Winter Hiking

I was introduced to accident analysis as a teaching methodology a few years ago when I took the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (Boston Chapter) Winter Hiking Program. I sat their riveted as Mohammed Ellozy, a well known White Mountain hiker, climber, AMC leader, and the former accident editor for Appalachia Magazine, …

If you’re renting mountaineering boots for the first time or you’ve just bought a pair, here are a few tips for avoiding blisters at the back of your foot on top of your Achilles tendon. These blisters are incredibly painful and will really slow down your pace during winter, which …

While there will always be a heated debate about what the best water bottles or hydration system required for winter hiking are, I think we’d all agree that the minimum requirements for winter use are as follows: The water you bring on a hike can’t freeze The warmer the water …

I don’t believe in the idea of ultralight winter backpacking and I’d be hesitant to set an upper bound on what your winter gear weight should be, if only because people’s regional definition of winter differs so much. Regardless, I still try to reduce my gear weight in winter as …

Mountain Hardware Stronghold 10 Person Base Camp Tent “What is the difference between a four season tent and a three season tent?” It’s a good question because the distinction is blurry. Moreover the phrase “four season tent” is a misnomer since it refers to winter tents, which you might not …

Many winter hikers use a four layer clothing system: A base layer, consisting of a synthetic wicking long sleeved shirt and long underwear. A fleece sweater as an insulating midlayer. A hard shell jacket and pants as a wind-proof/waterproof layer. A puffy down or synthetic jacket and pants for even …

If you’re properly prepared, camping in winter is a lot of fun. But pitching a tent in winter, particularly on snow, requires some different gear and technique. The first thing you need to focus on is site selection: make sure that you are not in an avalanche zone. Next, find …

One very important skill you need in winter is how to stake out a tent or shelter. You can do this with skis, ice axes, and hiking poles, but people also use a special type of stake called a snow stake or snow anchor for anchoring your shelter to a …

My husband David and I climbed the 46 Adirondack High Peaks in winter from 1994 to 1997 and the 48 high peaks of the White Mountains in winter from 2000-2005. Adirondack challenges are different and more rigorous than those we experienced in the Whites, first, because twenty of the Adirondack …

Last weekend I went on a difficult 2 night backpacking trip that involved a 19 mile traverse of the Presidential Range in New Hampshire, including 15 miles of fully-exposed, above-treeline hiking. We had great weather, but you never know what is going to happen in the vicinity of Mt Washington …