How do you cross high water in the spring?

[Mike P.]

Part II:



GETTING READY TO CROSS
What to wear
Keep your boots on. These protect your feet from bruising and cuts and
make your footing more secure (Tevas held by velcro can come undone in
water and provide very little protection for your feet). You can take your
socks off but it's time consuming and not much point if you then put them
on and wear wet boots. Gaiters keep stones and shingle out. Avoid loose
baggy clothing such as parkas, overtrousers etc - they can drag in deep
water and fill with water. Shorts are preferable but you may need long
johns and or fibrepile clothing in cold weather.

Your Equipment
Pack all your gear into waterproof plastic bags. A plastic liner in your
pack also increases
buoyancy of a pack - it will float and help to support you.

For most crossing methods you will wear your pack in the usual way.It's
generally wise to unfasten any waist strap and loosen shoulder straps. But
a loose pack can cause some problems in deeper water where its buoyancy
tends to make it ride up on your shoulders and force your head forwards.
For some crossing methods you'll take your pack off (see below).

CHOOSING A TECHNIQUE FOR CROSSING
Even on simple crossings use the strength of the party to make the
crossing easier and safer. Even if some people feel confident about
crossing others may appreciate support - one person can easily slip.

Seven methods are described below: Method 1 is for people on their own,
Methods 2 - 5
describe ways in which a party can approach crossings of increasing
difficulty; Methods 6 & 7 are for slow moving deep water.

HINTS

* Keep your body generally side on to the current so that it presents as
little resistance as possible to the force of the water
* Take small shuffling steps - don't lift your feet out of the water - use
your feet to feel the bottom
* Watch the far bank - avoid looking at the water rushing past as it may
put you off balance
* Don't clutch at logs or boulders under the water - this will also upset
your balance
* Move diagonally with the current - conserve your energy

METHOD 1
INDIVIDUAL CROSSING USING A POLE AS A PROP
Useful for solo hikers or for a leader checking out a crossing - it lacks
the strength of mutual
support methods but it gives a confident person considerable support
especially if the bottom is slippery.

You need a pole as prop preferably about 2m (6ft) long. Test it to ensure
it bears your weight. As you move into the river hold the pole in both
hands diagonally across your body and push the lower end into the river bed
about a meter upstream from your feet. Lean on the prop as a 'third leg' to
help you balance as you move each leg forward. Move the pole through - not
over - the water. You can also use the pole to check depth ahead of you.
Watch for snags and holes.

METHOD 2
MUTUAL SUPORT USING LINKED ARMS
A good method for very straightforward crossings where the river is quite
shallow and the current is not very strong. 3 or 4 people link arms at the
elbows and move into the river as a single unit keeping the line parallel
to the current. If a member slips they can be held by the linked arms of
the others. It pays to put the strongest person in the upstream position.

METHOD 3
MUTUAL SUPPORT USING PACK STRAPS
Works well for 3 - 5 people of similar height - good for quick easy
crossings as it requires no
equipment other than that normally carried and it gives good support is
someone stumbles or slips. Another advantage over following methods is
that it can be used effectively on uneven river beds because the party has
some up and down flexibility.

Strongest member upsteam. Next strongest at the downstream end. Each
person reaches across the next person's pack and holds the pack strap on
the further shoulder (or as high as they can reach) This binds the party
into quite a solid unit for the crossing.

METHOD 4
MUTUAL SUPPORT USING A THIN POLE
Similar in concept to the previous methods but the pole gives greater
rigidity and makes it easier to work as a team.

Pole needs to be about 2 to 2 1/2 meters (6 ft to 8 ft) long and about 5
cm (2 inches) thick and able to bear the weight of a person. The upstream
person holds the thinner end (better grip for
those feeling full effect of the current). Upstream person grasps the pole
in two hands and the next links through the nearer arm and grasps the pole
and so on down the line. If anyone lets go for any reason they will be held
by the linked arms. Optimum number 4 - 6. Long poles hard to use if river
bed is uneven - the previous method may be better.

METHOD 5
MUTUAL SUPPORT USING A LOG
Similar to method 6. The Log is grasped with the upstream arm over the log
and the downstream arm under the log. In very deep water the log may give
buoyancy to the party.

