Chapter 1

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Keep warm. Maintain energy and body heat by eating and drinking often; carry food that
can be eaten quickly and while on the move.
Keep dry. Wear wet-weather clothing when appropriate, but do not overdress, which can
cause excessive perspiration and dampen clothing. As soon as the objective is reached and
shelter secured, put on dry clothing.
Do not rush. Hasty movement during storms leads to breaks in contact and accidents.
If lost, stay warm, dry, and calm.
Do not use ravines as routes of approach during a storm as they often fill with water and are
prone to flash floods.
Avoid high pinnacles and ridgelines during electrical storms.
Avoid areas of potential avalanche or rock-fall danger.

COVER AND CONCEALMENT
1-40. When moving in the mountains, outcroppings, boulders, heavy vegetation, and intermediate terrain
can provide cover and concealment. Digging fighting positions and temporary fortifications is difficult
because soil is often thin or stony. The selection of dug-in positions requires detailed planning. Some rock
types, such as volcanic tuff, are easily excavated. In other areas, boulders and other loose rocks can be used
for building hasty fortifications. In alpine environments, snow and ice blocks may be cut and stacked to
supplement dug-in positions. As in all operations, positions and routes must be camouflaged to blend in
with the surrounding terrain to prevent aerial detection.

OBSERVATION
1-41. Observation in mountains varies because of weather and ground cover. The dominating height of
mountainous terrain permits excellent long-range observation. However, rapidly changing weather with
frequent periods of high winds, rain, snow, sleet, hail, and fog can limit visibility. The rugged nature of the
terrain often produces dead space at midranges.
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Low cloud cover at higher elevations may neutralize the effectiveness of OPs established on
peaks or mountaintops. High wind speeds and sound often mask the noises of troop movement.
Several OPs may need to be established laterally, in depth, and at varying altitudes to provide
visual coverage of the battle area.
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Conversely, the nature of the terrain can be used to provide concealment from observation. This
concealment can be obtained in the dead space. Mountainous regions are subject to intense
shadowing effects when the sun is low in relatively clear skies. The contrast from lighted to
shaded areas causes visual acuity in the shaded regions to be considerably reduced. These
shadowed areas can provide increased concealment when combined with other camouflage and
should be considered in maneuver plans.

FIELDS OF FIRE
1-42. Fields of fire, like observation, are excellent at long ranges. However, dead space is a problem at
short ranges. When forces cannot be positioned to cover dead space with direct fires, mines and obstacles
or indirect fire must be used. Range determination is deceptive in mountainous terrain. Soldiers must
routinely train in range estimation in mountainous regions to maintain their proficiency.

SECTION II. MOUNTAIN WEATHER
1-43. Most people subconsciously forecast the weather. If they look outside and see dark clouds they may
decide to take rain gear. If an unexpected wind strikes, people glance to the sky for other bad signs. A
conscious effort to follow weather changes will ultimately lead to a more accurate forecast. An analysis of
mountain weather and how it is affected by mountain terrain shows that such weather is prone to patterns
and is usually severe, but patterns are less obvious in mountainous terrain than in other areas. Conditions
greatly change with altitude, latitude, and exposure to atmospheric winds and air masses. Mountain weather
can be extremely erratic. It varies from stormy winds to calm, and from extreme cold to warmth within a

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TC 3-97.61

26 July 2012