Trekking in the Zillertal Alps. Allan Hartley

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      It’s better to practise this on safe ground before you go, rather than having to ‘practise’ in a real-life situation

      The ideal number of people for glacier travel is four. Two is the absolute minimum, and solo travel should be avoided for obvious reasons. A party of two could gain some extra security by teaming up with a second party, gaining strength through weight of numbers.

      Many of the Zillertal’s glaciers are dry glaciers at their lower levels and are quite safe to traverse unroped, as the crevasses are obvious and easily avoided. However, when crevasses pose a threat – for example where they overlap, are deep, and occur on steep ground, as is found on the Grosser Loeffler – then the party should be roped up. Equally, parties should be roped at all times while crossing glaciers that are snow covered, such as those on the Schwarzenstein Kees glacier on the approach to the Berliner Hut, no matter how well trodden the route. It is worth remembering that crevasses have no respect for people and can open up beneath the best of us.

      For a roped party of three, the group leader (the most experienced person) is best placed in the middle, since it is the group leader who will contribute most to a rescue in the event of a mishap. The second most experienced person should take the lead position at the head of the rope in order to route find and the last person, preferably the heaviest, should take a place at the back to act as the anchor.

      For parties visiting the Alps for the first time, particularly those of equal ability, some experimenting will be necessary to gain more experience. However, it is absolutely essential that you practise roping up and crevasse rescue before you go, particularly a crevasse rescue scenario in which the fallen climber is out of sight of his companions and another member of the party has to go to their assistance and enter the crevasse, as would be the case if your companion were hurt.

      A tried and tested crevasse rescue technique

      The following technique is suggested (only ‘suggested’ because the style varies between German- and French-speaking parts of the Alps). If you learned glacier and crevasse techniques in the Western Alps you may well have been taught a different but equally valid approach. This method works and will ensure that a group has a safe anchor at all times.

      In ascent and descent the lightest person should go first at the front to route find. Should the route finder fall into a crevasse (unlikely) it is improbable that the rest of the group will be dragged in after them, but in a full-on fall you will be dragged off your feet. In case such a mishap occurs then the heaviest person is best placed at the back to act as the anchor. For a party of two the most experienced person should be at the back in both ascent and descent.

      To rope up a party of three, the middle man (group leader) should tie on 15m from one end of the rope, with the rope leader tied on at the front end. The back man (anchor) should then tie on about 12m behind the middle man (group leader). The surplus rope at the end should then be coiled by the anchorman and carried over the shoulder and rucksack or, as the author prefers, it can be loosely coiled inside the top of the rucksack, from where it can be easily retrieved in the event of being needed for a crevasse rescue. In addition to roping up, two Prusik loops are needed for attaching to the rope by each person, to be stored in their pockets.

      On most glaciers the party will move together, keeping a respectable distance between each person. When there is no crevasse danger a few rope coils may be carried in the hand of each person to make the rope more manageable and to help prevent it snagging and being dragged along the glacier’s surface, making the rope wet and heavy.

      When crevasse zones are encountered, the rope between individuals should be kept taut to limit the effect of a fall. Where crevasses pose a very real risk, such as when they are large or their extent is unknown, the rope leader’s second (middle man) should belay, while the rope leader traverses or jumps the crevasse. At the same time the group’s anchorman will be similarly belayed a safe distance away. While these procedures may seem complicated and time-consuming, with a little practice they should become second nature.

      The purpose behind these techniques is to prevent climbers falling into crevasses and to ensure glaciers are crossed safely. Most mountaineers will spend many hours crossing glaciers without any serious mishap. Experienced mountaineers will be able to recall falling into crevasses up to the waist, a few to the chest and the odd one falling through the surface to the glacier below. In most instances during a fall climbers can react quickly enough to spread their weight by outstretching their arms or by falling backwards to prevent themselves falling further. Once the fall is arrested, the group’s second (the group leader) should belay while the anchorman uses their weight and position to secure the belay, which then frees the group leader to make use of the anchorman’s coiled spare rope to effect the rescue and haul the leader free.

      Should the leader fall free and end up inside the crevasse, it is important that the rest of the party work quickly. If the leader has fallen into a concealed crevasse it is likely that they will be hurt. This is due to the fact that their rucksack will have jarred, pushing the head forward and banging it on the ice during the fall. In such situations there are a number of options to choose from, but all will be useless unless the group has spent a little time practising crevasse rescue techniques. This is absolutely essential.

      In this situation, provided the rope leader is uninjured, it may be possible to: