Someone requested I
re-post my thoughts on Event marshalling...
This isn’t a post
about keeping warm while you’re moving; it’s about not getting cold when you’re
standing still.
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| Pitched for a quiet evening before the rush |
When am i most often
in this situation? Belaying, and Marshalling Mountain Events. Belaying has its
upside in that at some point it will be your turn to get moving again. With
Marshalling, when it comes to a cold wet night/day on the hills, most have
their own personal preferences for keeping dry and warm. Some would argue it’s
a lost cause, give themselves up to the elements and settle for a predicable
drenching. However; with the abundance of modern kit and forecasting, i think i
have eventually maximised my chances, of maintaining some semblance of comfort,
balanced against practicality, finally defeating the drowned Day-Glo rat look.
In some cases you’re
in position for up to 12 hours and occasionally longer. If you’re lucky you’ll
be on a magnificent summit on a glorious summer’s day, not to hot
and not to cold. All the competitors are chatty and happy, and you have a
continuous brew on the go. The reality is that it will be wet & windy with
10m visibility, the competitors are on their last legs, still relatively
cordial but struggling to raise a smile. Ahh happy days...
The likelihood is
you’ll get to your marshalling point and the forecast isn't looking good, looks
like rain!! I’m not so worried about getting a soaking from a torrential down
pour that has a direction and predilection for getting to the ground by the
quickest possible means. I’m bugged by that pathetic mizz/drizzle that can’t
make its mind up where it wants to go or want it want to be, it just seems to
invade every nook and crevice, defying the best available Gore-tex, Event and
Nikwax etc on the market.
So what can help…
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| A fine Snowdon Sunset |
Keeping it light
and staying warm
Ok i hold my hands
up here, the keeping it light bit, yes i did take a portable telly up the top
of Snowdon one year, but it was for a World
Cup match.
However; stands to
reason you don’t want to carry anymore than you need to for an event. So, I
take everything i ‘might’ need and pack it in the car, I leave the final
decision on what to carry about an hour before I set off up the hill. What to
pack is based on the most up to date weather, satellite pics and forecast I can
get hold of, from this info you can predict the next 12hrs. Extreme weather
will determine if the event will be cancelled delayed or re routed. Over the
years i have been on events where we have lowered the Summit
If you’re looking at
a 1hr plus strenuous uphill walk to your marshalling point with a heavy sack,
your sweat is going to soak into your first and probably 2nd layers.
I find it a good idea to at least take a dry set of base layers and give
yourself a quick once over with the wet wipes, this will help keep you warm.
When cold and damp and immobile your core temperature will quickly drop, even
on a summers day it’s still surprises quite a few how cold it can get above
3000ft, hot drinks and food will help maintain some warmth, and regular light
movement will keep the circulation going. It may look a bit daft but you can
also try a few star jumps or sit ups.
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| Hope for a clear morning |
Setting up at your
marshalling point
Once in position
establish comm’s with your base and other marshals, advise on your status,
weather conditions etc. Next, work out the timing for your first expected
competitors, do you have enough time to get some shelter organised? If so then
set up camp and get a brew on. In poor conditions you will need help the
competitors identify you position, spread a spare Hi Vis vest over you rucsac
or tent, or if you have one tie it to one of your trekking poles. In the dark,
a trail of light sticks usually works. (Don’t forget to collect them up
afterwards) If the weather turns really bad and for your own safety you need to
tuck in behind a rock of bit of wall to find shelter, let the other marshals
and base know that your location is becoming untenable. If it’s too bad for
you, then it’s more than likely too dangerous for the competitors, the base
marshal will re evaluate the event to meet the conditions.
You will probably
have to record and report the timings and status of the competitors or parties.
This might sound obvious but don’t forget a pen and paper, keep them in
something reasonably waterproof like a map case or small Exped or Outdoor
Design bag, it only takes a few seconds when raining for the paper to get damp
and fall apart. Also get yourself a routine for recording the info. When your
tired at 3am in the morning it can get quite confusing, so I recommend that you
log it as it happens rather than wait for a few groups to come and go. Don’t be
put off from making groups wait until you have all the info you need. It may be
the event policy that the teams must stick together, If individuals within
groups are split up, do not let them leave your point until you are satisfied
that they are all ok and safe to carry on. The usual things to check on are; do
they have enough fluids? Is anybody injured or struggling? Look out for signs
of Hyper or Hypothermia. You will need to pass this info onto the next marshal.
You will probably be requested to take photos of the teams or individuals, at
least this keeps you moving, but don’t do it at the expense of loosing control
of the comings and goings at your marshalling point. If you’re offered a spare
Mars Bar or chocolate, take it, maybe you’re OK but another team may need it.
