SNOW HOLING IS A RECREATIONAL PASTIME THAT IS FUN, CREATIVE AND CHARACTER-BUILDING EXPERIENCE EVERY OUTDOORS MINDED PERSON SHOULD HAVE, IMMERSING YOU IN THE QUALITIES OF WINTER AND BUILDING AN ELEMENT OF CONFIDENCE IN WHAT YOU CAN ACHEIVE.
THIS IS NOT THAT.
EXPEDITION SNOW HOLES ARE SHELTERS, OFTEN THE ONLY REALISTIC OPTION, ON ALPINE FORAYS THAT ARE SOMEWHERE ON THE EDGE OF WHAT ANY OTHER FORM OF SHELTER CAN PROVIDE. WHERE TENTS CAN’T BE SET UP OR CARRIED, OPEN BIVYS ARE TOO EXPOSED, OR TRIPS ARE TOO INVOLVED TO INCLUDE LONG TERM SHELTERS, SNOW HOLES FILL A NEED THAT ALTERS THE WAY THAT SOME ROUTES ARE CLIMBED. IN SOME CASES SNOW HOLES ARE ABOUT SURVIVAL BUT IN MANY OTHER CASES THEY ARE ABOUT FREEDOM, OF LEAVING THE GROUND SANS A TENT AND THE WEIGHT AND LIMITATIONS THEY COME WITH.
NEEDLESS TO SAY, SNOW HOLES REQUIRE METHOD TO BUILD PROPERLY, INVOLVING A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENERGY THAT SHOULD NOT BE WASTED WHEN THE STAKES GET HIGH. SNOW HOLES ARE A BLEND OF TECHNIQUE, JUDGEMENT AND CREATIVITY, TO MAKE THEM EFFICIENT, SAFE AND RELIABLE AS AN OPTION WORTH THE TIME AND EFFORT TO DIG.
SNOW HOLES ARE NOT SNOW CAVES, AND ARE NOT LUXURIOUS CRAFTED CHAMBERS OF THE SORT SEEN IN BROCHURES FOR ARCTIC TOURISM. SNOW HOLES ARE CLOSER TO THE THING SADDAM HUSSEIN WAS FOUND IN, AND ARE THE MINIMALIST SHELTER POSSIBLE MADE BY DIGGING INTO SNOW. IF YOU DON’T KNOW HOW CLAUSTROPHOBIC YOU ARE, THIS IS HOW YOU FIND OUT.
MORE OFTEN THAT NOT, SNOW HOLES ARE DUG INTO STEEP SLOPES, WHICH GOES HAND IN HAND WITH BEING LOCATED ALONG ROCK BANDS AND DRIFTS WHERE SNOW HAS ACCUMULATED FROM WIND. THIS MEANS THEY HAVE INHERENT FACTORS THAT AFFECT THEIR CONSTRUCTION AND FUNCTION, THAT FOR THE CLIMBER NEED TO BE GONE INTO KNOWING THE WAYS TO WORK AROUND THEM.
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ASPHYXIATION
THIS IS THE FIRST QUESTION THAT ARISES – BECAUSE UNLIKE A TENT A DOOR CAN’T JUST BE UNZIPPED TO ALLOW AIR IN, AND USING A STOVE INSIDE A SNOW HOLE CAN TURN IT FROM A SHELTER INTO A TOMB. THE RISKS ARE REAL, BUT ARE STRAIGHTFORWARDLY COUNTERED, AND USE METHODS THAT ARE BOTH OBVIOUS AND BASED ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE GASES INVOLVED.
THE NATURE OF SNOW GOOD FOR SNOW HOLES IS THAT IT HAS ACCUMULATED, AND IT SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO KEEP DOING SO DURING YOU PRESENCE THERE. THIS MEANS ANY HOLE WILL FILL UP, INCLUDING ONES DRILLED FOR VENTILATION, AND DOORWAYS THAT COLLECT SPINDRIFT. USING A STOVE IN A CLEARED HOLE IS FINE, AND SAFER THAN A TENT, BUT ANYTHING IMPEDING VENTILATION AND DOWNWARD AIRFLOW FOR GASES HEAVIER THAN AIR CAN BECOME HAZARDOUS, COMPOUNDED BY THE TIME AND EFFORT NEEDED TO CLEAR IT, THAT IS FAR MORE THAN OPENING A ZIP.
