The month of April had us visiting a frequent port of call – Mt Rainier National Park. The climbing ranger cadre at Rainier responds to similar missions as the Denali NPS rangers – crevasse falls, hypothermia, altitude illness, and the myriad of others means of being incapacitated in the high mountain alpine environment. We worked on some of the rigging/rescue basics as per usual, but then stepped into some more advanced techniques for moving rescuers and patients in high consequence ground. The team executed a Kootenay Highline System with the English Reeve variation over a narrow gorge. The English Reeve is an elegant aerial ropeway suspension system that can control the live load in two planes.
Additionally, we trained on a multi-pitch pendulum traverse for moving a patient both down and across a steep snow/ice slope. The technique involves thoughtful placement of the next station in order to assist the litter attendant in their sideways travel while safeguarding them from sliding backwards. There are numerous considerations such as multi-directional anchoring techniques.
It was a great week of training working with a very capable and high caliber group of respondents.
