How To Avoid Windburn while Mountaineering in Winter Conditions

This is me after a three day snowshoeing, mountaineering and climbing tour in Fagaras Mountains...

Why do I look so terrible? Coz I was dumb, that's why! I didn't apply any sunscreen on my face - I had it in my kit though... - I didn't drink enough fluids - and I didn't wear a face cover (like a ski mask). It was warm, cold, sunny, overcast, windy and all these weather changes took their toll.

If you want to stay away from windburn check out these articles for more information on causes, symptoms and remedy:

• Wisegeek.com
• Wikipedia.org

More pictures from this mountain tour and other tours here and here.

Go outdoors and be safe!

Winter Trekking Tour - Barbecue and Caving

Winter kicked the spring back from where it came (Africa perhaps...) but that was no reason for us to stay at home. It was rather an incentive to go outdoors once again for a trekking tour - a simple yet voluptuous treat: to walk through heaps of snow and to breathe the cool, fresh forest air.

My obsession with building a fire has manifested once again and that's how we ended making a little experiment - warming the ground for a bivouac. I heard that nomad Gypsy people used to build big fires and kept them burning for several hours, then they would clear the ashes and place their blankets or tents on the warm spots.

We didn't fell much warmth as we added too many branches as padding but we did feel the ground was hot without the spruce mat.

After that we went to a so called "Ice Cave" (RO: "Pestera de Gheata") which is more like a huge crack in a limestone block - a chimney if you want. There was some ice on the steep floor at the entrance but nothing spectacular that would make it deserve it's name. The icicles on the cliff overhangs and the ice stalagmites were more impressive.

Explore outdoors and seek adventure!

P.S. I cut out the footage took inside the cave as the GoPro HD shoots poorly in low light conditions...

Winter Mountaineering Tour in Dragus - Fagaras Mountains

Just before 2009 we had a window of clear weather that lasted about two weeks - it basically spanned from 2008 to 2009. It was freezing cold and the sky was clear, at least on the top of the mountains it was.

A seven hours hike brought us to the hunting cabin, up in Dragus Ridge - Fagaras Mountains, where we had our base camp. From there we hiked up on the ridge and took photos of the beautiful landscape.

This year the weather wasn't too great and thus we didn't have the opportunity to go there. Instead of snow and frost we only had rain and mild temperatures...

Here is a short list of useful things one should have when mountaineering in wintertime:

• waterproof winter boots
• vacuum flask with hot tea
• mini stove (Primus)
• snowshoes or cross country skis
• gaiters
  
• 4 season sleeping bag (filled with down or hollow fiber)
• wind and waterproof pants and jacket
• telescopic trekking poles
• crampons
• ice axe

View whole set of photos here, taken by Alex Scurtu.

Looking forward for some snow. Cheers!

Zanoaga Ridge

Dragus Hunting Cabin - Mountain ShelterGullies to be climbed in ZanoagaMe snowshoeing

Winter Mountaineering Tour in Fagaras Mountains - Sambata (Cataveiu) Ridge

I’m a great fan of outdoor adventures, particularly those where trekking on unmarked trails is involved.

Few of my friends are as fond of this kind of tours as I am. Nevertheless, there is always one who doesn’t say no and, more than that, he proposes quite challenging trips – Georgel.

He’s the cute little boy of our group, very funny yet sometimes very annoying, bouldering addict, off trail hiker, former parkour runner, rebellious, awfully strong (8a boulderer, one arm pull-ups guy!), in short: a great chap.

This is one of the tours we made this winter (2009). We had perfect weather and visibility up on the ridge; low clouds, frosty wind (minus 10 degrees Celsius). Being fatigued and late risers, on the second day, we only climbed up to the half of the ridge, where there is a nice plateau with a cairn in the middle. The flat highland overlooks Sambata Valley, Fereastra Mare a Sambetei, Dragusului Ridge and could be a great spot for overnight camping; in wintertime, the cornices will do just a great as a wind shield for a bivouac.

On our descent, we saw a brown bear, a few hundred meters below us, on the opposite slope, across the valley, which we took as a returning trail.

Photos and video taken with phone camera.

Map of the area and trail - drag and scroll (with mouse) for zooming

See map in 3D view:
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=444728
Click on "See in Google Earth" button

Georgel making his way through the heaps of snow
Preparing for campingAbove the mistsTwo friendsCairn