Thunderstorms when you high in the mountains

No post editing?

. Thunderstorms and Camping Safety .

Glad you are OK.

No edits on titles or first post in a thread.  Edits otherwise limited to seven days. Management is aware.

Most of the time you can avoid the worst of the lightning hazards by being aware and trying to predict when and if thunderstorms will develop, then plan your climb or hike to be in lower lightning areas at that time. Lightning is something that’s always in your mind every hiking day (if you hike in lightning prone areas) – it’s simply part of the hike. If you do get stuck in a lightning storm, it may be much safer to stay where you are rather than move to a safer location, especially if you have to traverse steep or technical ground in a hurry, as you found yourself doing. It can be very tempting to keep descending, especially if the altitude and exposure decreases quickly and the terrain is easy as you descend (such as descending into a more narrow valley from an exposed ridge). Over the last 25 years, on two occasion in lightning we did keep descending. But on two other occasions we stayed put and took cover because descending would not greatly or quickly provide more protection or less exposure.

Test your knowledge….

http://tinyurl.com/y9b967g5

Ken – Thanks for the test, I learned a couple of things from it.

+1 on the test – I was reminded of two valuable points that had been forgotten.

I’ve been caught in two nasty t-storms up high, once out of youthful ignorance and once because the storm hadn’t read the book that says it’s supposed to hit in the afternoon, not the morning.  :-)  Based on that extensive experience, I’d say once the storm is on you, getting away from it just ain’t gonna happen.  You have to run from a storm while it’s still tens of miles away.  Otherwise, hunker down, assume the position (mainly try to touch the ground in only one spot, keeping feet together/touching), and wait for it to pass.

Thanks for this test – I learned a few things.

“100-150m”

That’s pretty dang close. I understand why you thought it was scary.

I’ve been caught in situations like this, even when I try my best to avoid them. Every time, they remind me that there is inherent risk in backpacking.

In September, while guiding a Timberline trek in our Wilderness Adventures program, we were trying to cross a high pass in a storm. We were 200 vertical feet from the summit of the pass when an electrical storm hit. We have a “rule” in our guided treks that when an electrical storm is nearby, we take cover and have to wait 30 minutes after the last visible lightning strike before moving, or flee in the opposite direction. We discussed this with our group, and because we were facing very cold (T = 30s F), windy, and sleety weather, and it was late in the day, “hanging out” was not our on our list. Instead, we decided to flee and dropped 2k down into a nearby valley to camp.

It’s just not worth taking the chance, for me. You have no control an an electrical storm and being up high and exposed is pretty risky.

Ryan, yes I think what you did is a right choice. In my situation, I just couldn’t go straight down because I had to first climb into the clouds if I wanted to follow the trail. That’s why I did panic a bit and descended a very steep slope. Not sure if I did the right thing. But I’m happy to sit here in a cozy and warm home and read your post :)

I think your rule is very good one. I’ll use it in my adventures. Thank you.

I got caught in a nice exciting storm hiking the GR11, I thought I could get through a pass before the storm started in earnest. However, I ended up having to crawl under a big boulder and prey to the various Gods who might be able to help. Won’t be making the mistake again.

Terrifying stuff. Beyond best practices, surviving is largely a matter of luck. Yes, avoid the pass, but sometimes you get caught in a bad place. I have met two people who were struck while on the trail, and both suffer lifetime neurological damage. A few quick takeaways from my readings:

-Anytime you hear thunder with any kind of close interlude, you are probably already at threat. It may be closer than you think, or can approach super-fast.

-Lightning can hit anywhere. Not just the top of the pass, not just the high tree. Particularly if the ground is wet, crawling under that rock may not help, as the lightning will travel through the water. In fact, if the rock is prominent in any way, it may be worse.

-When caught, take off your pack, crouch, try to stand on the balls of your feet with them together, hold your head with your arms and tuck up tight into a compact bundle. Why? Less contact with the ground, and if you get hit, the less exposed your skin, the less exposed areas to burn. Similar to item #6 on the test Ken linked to.

http://www.highsierratopix.com has some good discussions on lightning.

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_info/thunder2.html

http://rendezvous.nols.edu/files/Curriculum/research_projects/Risk%20Management%20Reports/NOLS%20Backcountry%20Lightning%20Safety%20Guidelines.pdf

Sometimes as you come up on a pass the terrain can obscure the fact that a storm is approaching from a different direction. this happened to me at least once. And not just me–several people were lounging at the pass when the storm broke. I remember saying to someone, “ever feel like you just dodged a bullet?” as I crested the pass and saw clear skies minutes before the lightning started.