THE SAME CONCEPT FOR MOVING COLD AIR INTO A SINK, AWAY FROM WHERE YOU SLEEP, IS WHAT WORKS FOR KEEPING HAZARDOUS GASES MOVING OUT OF YOUR LIVING SPACE. THE EXPANDING HEAT FROM YOUR PRESENCE WILL NATURALLY PUSH OUT INTO THE COLDNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT, DROPPING AS IT GOES AND COOLS. THIS MEANS HAVING A LARGE ENTRANCE THAT DOESNT IMPEDE AIRFLOW, AND ONE THAT STEPS DOWN FROM WHERE YOU SLEEP, WHICH LUCKILY WORKS IDEALLY WITH THE WAY SNOW HOLES ARE DUG.
CARBON DIOXIDE SINKS, MEANING IT NATURALLY POOLS AROUND YOUR FEET OR FLOWS OUT TO THE LOWEST PLACE, BUT CARBON MONOXIDE MIXES WITH AIR MEANING THAT WITHOUT A FLOW OF AIR THAT IS COOLING AND SINKING IT WILL BUILD UP DANGEROUSLY. HIGH VENT HOLES HELP SO LONG AS AIR IS WARM ENOUGH TO RISE AND THE VENTS REMAIN CLEAR – NEITHER A GIVEN IN A SNOW HOLE – SO A SLEEPING TUNNEL WITH YOUR HEAD VERY SLIGHTLY HIGHER AND NEAR THE ENTRANCE WHICH THEN STEPS DOWN AND OUT SO ANY RISING WARMTH OFF YOUR BODY CAN DESCENT AND BE WHISKED AWAY BY OUTSIDE PRESSURE, KEEPS THINGS CIRCULATING WHILST YOUR SLEEP.
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LOCATION
IT IS EASIEST TO DIG INTO A STEEPER SLOPE, WHERE YOU CAN DIG UPWARDS AND THE SPOILS FALL AWAY NATURALLY. THIS MAY MEAN BEGINNING DIGGING WHILST TIED IN, AND CHOPPING OUT A ‘BALCONY’ FIRST FROM WHICH TO DIG FROM.
DIGGING STRAIGHT BACK INTO THE SNOW IS MORE EFFICIENT BECAUSE THE SPOIL IS SIMPLY EJECTED AND DOESNT NEED DOUBLE-HANDLING AS IT BUILDS ON YOUR BALCONY, BUT REQUIRES VERY DEEP SNOW AND LOOSES A DEGREE OF PROTECTION OF HAVING A VESTIBULE TO FURTHER PROTECT YOUR SLEEPING CHAMBER FROM WIND BY BEING AT A TENGENT TO THE ENTRANCE. SNOW NEED ONLY BE 2-3 METERS DEEP, ALLOWING YOU TO DIG A VESTIBULE THEN TUNNEL PARRALLEL TO THE SLOPE OR ROCK FACE RATHER THAN BACK INTO IT.
BE VERY AWARE THAT ANYWHERE SNOW HAS COLLECTED WILL BE SUBJECT TO KEEP COLLECTING, POTENTIALLY SWALLOWING YOUR SITE. RATHER THAN LOOKING FOR FAT DRIFTS AND DEEP CONES THAT ARE THE SIGNATURE OF ACCUMULATION, LOOK FOR THE BACKSIDES OF DRIFTS WHERE ACCUMULATION HAS BEEN DEFLECTED AND THE LEES OF NATURAL FEATURES.
