Communication technology in the wilderness has advanced considerably in recent years, with many options available to the climber and mountaineer. Planning for any climbing trip, especially to remote areas or mountain ranges, should include detailed consideration of communication within the climbing party as well as the potential need to communicate with rescue personnel. This chapter discusses the technology currently available, preparation and selection criteria, and tips and techniques for such communication.
An important factor in determining what communication devices to carry with you while climbing is the geographical destination. Within the United States, many popular climbing areas will have cellular service available. Consult local guidebooks or the Mountain Project app to learn more about coverage at your destination. This may also be true of popular climbing areas in developed regions overseas. For remote locations, the selection process changes from cell phone coverage to the types of satellite phones, personal locator beacons, or messenger devices that are optimal for you and your climbing partners.
No matter what your destination will be, a key component in your planning is to leave a detailed itinerary with at least two reliable people who can notify search and rescue personnel if you do not check in or return as planned. This information should include members of your party, dates, destinations, cell phone numbers, what satellite-enabled devices (with registration information) you might be carrying, and any radio frequencies that you might monitor during the trip.
Additionally, for more remote crags in North America and Europe it is also often helpful to leave a note in your car’s front windshield with destination and timing. Parking areas, especially in national parks and forests, are frequented by rangers who take note of vehicles and could act as your lifeline in case of an emergency.
Communication methods range from the simple, such as a visual SOS, to the most advanced, such as satellite-enabled phones and messaging devices. Regardless what type is used, remember that calm, clear communication with search and rescue personnel is the single most important factor in a quick evacuation.
The SOS sign is an internationally recognized symbol for extreme distress. Whether stomped into snow or spelled out with rope or drink powder or rocks or branches, this signal denotes the need for assistance. Remember, what looks large on the ground may still look very small from an aircraft. Make sure to build your SOS as large as possible. A good general rule of thumb is for the letters to be one foot in width and between eight and twelve feet in height.
In addition to the SOS, you can also spell out HELP or use the letter V, which denotes assistance needed, or an X, which signifies the need for medical help.
The whistle is as low-tech as it gets, but can be very useful for climbers to communicate in high noise or wind situations or during rescue. It is best to select a pealess whistle so that a pea does not become jammed, water-damaged, or iced over, rendering the whistle less audible or entirely useless. The chief advantage of carrying such a whistle is that it always works and the battery never dies! The chief disadvantage is the limited audible range. The international distress signal using a whistle is three blasts. A whistle should be considered for all climbing first aid kits, as it is lightweight and occupies minimal space.
A mirror can also act as a signaling device in the mountains to alert passing aircraft or to attempt to signal other parties. Among the chief advantages of the mirror is its light weight, while the main disadvantages are that it is only useful on a sunny day and within line of sight. To sight a mirror and reflection to an aircraft, extend your arm and ensure that the reflection falls between your thumb and forefinger. Carefully move your extended arm until the aircraft is between these fingers and move the mirror slightly back and forth to aim the reflection in that direction.
Having fire-starting materials can be very useful for signaling, and even for survival. An important element of starting a fire for signaling is to ensure that the fuel gathered will create smoke that is in contrast to the surroundings. Adding green flora to a fire will create white smoke, while adding plastics and nylon (from tents or packs) or rubber (from climbing shoes) creates darker smoke.
There are multiple types of radios that can be used by climbing parties and expeditions, including Family Radio Service (FRS), General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), citizens band (CB), and the Amateur Radio Service (ham radio). The most commonly used radios for climbing are the FRS service type that utilize 14 UHF frequencies and are not regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These radios are inexpensive and have an effective range of up to one mile. GMRS radios are regulated by the FCC and require a license to operate. Their effective range is often published as 20 to 35 miles, but five miles (with a direct line of sight) is a better estimate. FRS and GMRS are used for climbing parties to communicate both in a multi-pitch environment and to keep separate climbing teams in contact with one another and with expedition base camp managers.
CB and ham radios are not as commonly used in climbing expeditions. The CB is another unregulated system and is common among commercial truck drivers. This type of radio might be considered when climbing near major transportation corridors, due to the large numbers of units monitoring this band. Handheld units are manageable in size and have a range of one to five miles. In order to utilize ham radios, an operator must pass a test to acquire a license. When traveling internationally, it is recommended to check the appropriate regulations governing use of radios. Marine band radios are also available for vehicle mounting and have wide reception but may not be legal outside of marine operations. See Figure 20-1 for emergency channels and frequencies for various radio services.
FIGURE 20-1. EMERGENCY CHANNEL/FREQUENCY FOR RADIO SERVICES
Radio |
Channel |
Frequency |
Family Radio Service (FRS) |
Channel 1 |
None |
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) |
None |
462.675 MHz |
Citizens Band (CB) |
Channel 9 |
None |
Amateur Radio Service (HAM)* |
None |
146.520 MHz |
* Monitored for first 5 minutes, every three hours (i.e. 0700-0705, 1000-1005 etc.) |
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Advances in cellular technology and the supporting tower network within the United States has expanded rapidly over the past fifteen years, making many formerly uncovered areas accessible by mobile phone. The usefulness of phones for rescue communications is directly related to coverage area and battery life. When heading into remote areas for climbing, power down phones to save energy. Otherwise many will search for service and drain much of the remaining battery life if left fully on.
