Avoiding Group Separation ... ?

[Grumpy]

First of all, it certainly is good news that the recent story about the lost hiker on Lafayette turned out well. I wish that young man a speedy recovery. And I applaud the efforts of the search teams, who (as always) did a magnificent job under difficult conditions.

But the story raises a comment and a couple of questions.

Comment:

This seems to be an almost classic “separated party” incident, in which one element of the group becomes detached and lost. Thus the equally classic advice to “stay together.”

(Yes, it’s possible in a case like the recent one that had all members of the group stayed together all might have become lost. But there is an equal, or perhaps better probability that they would not have become lost, too. So I’m not sure that is worth debating or discussing.)

Questions:

How does a party go about staying together, even (or especially) under severe conditions like those this group of hikers ran into on Lafayette last Saturday?

And …

What should everybody involved do when it becomes evident that separation (loss of visual contact and communication) has occurred? (I think this is by far the tougher question.)

G.

 

[explorer13421]

Two good questions. When I hike with a group, actually, before I actually hike, I review with everyone that the most important purpose of the trip is to be safe and return together. I will not hike with anyone who is not committed to that up front. I also review with everyone that anyone can make the decision to turn around, the rest of the group will go along with than, and that no one will be criticized for doing so.

Once we are on the trail, if I am in a leadership position, I keep track of the members of the group. If anyone is out of sight or hearing, we sort it out right then. No assumptions about someone catching up or we will catch up. I also pay attention to how people are doing, and redistribute any group gear if necessary to equalize paces. I also try to make sure that the slowest person (usually me) is setting the pace. ( My experience is that while my pace is slow I continue for longer periods of time than people who go like hell for awhile and then take a lengthy break.) It is my observation that disparities in hiking pace is the most common reason for a group splitting up.

Immediately upon perceiving the group adhesion is broken, locate and note precisely where you are on your map, GPS an/or other navigation tools. If the group is large enough, some stay at that point, and others make a limited search for the missing person. After that, it depends on the circumstances. If some one got ahead of the group, maybe it can catch up. If trail intersections were passed since someone was last seen, maybe he/she made a wrong turn. Weather, tree line, intended course, and so on all are variables that have to be taken into account in figuring out what to do.

I have not been in a situation where one or more of my group are unaccounted for. However, in reading reports in the ADK and 46R magazines and on this website, it is clear that voluntary splitting of groups is almost always involved.

 

[DougPaul]

How does a party go about staying together, even (or especially) under severe conditions like those this group of hikers ran into on Lafayette last Saturday?

I had the impression that this group spilt by decision, but I may be wrong. I will assume that the question refers to non-consensus splitting.

The responsibility falls mostly to the faster ones--they tend to pull ahead and the slower ones cannot keep up. So, one method is for everyone to stay in visual or auditory contact with the slowest one. Another version is to stay in contact with the person behind you (the theory is that the tail end can stop the next and the stop can be passed up to the point. A third version is for the speedy ones to stop at all junctions (or agreed upon intermediate points) for the slowest to catch up.. This has the risk that someone can miss a turn and keep going. Individuals who wander off for any reason (eg pee in the woods) should tell someone before going.

A more formal version is that one person stays on point (no one gets ahead of him) and one stays on sweep (no one gets behind him). Point and sweep maintain contact. (The formal leader can be on point, sweep, or somewhere else in the party.)

What should everybody involved do when it becomes evident that separation (loss of visual contact and communication) has occurred? (I think this is by far the tougher question.)

I think it is harder too.

There are too many variables to discuss this part easily. Which part of the party did they disappear from? Front, middle, back? Or did the entire party split into two groups. What is the weather and visibility like? Can voices be heard over any distance.? Did he tell anyone? (eg stepping out of sight to pee). How easy is the trail/route to follow? Are there any junctions? How well does he know the trail/route? etc...

Doug

 

[Mad Townie]

Doug, I thought you were asking how a group can stay together in bad conditions above treeline, i.e., whiteout. My answer is rope.

I carry a 15' cordelette that can be untied to yield a 30' rope; I carry it in the top pocket of my pack, along with some parachute cord.

If that's not necessary, my experience is that we always stay in visual contact above treeline and have an arrangement (stop at all junctions) below treeline. As for ducking into the woods, I always leave my pack on the trail, and I don't go that far!

 

[carole]

Having hiked with a good variety of groups and read accounts of a good many others I have come into the habit of rarely hiking with groups these days with one of the reasons being that group separation is often the case whether right from the start or later in the hike. This is fine with many but I lean more toward the idea of a group hike being a group hiking together.

 

[DougPaul]

Doug, I thought you were asking how a group can stay together in bad conditions above treeline, i.e., whiteout. My answer is rope.

Perhaps you mean that Grumpy was asking about these specific conditions and my answer was more general? (A rereading of the orignal post suggests this to be so.)

A short rope is one method. However, ropes blow all over the place in high winds, catch on rocks, etc. Being connected to a rope also makes pacing much more difficult.

In the conditions found on the ridge that day, I suspect that staying close with frequent checking of the other members would have sufficed. It is a relatively narrow ridge with the trail marked by lines of stones on both sides.

