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There is no denying the sense of cell
By Robert Speik
Published on the front page of the June 2009 issue of the monthly magazine of The Mountaineers, (a Club of 10,500 people, "formed to enrich the community of the Pacific North West")
For 10 days in December 2006, the world’s media focused on the plight of three experienced mountain climbers missing in a heavy snowstorm near the summit of Mt. Hood. Two had died in a probable catastrophic fall. Stranded in a snow cave, a hypothermic Kelly James called his home in Texas using his digital cell phone to say goodbye, triggering the massive failed rescue effort. He did not call 911 for rescue.

In November 2006, James Kim, his wife and their two small children had become stranded on a southern Oregon byway while driving toward home in San Francisco. The media headlined the search efforts as many days passed. Cell phone engineers, volunteering their un-sought expertise, offered Searchers the general location of the Kim’s car, based on pings from a single tower to their listening digital cell phone. Shortly thereafter, Kim's wife and children were rescued and James was found the following day. James Kim had died of hypothermia one day before his family’s rescue while on an heroic quest to save his family.

In September 2007, more than a week after failing to return home from work, Maple Valley resident Tanya Rider was found quickly after Washington authorities finally asked her cell phone provider for the coordinates of her listening digital cell phone. She was still alive but dehydrated and injured, hanging in her seat belt in her car at the bottom of a steep ravine in the Seattle suburb.

The cited incidents serve to remind backcountry travelers that cell phones can communicate from urban-facing slopes or summits. They can also help locate a stranded traveler.

Currently, the case is been made for the inclusion of the common digital cell phone as Essential backcountry safety gear because of such incidents as those in Oregon and Maple Valley. In the mountaineering world, the controversy over possible excessive use of cell phones to trigger expensive search and rescue missions still simmers. But the fact is that climbing rescues actually comprise a minor percentage of rescue responses. According to Oregon State records, climbing accounts for just 3.4 percent of all rescues—slightly higher than mushroom harvesting—while hiking accounts for 13.8 percent. Vehicles, including ATVs and snowmobiles, top the list at 20.5 percent.

The basic responsibilities of backcountry travelers include the designation of a responsible person to call 911 if the traveler does not return by a specific time. Searchers will want to know the details of the car, the planned trailhead, the traveler’s proposed route or routes from the trailhead, and when other participants are involved, their preparations and experience as well. Searchers will ask for all of their cell phone numbers.

Backcountry rescue is not initiated until a request is made through a call to 911. When backcountry travelers become stranded due to illness or injury, or if they become lost and are forced to stay overnight, it may be better to call for help at that time, rather than waiting for the designated person to call 911 hours or days later.

This is what makes a cell phone most valuable. The common digital phone allows a stranded backcountry traveler to provide Rescuers with their specific coordinates using the traveler’s topo map and GPS receiver, and the details of their problem, their condition, their plans and more. This clearly assists the search and rescue effort.

Personally, I have an “emergency cell phone plan.” My regular three ounce digital cell phone was “free” and my service costs just $10 per month, including some free minutes and just pennies for possible additional minutes. I have listed the cell numbers of my responsible person, my family, friends and companions and the local land managers.

Most of my companions have common digital cell phones and they carry them shut off in their packs to provide back-up cell phone battery power. We may check the connection quality from time to time as we hike so that we have a sense of where we can connect to one or more cell towers.

Cell phone buyers should note that few units contain an actual internal GPS receiver that tracks Department of Defense satellites. Even cell phone plans that give you turn-by-turn highway directions use cell tower “triangulation” and not GPS generated coordinates, according to my provider.

Other communication options:
A $35 pair of walkie-talkie (FRS) radios may help keep your group together and may help contact nearby searchers, but someone within range of a few miles must be listening on your Channel, selected from several options.

My wife and I are FCC licensed General class amateur radio operators. My handheld amateur radio is pretty heavy and it eats special batteries. There are newer options.

I have a friend who rents an expensive satellite phone for his really big trips.

A personal locator beacon (PLB) only calls to initiate an actual rescue and at $600 and up, it is costly. It depends on the dedicated international rescue COSPAS-SARSAT nine satellite system to send out a distress signal but unlike other options it cannot be lawfully field tested.

In the absence of known cell tower coverage, I use the technology of the new “SPOT Personal Satellite Messenger” -costing about $149 plus a $100 annual satellite phone connection charge. Two replaceable Lithium AA batteries from any store, power this new device. SPOT satellite communications can be tested unlimited times in all your usual personal travel locations, sending pre-set text messages with your lat-lon coordinates to family and to friends. If these free messages get through, so would a serious request to 911.

Your personal cell phone call to 911, coupled with topo map, adjusted baseplate compass, a basic GPS and some simple skills, can provide rescuers with your exact coordinates and your personal description of the problem, the current conditions, your plan of action and much more. Your cell phone could take the “search” out of search and rescue.

Bottom line: add your digital cell phone to your Essential Systems when traveling or climbing in the backcountry.
Copyright©, 2010 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

Robert Speik writes for his website, www.TraditionalMountaineering.org, and provides instruction in mountaineering. He has written many reports for the annual journal, “Accidents in North American Mountaineering.”