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4.1.3. Second hiking day
Right on time, Mike wakes up to a beeping sound, shuts down the alarm with a press
of a button, and checks the Baro mode. He is happy to notice that the barometric
pressure is on the rise, which augurs good weather.
Before setting off, Mike switches his Suunto X9 to the Alti mode so that he can use the
altimeter as a navigational aid, and of course that he can monitor how far it is to the top
While waiting for his breakfast to be ready, he calibrates the compass to make sure it
works properly. He also sets the declination to the Auto setting so that he does not
need to look at the map too often.
Mike navigates using the Suunto X9 compass together with the uploaded routes, the
altimeter and the map. Just like with a regular compass, he checks from time to time
that the compass works properly. If the bearing indicator stops moving or the cardinal
points seem to be in weird directions, he calibrates the compass again.
Even though the weather conditions are excellent and there is not a cloud in the sky,
Mike is also prepared for a whiteout, which would reduce visibility drastically and
cause problems to the GPS signal reception. He has practiced taking his bearings
using a map and transferring them to his Suunto X9 on dozens of easier routes where
mistakes do not have as dramatic consequences.
Mike has planned the trip carefully, trained meticulously on easier cliffs, purchased
proper equipment and learned how to use it. He is now ready for the arduous journey
that will take him to the top.
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