Mt Washington conditions were winds ~80mph, temp ~-15F, visibility .1mi, and blowing snow for most of the day. Probably not as bad on Franconia ridge, but certainly no picnic there either. If the winds were anywhere near that high on Franconia Ridge, I'll bet that hands were being used for balance--poles at a minimum, but crawling could have been the method of choice at spots.

From post #1 in the Lost hiker thread: "the group decided to split up, with Gagnon hiking ahead", so it appears that they didn't get separated by accident.

Doug

 

[carole]

Questions:

How does a party go about staying together,

One key item I think all should carry is a whistle attached to their pack.

 

[DougPaul]

One key item I think all should carry is a whistle attached to their pack.

Whistles also don't go hoarse or lose their voices, unlike humans.

On the other hand, the only time I have used my whistle, the other group (which had run ahead...) heard it but ignored it.

Doug

 

[Maddy]

This is the only whistle I carry unless they come up with a better one.
http://www.stormwhistles.com/

IMHO I think that "staying together" is only as good as the team players willingness to not seperate.
When I have hiked with others below treeline, it was agreed on that we would wait at any junction. We also had a special "call" we would use if we wanted someone to "wait up" or come back. No one ever got that far ahead.
Above treeline there was always an agreement that we never seperated.
We had to be within eye contact of each other at all times.
Hiked a few times in really foul weather and we were like glue. The only thing we could see of each other were the bright red/yellow gortex jackets. If at any point we could not see the next guy we would yell "stop" until we were close again. Finding the cairns was a real problem but we did we managed to get through it. It was a wonderful adventure
but a little scary.
This was discussed and agreed upon before the hike started so there were no misunderstandings.

 

[erugs]

One problem with a whistle is that, based on personal experience, with a good one you can't hear for a while after you've blown it. With my group of friends, if someone is lagging behind one of us will call out "Marco" and the answer usually comes right back "Polo." Just like the kid's game. If one of us is having a "slow" day the others usually put us in the lead position so that nobody has to wait too long up ahead. Especially when waiting is cold.

 

[sapblatt]

It is easy to stay together when you like the people you hike with.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Bottom line: Everyone has to want to stay together, and make the effort to do so. But separation can still happen in spite of desire.

 

[Ed Poyer]

Techniques & leadership

Bottom line: Everyone has to want to stay together, and make the effort to do so. But separation can still happen in spite of desire.

Which underscores the importance of having a leader, designated and agreed upon ahead of time. This is not a panacea, but can go a very long way to avoid team problems of all kinds.

One of the primary jobs of the leader is to keep the group together.

disclaimer: I generally hike in a group in winter, not just me and a buddy.

Some tried & true techniques to avoid group separation:
Set an appropriate pace for the group and circumstances. The leader needs to make sure this happens, although a proxy can actually set the pace.

Maintain proper spacing for the circumstances.

Make sure the 'culture' is to stop at trail junctions, major stream crossings, blowdown mazes, ice bulges & other really tricky spots. Above treeline, it might be wise to reassemble & assess the group at selected 'islands of safety', such as scrub patches. Assess each other for incipient cold injuries, condition of gear, and mood One of the first signs of hypothermia is a change of mood, such as withdrawal, or not paying attention (leaving water bottle parka zipper open, for example. This could cause someone to stop, even to go back & take a quick look...). Encourage people to help each other out: its a lot quicker for you to reach into my pack lid pocket than for me to do it.

Another technique is for each person to be responsible for keeping the hiker behind her in sight or hearing. If you lose touch with the one following you, call ahead to stop the group. Each person should pass that message forward. Below treeline it's probably not necessary for the point & sweep to keep in contact, as long as all links in the chain are in contact. Above treeline, the point & sweep should be able to see each other practically all the time. Another job of the leader is to make sure everyone understands and follows these, or alterate protocols.

An important 'job' of the leader is to develop / encourage a sense of comaraderie. Having a feeling of connection to other members of the group will make it less likely that a separation will occur unnoticed.

In my experience, differences in sheer hiking speed are not the only way a group gets strung out. Efficiency differences (getting water, adjusting goggles, handling poles in wind, adjusting clothing) can cause a series of mini stops which separate a group. This can be due to differing levels of experience, or even to this being someone's first trip of the season. One job of the leader can be to have everyone using similar gear. For example, lets not have 3 people keeping snowshoes on if 4 are donning crampons. Let's not each stop within 5 minutes to change into wind gear. You just know this will soon result in another stop, with a another chance for someone to be left behind, or others to chill down.

Any other ideas?

Ed

 

[kmac]

As a group you must talk before starting your hike. Make a concerted effort to stress the importance of staying together, keeping people in sight and most importantly hike the pace of your slowest hiker : ) It's not that difficult to stay together, it just takes some effort. We all tend to want to go at our own speed and some are faster than others, unfortunately this is where we can run into problems.
kmac

 

[sli74]

Here is my take on this as I happen to be the SLOWEST person in almost any group of hikers. I used to try and hike in larger groups until I realized that I REALLY hate feeling like I am holding everyone back all the time. It is a terrible way to feel when you are out trying to enjoy your life's passion. That being said, I am TRULY grateful from the BOTTOM of my HEART that there are still such wonderful people in my life who are willing and able to either slow their pace (even when they hike 2X as fast as me . . . Frodo ) or atleast come up with an appropriate hiking plan. It isn't always reasonable particularly in winter to expect a fast hiker to slow to my pace, there is risk there as well.