NOTES ON MUTUAL SUPPORT METHODS

In all mutual support methods it is the person uptream that controls the
party and maintains the correct line in the river. If it is necessary to
split the party make sure they are of equal strength to avoid a weaker
party getting into difficulties.

If someone slips using linked methods those on each side can support them
by elbows and
armpits.

Retreating is ALWAYS difficult. First get clear of the immediate hazard -
then the downstream
person holds the ground as firmly as possible while the team swings as a
unit. That is why it's always best to have the second strongest at the end
position.

NOTES ON SWIMMING METHODS
If river is too wide to wade, you may have to swim - this means you'll get
very cold and wet.
Unless the water is flowing slower than walking pace there are
considerable risks. If there are
snags the danger is greater. Even if you decide to strip off to keep
clothing dry, keep your boots on to protect your feet when wading in and out.

METHOD 6
SWIMMING WITH PACK AS A FLOAT
Only for strong swimmers as each person swims separetely and does not have
support of the
party. Choose your crossing spot carefully as you will need a clear run of
at least four times the width if there is any current.

Wade out with pack floating in front - if it has been well packed it will
float - hold with one hand
and swim with other arm and legs (NB Strong swimmer only!!!)

METHOD 7
SWIMMING USING A ROPE
Only for slow deep rivers. The rope *must* be at least three times the
width of the river.

One member swims across taking the end of the rope. The others follow one
at a time tying their packs onto the slack of the rope and then using their
packs as floats as they are towed across. After each one crosses the slack
of the rope is pulled back to the starting side. If anybody gets into
difficulty as long as they are holding onto their packs they can be towed
to safety.

On a narrow river it may be possible for people to swim across without a
float and pull packs
across without dipping them in the river.

 

[Mike P.]

Part III:


DANGERS OF ROPES IN RIVERS
Altho' there are some advantages in the use of ropes under special
circumstances, generally their use involves serious dangers. Few parties
carry ropes in the bush and even fewer are sufficiently familiar with their
use for safety margins to be adequate. Methods involving ropes are
generally slow as each member of the party crosses alone and this may mean
long cold delays. Mutual support methods gives far greater strength and
support and involve less fighting against the current. Above all the
dangers of the rope snagging are too great to risk - a person on the end of
a tight rope can drown very quickly.

The practice of stretching a rope across a river to act as a handrail as
each person crosses has been taught and used in the past (and seems to be
widely advocated in N. America) but has little merit. The rope in fact
gives little more than psychological help. If a person slips, those on the
bank can offer no help and if the current is strong it is difficult if not
impossible for the person to recover. They must generally let go the rope
and float downstream until they can gain their footing again.

The use of ropes - not to assist the crossing but to provide a belay in
case of a slip - is only
recommended for parties with experience in all techniques of rope
handling. They can use a rope in positions where the run-out is dangerous,
but most parties would be wiser to choose a more suitable crossing place.
There is a serious risk of a person who is belayed and who has slipped
being drowned even while secured on the rope by those on the bank.

Never clip into a rope - if you slip and lose your footing the rope will
prevent you floating to safety and it is unlikely that you will be able to
regain your footing. Thos eon the bank will be unable to help either.

RECOVERY AND SURVIVAL
There is always a risk that something will go wrong - that is why the need
for a good run-out is
essential.

If you are being swept downstream your pack becomes your lifejacket. Its
natural buoyancy gives a lot of support. Initially try to keep your pack on
your back and pushing down with your hands on your pack straps. This helps
keep the pack down and you can lean back on it. If the water is deep keep
your feet moving in a running motion and try to head diagonally to the
bank. Don't panic. As long as you have chosen a good place to cross you
will soon be swept towards a bank and you will be able to regain your footing.

If the water is shallow but fast it may be better to keep your feet up on
the surface to fend off
boulders - there is always the grave danger of getting a leg caught in a
snag or between boulders.

Only take off your pack if it rises too high, pushing you under. Slide it
off and use it as a float in front of you.

Practice this back-floating technique so that you develop a confidence in
your ability to survive if you get into difficulty.

