Solo B/C - good/bad/who cares?

[tarkman1]

I saw an observation on a thread about more solo b/c trips. I was just curious to hear rants, admonitions, or whatever the Maggots have to offer on the subject.

[LIP]

Do-able, but no room for error. See Aaron Ralston.

[grrrr]

I have been chawing on this for a while...I feel a significant peer pressure to not go solo, something I used to do all the time. I like to ski solo sometimes,and other times, I just can't find a partner whose plans fit mine.

Yes, you need to be more careful, or just accept the risk. I may venture out alone more next year, damn the peer pressure.

[Trackhead]

1. Lower your ambitions
2. Tell someone where you are, your expected return time, and time to start worrying.
3. Ski mellow, don't dislocate your shoulder two hours back when your alone (ouch, I did that).
4. Accept responsibility. Don't make others endanger themselves searching for your carcass.
5. Go solo, it's good for the mind.

[powstash]

1. Lower your ambitions
2. Tell someone where you are, your expected return time, and time to start worrying.
3. Ski mellow, don't dislocate your shoulder two hours back when your alone (ouch, I did that).
4. Accept responsibility. Don't make others endanger themselves searching for your carcass.
5. Go solo, it's good for the mind.

what he said

I tend to go solo a lot and find it to be very rewarding. It can also make you question your true ambitions for b/c skiing and roots out any of the bro/brah to be seen (otherwise known as dick waving) motivations.

[lemon boy]

soloing stuff is at once: selfish, foolish and necessary.

Selfish because it is done soley for your own benefit and at considerable risk to your loved ones (and possible third party rescuers).
Foolish because it compounds the consequences of any mistake.
Necessary because that is when you learn the most about yourself.

IMVHO, if nothing else going on a solo ski will teach you a lot about your decision making process. The objective (route/exposure) danger you would expose just yourself to and the avy potential that you'd expose yourself to are two huge variables here.

Would you really drop "X" line in these conditions if you were alone? Pretty interesting question that perhaps people should ask of themselves more often. I have both (rarely) solo'd and advised completely competent people against it.

Deeply personal, highly dangerous. Straight is the way, winding is the path.

[CS]

Good question man.

I haven't been out much in the bc solo, but I've done a bit of rope soloing rock climbing, including a long day in Zion. Goes down as one of the funnest yet lonliest, scariest, most introspective things I've done. Just being out there (well, up there) on my own, not having anyone else to blame and relying solely on myself was incredibly satisfying. No pointing fingers there if somthing goes wrong.

I think Lemon Boy hit it on the head pretty good. It takes a whole new level of thinking to acheive anything safely, but is incredibly rewarding. I think it also forces you to be completely honest with yourself since you are both asking and answering all the questions.

[Trackhead]

CS,

I soloed Moonlight Buttress, that was a mind bending experience for me. I'm not fast enought to do it in a day, so a night out made it even more meaningful.

[tarkman1]

I'll offer an alternative viewpoint in that you should be willing to solo anything that you do with others. Why? It's the difference between "If I get into trouble or anything else, I'll have more of a safety net" and "I can't screw up. Period." On a bigger day surfing, I'm not likely to paddle out to a break if it's big just because other people are out. If I wouldn't be comfortable in the line up alone, I wouldn't go out. Granted solitary line ups are uncommon in SoCal where I surf.

I was solo on Bloody for my first honest 'out there on your own' trip. I felt good, but had the lingering 'what if' type of thoughts running through my head.

I'm not advocating going solo. I'd prefer not to do so. On the other hand, I'm less inclined to have soloing be a show stopper. That's just me.

[CS]

CS,

I soloed Moonlight Buttress, that was a mind bending experience for me. I'm not fast enought to do it in a day, so a night out made it even more meaningful.

Very cool, and very nicely done. I dig that route. My adventure was on Spaceshot. A tad bit shorter but still a long day. I think I left the car around 6 and was back at 8. An absolutely surreal experience.

I wish I had the time to do more of it, but it's not exactly the thing to do right off the couch. But I think I have a few more solo walls in me, and hopefully one up the Big Stone.

In fact, I've been scheming something in Zion for a while and this just might be the motivation I need to get it done.

[72Twenty]

I do some solo stuff. I usually (99.9% of the time) go into areas I've been into many times before and know rather well. I also don't venture too (relatively speaking) "far from the car". I tell someone where I am going and also leave a note on my dashboard with a description of what I am wearing, where I plan to go, when I left the car, when I plan to return and that I do have a tranciever switched on and on my person. I've only done one over nighter solo in recent years; camped in the shadow of Medicine Bow peak. It was sureal. I woke up at dawn and there was a coyote sitting just like a pet dog panting a few yards from my tent. He gave me a look and hop-scotched off in an almost playful mood.

[Beaver]

I don't solo. Mainly because everything I like to ski is better skied with a partner for safety. I've known a few people who died only because they were alone and got stuck/lost.... and were tits up. I know a guy who busted his leg on the local xc trails late one afternoon, he was alone and almost died of exposure by the time they found him unconsious about 10 hours later. John Carter was a hut keeper in Kokanee, on the trip out to get the next group he took a shortcut skied a short 100' slope tha slid and partially burried him. Unfortunately his head was burried and he died. RIP John.

