Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Hiking Steep Grade

I have been previously hunting a fairly easy area 6 to 12 percent grade. I am scouting some new areas and want to get a idea of what max grade you guys try to hike up?

Whatever it takes. Some areas I hunt are 40-50* deadfall hell. I'd prefer 6-12* though

If you haven't hiked the steep stuff and try to do it off the couch it probably won't work out too well. Need to get/stay in decent shape which means doing similar activity, no substitute for time on your feet carrying a similar load.

SB

Wow, I have no idea on the grade, but when I can touch the ground in front of me with my nose I know it's pretty steep. LOL

Lefty

If you want to get to the top of the hill, you have to climb the hill. While I can't claim to enjoy it, I have often climbed grades where I used my hands. GD

I climb stairs for a living on offshore platform. I am in shape as I pass a fireteam brigade exam. I have hiked steep stuff occasionally. I am looking for advice looks like 40 percent stuff where I wanna hike into and hunt. I am wanting to distance myself from others hunters as I am hiking 3 miles from any trails or roads to my camp spot. First backpacking trip we planning on 4 days.

I think folks are mixing up % grade and angle of slope. 40% grade is a 22 deg slope. You'd have have a tuff time on a 50 deg (119% grade) slope unless you are hanging on to something.

I'm not mixing them up. I know what a 40 and 45* slope is from having walked a LOT of 10-12 and 12-12 pitch roofs! And yes, a 50* slope sucks.

The degree of slope is inconsequential, irrelevant. Don't waste time on that kind of minutia. If you hike in the mountains, it will be steep and that's all you need to know. You live in Mississippi. If you're planning on hunting in the mountains, this is what you should be concerned about.

ALTITUDE SICKNESS: The two most serious types of altitude sickness are HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) and HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema). HAPE is fluid in the lungs and you can self-diagnose it when you feel gurgling in your lungs or pain in the chest. If your breath is condensing and your friends aren't condensing, then you may have fluid in your lungs. HACE is fluid on the brain. You can self-diagnose it when you get dizzy and stay dizzy for more than a couple of minutes. If one of your hunting partners goes unconscious or doesn't wake up in the morning, you need to transport him to lower elevation immediately to save his life. The only effective field remedy for HAPE and HACE requires an item called a Gamow Bag and you won't have one. So DESCEND! DESCEND! DESCEND! Get to lower elevation immediately if you want to live. Fortunately HAPE and HACE are both rare (but not unheard of) below 10,000' elevation.

The most common type and the least severe is AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It's often associated with dehydration. Its' symptoms are similar to those of influenza and they may include mild headache, nausea, vomiting, lassitude, loss of appetite, and periodic breathing (waking up gasping for air). Common Aspirin and Tums can help because they coincidentally contains the just the kind of ingredients that your body needs and it is a mild astringent that reduces the effects of dehydration. Diamox is the brand name of a prescription drug that works for some people. Start taking it a couple of days before you begin to ascend. But it doesn't work for everyone and there are some potentially miserable side effects. I’ve heard that chicken soup helps and it can’t hurt. In most cases, if you rest for a couple of days, drink lots of liquids, and take Aspirin and Tums, AMS will subside and you can start enjoying yourself.

The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to ascend slowly, at the rate of 1,000' per day. But you don't have that much time. So get in good shape now. Good shape means strong heart and lungs. Good exercises include running stairs, swimming, bicycling, or any other kind of exercise that works the heart and lungs. However sometimes even the best athletes can get altitude sickness, so don't count on that being the cure all. Get to high elevation a few days early and just lounge around for a few days before you start exerting yourself. Stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and coffee or any other kind of diuretic. Take one Aspirin and one Tums each day. Be alert to the symptoms mentioned and react appropriately if they occur.

Also try to develop a technique called Alpinisti Breathing (pressure breathing). Essentially you consciously make your lungs inhale and exhale before you feel the need to breather heavy, you generate a rhythm between your body effort and your lungs so that you have air before you need it. If you wait until you need the air then it’s too late and you are always out of breath. It’s sometimes called the Rest Step (step-breathe-pause-breathe, step-breathe-pause-breathe, repeat, etc.)