No amount of lecturing or demonstrations can substitute for experience in
these techniques -
consider an occasion where you try them all out in a realistic situation
BEFORE you need to use them for real (you practice belaying and rapelling
don't you?)

************ REMEMBER ********************
* Never attempt to cross a dangerous river - be prepared to wait for it to
go down or use an
alternative route.

* Be prepared to spend time and energy looking fr a safe crossing place

* Choose a technique that gives a good safety margin

* Rivers can be dangerous - never treat a crossing lightly

*****************************************************

I hope this has been useful. I have found these techniques and approaches
to be extremely helpful in the many river crossings I have made - METHOD 3
is probably the one I use most often and has worked for two of us wading
across a waist deep moderately flowing river and for six of us crossing a
fast flowing rocky river - in each case a slip while crossing was
inevitable and could have had serious consequences if crossing solo (no
really good run-outs available) but the mutual support given by holding
each others pack straps was the key to a successful crossing.

My one piece of advice: Stay away from ropes when crossing rivers!

Paddy O'Reilly
[email protected]

 

[gram]

INDIVIDUAL CROSSING USING A POLE AS A PROP
Useful for solo hikers or for a leader checking out a crossing - it lacks
the strength of mutual
support methods but it gives a confident person considerable support
especially if the bottom is slippery.

You need a pole as prop preferably about 2m (6ft) long. Test it to ensure
it bears your weight. As you move into the river hold the pole in both
hands diagonally across your body and push the lower end into the river bed
about a meter upstream from your feet. Lean on the prop as a 'third leg' to
help you balance as you move each leg forward. Move the pole through - not
over - the water. You can also use the pole to check depth ahead of you.
Watch for snags and holes.

Thanks for posting, Mike. When we did part of the Zion Narrows, we rented poles and boots from an outfitter. Well worth the $s. The technique was as described above.

They advised against using hiking poles, and they were right. Of course, in the Whites, hiking poles are what we have with us!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Excellent detailed advice; thanks for posting Mike.

I think that Paddy O'Reilly is primarily referring to large glacially-fed streams, commonly found in New Zealand and other arctic/alpine areas, but I entirely agree with him that using a rope can be really dangerous, usually more so than not using a rope at all. And, I do sometimes keep my boots on when wading rivers on Baffin Island when I can hear boulders pounding one another as the bedload gets carried along (this sound is just as eerie to me as projectiles whirling down ice couloirs).

I also think that these three bullets under O'Reilly's Hints are especially good and can be applied to all streams and rivers:

* Keep your body generally side on to the current so that it presents as
little resistance as possible to the force of the water

* Take small shuffling steps - don't lift your feet out of the water - use
your feet to feel the bottom

* Watch the far bank - avoid looking at the water rushing past as it may
put you off balance

I was taught the same thing about crossing steep hillslopes, that is never stop facing uphill or downhill, as one can easily lose perspective and hence balance; always face sideways on steep hillslopes. Obviously, this advice probably does not apply if front pointing steep ice in crampons.

 

[grouseking]

Depends on what you mean by high....


I avoid high river crossings if at all possible, unless the stream crossing is at the very beginning of the trip. Sometimes I feel like I use more energy crossing a high stream than I do hiking 1 mile of moderately steep terrain. Im sure there is at least one other who knows what I mean. So if at all possible, I avoid high stream crossings, even if it means picking another hike. As long as I'm outdoors, I'm happy.

grouseking

 

[Papa Bear]

I was told a slightly different approach: namely use 2 poles and face upstream, lean into the flow and side step across. Always keep 3 points on the bottom (i.e. move one foot or one pole at a time).

here I am crossing Big Wilson Stream on an AT section hike through the 100 Mile Wilderness in Maine. It was about mid-thigh but not raging. Bottom was bouldery but visible. Boots came off, Teva's on.


click for larger image

Next day after much rain, there was a stream (Wilbur Brook) we couldn't/wouldn't cross:


click for larger image

 

[rocket21]

face upstream, lean into the flow and side step across.

Les Stroud (Survivorman) echoes this.