OBSERVE THE EFFECTS OF WINDS COMING OVER RIDGES AND HOW THEY DUMP SPIND DRIFT, AND CONSIDER HOW MUCH SLOPE IS ABOVE YOU TO COLLECT SNOW. IF SNOW ISN’T COLLECTING, CONSIDER TOO WHY, AS IT MAY INDICATE VERTICAL OR OVERHANGING ROCK BEHIND THAT SHEDS AS FAST AS IT BLOWS IN.
LOOK FOR THE WAY THE SNOW HAS LAYERED, MUCH LIKE AN AVALANCH CROSS SECTION, WHERE DEEP SOFT SNOW NEEDS A THICKER LAYER TO BE SAFE OVER YOU THAN LAMINATES OF CRUSTS. OBVIOUSLY DON’T DIG INTO UNSTABLE SLOPES, AND ON EVEN STABLE SLOPES GET AS HIGH UP AS REASONABLE, TO BE ABOVE WHERE DEBRIS MAY FILL TO IN THE CASE A LAYER COMES DOWN. UNLIKE A TENT, A HOLE IS FAR SAFER FROM THE ACTUAL SLIDE, BUT THEN RUNS THE RISK OF BEING SUBMERGED AND EVEN INVADED BY SNOW COURSING DOWN A SLOPE.
THIS IS NO PERFECT LOCATION, AND ALL WILL BATTLE WITH CASCADING DRIFT TO SOME DEGREE, SO IT IS A MATTER OF SOMEWHERE ALLOWING YOU TO EXERCISE METHOD WITH AS MUCH BREADTH AS POSSIBLE.
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TOOLS
WITHOUT A SHOVEL THERE WILL BE NO HOLE, AND THE BEST YOU CAN AIM FOR IS A SCRAPE CHOPPED WITH YOUR AXE AND KICKED AND STOMPED WITH YOUR FEET, USING CRAMPONS LIKE A RAKE. IN THIS CASE YOU WILL NEED TO EXPLOIT THE NATURAL FEATURES OF ANY DRIFTING AND ROCK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND EXPECT THINGS TO BE TIGHT WITH MAYBE ONLY HALF YOUR BODY INSIDE. IF YOU ARE LUCKY YOU WILL FIND A CAVITY AGAINST THE ROCK TO EXPLOIT.
EVEN WITH A SHOVEL IT IS REAL WORK, SO HAVING THE BEST SHOVEL FOR THE JOB MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE, WHICH MEANS ONE THAT IS LARGE, THE SHAFT CAN BE SHORTENED, AND THAT IS ROBUST. DIGGING IS EASY, AS YOU SLICE THEN POP OUT CHUNKS, IT IS THE EXCAVATING OF DEBRIS THAT IS HARD AND WHERE YOU WILL WISH FOR A FULL SIZED BLADE. LIKEWISE SHORT SHAFTS ARE MUCH EASIER FOR DIGGING ONCE YOU ARE INSIDE DIGGING OUT, AND THE TOOL NEEDS TO BE STRONG WHERE THE BLADE AND SHAFT MEET, SOMETHING MANY FAIL AT BECAUSE THEY ARE DESIGNED TO BE CARRIED ONLY FOR TOKEN EMERGENCY USE. WE ABSOLUTELY ADVOCATE THE ELITECLIMB SHOVEL BECAUSE OF HOW IT ADDRESSES ALL THESE MATTERS, WITH A JOINT STRONGER THAN EVEN MANY ALU SHOVELS, AND THE FORGED CARBON STAYING WARM IN THE HANDS.
IT IS WORTH CARRYING A PAIR OF JAPANESE WORK GLOVES LIKE THE TEMRES OR SIMILAR, GLOVES KNOWN FOR ICE CLIMBING BUT THAT SHINE BEST FOR EXACTLY THIS. YOU WILL GET WET DIGGING, AND ANY GLOVES WILL SOAK OUT AND FREEZE, AND A PAIR OF THESE ALLOWS YOU TO DIG AND CLEAR WITH YOUR HANDS PLUS HAS GOOD PURCHASE ON SHOVEL SHAFTS.
