Is winter really suitable for mountain climbing?

If we want our bodies to be healthier, we must exercise regularly. The weather in winter will become very cold, and many people will not exercise regularly, which will lead to a decrease in the body's immunity. Mountain climbing is the most common sport, which can improve the body's immunity. However, the weather in winter is cold and it often snows, which makes it slippery. Let's find out whether winter is really suitable for mountain climbing.

Is winter really suitable for mountain climbing?

Compared with other seasons, winter hiking can effectively train climbers' observation ability, cold resistance, physical strength, and various hiking skills. There are also fewer threats from poisonous insects and animals, but there are greater dangers hidden. The following "three don'ts" should especially be kept in mind!

Precautions for winter mountaineering

1. Don’t climb alone. Some friends may like to climb mountains alone, thinking that there is no problem with their level. In fact, this has nothing to do with the level of your ability. Climbing mountains with friends not only adds to the fun of climbing, but more importantly, it ensures everyone's safety. When climbing alone in winter, if an accident occurs, the body is very likely to suffer from hypothermia, which can lead to more serious consequences. If a person gets lost in the mountains and cannot return for the same day, it is very, very dangerous to spend the night in the mountains without shelter.

2. Don’t grab vines. Remember these precautions when hiking in winter. Many people are used to grabbing whatever they can catch when climbing mountains, especially when climbing steep slopes. This should never be done in winter. Because trees shed their leaves in winter, their trunks lose most of their water, becoming dry and without toughness, and easily breaking. Do not grab the trunk or vines easily, and do not put your body weight on them.

3. Don’t step on ice. In winter, many riverbeds and reservoirs will freeze. Sometimes the climate is not very cold, so the thickness of the ice is not enough to bear the weight of a person. No matter how solid you think the ice is, don't step on it.

Some other precautions for winter hiking: try not to wear sweaters, because sweaters will absorb sweat after the human body sweats and are not easy to dry, which can easily lead to loss of body temperature; bring more hot water, as the weather is cold in winter and drinking more hot water helps us maintain body temperature and quickly recover physical strength; pay special attention to safety when going down the mountain, as the temperature is low in winter and the soil freezes and hardens, making it more slippery to step on, so you should be more careful when going down the mountain; after snowing, the precaution for winter hiking is to bring a walking stick, because many rocks and ditches are buried by snow after snowing, and it is very easy to cause injuries if you step in them, so you should bring a walking stick to detect the road conditions ahead at any time. In fact, as long as we always keep in mind the principle of "safe climbing" and do not panic or act rashly when encountering problems, there will be no major problems.

In addition, you must be extra careful when going down the mountain. Most people who have never climbed a mountain think that going up the mountain is difficult but going down the mountain is easy, but this is not the case. Although climbing up a mountain requires more energy and exertion, descending the mountain is much less safe than climbing up. When going down the mountain, the calf muscles (i.e. gastrocnemius muscles) are highly tense, so much so that most people will feel pain for several days after returning to the plains from the mountains. The remedy is to go down the mountain slowly, taking more rests during the walk. During the rest time, constantly massage your calves with both hands to relieve cramps and improve blood circulation.

The above is an introduction to whether winter is really suitable for mountain climbing. After understanding it, we know that winter mountain climbing has many benefits and can improve the body very well, but we must pay attention to safety during the mountain climbing process and ensure sufficient physical strength.