On a busy weekend it’s extremely likely that there will be more than one major
event on the mountain, especially if you’re on one of the 3 Peaks. This can
again lead to a hell of a lot of confusion on a summit. I have even broken up a
few fights. Don’t be afraid to check and triple check team numbers even if it
makes them think you may have gone a bit doolally.
What about shelter?
Small Tent
Terrain permitting i
try and get a small tent up, I’ve used a few over the years. If the long range
forecast is not looking to bad then I’ve used a half tent or (beach tent style)
shelter. They are light around 1kg a really quick to set up. This keeps your
stuff out of site and dry from the odd shower. With a few rocks inside they
will take a reasonable breeze. They are also quite cheap under £20 so if it
gets a battering you not to out of pocket. I would recommend you get one with a
zip at the front otherwise they catch the wind like a spinnaker.
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| A Snowdon Sunrise |
The lightweight
tents i have used are Macpac Microlight at 1.6kg with a small footprint it will
pitch almost anywhere, and allows you to manage proceedings whilst inside the
tent. Mountain Equipment Dragonfly 2, just over 2kg, built around a
free-standing 3 pole semi-geodesic design that does not rely on pegging for
stability. Also has room for your pack. If you can pitch so that the event
traffic goes past the fly opening and is 180 degrees to the prevailing wind,
you’re in luck. On rocky ground where pegs are useless pin the guylines with
available large rocks, when desperate i have even used a few nuts and cams.
KISU or Bothy Bag
I’ve used these over
the years, there good for weight at approx 500g or less and usually under £20,
at this price you can live with either losing it in a gale or trashing it. Try
the JDS bothy bag
Bivibag
Good if the weathers
not to bad and you can get have to have a couple of ours kip in between events,
downside is that they are restrictive if you have to keep getting up and out to
redirect stragglers
Dam well underrated.
They will keep off the bulk of the rain and allow a reasonable amount of
circulation to reduce condensation, downside is they flap about like a demented
seagull in the wind, and turn you into human kite. Not very helpful if you’re
marshalling near a potential hazard spot like Clogwyn Station
Toilet tent?
Well i would say no,
but i have seen one in use, the good thing is you can stand up in it or even
sit on a chair, down side is someone will take a pee in it when you not looking
and also they tend to be a bit heavy side 3kg plus.
Umbrella
Read Andy
Kirkpatrick Psycovertical http://www.psychovertical.com/?thetruthaboutbreathablewaterproofs
Nothing, Just stand
there
Depends on how long
you have to do this for, if it’s only a couple of hours it usually not much of
a problem even in the worst weather. Good set waterproofs will keep off most of
the rain. With a synthetic insulated jacket underneath you also can keep out
the cold. Continually moving about keeps the circulation ticking over unless is
so bad that you need to duck behind a rock. The problem then is then as I said
above, the competitors can’t see you. I have used an old Neoprene Henri Lloyd
before this works quite well as by standing around you’re not generating much
sweat to build up on the inside. Paramo Nikwax systems are popular,
unfortunately i run quite hot and find them a bit too warm for most occasions.
So to the Pile/Pertex solutions.
So what’s my current
kit?
-Iceberg Merino base
layer
-Patagonia Regulator
fleece
-Arcteryx Atom
synthetic insulated jacket, or if dry but cold Rab Nutrino Down Jacket-Mountain Equipment Kongur MRT Jacket
-Lowe Alpine Mountain cap or Arcteryx hat
-Mammut Base Jump pants (merino leggings optional)
-PHD Alpamayo salopettes (might be overkill but they are the best i’ve used so far, well made and the bib part keeps the vulnerable zip area dry)
-Sportiva Crest B2 rated boots (Decent amount of thick leather with these babies)
-Berghaus Gore-tex gaiters
-North Face Gore-tex Gloves (pair of thin inner gloves)
.........as you can
see no single brand loyalty i’m afraid
-Thermarest Orange
Prolite 4 with chair fitting, this is a really useful piece of gear, by
slackening the side straps off you can almost lie back enough to get a
comfortable quick kip.
The ‘bucket seat’
posture also keeps your back warm.
-Small First Aid kit,
or roll of cling film, Compeed blister patches are probably the most useful
item in your kit-Headtorch and spare batteries
-MSR Pocket Rocket Stove, compact and light
-Insulated mug (that’s me)
-Small FM radio, (not too loud of course) on a quiet night the radio can be useful company for also when misty it will also help competitors locate you.