To put it another way, think about standing - from which side is it hardest to knock one over. If someone hits you from the side or back, you're more likely to go down (and have a harder time getting up quickly), however if you're hit from the front, you're more likely to withstand the blow.

 

[griffin]

Les Stroud (Survivorman) echoes this.

To put it another way, think about standing - from which side is it hardest to knock one over. If someone hits you from the side or back, you're more likely to go down (and have a harder time getting up quickly), however if you're hit from the front, you're more likely to withstand the blow.

I'm not so sure - not that I've spent a lot of time in shoving matches But thinking of trying to maintain my balance while standing in buses and subways, I feel like I'm more stable side-to-side (assuming I can keep my feet apart, that is, and I don't keep my feet together when walking/hiking).

If I'm standing with my feet shoulder width apart, I think you're going to have a much harder time knocking me over than if I"m facing you.

RECOVERING if you lose your balance might be a different story.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

On the subway, and in a shoving match, you aren't being shoved below the knees...

Tim

 

[griffin]

I'm not sure being hit below the knees is going to change the fact that if I"m sideways a) I'm taking the full force against only one leg rather than two and b) I've still got one leg back to help balance and absorb that impact.

(and I"m pretty sure the floor of the train is below my knees )

 

[bikehikeskifish]

(and I"m pretty sure the floor of the train is below my knees )

Good point

Still I'm not sure it compares to a flowing stream or river.

Tim

 

[DougPaul]

In addition to having the greatest stability in the direction of the greatest forces, sideways to the current has the advantage that the upstream leg reduces the current hitting the downstream leg.

Doug

 

[MichaelJ]

I always cross with my side to the stream flow, legs apart. That way I can have a strong angle on my downstream leg to resist any pressure, but my upstream leg keeps me balanced in that position. Poles are used for front-back balance.

Another recommendation: if there are submerged stepping stones or large boulders, be just upstream of them. That way, your legs can be pressed against them by the water. Also, there will be a backflow under the water surface which eases the pressure down at your feet.

 

[Papa Bear]

As for side-on upstream vs. front-on upstream, the real world is more complicated than our simple analyses would make out.

Yes, side-on may have more stability when both feet are on the ground, but front-on has more flexibility. By that I mean that you can adjust your position forward and back using ankle, knees and hips when facing front. Side-on you can only move at the hips slightly and not at all at the ankle and knees. And having the pole or poles to the the upstream direction is much more useful than using them at right angle to maintain balance in the direction you are moving.

I would say, in contrast to being punched or standing on a train, the key here is not strength but balance. In short, that is the ability to make small adjustments continuously when confronted by uneven and unpredictable forces.

Try this: go to a gym and get on the balance board. That is basically a flat board about 2' square with a semi-cylindrical attachment on the bottom that crosses from one side to the other. The trick is to stand on it and balance it (keep the board flat). I do this every week and I can stand when the axis is side to side (movement is forward and back) for minutes, but when I stand on it the other way (movement is side-to side) I'm lucky to stand 10 seconds. It's all about the fact that you can make more corrections (primarily with knees and hips) when facing forward to the direction the board wants to go.

In the stream the water does lots of things and shifts all the time. If I just wanted to stand there (say fishing) I think side ways would be best. but start walking and the situation changes. Lift your upstream leg (your back leg stands strong) and the water may suddenly lift your foot, or speed up or slow down. At that point I would not want to be standing on one foot with no flexibility. Facing front in a similar case allows flexing ankles, knees and hips which will (hopefully) bring you back into equilibrium.

And the last thing I would want to do is put my foot against the upstream side of a boulder. That's a prescription for a head over heels disaster.

Of course the real solution is not to debate here (which involves oversimplification). but to get out there and try it.

I think it was John Swanson who first gave a good exposition on the subject on this forum many yeas ago, and he it was that gave me the "tutorial". Anyone else remember that post? John, where are you?

The best advice is not the detailed method of where your feet point and which way to lean, but the good sense to know when not to attempt a crossing.

 

[TCD]

I agree with Papa Bear. The good sense is the most important thing. Last July (very wet in the adks) I chose not to cross a brook that probably would have drowned me, and walked the 3/4 miles out of the way around it. I still feel glad I didn't risk the brook. It was waist deep and moving fast.