I only have 2 choices, either hike alone (or with Brian) OR plan ahead of time for a separate but together hiking plan. I always let people in my group know ahead of time that I hike at a snail's pace and that Brian and I would love to come on any given hike with the understanding that we'll hike at our own pace, without hindering those faster hikers. In the past a 2-way radio has allowed for this to occur without compromising us or them (the faster ones).

These days, I would likely just not go on a group hike where I would be required to keep up with the fast hikers or one where I felt I would be placing a burden on the fast hikers to slow down for me.

All plans are valid as long as they are discussed and agreed to by the group AHEAD of time, before the issues settle in . . .
Anyway, my 2 cents, please don't lynch me

sli74

 

[RoySwkr]

In my experience, differences in sheer hiking speed are not the only way a group gets strung out....One job of the leader can be to have everyone using similar gear. ... Let's not each stop within 5 minutes to change into wind gear. You just know this will soon result in another stop, with a another chance for someone to be left behind, or others to chill down.

People have different metabolism, even if the leader can enforce that everybody wears the same brand of clothing from underwear out (think USArmy) some people will be too cold and some will be too hot. If you don't let people change as they need to, some will be sweating and others freezing both risking hypothermia while if you do any large group will be slow. Hiking in smaller subgroups will at least break up the exponential part of this equation.

A while ago earth tones were "in" for parkas and packs. To stay together in poor visibility (and be spotted by rescuers) dress as brightly as possible. Even post those who are most conspicious in the middle.

 

[DougPaul]

People have different metabolism, even if the leader can enforce that everybody wears the same brand of clothing from underwear out (think USArmy) some people will be too cold and some will be too hot. If you don't let people change as they need to, some will be sweating and others freezing both risking hypothermia while if you do any large group will be slow. Hiking in smaller subgroups will at least break up the exponential part of this equation.

No matter what clothing systems people use, it will save time and keep people together better if stops for clothing changes, eating, etc are synchronized.

Doug

 

[carole]

What follows is a perfect example of how group separation can lead to trouble:

Four guys head out from a trailhead together. After a while two are moving ahead of the other two. Nearing the summit I meet the first two as I am descending and they are ascending. (On a funny note they ask if I am descending. I replied, “that is what you do when you’re going down, right?”). They didn’t think it was safe to descend but I had no problem with Stabilicers. On further discussion they tell me of the two behind them. “Tell them to turn back. They probably have already though.” “Are you returning down this trail?” “No, we’re going to take the other one, this one is too difficult without any added traction” (They were bare booting and there is more then one other route down.) I discussed which route they were taking down and continued on my descent.

Soon after leaving the first two I saw another trying to find a safe way to get up the trail. He asked if I was on the trail and as I replied he realized I wasn’t who he thought. I asked if he was with the two guys ahead. Yes, he’d stayed with the fourth guy for awhile but that one had turned back so he was trying to catch up with the first two. I informed him that they assumed him and the fourth guy both had turned back; they were near the summit and were planning on heading down a different trail (telling him which one).

I assume all worked out well but I have encountered similar scenarios more often than I like.

 

[coldfeet]

I learned that I should be able to get myself out of the woods in case I'm not comfortable with the pace or if something happens to the leader who I was depending on ....so....I need to really work on my map and compass skills and pay attention on the bushwacks...that was strongly explained to me by a Catskill 3500 club leader....I do often ask the leader to give me the chance to figure it out on a map for more experience...

 

[sierra]

First off Im not a fan of group hikes. Years ago I tried a few with the AMC, my goal was to meet people to later hike with. The leaders on these trips where awfull, they ran the hikes like dictators and on one occasion took a wrong turn above treeline and would not listen to me tell them they where going the wrong way, they stubbornly insisted everyone just "follow".
I now hike solo or with carefully selected friends that I have known for years. The decision to seperate never comes up because we all either go on or go down, No exceptions. As far as groups seperating in general, I do not think thats as grave as others do. My reasoning is, you should be proficient enough to leave a group and survive on your own. Now in the case of beginners, I would suggest hiking with a paid guide, they will not only cater to your learning needs but they will hopefully never leave you behind.
Man Im old school, I taught myself everything I needed to know by books and hiking on my own. Why are so many people heading out over thier heads these days? My first instinct was always self preservation in the mountains, I was never afraid to push myself nor was I afraid to bag the trip, analyze what my shortcomings where and work on them for my next hike.
To be honest there are some that will always get lost, thats thier way of living, diving into something and getting in to deep before they can stop it, My advice to anyone is, if you find yourself in a group like that, feel free to seperate and save yourself, that makes more sense then the "never seperate" policy, a foolish decision maker can hike you right into trouble and or death.