Last week we lost one of our finest with the unexpected passing of Leo Lloyd.  Leo exhibited the very best of human qualities – generous with his time and always a smile on his face.  We will miss him terribly. I had the good fortune to work with Leo at Rigging for Rescue for over [...]

We just wrapped up a great week of rope access training and evaluation in Ouray with eight dialed-in Beaver Creek Ski Area (Vail Resorts) employees.  The team made great strides throughout the week in polishing their rope access skills in preparation for the SPRAT Level 1 evaluation, yesterday.  And while speed is not a parameter [...]

Summertime in the Tetons is about as good as it gets for Rigging for Rescue training scenarios.  Once again we recently had the privilege to work with the Jenny Lake climbing rangers at Grand Teton NPS on their rope rescue techniques and general ropework best practices.   The week consisted of a mix of topic/technique [...]

The recent SPRAT rope access training and evaluation session included six Level 1 candidates and one Level 2 upgrade.  All candidates passed their respective evaluations and are now certified and/or upgraded rope access technicians per SPRAT.  Rigging for Rescue is proud to report that our SPRAT candidate passing rate is over 90% since we began [...]

It is now official.  Rock Gibbs is the youngest certified SPRAT technician having passed his Level 1 evaluation this morning on his 18th birthday, June 30, 2022.  Rigging for Rescue principal, Mike Gibbs, hatched the plan with Rock several months ago and a SPRAT training and evaluation was scheduled accordingly. You have to be 18 [...]

The month of May had Rigging for Rescue visiting numerous ports of call around the country including Bend, Oregon to work with Deschutes County SAR (DCSAR). Our first seminar on contract with DCSAR was 2005 and we have been back every 2-3 years since that time. DCSAR covers Smith Rock State Park, as well as [...]

Last week we were living right with a welcome high-pressure system in the Tetons and dry rock under foot for the annual Jackson Hole Mountain Patrol (JHMP) training event. JHMP wears many hats for rescue operations on the Jackson Hole resort ski mountain during high summer visitation – bike park, hikers accessing the high country [...]

Earlier this spring we had an opportunity to train with our local team – the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team (OMRT). OMRT is responsible for a broad cross-section of technical rescue scenarios that include: OHV/ATV accidents on the 4x4 Ouray County roads MVAs off of the precipitous Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton Hikers/Scramblers on the [...]

AHD for crevasse rescue Sizing up the Mitre Mite Gettin' some Lead climbing to patient location Litter evac. Peril Peak in the background What a treat to be back up in Alaska for a technical ropework seminar with the Denali NPS climbing ranger cadre! Rigging [...]

Ingram Falls Exiting through window above first station The backcountry ice in the San Juan's delivered in spades last week with an ascent of the classic Ingram Falls above Telluride. Ingram seems to form only once or twice a decade. It is a prize tic, when you can get it. Solid [...]