Bonus uses for your digital camera
Halfway up a new route, roofs and blankness loomed above. Where was the long hand crack that had lured us up here? I pulled
out my camera and scrolled through photos of the face, taken earlier
from camp. After identifying our position on my glowing camera
screen, I saw that a short traverse rightward would bring us below
the splitter, and from there the route-finding looked simple.
A digital camera can do
more than capture memories
of your climbs. Whether newrouting
in the mountains or
redpointing at the crag, put
your point-and-shoot to use
with these tricks:
Route topos: Paper topos
get torn or dropped. Take a
few photos of your topo or
guidebook pages for mid-route
reference.
Redpoint beta video: After
a section of climbing that you
hope to try again another day,
make a voice or video recording
of what gear you needed
(or wish you’d had) and any
move-by-move details you
might want to remember for
round two.
Terrain overviews: Snap
reference photos of a peak,
cliff, or a convoluted approach
before you begin—this is
especially useful on complex
or crevassed terrain. If fog or
darkness is about to overtake
you, take a few shots of the
route ahead, and use these
images to help identify your
position.
Route-finding breadcrumbs: As you do a
cross-country approach, take
pictures of landmarks behind
you for reference during the
hike out.
Online beta at your
fingertips: When you check
online resources for route
information, maps, or driving
directions, bring it all along
by snapping pictures of your
computer screen.
Flashlight: The flash of a
camera, or the flashlight app
for iPhone and iPod Touch, can
shed a bit of light when your
headlamp goes dead.
