RfR in the Summer of Covid-19
This summer we have been able to deliver our educational training services to a number of agencies, despite the challenging conditions of operating in the age of Covid-19. Most agencies have numerous protocols and/or guidelines in place for allowing their personnel and our instructors to conduct rope rescue training events. We have been utilizing recommended CDC guidelines such as masks on in close proximity of each other and/or working inside, plenty of ventilation and spacing of seating arrangements while inside, temperature checks, readily available personal hygiene tools such as hand sanitizer, and the like. Our recent week with Gallatin County SAR in Bozeman, Montana delivered bluebird weather, great site locations in Hyalite Canyon, and a thorough review of litter attending, pickoffs, as well as a big Guiding Line aerial suspension system. Like numerous other mountain rescue teams that we regularly train, Gallatin SAR has moved towards ATC-based (i.e. slot style climbing DCDs such as Petzl Reverso, Black Diamond ATC, etc.) systems as opposed to traditional brakeracks or Scarabs. These ATC systems are employed in combination with a VT Prusik Max/1 friction hitch in addition to a carabiner re-direct for additional friction. The Main and Belay are rigged identically and they are operated according to the conditions present (i.e. 1-person or 2-person load? Technical edge transition Y/N?). Post edge transition, the systems are run in dual tension for the balance of the lowering and/or raising operation. Mountain rescue teams are frequently populated with personnel coming from a climbing background. The skills required for an ATC-based system are often already present. Everything from rigging to inspections, to operations is streamlined and arguably safer for all involved.
Khumbu Climbing Center Annual Training
For the past two weeks, Rigging for Rescue’s Xander Bianchi has been instructing climbing and rescue techniques at the Khumbu Climbing Center (KCC) in Phortse, Nepal in the Khumbu region near Mt. Everest. Each year, Rigging for Rescue sponsors an instructor in traveling to Nepal to volunteer their expertise to the Sherpa guides and high altitude porters that operate on Everest during the spring climbing season. The Sherpa KCC attendees are often responsible for rescues that occur on Everest. The KCC training center in Phortse is the focal point for Sherpa continuing education programs revolving around climbing and rescue techniques. KCC was started through the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation founded by Alex’s widow Jennifer Lowe and his best friend Conrad Anker. Together with many other Westerners working in conjunction with Nepalese Sherpa principals, KCC has developed an annual training program that better prepares the up and coming Sherpa guides and porters for the demands of rescue on Mt Everest. At Rigging for Rescue, we feel very privileged to have been able to offer rescue and climbing training to the Sherpa community for the past several years. A typical day of training at KCC involves a brief whiteboard discussion followed by a pretty robust hike to the local crags. Some of the terrain utilized is on sunny south facing rock crags and much of the terrain is on moderate waterfall ice climbs located in the valley ascending towards Gokyo. Climber pickoffs, companion rescue skills, litter lowers & raises, anchoring techniques, and rescue principles are all covered during the seminar. The Sherpa climbing community at Phortse and KCC are generous and gracious hosts. The annual KCC rescue training seminar is one of our favorite events of the year and we are already looking forward to 2021.
Summer wrap-up
The summer RfR season proved to be a whirlwind. We traveled near and far working with a variety of rescue teams from very different backgrounds and mission profiles. Continued areas of participant interest included: pros and cons of Two Tensioned systems and how/when/why to apply them effectively use of the VT Prusik in rescue systems as both a rope grab and a fall arrest device optimization of the overall team and managing human factors Rigging for Rescue principals Kevin Koprek and Mike Gibbs are slated to present new information to the rescue community on the above topics at the upcoming International Technical Rescue Symposium to be held in Albuquerque, NM in early November. For several years now, we have been conducting drop tests incorporating live device operators. These tests have included a variety of devices, systems, and rope tensioning approaches including the VT Prusik, ATCs & Scarabs with Prusik backups, and the MPD. We look forward to sharing the results.
Denali NPS and 212th PJs in Alaska
We just returned from our annual pre-Denali climbing season seminar with the ranger cadre from Denali NPS. The training also included a contingent from the 212th USAF Pararescue (PJs) based in Anchorage. The PJs regularly augment the Denali climbing ranger patrols and serve as rescue medics on the mountain during the climbing season of May/June.
Khumbu Climbing Center – Advanced Rescue Course
Rigging for Rescue instructors are in Nepal, training the Sherpa climbing guides at the Khumbu Climbing Center (KCC). The KCC is located in the village of Phortse. Rigging for Rescue instructors have been volunteering time to support the KCC mission in providing education to the Sherpa guides. This year, the participants at the KCC are learning advanced rescue techniques that they will use while working on Everest and Ama Dablam as well as other objectives in the Khumbu. The rescue techniques are an essential skill for the Sherpa to have while traveling on steep rock and ice covered terrain. The Sherpa are the primary source of rescue response in the Khumbu region. The skills they are learning will allow them to effectively lead and organize a rescue effort while keeping themselves and others from further harm. Rigging for Rescue instructors are privileged to work with this exceptionally selfless group. We look forward to more opportunities to train with the KCC participants in the future.
Self Rescue and Small Team Response
Last week was our Self Rescue and Small Team Response Workshop held at our home base of Ouray, Colorado. The participants were keen, the weather was flawless, and we had an outstanding week of training. Exercises included basic belay escapes and transfers of tension, rescuing the second as well as the leader using counter-balance techniques, a very challenging leader rescue in traversing terrain, a multi-pitch leader rescue and evacuation including use of a tensioned guiding line to cross a water hazard, and some team-based pickoffs. Our next offering of this workshop will be May, 2013.
From the Archive…
A demonstration drop test of the British Columbia Council on Technical Rescue Belay Competence Drop Test Method 1 meter drop on 3 meters of 11 millimeter low stretch rope with a 200kg test mass. The belay device is a mechanical rope grab: the Gibbs ascender.
West Metro Fire
Rigging for Rescue recently traveled to Colorado’s Front Range to work with a group of firefighters from multiple agencies around the state. The course was hosted by West Metro Fire and was a great training with highly skilled participants. Included in the exercises were difficult edge transitions with a vertically oriented litter, a deflection line, work with artificial high directionals, and a two-attendant moderate slope evacuation, as seen in the gallery below. We can’t wait to return in 2013!
New Location for 2012!
Many thanks to our friends at Las Vegas Metro PD SAR for working with us to now offer an open enrollment seminar in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area on the west end of Las Vegas. Those of you who have had the good fortune to climb out at Red Rock Canyon will instantly recognize this as a world class technical rescue training venue. As guests of LVMPD SAR we have access to the visitor center classroom, meaning we have just a short commute between the indoor classroom and the outdoor classroom. And with affordable flights into nearby McCarran International Airport and abundant lodging just outside Red Rock Canyon, this is sure to be a popular offering. See you in Vegas! Course dates: November 10-16, 2012 http://dev.riggingforrescue.com/RfRtheSeminar.html http://dev.riggingforrescue.com/RedRock.html
