
wait for clearing in order to continue climbing, or return if possible. It is generally not recommended to continue driving in the mountains during fog. In no case should you disperse individually in different directions in search of a convenient passage or place for bivouac.
If you lose the right direction, you should not look for a way out and uselessly wander in the fog. It is better to stop at a bivouac and wait for clearing. Because of the fog, the rocks become wet and slippery, and with a subsequent drop in temperature, they become icy. Therefore, you need to be especially careful on rocks, among glacier crevasses and on steep slopes. You can only go tied up.
When driving in fog, you can only navigate by using the map, compass and altimeter. When driving in these conditions, there is no need to rush. On closed glaciers, it is more common to probe the snow with an ice ax. Don't slide down. When returning in the fog, marking the path in advance, made during the ascent, will be of great help.
Any change in weather is determined quite accurately and in advance by the meteorological service. If there is a meteorological station nearby, you need to find out the weather forecast and, in case of unfavorable data, wait out the approaching bad weather below, so as not to be caught high in the mountains.
Changes in weather can be indicated not only by meteorological instruments, but also by various, fairly definite local signs.
Mountain rivers
Most mountain hikes involve crossing mountain rivers. There are bridges and bridges on rivers near populated areas, but not always, and they are not always safe enough. Usually the climber has to wade across. Mountain rivers can swell significantly due to heavy rains, the breaking of a dam formed during collapses, etc. The ability to swim in mountain rivers is almost useless; knowledge of crossing techniques is required here.
Before going to the mountains, you need to study the methods of crossing: crossing on a thin slippery log, horse ford, ford on foot alone and in a group (in front, holding the waist), crossing over stones, crossing on a rope (strengthening the rope). Security when crossing mountain rivers is mandatory.
Nightfall
Traveling in the mountains at night, as a rule, cannot be recommended. At night it is difficult to navigate, movement becomes slow and uncertain. There is no way to recognize and, therefore, avoid danger in a timely manner (steep slopes, cliffs, hidden cracks, avalanches, rockfalls, etc.). At night you can walk with a flashlight and only on the safest terrain and if absolutely necessary. Sun
Burns to the skin of the body, face, lips, sunbathing on the way weaken the climber, reduce his ability to work, and sometimes even put him out of action. The result of excessive overheating can be heat stroke. Before climbing and during climbing, you should not sunbathe; you should protect your facial skin from burns by lubricating it with glacier ointment (it is not recommended to wash your face), and protect your eyes with smoky glasses. To avoid burning your lips, drink water through a rubber tube.
Rockfalls
Various atmospheric phenomena slowly but continuously destroy mountains. The change from heat to cold promotes the formation of cracks and crevices in the rock. Further penetration and freezing of water, even in very small crevices of rocks, gradually destroys them, separating them from each other and turning the monolithic mass into separate fragments.
Wind, water and sudden changes in temperature further dismember the rocks and throw debris down, forming rockfalls. One small stone falling down can knock down another one, lying unsteadily on a ledge, which, falling, in turn knocks down a third... a whole hail of stones falls down. Falling stones are caused not only by atmospheric phenomena. Birds, animals and man himself are often the cause of rockfalls. Rockfall sites are determined by the presence of fragments of stones and scree, stone dust and scratches on rocks on their slopes and below them. The most dangerous are couloirs and chutes, less dangerous are ridges and ridges.
Rockfalls can threaten everywhere - both on moraines, screes and rocks, and on grass, snow, firn and ice slopes located near rocks or even far away, but where there are rocks above. On such slopes, rockfalls are indicated by dirty furrows left in the snow and ice by rolling stones; stones that have fallen from above may also lie here.
In good weather, most rocks fall around noon. In bad weather, with rain, storms and thunderstorms, rockfalls can occur at the most unexpected times. If it is necessary to cross areas that threaten rockfalls, climbers must go one at a time, carefully observing the places where rockfalls occur.
