I enjoyed reading that and enjoyed your prudence in not pushing across the Teklanika and your acknowledgement that a phone wasn't suitable backcountry guidance. Your english was very good. What would you have done differently, if anything?
Thanks! It means a lot. I would have done a few things differently. If the context was the same (last minute decision to try this): • I would have given me more time. I told my friends to reach for help if they didn’t hear anything from me 48 hours after I started. At first, I wanted to go and don’t tell anyone because I couldn’t imagine being one of those guys who would end up being rescued (happy that I managed to avoid that!). After reading on the internet that someone died in 2010 and that a lot of people ended up needing help, I thought it couldn’t hurt. Having the ‘48h-limit’ to do the round-trip put more pressure on me, if I had more time I would have slept near the Teklanika River and would have probably tried another crossing really early in the morning, where the water should have been slower and lower. • I should have taken something to waterproof my backpack. I could have “easily” crossed the river where the hunter told me if I could swim a bit, even though the water was fast. Then I could just dry myself and change clothes to continue. Not being able to have a waterproof backpack there meant I would have ended up with wet clothes and no ability to change. As it was already late (5pm), I couldn’t count on the sun to dry me. • I should have bought a map & compass as a back-up for direction. If the context was different: • I would have bought a Packraft to cross the river; • I would have gone with someone.