	*FM 3-97.61 (TC 90-6-1)
Field Manual No. 3-97.61	Headquarters Department of the Army Washington, DC, 26 August 2002

FM 3-97.61

MILITARY MOUNTAINEERING

COVER
PREFACE
CHAPTER 1.	MOUNTAIN TERRAIN, WEATHER, AND HAZARDS
Section I.	Mountain Terrain 1-1. Definition 1-2. Composition 1-3. Rock and Slope Types 1-4. Rock Classifications 1-5. Mountain Building 1-6. Route Classification 1-7. Cross-Country Movement 1-8. Cover and Concealment 1-9. Observation 1-10. Fields of Fire
Section II.	Mountain Weather 1-11. Considerations for Planning 1-12. Mountain Air 1-13. Weather Characteristics 1-14. Wind 1-15. Humidity 1-16. Cloud Formation 1-17. Types of Clouds 1-18. Fronts 1-19. Temperature 1-20. Weather Forecasting 1-21. Recording Data
Section III.	Mountain Hazards 1-22. Subjective Hazards 1-23. Objective Hazards 1-24. Weather Hazards 1-25. Avalanche Hazards
CHAPTER 2.	MOUNTAIN LIVING
Section I.	Survival 2-1. Water Supply 2-2. Nutrition 2-3. Personal Hygiene and Sanitation
Section II.	Acclimatization and Conditioning 2-4. Symptoms and Adjustments 2-5. Physical and Psychological Conditioning
Section III.	Medical Considerations 2-6. Illness and Injury 2-7. Treatment and Evacuation 2-8. Solar Injuries 2-9. Cold-Weather Injuries 2-10. Heat Injuries 2-11. Acute Mountain Sickness 2-12. Chronic Mountain Sickness 2-13. Understanding High-Altitude Illnesses 2-14. High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema 2-15. High-Altitude Cerebral Edema 2-16. Hydration in HAPE and HACE
CHAPTER 3.	MOUNTAINEERING EQUIPMENT
Section I.	Equipment Description and Maintenance 3-1. Footwear 3-2. Clothing 3-3. Climbing Software 3-4. Climbing Hardware 3-5. Snow and Ice Climbing Hardware 3-6. Sustainability Equipment
Section II.	Equipment Packing 3-7. Choice of Equipment 3-8. Tips on Packing
CHAPTER 4.	ROPE MANAGEMENT AND KNOTS
Section I.	Preparation, Care and Maintenance, Inspection, Terminology 4-1. Preparation 4-2. Care and Maintenance 4-3. Inspection 4-4. Terminology
Section II.	Coiling, Carrying, Throwing 4-5. Coiling and Carrying the Rope 4-6. Throwing the Rope
Section III.	Knots 4-7. Square Knot 4-8. Fisherman's Knot 4-9. Double Fisherman's Knot 4-10. Figure-Eight Bend 4-11 Water Knot 4-12. Bowline 4-13. Round Turn and Two Half Hitches 4-14. Figure-Eight Retrace (Rerouted Figure-Eight) 4-15. Clove Hitch 4-16. Wireman's Knot 4-17. Directional Figure-Eight 4-18. Bowline-on-a-Bight (Two-Loop Bowline) 4-19. Two-Loop Figure-Eight 4-20. Figure-Eight Loop (Figure-Eight-on-a-Bight) 4-21. Prusik Knot 4-22. Bachman Knot 4-23. Bowline-on-a-Coil 4-24. Three-Loop Bowline 4-25. Figure-Eight Slip Knot 4-26. Transport Knot (Overhand Slip Knot/Mule Knot) 4-27. Kleimhiest Knot 4-28. Frost Knot 4-29. Girth Hitch 4-30. Munter Hitch 4-31. Rappel Seat 4-32. Guarde Knot
CHAPTER 5.	ANCHORS
Section I.	Natural Anchors 5-1. Trees 5-2. Boulders 5-3. Chockstones 5-4. Rock Projections 5-5. Tunnels and Arches 5-6. Bushes and Shrubs 5-7. Slinging Techniques
Section II.	Anchoring With the Rope 5-8. Rope Anchor 5-9. Tensionless Anchor