Thanks KC I have been to 12000 feet in Gunnison hunted at 10000 ft and have never had it to affect me. I am looking at 9000 ft in Durango. I come 5 days early and acclimate myself to altitude. I do understand the step and breath But I have not hunted steep grade. I appreciate everyone's input and advice its advice from experienced people that counts.

Bingo

I've never not climbed of slope because it was steep. If I need to get somewhere I'll go. I may grimace more at the bottom on the steep ones! 45deg = 100% = steep

Now, I do have some areas with very steep slopes and I know I cannot climb them to close on a bugling bull. Too rugged, deadfall covered and impossible to climb quietly. Have to go around the long way to get where those bulls are and have any hope at a shot. They are very good at sitting on benches and looking down steep slopes.

I backcountry ski a lot and so I think of things in terms of slope angle. 38 degrees is the slope where avalanches most often occur.

I find that anything over 35 degrees is pretty scary on foot. 50 degrees looks like a cliff - and is pretty much impossible. But most importantly - on anything over about 35 degrees you lose the ability to stop when you slip. I've done a couple of LONG slides and they are very scary. Once I stuck an ice axe in my leg during one. I try to avoid such slopes - climb on the ridge, up the creek bed. I stay away from open steep slopes - especially when covered with wet grass! But I will add that hunting in the Brooks range that steep slopes were much more manageable. Scree makes for nice footing. But Kodiak's steep grassy slopes are SCARY. Patrick

Are the hiking poles helpful when traversing steep terrain

slinhgblade:

I've spent most of my life not using trekking poles. But recently, maybe 5 years ago, I started using a trekking pole. I use only one because I control my rifle with the other hand. BTW a trekking pole can be an effective rifle rest in the right situation.

KC

Thanks again KC I am looking at hiking into nasty stuff to space myself from hunters. I am going scouting in june to see if the area I plan to hike into is accessible or if I need to hunt another entry point.

Any advice on a pole that works best

Go with a flip lock vs. a twist lock, IMO. I have Leki's and they have served well. Lots of folks seem to like Black Diamond.

I've used this one for a couple of years and it's not a lightweight pole but it is strong. I bent or broke a lot of lightweight sticks going up and down steep bluffs covered in wet leaves. Most of my steep grades are shorter 100-150 yard distances at the bluff of mountain tops so I'm not hiking in 8 miles and I'm willing to carry the extra weight of this stick for the strength. It is priceless going down a steep slope when a deer is dragging me out. It makes it easier in the areas that aren't as steep, helps me be quieter when still hunting on any surface, and like KC said is very effective as a rest.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/jolt-54-in-sorting-pole?cm_vc=-10005

thanks

You will probably find yourself side hilling on the steep slope at times, so having good boots that are actually comfortable with that type of use and have soles that can dig in like a pair of ski's is a good idea.

Lol, that's kind of how I see it. As in "I know it when I see it." Footing has as much to do with it as grade. And also, what's at the top.

I use Danner Antelope boots..

As Pat McManus put it, you're in trouble when you're looking at a pretty rock in your hand and then realize that it's the rock that's supposed to be holding you to the mountain.

I don't think the terrain is to rocky

Then we'll re-word it for you. 'little tree root'.........

lol I understand The thing I do have is a very experienced mountain hiking/ backpacking partner. He has hiked the most of the Colorado trail.

is he willing to push/pull ya?

if the need arises

Thanks everyone for input.

I embarrassingly took a ride on a slope over the weekend. It was not bad, a few scrapes , bruises etc .. but it did wake me up in a hurry. I used my phone to provide angle because while it didn't seem that steep it was steep enough wth a slip. 52 Degrees

You should really get an ice axe, self arresting with your phone is not covered by the warranty.

I going in june to hike and scout.

For those who like to play with numbers, we have some canyons here with walls with undefined slopes.

A couple of years ago, I had to traverse about 65 or 70 yards up a 45+ degree slope during an elk hunt in CO. I'm an older hunter and it was a killer for me, even though I was in decent shape for my age. I then watched a much younger guide climb the same hill but, 50 yards or so higher than my location. He made the climb much quicker by starting to side-hilling ascent of the slope from well past my location. While he walked much further, he climbed the higher distance much quicker. Boy, did I feel stupid....and tired!

I've been climbing by zig zagging for many years. It can save a lot on the legs.

Thanks for replies and laughs. This ole flatlander gonna be a billy goat next month