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Backcountry Safety and Etiquette
"One drink of this water [figuratively speaking] and something happens. It gets into your blood.
Every spring it starts acting up, getting you to think on these mountains." Bill Wanser
Glacier National Park is a land of mountains. The park's crag-crested horizon is a spectacular study of vertical extremes. Wave upon wave of peaks stretch toward the sky like outstretched hands. Razor-edged ridges defiantly divide broad "u"-shaped valleys. Deep, cold lakes glisten like jewels from valley bottoms.
The Glacier Mountaineering Society (GMS) is a group that to a great degree is formed by people who love this place. GMS members are not only climbers, but people who are attracted to Glacier because they have fallen in love with this special place.
All of us are drawn by the beauty and vigor of the place. Many of us are also drawn by challenges and satisfactions found in the intense act of climbing, searching for arenas of personal growth, an opportunity to test ourselves against the fire of mountain challenges. We go out into the mountains to find adventure, enjoy glorious panoramas, and share experiences with kindred souls.
People not necessarily drawn to the sport of climbing are also drawn into the group. They also come to share their love of this special place with others who enjoy it. There are single people, couples, families, infants, and elders. The interests and needs of members vary greatly. A large part of the GMS's success has been its ability to meet the needs of such a diverse membership. Since the GMS first organized in 1981, it has grown dramatically. With that growth has come a need to assure the safety of participants during GMS climbs and to minimize impact on the park. Please review these articles in order to have safe and fun GMS outings:
- The GMS Safety Guidelines is an article given to all new members, outlining the safety and aesthetic guidelines for GMS activities.
- The GMS Climb Classification System
- Text of A Backcountry Users Guide, a handbook of outdoor safety designed to address the wilderness challenges of Glacier Park. Since it is out of print, we can offer it to you free on the internet. All the author asks is that if you quote any of its contents, please give proper credit. Topics include: Minimum Impact Use, Objective Hazards (Weather, Rock, Snow & Ice, Moving Water), Subjective Hazards (preparing yourself to recognize and react to the challenges of the outdoors), and Causative Hazards (how we get ourselves into dangerous situations; and thus, how we can avoid those situations).
- Ten Tips for Successful GMS Outings.
- The GMS Climb Coordinator's Responsibility Manual.
- A Climber's Guide to Glacier National Park, by J. Gordon Edwards, as well as other information about Glacier National Park can be obtained from the Glacier Natural History Association.