FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE. THE IDIOTS GUIDE TO GETTING IT WRONG

SOMETIMES YOU JUST FUCK UP.

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS TRIVIAL FROSTBITE, AND THE CUTE TERM FOR FIRST DEGREE COLD INJURY – FROST NIP – BELIES THE REAL NATURE OF THE ISSUE. FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE IS A REAL ISSUE, WITH REAL CONSEQUENCES, IS NOT A BADGE OF HONOR ON INITIATION, AND SERVES AS BOTH WARNING OF COMPLACENCY AND OF WHAT MAY LAY AHEAD.

NO ONE WANTS COLD INJURIES, BUT FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE CAN SLIP THROUGH DUE TO HUBRIS, BAD PRACTICE, IT-WON’T-HAPPEN-TO-ME-ISM AND POOR JUDGMENT, AS MUCH AS THE RESULTS OF CIRCUMSTANCE. NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DAMAGE CAN BE LONGTERM CAN BE A FACTOR, BOTH LEADING TO THE INJURY AND FAILING TO DEAL WITH IT AFTER.

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FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE IS WHEN COLD AND SOMETIMES OTHER FACTORS LIKE PRESSURE AND POOR CIRCULATION RESULTS IN TISSUE FREEZING. THIS CAN BE THE EXTREMITIES, FACE AND GENITALIA, WHERE LIKE FREEZING A STRAWBERRY, THE TISSUE CELLS RUPTURE FROM THE EXPANSION OF FREEZING FLUID. NERVES CAN ALSO BE DAMAGED, EXACERBATING THE MATTER WITH NUMBNESS THAT CAN BE MISDIAGNOSED, SETTING THE SCENE FOR GREATER INJURY.

FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE APPEARS INFLAMED, RED, WITH DARK PATCHES LIKE BRUISING, IS HARD TO THE TOUCH AND BECOMES PAINFUL AS THE INJURED AREA WARMS. THE TISSUE ISN’T YET DESTROYED AS THE CELL DAMAGED IS CONTAINED, WITH OPEN SKIN, BLISTERS AND GREATER DARK AREAS THE SIGN OF SECOND DEGREE.

FIRST DEGREE MAY NOT NEED MEDICAL ATTENTION AS THERE’S LITTLE RISK OF INFECTION, BUT NEEDS TO BE INTENTIONALLY CARED FOR TO MAKE HEALING AS FAST AND SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. SIMPLY GETTING OUT OF THE COLD IS THE IDEAL FIRST STEP, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE, IN WHICH CASE A MIX OF MASSAGE, DRY LAYERS, EXTRA INSULATION, MORE FOOD AND FLUIDS AND BETTER BOOT WARMING STRATEGY IS NEEDED.

TO OUR MIND, THE BEST TREATMENT IN REMOTE PLACES IS SILICONE FLASKS FILLED WITH HOT WATER, SLID INTO DOWN SOX AND INSIDE YOUR SLEEPING BAG, THEN USED TO WARM BOOT SHELLS AND LINERS BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON. DOWN SOCKS CAN WE WARMED INSIDE JACKETS DURING THE DAY TO SPEED UP DEFROSTING, AND THOUGH ALL THIS MIGHT ADD AN EXTRA HOUR OF FUCKERY TO YOUR DAYS ROUTINE, IT IS BETTER THAN THE CONSEQUENCES OF LEAVING THINGS TO CHANCE.

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WHEN TREATMENT STARTS EXPECT HEALING TO TAKE ABOUT A MONTH, WITH THE FIRST HALF BEING PAINFUL ENOUGH TO BE CONSTANTLY NOTICED. HARDNESS AND SUBCUTANEOUS BLOOD WILL LAST FOR AROUND THE MONTH, AS WILL USUALLY NUMBNESS, BUT BE AWARE THAT NUMBNESS IN CERTAIN PLACES CAN LAST MUCH LONGER, SOMETIMES UP TO HALF A YEAR.

THE FORTUNATE CLIMBER WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THINGS LIKE HOTSPRINGS, SAUNAS AND WARMER CLIMES, BUT BE WARY OF WANDERING AROUND IN OPEN FOOTWEAR OR CLOTHES IF IT RISKS OTHER INJURIES. THE SERIOUS END OF THE CONDITION – UP TO SECOND DEGREE FROSTBITE WHICH NEEDS REAL MEDICAL ATTENTION – MAY WARRANT STEROID CREAM AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES, BUT AVOID SMEARING ON LOTIONS AND CONCOCTIONS, ESPECIALLY ANYTHING ALCOHOL BASED, THAT MIGHT REDUCE SKIN TEMPERATURE.

LONG TERM – YOU ARE IN THE CLUB NOW, AND FORSEEABLY FURTHER COLD INJURY IS NOW PART OF YOUR LIFE, EXACERBATED BY GOING BACK INTO COLD PLACES TO CLIMB. FROM NOW ON WEAR WARMER LAYERS, EAT BETTER, HAVE INSULATED SOCKS FOR SLEEPING AND A PLAN FOR COLD NIGHTS, AND BE EVER VIGILENTE FOR WHAT NOW CAN GET WORSE, MUCH WORSE.

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THE MAIN ISSUE WITH FIRST DEGREE FROSTBITE IS LEARNING THE LESSON, BECAUSE ONCE EXPOSED THE RISK OF FUTURE INJURY INCREASES. ANALYSIS OF WHAT LEAD TO IT SHOULD BE THOROUGH AND INCISIVE, AND THE LESSONS HEEDED. THE CLIMBER WHO ALLOWS IT TO HAPPEN TWICE NEEDS TO APPRAISE THEIR MINDSET AND FACE THE GAPS IN THEIR BEHAVIOUR, BECAUSE IF SOMETHING SO BASIC IS SLIPPING THROUGH YOU NEED TO ASK WHAT ELSE IS.

GOOD GEAR, NUTRITION, STRATEGY AND DISCIPLINE THESE DAYS HAVE GREATLY REDUCED THE RISK OF FROSTBITE, BUT ENERGY SPENT PUSHING ANY ONE OF THESE THINGS AS CLIMBERS WILL ALWAYS WANT TO DO WILL NEVER NEGATE IT. HIGHER, FURTHER, COLDER, WEIRDER AND DEEPER ARE THE SIGNATURES OF GOOD CLIMBING, BUT ALWAYS WITH THE PERSPECTIVE THAT STUPIDER SHOULD NOT FOLLOW.