Charlie Houston

On September 27 Charles Houston, MD, slipped away peacefully in his Vermont home at the age of 96. As a pioneering mountaineer, he had few equals. First ascents of Foraker and Nanda Devi were his, and numerous other climbs in Alaska and the Himalayas. A fine writer, Houston's book, K2: The Savage Mountain, chronicling his second expedition to the world's second highest mountain, is a true classic in mountaineering literature. But Charlie Houston contributed most profoundly to the world through his unprecedented research into high altitude medicine. He is indeed credited with the first identification of high altitude pulmonary edema. Houston established and for ten years directed altitude medicine research on Mount Logan in Canada. Much of what we know today and depend upon when we acclimatize to high altitude or treat those who have not acclimatized can be traced to roots on Logan. A classic in wilderness medicine literature, Going Higher: Oxygen, Man, and Mountains, was written by Houston. I remember him best as a kind man who generously answered all my questions when I was young in the field of wild med. I will miss him.

Sprained Ankles

Sprained ankles remain one of the most common wilderness injuiries--and if you're surprised, you haven't been paying close attention. A recent study strongly suggests that severely sprained ankles recover more quickly when the ankle is completely immobilized in a rigid cast that keeps the ankle in the position of function--for a short time. The study does not specific exactly what a "short time" is, but you can read more about it at www.healthline.com/blogs/outdoor_health. In the meantime, we can rest assured that properly applied elastic wraps fall far short of immobilization. Elastic wraps, however, are far better than nothing. And if you've mastered, or at least partially mastered, the art of "immobilizing" a sprained ankle with athletic tape, we can extrapolate and say that a great ankle-taping job, a job often performed by athletic trainers and less often by Wilderness First Responders and WEMTs, will speed healing and promote usefulness far better than an elastic wrap. Sprained ankles are going to remain common for a long time, but we can add even more weight to the skill of taping a sprained ankle in the wilderness.