It doesn't take much to get injured or stranded. Busted binding in the middle of nowhere could be all it takes. You drive your sled into a treewell or something 20 km from the truck on the way home from an uneventfull run and you could be fucked.

Jerry would be alive if he'd been skiing with a buddy.

IMO it's not worth it, but then I have 3 kids and a wife at home.

[Vets]

I would prefer to ski with a buddy/buddies. However, I have gone semi-solo on a few easy access trips in late spring and summer. Semi-solo because I have three dogs with me. However, I have found that the dogs haven't figured out how to use a digital camera so that I can post pictures of me skiing.
Even when I'm skiing a resort solo I tend to turn it down a notch. This isn't as much fun as skiing with other maggots who often get me to turn it up a notch and improve.

[Trackhead]

In fact, I've been scheming something in Zion for a while and this just might be the motivation I need to get it done.

Let me guess, a solo link up of perhaps Moonlight, Spaceshot, and something on Angles Landing?

[Odin]

I ski solo, quite a bit

However I accept the risks for what they are, lower my expectations, don't have any pressure NOT to turn back, and have my ideas in order as best I can.

I find that it is a good experience to have opposite the group tendencies. Up here there really aren't very many bulletproof approaches anyway, so regardless of group or solo you take a certain amount of risk. My parents and hopefully loved ones understand my obsession and I have talked with them about the possibility of passing away doing this.


Skiing with people makes me nervous anyway.

[summit]

given the previous threads on solo travel...

i'm calling 5 pages

[the Pot]

given the previous threads on solo travel...

i'm calling 5 pages

Good guess, given the crew from summit county will prolly cunt it up.

[BakerBoy]

I've done it a couple times, but don't find myself enjoying it. Too much knowledge imparted/experience/news articles/obituaries/etc ends up affecting my mind to the point where I can't enjoy it anymore. So yes, I'm selfish.

[Sublime]

I went solo to a trip to Blue Mountain I drove all the way from Detroit so it was quite the drive. I just thought to keep my wits about me and I would be fine. But I kept getting lost at first it wasn't a big deal 10 miles out of your way here 5 there and it begun to add up. The drive there took about 8 hours which it should have taken about 6. I got there and found out the place I was going to stay had to shut down due to some tax bullshit. I skied a few hours and tried to hunt down a place to stay. I had brought car sleeping gear but sleeping in a Focus seemed like the last thing I wanted to do in the world. The lady at the desk told me to vist this hotel right down the road. I walked into what appeared to be the front desk to see two crackheads stumble out. This little white boy took off like whoa. All the cheap hotels were booked so I ended up staying at one which ate up all my money. I got up the next morning feeling horrible and took off after skiing the afternoon. I got horribly lost and I drove for like 10 hours straight. I was so broke I had to pay with loonies and tunnies crossing the bridge.

For that and a few more reasons solo trips just aren't me.

[Z]

all that stuff.

ummmm.....yeah.....I don't think thats the type of solo trip we're talking about here

[MOHSHSIHd]

being alone in the woods is one of the most surreal and amazing things in the world...

spent around 24s alone in alberta maybe 30 miles from anyone.....best day ever.....

[bdog]

I think soloing is good for the soul. It heightens your awareness, makes you think things through, and allows you to do it on your own time.

Well said. It is an individual decision. Going solo even on short day tours teaches one a great deal about one's self.

[shera]

I soloed yesterday. My route was brilliant, my turns were perfect and there was no one to tell me otherwise.

It really was beautiful though, everything in technicolor. I felt capable and strong. But it was Northstar - kind of a road hit. And I've done it before. Today I'll try going someplace I haven't been yet - but still here in the county. Maybe Fletcher or maybe from the other side - the west face of the ten mile...

My biggest concerns are 1) not finding the line I intend to ski when I get to the top and 2) getting lost. But I'm getting better and better...and practice breeds confidence.

Brett said I should at least get a cell phone. Sweetie.

Great idea to leave a note on the dash. Thanks.

[13]

SheRa,

Why are you soloing someplace you've never been before? Why not go with someone to learn the route, then go back solo when you've learned it?

I only ask because you worry about getting lost and that way you're minimizing the risk of getting lost.

That and your decision making process doesn't seem to flow that well from what I've read.

Brett's suggestion for a cell phone is a good idea but now you have to worry about being in/out of coverage and battery power. It's very easy to drain a battery in an emergency.

[shera]

SheRa,

Why are you soloing someplace you've never been before? Why not go with someone to learn the route, then go back solo when you've learned it?

I only ask because you worry about getting lost and that way you're minimizing the risk of getting lost.

That and your decision making process doesn't seem to flow that well from what I've read.

Brett's suggestion for a cell phone is a good idea but now you have to worry about being in/out of coverage and battery power. It's very easy to drain a battery in an emergency.

Why? Because I've already done that, over and over again. I'm trying to grow. Face my weaknesses and improve. I want to minimize the risk of getting lost by finding my way. I'm making very good decisions about where to go and what to do, fear not. They might not be right for you.

About the cell phone - that's the first thing I said to him too. But it's light and easy to carry and could save my life. I like to imagine myself some kind of purist, but it can get a little foolish. Not ready for a GPS though.