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This is the third part in my series of posts on climbing Mt. Shavano. Click the following links to read Part 1 or Part 2 if you have not read these yet.
Climbing Mt. Shavano was a great experience. Overall, things worked out pretty well but there are a few things that I learned for next time:
More Water - I brought 100 oz. of water in my Camelbak Backpack. To my surprise, I sucked my water dry when we were about 90% through our hike and I didn’t really feel like I was drinking that much water. I also had a headache and didn’t feel all that great for several hours after the climb. I have come to the conclusion that I didn’t drink enough water during the climb. I have read elsewhere that you need to regularly drink water throughout the climb, even when you don’t feel thirsty. If you are not peeing at regular intervals, you are not drinking enough water.
More/Warmer Clothing - Keep in mind that we were hiking in the middle of summer. It was a beautiful, sunny day. I wore lightweight pants and a short-sleeve, moisture-wicking shirt. I brought one more short-sleeve shirt and a lightweight windbreaker/raincoat. By the time we got to the summit, my shirt was soaked with sweat under my backpack and I was freezing. The wind was very strong on top of the mountain and it was much cooler than I anticipated. My fingers were actually getting numb. I changed to my one dry shirt and put my lightweight jacket back on. I was fine the rest of the day, especially as it got warmer during the descent. This opened my eyes though…what if it rained all day and my clothes were soaked? What if I slipped and fell in a creek? On my next trip I definitely need to bring more/warmer clothing.
Trekking Poles - Do I need these? A couple of other hikers had them (and a couple did not). I think they might be real helpful on the way down. On the other hand, it seems like they might be a pain in the butt to deal with if I need to use my hands for any climbing. I will do a little research and post on these in the future.
Click Salida and Estes Park Review to read my last post related to the Mt. Shavano climb.
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