Section III.	Artificial Anchors 5-10. Deadman 5-11. Pitons 5-12. Chocks 5-13. Spring-Loaded Camming Device 5-14. Bolts 5-15. Equalizing Anchors
CHAPTER 6.	CLIMBING
Section I.	Climbing Fundamentals 6-1. Route Selection 6-2. Terrain Selection for Training 6-3. Preparation 6-4. Spotting 6-5. Climbing Technique 6-6. Safety Precautions 6-7. Margin of Safety
Section II.	Use of Holds 6-8. Climbing With the Feet 6-9. Using the Hands 6-10. Combination Techniques
Section III.	Roped Climbing 6-11. Tying-in to the Climbing Rope 6-12. Presewn Harnesses 6-13. Improvised Harnesses
Section IV.	Belay Techniques 6-14. Procedure for Managing the Rope 6-15. Choosing a Belay Technique 6-16. Establishing a Belay 6-17. Setting Up a Belay 6-18. Top-Rope Belay
Section V.	Climbing Commands 6-19. Verbal Commands 6-20. Rope Tug Commands
Section VI.	Roped Climbing Methods 6-21. Top-Roped Climbing 6-22. Lead Climbing 6-23. Aid Climbing 6-24. Three-Man Climbing Team
CHAPTER 7.	ROPE INSTALLATIONS
Section I.	Fixed Rope 7-1. Installation 7-2. Utilization 7-3. Retrieval 7-4. Fixed Rope With Intermediate Anchors
Section II.	Rappelling 7-5. Selection of a Rappel Point 7-6. Installation of the Rappel Point 7-7. Operation of the Rappel Point 7-8. Recovery of the Rappel Point 7-9. Types of Rappels
Section III.	One-Rope Bridge 7-10. Site Selection 7-11. Installation Using Transport Tightening System 7-12. Installation Using Z-Pulley Tightening System 7-13. Utilization 7-14. Hauling Line 7-15. Retrieval
Section IV.	Suspension Traverse 7-16. Site Selection 7-17. Installation 7-18. Retrieval
Section V.	Vertical Hauling Line 7-19. Site Selection 7-20. Installation 7-21. Retrieval
Section VI.	Simple Raising Systems 7-22. Z-Pulley System 7-23. U-Pulley System
CHAPTER 8.	MOUNTAIN WALKING TECHNIQUES
	8-1. Basic Principles 8-2. Techniques 8-3. Safety Considerations 8-4. Navigation 8-5. Route Planning 8-6. Route Selection
CHAPTER 9	MOUNTAIN STREAM CROSSING
	9-1. Reconnaissance 9-2. Preparation of Troops and Equipment 9-3. Individual Crossings 9-4. Team Crossing 9-5. Rope Installations 9-6. Safety 9-7. Swimming
CHAPTER 10.	MOVEMENT OVER SNOW AND ICE
	10-1. Movement Over Snow 10-2. Movement Over Ice 10-3. Use of Ice Ax and Crampons 10-4. Glissading 10-5. Snow and Ice Anchors 10-6. Roped Climbing on Ice and Snow 10-7. Movement on Glaciers 10-8. Glacier Bivouac Procedures
CHAPTER 11.	MOUNTAIN RESCUE AND EVACUATION
	11-1. Considerations 11-2. Planning Rescue Operations 11-3. Mass Casualties 11-4. Special Training 11-5. Preparation for Evacuation 11-6. Manual Carries 11-7. Litters 11-8. Rescue Systems 11-9. Low-Angle Evacuation 11-10. High-Angle Evacuation
APPENDIX A.	LEVELS OF MILITARY MOUNTAINEERING
APPENDIX B.	MEASUREMENT CONVERSION FACTORS
APPENDIX C.	AVALANCHE SEARCH AND RESCUE TECHNIQUES
GLOSSARY
REFERENCES
AUTHENTICATION

Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

*This publication supersedes TC 90-6-1, 26 April 1989.

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FM 3-97.61

MILITARY MOUNTAINEERING

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