Theres a subject among climbers and mountaineers that rarely talk about. This isn't something as grand as the costs of mountaineering, brought to light in Marie Coffey's book "Where the mountain casts it's shadow". It's something a little closer to home... going to the toilet.
In recent years (the last 10) more and more people have been heading out into the hills. More and more people are climbing and especially there are more winter climbers. With most crags in Britain being roadside (scottish roadside, under an hours walk) and the increase in personal transport, better provided transport links this has lead to the hills, mountains and crags being reduced to a long drive and a short walk at most.
Going to the toilet in the hills is a subject thats avoided even among groups of close mates it seems. This winter me and Andy have been urinating in the same spot, just to avoid the eyesore that is a mass of yellow snow just off path. After and walk into t-sneachda after a busy weekend you can see urine stains every 30 metres or so. In summer it's different. You do all you can to avoid urinating in a stream or river. Current advice is 30 metre at least from a water source (ML training, 2007).
Urinating is pretty easy, especially for us guys. You can go out of your way to avoid streams etc. What about takin a crap though? The best piece of advice is to go before you go out on the hill. You can try this forever, but you'll get caught enventually and if this happens? Well for this I try to go by the old adage of:
"leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures & waste nothing but time"
In the past I've dug so called "cat holes" as advised by the MLTE. For those who don't know it's pretty simple. You did a hole at least 6 inches deep and save the soil and turf removed. Crap and then burn the paper, completely. Then bury it and wash your hands. But what do you do in winter? Again the go before you go comes into play here, but if thats not the case and you get caught out then there is another option.
Don't just crap in the snow! this is horrible and won't breakdown properly. It'll contaminate snow and then water sources. With so many people going into the hills and snowholing this is becoming a big problem in places like Cairngorm. You can carry it out by this scheme, but what if there's no scheme... well buy some sandwich bags then.
I usually carry this out on the hill regardless and it's saved us on numerous occasions.
Those of you that have just seens whats coming are probably grossed out a little by this. What? seriously? carry my crap out in a sandwich bag? Well it's three bags actually, and it'll really re-inforce the lesson go before you go. There are various method of getting it into the bag which I'll leave people to find out for themselves, but ideally get large sandwich bags, this makes the whole process as damn sight easier ( I really can't stress large sandwich bags enough). You still burn your toilet paper, and wash your hands like normal but crap, seal the bag and wrap up the top, then into the next bag and repeat until your happy it's sealed. It'll probably go without saying that you should protect it in someway for the walk out (I suggest under a helmet in an old hat but you might take umbridge to that).
Bear in mind that people do pretty much the same Big walling all over the world, for several days. And you know it's horrible going to a crag and finding toilet roll and crap stuffed away in a crack. So in future just suck it up, go before you go and carry it out it you do.
happy crapping.
Don't just crap in the snow! this is horrible and won't breakdown properly. It'll contaminate snow and then water sources. With so many people going into the hills and snowholing this is becoming a big problem in places like Cairngorm. You can carry it out by this scheme, but what if there's no scheme... well buy some sandwich bags then.
I usually carry this out on the hill regardless and it's saved us on numerous occasions.
Those of you that have just seens whats coming are probably grossed out a little by this. What? seriously? carry my crap out in a sandwich bag? Well it's three bags actually, and it'll really re-inforce the lesson go before you go. There are various method of getting it into the bag which I'll leave people to find out for themselves, but ideally get large sandwich bags, this makes the whole process as damn sight easier ( I really can't stress large sandwich bags enough). You still burn your toilet paper, and wash your hands like normal but crap, seal the bag and wrap up the top, then into the next bag and repeat until your happy it's sealed. It'll probably go without saying that you should protect it in someway for the walk out (I suggest under a helmet in an old hat but you might take umbridge to that).
Bear in mind that people do pretty much the same Big walling all over the world, for several days. And you know it's horrible going to a crag and finding toilet roll and crap stuffed away in a crack. So in future just suck it up, go before you go and carry it out it you do.
happy crapping.
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