How turnaround calculator Works
Why turnaround times work
The turnaround converts an open-ended decision ("should we keep going?") made under summit-fever, fatigue, and sunk cost into a closed one made at the trailhead with coffee and clarity. Rescue statistics consistently show parties overrunning daylight by modest margins — exactly the failure a pre-committed time prevents.
The buffer is the plan
The buffer absorbs the real things: route-finding, blown-down blowdowns, a slower friend, a weather pause. One hour is standard; two for exposed terrain, big groups, or marginal weather. A plan with zero buffer is not an aggressive plan — it is a plan that treats every surprise as an emergency.
Honoring it when it hurts
The test comes 15 minutes below the summit with the turnaround beeping. The discipline: the time was set by your best self for your tired self, and 200 feet of summit is never worth a headlamp descent on unfamiliar trail. The mountain is permanent; the daylight is not.