IDEALLY, DIG IN YOUR SYNTHETIC BIVY/BELAY LAYERS, BECAUSE ANY SHELLS WILL WET OUT AS YOU KNEEL, LAY AND SIT IN THE SNOW. DIGGING WARMS YOU UP, WHICH MELTS ANY SNOW THAT GETS ON YOU, AND YOU MAY AS WELL TRAP THAT HEAT FOR ONCE YOU CAN GET INTO THE HOLE.
A TARP GIVES YOU OPTIONS AS A DOOR, OR TO COVER YOU GEAR FROM ANY SPIN THAT BLOWS IN. IF YOU CAN’T DIG FAR IN YOU CAN RIG IT OVER WHAT’S LEFT, OR RIG AS A SNOW HAMMOCK ON ANAEMIC SNOW TO COLLECT ENOUGH FOR A PLATFORM.
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METHOD: DIG IN. DIG UP. DIG ACROSS.
APPROACH YOUR SITE FROM BELOW AND DIG A STANCE ABOUT WAIST HEIGHT BELOW WHERE YOU WANT TO SLEEP. MAKE THIS LARGE ENOUGH TO STASH YOUR GEAR ON, WITH ONE END EXTENDING NARROW AND OUT TO WHERE YOU WANT THE ENTRANCE TO BE. YOU DON’T WANT THE SPOILS OF THE HOLE BUILDING UP ON YOUR GEAR, AND KEEPING THIS PART NARROW LETS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FALL AWAY DOWN THE SLOPE WITHOUT FURTHER CLEARING.
DIG BY CHOPPING HORIZONTALLY INTO THE SNOW ALONG A LENGTH, THEN MAKING VERTICAL SLICES ABOUT BLADE-WIDTH ALONG IT, THEN SLICING IN FROM ABOVE TO POP OUT CHUNKS. NEVER LEVER A SNOW SHOVEL AS THIS STRESSES THE JOINT, RATHER SLICE OUT A BLOCK THEN PRY LOOSE OR EVEN MOVE WITH YOUR HANDS.
FROM THE NARROW STANCE DIG INWARDS AND UPWARDS, IMPORTANTLY LEAVING AS MUCH OF A ROOF OVER WHAT WILL BE YOUR VESTIBULE AS POSSIBLE. YOU WANT TO ENTER UPWARDS ON A SLOPE, WITH AN AREA TO SIT AND ORGANIZE IN UNDER COVER, WITH A TUNNEL OFF ONE SIDE TO SLEEP IN AND IDEALLY A SMALLER SPACE TO THE OTHER FOR YOUR GEAR. DIG UP AND AROUND YOURSELF SO THE SPILL DROPS AWAY PAST YOUR LEGS, STOMPING IT BACK AND OUTWARDS. DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE FLOOR OF YOUR VESTIBULE TOO MUCH, JUST GET THE SPACE TO START TUNNELLING OFF IT, YOU CAN FILL IT IN LATER AS THE LAST STEP AND CONSOLIDATE IT BY SITTING ON IT.
WHEN YOU HAVE AN ANTECHAMBER, TUNNEL OFF IT IN WHATEVER DIRECTION WORKS BEST, CONSIDERING THAT A TANGENT TO THE MAIN ENTRANCE MAY HELP PROTECT FROM PREVAILING WINDS. START WITH A TUNNEL LARGE ENOUGH TO KNEEL UP IN SO YOU CAN GET EASILY IN AND OUT, AND REDUCE THE GIRTH LIKE A CRYPT.
CHOP AND PRY OUT CHUNKS RATHER THAN ACTUALLY DIG, DRAGGING THEM OUT ON TOP OF THE BLADE, AS THIS REDUCES BUILD UP OF SPOLI AND THUS TIME SPENT GETTING DAMP LAYING INSIDE. HAVE A VERY SLIGHT DOWNWARD ANGLE TO YOU FEET TO KEEP THEM WARM AND SPACE TO MOVE AND WIGGLE ABOUT. FOR MAXIMAL STRUCTURAL STRENGTH HAVE VERTICAL WALLS AND A CURVED CEILING.
