First Steps

What was the force that impelled you to mountains ?

....."Uncertainty".....

-By Saurabh Jain, Founder at White Peaks Adventures

Trekking in India is more than climbing, joyfulness ,paranomic views and wilderness experience. It is also an art, a challenge, feeling of uncertainty , risk and a true hardship. Those who are drawn to mountains can find themselves in exhilarating, completeness, irresistible and sometimes frustrating too.

Distant views of mountains may speak of adventure, but they seldom more than hint at the joys and hardship that awaits. Before entering into the Himalayas you must be prepared for the totality of nature -- storms as well as soft breezes, tangled bushes as well as alpine flowers , biting insects as well as singing birds, moments of silence as well as glimpse of disasters.

Alpinism is an art of suffering - by Climber Voytek Kurtyka

White Peaks Adventures is a community that combines the passion of being in Himalayas with skill, gears, strength to travel without any harm to human beings and environment. With our roots in Himalayas and other mountain ranges of India our team of passionate mountain climbers, doctors, trek leaders, high altitude specialist, rescuers we manage a community to organise treks and expeditions. White Peaks Adventures represents the combined experience of many climbers who have travelled and spend years in mountains of India. 

This blog series is introduced to spread knowledge, experience and essential tips to enter into the Himalayas. As you read ,learn about mountains in India and get prepared to conquer them. We will be posting several blogs on clothing, chosing right boots, well selecting your outfit, controlling your diet, improving your habits, packing well,walking well, running well , climbing well and sleeping well.

  Your passport to - " INTO THE HIMALAYAS "

Into the Himalayas !!!

Chapter 1 : Approaching the Mountains

1. Caring for Wilderness
2. Clothing - Ongoing
3. Packing - Upcoming
4. Equipment - Upcoming
5. Know your surroundings - Upcoming.

Fabric

Clothing for outdoors is made from a variety of fabrics, each with advantages and disadvantages. It is highly important to understand the fabric while choosing your trek.There are various good stores in India now which make garments with standard fabric. This blog will make you learn importance of different fabric used across climate conditions. Choosing your clothes wisely helps a lot in severe climate conditions and we may be unaware of the fact how clothing is helping body to climb more. 

Cotton is comfortable to wear when dry but absorbs many times its weight in water and loses its insulating qualities when wet. Because it absorbs so much water, it takes a long time to dry. In hot weather, however,cotton ventilates well and helps to cool the body. Wet it down on a hot day, and the water evaporating from the cotton will cool you off.

Silk readily absorbs water,but not as much as cotton so it dries faster. Silk is also useful in hot weather. Wetted down it helps cool the body through evaporation.

Wool is far less absorbent than cotton , so it holds less water when wet. Consequently , it does not conduct away as much body heat and requires far less heat to dry. Wool is also warmer when wet because it does not collapse and therefore retains much of its dead-air space.

Synthetic does not absorb any water. Some moisture is held in suspension between the filaments of the fabric when it is wet, but most of the water can be easily wrung out. Garments made from synthetic are comparatively warmer when wet and dry fast too. It is also very light and fluffy so that, ounce for ounce,it traps more dead-air than natural fibres like wool.All these features contribute to make synthetic a versatile and effective insulating material.

Polyester, Acrylic and Polypropylene fabrics are used for a variety of long underwear and insulating garments. The synthetic filaments in this fabric are also lightweight, non-absorbent and quick drying. The filaments of some are also very good at transporting perspiration away from the body , making them best suited for the use next to the body. More and more fabrics are being designed to do this , these fabrics have largely replaced wool, cotton and silk for use in long underwear. Wear selecting items of clothing, consult the tags on individual garments or get help from the sales person.

Down is still the warmest insulation available. It is also the most compressible, so it packs away small yet quickly regains its loft and warmth when unpacked. these qualities make down an excellent insulator for cold-weather use. Unfortunately down loses all its insulating value when wet and its almost impossible to dry in the mountains, making it a poor insulator in wet climate.

Spun Synthetic Filament do not collapse when wet, as down does. Therefore the make excellent insulation for coats and sleeping bags used in moist climates. Although cheaper and more easily cleaned than down, they are not as warm, weigh more and are less compressible. The useful life of synthetics is much shorter than down.

Nylon shells, which o over the insulating layers, give protection from the wind but are not waterproof unless the nylon is coated. Use synthetic/down layer as a coating over nylon . Although most coatings keep rain out but they also seal sweat in. If you are climbing hard, the sweat generated can dampen your insulation from within. Microporous coating are designed to attach this problem. The holes in the coating are large enough to let vapor escape but too small forliquid water to get in, so the coating breathes but in still waterproof. Gore-Tex , the first waterproof/breathable fabric works on the same theory.

