SIULA GRANDE➤ A mountain in the Andes, found in

Peru at around 10°S, 76°W ➤ 6 344m high➤ Second-highest peak in Peru’s

most famous mountain region, the Cordillera Huayhuash

➤ Very little population in the region - a few small villages, some mining

➤ Source of the Amazon is found nearby

➤ Best season for climbing is May-September - freezing at night (down to -15°) but days generally clear and dry

➤ The region features glaciers between peaks and occasional hot springs

➤ A more detailed map

CLIMATE➤ Before setting out on any expedition in a mountain

region, it is essential to understand the local climate and weather conditions - why?

➤ Climate graphs show the average temperature and rainfall experienced at a particular place throughout the year.

➤ They consist of a line graph showing average monthly temperature and a simple column graph showing average monthly rainfall figures.

➤ Climate graphs are constructed using data collected by meteorologists.

CLIMATE GRAPHS

HOW TO MAKE A CLIMATE GRAPH1. Plot on the rainfall as a bar

chart

2. Plot on the temperature as a line graph (in the middle of the column for that month)

3. Finish it off by writing down the following:- The total rainfall for the year (add all the bars together)- The temperature range (the difference between the highest temperature and the lowest one).- The name of the place that the graph is for.

WEATHER FOR HUARAZ, PERUAverage Temperature (°C)

Average Precipitation (mm)

J F M A M J J A S O N D104

100

128 70 21 2 2 7 20 57 51 68

J F M A M J J A S O N D13 12 13 12 12 11 11 11 12 13 14 14

QUESTIONS➤ Based on your climate

graph for Huaraz . . . ➤ What would be the best

months in which to climb Siula Grande? Why?

➤ Yates and Simpson, the most famous climbers

➤ How would you describe the climate of Huaraz? To answer this question properly, research the climatic regions of the world and their descriptions

MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS➤ What kinds of plants and

animals might Yates and Simpson have encountered on their journey?

➤ Go to http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/andes.htm and read about some of the plants and animals found in the Andes

➤ Then go to Padlet and create a class wall summarising the flora and fauna that Simpson and Yates may have encountered

➤ Group plants and animals by altitude - i.e. put the higher-altitude plants and animals closer to the top

JOE SIMPSON AND SIMON YATES➤ Two young British

mountaineers that set out to climb Siula Grande in 1995

➤ They were relatively inexperienced and set out to climb an entirely new route, up the western face of the mountain

➤ Watch the beginning of their climb and answer the first two questions

GEAR➤ What would Yates and

Simpson have had to carry with them on their climb to the summit?

➤ Read the extract on their gear and restrictions on what to pack

➤ Use the extract and this gear list to create a packing list for Yates and Simpson, keeping in mind the weight and size of their pack

➤ Do an online search to find some food items that could also be packed - consider search terms like “climbing food” or “food for high altitude trek”

THE SITUATION CHANGES➤ On the descent, the situation

changed dramatically for Simpson and Yates

➤ They ran out of fuel for their stove, so they could not melt snow to drink

➤ Bad weather started descending on them, and daylight was fading far before they got close to their base camp

➤ Watch the beginning of their descent and answer the third question in the video

DISASTER➤ On the way down the

mountain, Yates and Simpson met with disaster

➤ Watch the video and answer the fourth and fifth questions to learn what happened and how they tried to get out of the situation

➤ What is a crevasse and why did it pose such a danger? Go here to find out

“Now read your second extract to find out what happened next

Using this diagram of a glacier, find a way that Simpson could escape and survive

WHAT DID SIMPSON DO?➤ Skip forward in the video

to 48 minutes and watch the final stage of Simpson’s journey off the mountain, answering the final question

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER➤ Once Simpson emerged

from the crevasse, he dragged himself over the glacier and off the mountain with his hands

➤ He found himself at his base camp and encountered Simon Yates after five days (you can read about this in your extracts)

➤ He had lost 40% of his body weight and was delirious, but fully recovered from his ordeal

➤ He continued to climb and has recently taken up paragliding

ALPINE STYLE CLIMBING➤ Was the style of

mountaineering Simpson and Yates chose responsible for the disaster?

➤ Go to this website and read about the difference between alpine and expedition style climbing.

➤ Take notes in your books outlining alpine style climbing and how Simpson and Yates’ journey fit into this category

➤ Write a paragraph explaining how they could have changed their climb preparation and plan and possibly avoided the disaster that befell them