Mountain First Aid

Note-For educational purpose only, professional advice should be taken before going to life threatening situation
First Aid person should be experienced

Seven steps to follow after accident -

Step-1:Take the charge of the situation.

1. If more then one person is injured the order of priority,
   
   1. More injured but good change of survival should be given first priority.
   2. More inured but can wait.
   3. Who can do safety treatments.
   4. Less chance of survival.
2. Climb leader should survey the seen immediately.

Step-2:Approach the patient safely-
look for rockfall, avalanche, fast water flow and physical limits.

Emergency rescue and fist aid-
Shift the person if he is in danger or the rescuer is in danger otherwise first inspect the injury. Watch for -

• Alertness
• Response of your call.
• Responsive of pinching (semiconscious )
• Unconscious.

If semiconscious or Unconscious check for ABCD-
A- Airways ( see nose and mouth ). If there is clothing of blood in nose or swelling in mouse. First clear the airways.
B-Breathing - put hand in front of nose or put small peace of cotton in front of nose.
C- Circulation - normal is 60-90 pulse rate. Pulse rate increases during unconsciousness and can go up to 180 . Observe the pulses from neck since hands will be covered with gloves etc.
D- Deadly bleeding -
External bleeding or internal bleeding.
If internal bleeding check for important sites

1. Abdomen -
   tightness and swelling at abdomen.
2. Thai -
   -swelling , blueish color and stiffness at thai.
   -Pulse rate will be very high but less powerful pulse or low pulse pressure.
   - Due to internal bleeding patent can go to comma . Immediately shit patient to hospital.

Step-4:Protect patient-
CPR http://depts.washington.edu/learncpr/quickcpr.html and Cardio.

Step-5
Provide dry clothes, pain killers, shelter and psychological support.

Step -6:Check for other minor injuries-
From head to legs- ears , eyes , teeths , redness at eye or readness at the bottom of eyes, check head, spinal injury (important - if injured stifness ), discolour of skin any defromity (visible fractures ) , swealing ( don't take chance it can be fracture )

Important thing to note-
fracture , spinal and head injury.

Fracture-
-don't move patent too much.
-tie with stick, thick clothes, newspapers since it give painless moment to patient.

Step-7:Carry out plan-
First aid leader will plan for further treatment and climb leader will plan for rest of party.If needed shift the person to base camp with a note detailing his injury . Strong person should shift the patent. Climb leader will decide whether to go further , wait for rescue or come back.

Mountain Manners

Set of rules and regulations that a tracker should follow.

1) Greetings-
Respect other trackers and local peoples, wish them in there local languages say hi, hello.

2) Walking Manners-
-single line don't overtake.
-rythmatical walk- All team should reach at time
-Week person must be in middle of line

3) Judging distance-
1 hour or 2 hour walk according to our capacity.

4) Passing Information-
through arrows or cairns ( heap of stones ) for people coming behind you so that they will not miss the track.

5) Noise Behavior-
-snow bridge can collapse.
-wild animal can attack because of fear.
-Avalanche.
-Rock fall may happen.

6) Hut manners-
When using forest guest houses or huts maintain cleanliness and don't leave any sigh after you leave.

7) Conservation of flora and fauna
-Respect wild animals.
- vegetation ( don't plug flowers etc because they can be dangerous.)

8) Camping manners-
-Camps and tent's must be near drinking water.
-Tents shouldn't be very near to river. ( because in some area river level changes in 5 min also (flash flood )).
-Should not be very near to rock fall area.
-Should not be very near to avalanche prone area.

9) Rescue and search-
Rescue for living person and search for dead person.

Do's and Don't-

1)Do's-

• Planning (transport, food , climate, rescue ) and preparation.
• Layout all the equipments (List of equipments ).
• Select experienced leader accepted by all.
• Management of rescue
  - chopper ( helicopter arrangement )
  -Bone break arrangement.
• Greeting.
• Walk in single line and rythmatical walk.
• weak or injured person in middle of line.
• Respect culture and religion of the place and local peoples.
• Keep survival kit (dry foods etc used if lost ) and first aid kit with you.
• Follow hut manners.
• Conservation of flora and fauna.
• Respect wild life.
• Passing massage (use bushes to show direction or cairn ).
• Pass bridge one by one.
• Construction of bridge if needed.
• Obey the order of leader and respect the leader.
• Proof of ascent like photographs or videos.

2) Don'ts-

• Don't go alone.
• Don't make noise
• Don't put too heavy load.
• Don't disturb wild life, flora and fauna.
• Don't through stones.
• Don't thorough waste materials.
• Don't smoke and use alcohol.
• Don't pollute water resources (as you will drink that water in future).
• Don't neglect minor injuries.
• Don't make loose talk ( in mountain sickness you loose your temper, abnormal behavior ).
• Don't touch unknown flowers.
• Don't be over confident.
• Don't disturb public or private properties.
• Don't rest (during walking ) from where you can't see your partners.
• Do not avoid week persons.

Mountaining Hazards

Types of mountaineering hazards.-

1. Objective Hazards - Hazards created by power of nature.
   
2. Subjective Hazards and Psychological Hazards - Hazards by mistake of climbers ( Human Hazards )
   

Objective Hazards-

1) Weather-

• Whiteout-
  If unknown place wait for clear. If distributed use torch for signaling (distance signaling).
• Lightning-
  -keep away from metals.
  -conical rock (at the top of the mountain) has no snow. During lightining come to the place covered with ice and away from rock.
  -Don't take shelter at conical rock and below single tree.
• Snow Blizzards-
  snow comes with wind.
  -wait till it get clear.
  -blizzards can enter your nose or ears or shirt.
  -stand opposite to it.
• Snow fall or rain fall-
  -pack all items in plastic bags.

2) Avalanche-
Mass of snow slide down from mountain to valley side.

3) Land Slide-
- start form beginning.
-pass one by one (other should watch and told passing person)
-select best way.
-don't pass without helmet or use rucksack to protect head.

4) River and streams-
streams are dangerous, they are small but flow can be from 8km/h to
km/h

5) Glacier-
moving river of ice.

6) Cornice (very dangerous )-
over hang lap of snow stuck on the mountain ridge.
- crup with X- stick to check hollowness
- choose central or middle area.

7) High altitude sickness-
irritation, noise beading , breathing problems.
-Acclimatise body then climb.

Subjective Hazards-

1) Sun burn -
Use caps, cover , suns scream, hats, umbrella.

2) Snow blindness-
-At mountain UV rays reflect from snow and enter to eye.
-Use black goggles.
-If suffering from snow blindness then use water or urine.
symptoms of snow blindness-
-feel irritation in eyes.
-eye turn to reddish.
-tears comes.

3)Frost Bite-
Blood tissue die because of cold
-don't use wet gloves, socks and always cover face (nose and ears).
Symptoms-
-chill burn
-skin color change to red then yellow then blue.

4) Benightment-
spending night without food, shelter and equipments. Without proper plan or co-ordination in team.

5) Fall and slip and over confidence-
-Use proper sole shoes.
-Concentrate on work.

6) Team Management-
Choose the root such that week person can also climb.