Rockfalls on rocks do not occur continuously. Early in the morning, when everything is frozen, the stones do not fall. But with sunrise, light rockfalls begin first, and at noon, when the sun shines in full force, the rockfalls intensify. In the evening, the destructive effect of water decreases, and rockfalls are not so abundant, but in the first hours of the night, rockfalls increase again, as the cooled stones compress, move from their place and fly down.
If a rockfall occurs, you must quickly take cover behind a rock ledge or behind a large stone. If this is not possible, then you need to stand still, watch the flight of the stone and only at the last moment deviate to the side. When small stones rain down in hail, you need to lift your rucksack over your head. A common mistake of novice climbers is that, having seen a stone from afar jumping along the ledges, the beginners begin to rush in different directions, turn their backs to the rockfall, protect their heads with their hands (this can only be used in a completely hopeless situation, when, for example, a stone is flying straight to the head). On steep screes, in order to avoid rockfalls, you need to walk in a wide front or in a closed column as close to each other as possible, and at turns, all converge together.
Avalanches
An avalanche is a mass of snow that quickly slides down the side of a mountain. The snow that falls in the mountains throughout the year does not remain motionless: it slowly, imperceptibly to the eye, slides down under the weight of its own weight or collapses in avalanches and ice slides. An avalanche can be caused by a variety of reasons: the movement of climbers, the fall of a collapsed cornice, and various atmospheric phenomena.
All types of ice collapses pose a very serious danger, which is directly dependent on the size of the collapse. The speed of an ice slide is many times higher than the speed of an avalanche and approaches the speed of a falling stone. The climber is exposed to the greater danger, the closer he is to both the place of origin of the collapse and the center of its further movement. Ice collapses can occur from the movement of the ice itself, from overloading the ice mass, from the melting and softening of ice, etc. On an icefall, due to the softening of ice from heat and imbalance during the movement of the glacier, a serax or a separate block of ice may fall.
Due to overloading of the cornice hanging on the ridge, it can break off and fall down. On an icy slope, a piece of ice can break off from faults and, finally, sometimes, although extremely rarely, entire glaciers and icy mountain slopes collapse.
For example, in 1902, the entire northeastern slope of Mount Dzhimarai-Khokh (Kazbegi region) collapsed.
The ice rolled down 12 km. 36 people and about 1,800 heads of livestock died. The people's resort of Karma-don was overwhelmed.
The occurrence of avalanches depends on the amount and condition of the snow, on the base on which the snow lies, on various atmospheric conditions, on the influence of external forces on the snow cover (an impact from a fallen cornice, a rockfall, the movement of a group of climbers).
The snow mass is held on the slope by the adhesion force both between the snow layer and the base on which it lies, and by the internal adhesion between individual snowflakes. When this connection is broken, avalanches occur. Avalanches can slide wherever the slope steepness exceeds 20-25°.
Snow is divided into four main types: powdery, fallen at low temperatures or blown downwind by the wind; wet, fallen at high temperature or exposed to it after falling out; compacted snow; firn snow. Every type of snow can form an avalanche under the right conditions, but dry, powdery snow is most dangerous. The speed of avalanche movement depends on the base soil on which the snow lies, on the steepness of the slope, on the condition and size of the snow mass set in motion.
Under equally favorable conditions for avalanches, a powdery, dusty avalanche will move at the highest speed. At the upper end and along its sides, the avalanche moves much more slowly than in the middle.
Avalanches have many varieties, but we will only point out the main ones. The most common are avalanches from freshly fallen snow. They are in turn divided into dry and wet. Due to the insignificant connection of individual snow particles with each other and with their base, the occurrence of dry avalanches is usually sudden, and they can be caused very easily, especially on a smooth hard base (ice, firn, compacted snow). Most often they happen in winter.
Wet avalanches form from snow that falls at high temperatures or from snow lying on heavily sunlit slopes. The subsequent drop in temperature transforms the unstable wet snow into a harder snow mass, which reduces and even eliminates the risk of an avalanche.
On the windward side of the slope, powdery, dry snow, under the influence of wind and frost, becomes covered with a crust that has no connection with the snow and only rests on it. Violation of the integrity of this crust causes the entire snow layer located above the break in the crust to slide, and then a formation avalanche is formed.