Remote Hook has written Jan doesn't preach a narrow, one size fits all(situations) approach to mountain work. What he does preach is an in depth UNDERSTANDING of the mechanics of wind in the mountains. Once that is understood, then the pilot has the tools with which to make the best approach possible, landing if all indications are that it can be accomplished safely and with a very high degree of certainty.
I could not agree more. Each mountain landing is different. Even landings to the same mountain location at slightly different times can be completely different. There is no one techinque that applies to each and every situation. The skilled high mountain pilot is able to correlate the man, machine, environment, mission and use his knowledge of techniques and the various skills at his disposal to decide:
1. Do I have the skills and knowledge necessary to land?
2. Does the machine have the performance within allowable limits to land?
3. Do all the environmental factors allow a landing?
4. Do the mission benefits warrant acceptance of the risk?
5. Even if the previous factors indicate that I can land, should I land?
I will start by saying I have known, and currently know more experienced high mountain pilots than I. Some have been higher, some have been there more often but I consider myself as having enough experience to comment.
I have used both US military/FAA methods and European Methods (primarily Swiss, French and Italian) to land in high mountains and found each alone, or in combination necessary at times. I have worked up to 18,000 feet on a routine basis in virtually all conditions the mountains have to offer over a nearly 40 year period and have rarely used one single method or technique. I do not know Jan, but if Remote Hook has represented his basic teaching premise correctly, he is teaching what I have learned from others and my own personal experience.