Mountain Times – Phelix Peak
Goat Mcgiver shares some creative and helpful tips for alpine hiking. Goat McGiver proudly supports https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/be-the-light-benefit-concert-travel-doc-project/x/3448656
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Snow blindness, known as photokeratitis, is a painful eye condition caused by too much exposure to the sun’s UVB rays. It’s basically a sunburn on your eyes, causing extreme pain and swelling of your corneas. Snowblindness can also cause temporary blindness, and is definitely cause for concern, especially when travelling in the wilderness. Risk is highest in places like snowy fields, glaciers, and high-altitude environments.
Prevention is the best medicine for this conundrum. Wearing sunglasses/goggles that block UV rays from all angles is an excellent way to do this. As Goat eloquently describes, snow blindness goggles can be crafted from supplies on hand in a pinch. Bandanas also work pretty good.
Traditionally, Indigenous Inuit peoples have prevented snow blindness by carving goggles out of caribou antlers. They carve a long thin slit to see out of, while blocking all peripheral radiation. The antlers are curved to fit the person’s face, and held on by a cord made of caribou sinew.
some source info on snow blindness description from: Traci j Macnamara, on survival.about.com
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