EVEN WITH A GOOD ROOF OVER YOUR VESTIBULE YOU WANT YOUR HEAD TO BE ABOUT HALF A METER INSIDE THE TUNNEL, TO KEEP SPIN OFF YOUR FACE AND WELL WITHIN THE DEAD AIR THAT KEEPS YOU WARM. YOU DON’T WANT YOU FEET TOUCHING THE END, MAKING THEM COLD, AND THE LESS SPACE AROUND YOU THE WARMER IT IS SO LONG AS YOU CAN MOVE AND YOUR INSULATION IS LOFTED.
FOR MULTIPLE CLIMBERS EITHER DIG MULTIPLE TUNNELS, OR A V-SHAPED COMMON SPACE WITH WIDER ROOM AT YOUR HEADS TO COOK AND ORGANIZE. DON’T WASTE TIME AND ENERGY DIGGING SOMETHING RECTANGULAR FOR NO REASON.
FINISH BY COMPLETING THE ENTRANCE SO LANDING SNOW FALLS AWAY FROM IT, WITH NO LANDING TO ACCUMULATE ON DIRECTLY BENEATH THE VESTIBULE. YOU SHOULD BE ENTERING FROM THE SIDE, DUCKING UNDER THE ROOF AND STEPPING UP A FEW STEPS, AND ALWAYS HAVE THE SHOVEL AND CRAMPONS IN WITH YOU SO YOU CAN DIG OUT IF NEEDED.
IF YOU FEEL CONCERNED ABOUT VENTILATION THEN EXTEND THE ENTRANCE DOWNWARDS AND ANGLE THE BOTTOM MORE, NOTING THAT THE CHIMNEY EFFECT OF WIND ACROSS IT WILL DRAW AIR AND GAS FROM INSIDE TO THE LOWER PRESSURE OUTSIDE.
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ALL THIS TAKES TIME, MAYBE 2HRS FOR A GOOD 1 PERSON HOLE, BUT ANY TIME SPENT MAKING IT SNOW-PROOF BUT ASPHYXIATION-FREE IS WORTH IT. UNLIKE A TENT, ONCE INSIDE THEY ARE QUIET, WARM AND STABLE, AND NOT AS CLAUSTROPHOBIC AS THEY APPEAR ONCE NIGHT FALLS AND THEY ILLUMINATE WITH A NICE GLOW. STORMS THAT WOULD SHRED A TENT CAN RAGE OUTSIDE BUT YOU WILL BE FINE, SO LONG AS SNOW IS SHEDDING DOWN AND AWAY FROM YOUR ENTRANCE NOT PILING UP OVER IT.
2HRS SOUNDS LIKE A LOT FOR A BIVY, MUCH MORE THAN THE MERE MINUTES NEEDED TO GET UP A TENT, AND OFTEN IS UNJUSTIFIED ON SOME ROUTES WHERE A TENT OR TARP WILL DO. BUT ON ROUTES WHERE YOU ALREADY STOP DUE TO AVALANCHE RISK OR SHORT DAY LENGTH IT MAKES SENSE, MORE SO WHEN USED AS A CAME ON THE DESCENT OR TO SIT OUT DAYS OF BAD WEATHER.
SNOW HOLES ARE AGRUGABLY THE MOST COMFORTABLE FORM OF SHELTER POSSIBLE ON A MOUNTAIN, ALLOWING A LEVEL OF REST AND SECURITY ONCE CONSTRUCTED TO BE FACTORED INTO A STRATEGY. AS HIGH CAMPS THEY CANNOT BE BETTERED, EXTENDING TIME THAT CAN BE SPENT ON A MOUNTAIN, SAVING POTENTIALLY DAYS AND HUGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY RETURNING TO BC OR STRUGGLING IN WIND BATTERED TENTS.