Even the good sense is backed up by physics. Water twice as deep has WAY more than twice as much ability to knock you over. The increase in the ability to knock you over is VERY non-linear with the depth. There are at least three factors involved. First, deeper water is hitting more of your surface. This seems simple, but even this is non-linear, because as you go up a persons legs, they usually get bigger (more surface). Second, the centroid of the force exerted is higher up on you (longer moment arm from your fixed feet), so it applies more torque. Third, the deeper the water, the less normal force you can exert through your feet on the bottom of the brook, due to bouyancy. There may be other factors I haven't thought of.

So while it's a guess, I would guess that every doubling of the waters depth increases its ability to knock you over by a factor somewhere between 6 and 10.

So be careful out there!

Tom

 

[DougPaul]

There may be other factors I haven't thought of.

The force exerted by moving water (or air) is proportional to the square of the speed.

Doug

 

[giggy]

I just look at it - and make the call

1) only a momo would cross this
2) looks doable
3) maybe up or down stream is better

if ya bail - your just that much closer to the brew in the car. I haven't had to bail due to a dicey crossing yet - common sense will get ya across most

but then again, I don't hike an area that is known for it - after a 4 inch rain storm in spring with tons of snow up high - thats just seems a bit momo'ish

 

[Mike P.]

Not crossing is best bet. I stopped going up BSP's Doubletop at a brook that looked a lot like Papa Bear's 2nd brook picture. It was raining enough previously that the perimeter road was being crossed in a couple of spots. (It was a rental car!)

Crossing Franconia Brook in October on a Day that Bikehikeskifish didn't (he was the smart one!) I didn't really lift a foot for any length of time, it's more like a shuffle from one spot to the next making sure you are secure before moving again. (just went through some rehab & I have lousy balance, in January I could not stand 10 seconds on one foot or the other on flat ground)

It was fast/deep enough that I bushwhacked on the return trip, no way was I going to cross again. Strength was more important IMO than balance although really both were needed. The balance board is not really similar as it has the ability to shift quickly, the current is constant. Is you misstep, balance would be key but IMO , your swimming, the idea of regaining your balance (at least last October - hip deep on a 6'er) was not happening.

I've got to be in the side to side crowd here. If you lose your balance facing upstream & are knocked backwards you are going downstream head first & face up/looking back until you roll over & then you're still head & chest first looking forward. If you are not knocked over & your feet just are taken out from underneath you, your face down, & have to roll over first to see where your going.

If your feet slide out from under you side to side, your about 90 degrees from rolling over into the proper position of going downstream without a boat & likely at no point do you lose sight of where you are going.

Once you're floating, you are no longer hiking, it's water safety & feet first loking where you are going is the correct position in moving (quickly) water

Before any of us get the idea to test this after the next tropical storm, helmets & rescue personal should be on hand & only strong swimmers should apply. (My thought was the, we should try it was in jest)

Above larger rocks or below them, I'm a bit torn. Above rocks & you can brace yourself against it sacrificing maybe some scraps for knowing you are not going downstream, eventually you do have to come step out (or back to shore) into the current, behind the rock if it's big enough, you get a break (providing the rock is above the surface in which case you could be standing on it maybe) but it tends to be deeper behind rocks & again, you have to get into the current if you keep crossing.

What's the end line in the movie War Games "An interesting game professor, the best move is not to play."

 

[bikehikeskifish]

What's the end line in the movie War Games "An interesting game professor, the best move is not to play."

The only way to win is not to play.

Tim

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Anybody want to try the diagonal approach? Frankly, if the stream is flowing so fast it's going to push me over the down stream boulders, I think I'll just pass.

There is one consideration that hasn't been mentioned thus far. We seem to assume that the problem comes as we meet the stream coming from the car. It's an easier decision to turn around.

I once found myself in the situation where I went hiking in the rain and in the morning the stream wasn't all that bad, but it rained all day and when I returned the stream had at least doubled in depth and my car was on the other side. There weren't too many options at that point. Spend the night in the rain without any camping equipment or look for a place to cross using the "diagonal" method of course.