Satellite phone technology has changed dramatically in recent years, resulting in better coverage, smaller and lighter handsets, and cheaper units and plans. Satellite phones operate off one of two systems: either the fixed equator system (geostationary) or low Earth orbit system (LEO). This sector is rapidly changing, and a thorough review of each system should be conducted prior to purchase (or rental), with an emphasis on the following criteria: destination, costs for units and airtime, and contract costs related to subscription services.
Currently, there are four satellite networks: Iridium, Globalstar, Inmarsat, and Thuraya. Iridium has a robust system of 66 satellites and works well in canyons and mountain ranges. It is the only network that functions at the North and South Poles and covers the majority of the globe.
Globalstar has 48 satellites in orbit and offers audio nearly as good as a cellular phone. This network has gaps in coverage in sub-Saharan Africa, both the North and South Poles, portions of Central America, and southern Asia, including the entire Himalayas.
Inmarsat, based in Great Britain, operates 11 satellites and has overall better coverage than Globalstar. The Inmarsat network has gaps in coverage for the two poles, Greenland, Siberia, and—most notable for climbers—Alaska.
Thuraya is based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and currently has two satellites in orbit that work with the existing Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) ground network. The coverage area for this system is limited to Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It has recently developed a device called a SatSleeve that allows the use of an iPhone or Android device as a satellite phone.
The concept of personal locator beacons, or PLBs for short, originated with emergency beacons mandated for ocean-going vessels (emergency position-indication radio beacons, or EPIRBs) and for aircraft (emergency locator transmitters, or ELTs). PLBs are one-way communication devices that digitally communicate via the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system on the 406 MHz frequency. This satellite system was first developed and deployed in the late 1970s and early 1980s through the cooperation of Canada, France, the United States, and the former USSR. These devices must be registered with national authorities; for the United States this is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Registration is free at www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov or www.406registration.com. There are no subscription fees related to these devices. This registration allows the climber to enter their identity as well as emergency contact information. Not only is this useful to assist in rescue, but it also allows the authorities to authenticate a call-and-abort initiation of rescue resources in the case of a false alarm. When considering PLBs for purchase, newer models can also include GPS coordinates with the transmission. This greatly increases the accuracy for search and rescue personnel from the standard three-mile radius of a normal unit. ACR and McMurdo are the two most common PLBs available on the commercial market.
The final type of communication device available for climbers is also the most recent to the marketplace. SEND messenger devices operate on private satellite networks and allow users to send and receive messages via text message. The two most common SEND devices are the SPOT family of devices (Globalstar) and devices built by DeLorme (Garmin) that operate on the Iridium satellite network. There are multiple units with different capabilities, but all of these devices can send and receive information, distress or “all okay” messages, and GPS coordinates. Some more advanced devices sync via Bluetooth to a smartphone to allow for easier typing, longer messages, and more detailed GPS mapping.
An avalanche transceiver is an essential piece of gear when traveling in avalanche prone terrain. These devices work by transmitting a pulsed radio signal that can be picked up by other units in the area. They are not traditional communication devices, rather they are purely used for emergency situations. These units have two modes, transmit and receive. When traveling in terrain with a risk of avalanche, all units should be in transmit. If a person is buried by an avalanche, other uninjured climbers can then switch to receive mode in order to search for the person buried. See Chapter 17 for additional information regarding travel and search techniques in potential avalanche terrain.
The three most important rules to remember when attempting to communicate with search and rescue personnel are: 1) stay calm, 2) use all forms of communication available, and 3) communicate the situation as clearly as possible. See Chapter 1 for details about assessment and Appendix H for a sample SOAP note to communicate the situation and patient injuries. At a minimum, the first information given to rescue personnel should be your location, condition, and the type of rescue that is required (ground, air, high-angle). In some situations, the use of a phonetic alphabet may be helpful to communicate your needs clearly (Figure 20-2). Additional information related to calling for and communicating with helicopters can be found in Appendix B.
FIGURE 20-2. PHONETIC ALPHABET
The US Military along with many other agencies utilize a phonetic alphabet to minimize confusion when relaying important information while using radio communication. The standard phonetic alphabet is included below:
A – Alpha | B – Bravo | C – Charlie | D – Delta |
E – Echo | F – Foxtrot | G – Golf | H – Hotel |
I – India | J – Juliet | K – Kilo | L – Lima |
M – Mike | N – November | O – Oscar | P – Papa |
Q – Quebec | R – Romeo | S – Sierra | T – Tango |
U – Uniform | V – Victor | W – Whiskey | X – X- ray |
Y – Yankee | Z – Zulu |
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