Layering

Clothing maintains the body's micro environment best when it is worn in multiple layers, letting you adapt easily to the fluctuating temperatures in the mountains. To keep up pace with the changing conditions, add or subtract layers of clothing one by one.

Three levels from the basis of this clothing system : 

• Base Layer  
• Insulating layer
• Outer Layer 

Base Layer - layer next to the skin

   This layer should allow proper ventilation so that your body can cool itself. During the warmer parts of the day just wear a sweat t-shirt and long underwear covered with short pants, while during cold cover your sweat shirt and long underwear by additional layer for increasing the insulation. This layer also transports precipitation away from your skin without absorbing the moisture.

Wet garments in contact with your skin draw away 25 times more heat that dry ones

Insulated Layer

 - Shirts, sweaters, fleece

This layer insulates your body by trapping warn air next to your body. The thicker the layer of trapped or "dead" air , the warmer you'll be. However several light loosely fitting layers are usually warmer than one thick garment.

Note : Wearing multiple(2-3) layers of cotton/synthetic t shirts can act as a sweater/fleece for hiking in most the small treks in Himalayas like Triund, Bhrigu Lake, Prashar,Chandrashila etc.

They are also more versatile because the various pieces ca be worn in different combinations specifically dependent upon your level of exertion.

Outer Layer - Protective Layer

This layer is important for minimising heat loss from chilly winds and rains. Wind stirs up the warm air next to your body and blows it away, a process known as "convection". the strongerr the wind the faster heat is blown away producing a wind chill effect which makes human body feels more colder. 

During sub zero (-2 degree ) temperature a 20 mph wind produces a wind chill effect that is equivalent to - 10

Rains dampens clothing ans reducing its insulating power and wet clothing conducts heat from the body to maintain equilibrium. A waterproof shell over your insulating layers eliminates heat loss from conduction and convection. Wind cannot penetrate the shell , so warm air remains close to skin. This shell also keeps the insulating layer drier so that the body is not conducted away

    

Clothing

It's a simple matter of take it or leave it when you pack for a trek. The idea is to take what you want need and leave out all the rest.

Human body maintains comfort by creating an environment of warm air next to the skin. Climates varies through out the year from summer, winter, rainy to extreme cold which tries to remove/change this micro environment and hence we are used to wear clothes accordingly. If this care is let unchecked human body feels ill and needs medication, the early symptoms can be headache, fatigue, insomnia, shivering etc.

A proper clothing helps hikers from such conditions and by maintaining the warm environment next to your skin. Clothing also must cool you when conditions become too hot.
When coming for a hike to an higher altitude or cold areas the climate changes exponentially and precautions become mandatory to survive.

Hiker are required to have knowledge of choosing the right fabric for their wear and understand the very important concept of Layering.


Through this blog we will be discussing different materials used for clothing and their uses in different climate, however Himalayan Adventure Trip experts will call you before your hike for specific preparation

1. Layering
2. Fabric - Next
3. Upper wear - Next
4. Lower wear - Upcoming
5. Boots & Socks - Upcoming
6. Accessorises - Upcoming

Caring for Wilderness

Mountains don't exist for our amusements..

They owe us nothing and they require nothing from us..

The privilege we enjoy in mountains bring responsibilities..

Responsibility to leave them as they are , untouched by humans...

Mountains cover 25% of the world’s land surface and support a vast diversity of life. 11 December is International Mountain Day, which offers the chance to take the time to appreciate these majestic wonders of our planet.

Mountains are crucial to life. Whether you live at sea-level or higher elevations, we are connected to mountains more than you could imagine. They not only provide freshwater, but harbour a variety of flora and fauna and are home to one in 10 people.
However, degradation, climate change, mining, crime and poverty all sadly threaten the intricate balanced web of life that mountains support.

Why do mountains matter?

– They are the water towers of the world – sources of freshwater and breadbaskets for the lowlands.
– They cover approximately one-quarter of the world’s land surface, housing a rich biodiversity of life in a magnitude of sizes, shapes and forms.
– They play an important role in influencing global and regional climates and weather conditions.
– Mountains offer a playground for nature-lovers. Areas to hike, walk, bird-watch, explore, picnic, exercise, learn, reboot your energy levels, relax or just escape from the city.

By reading this take an oath in the name of Himalayas
 I will not let Himalayas down, I will not let nature down, I will not let Human Race down... I will not pollute mountains.