As I write this entry I find it very hard to believe that we are into December already. Time marches by at the same rate for all, but it definitely feels like it moves along faster when you are busy.
This past autumn had Rigging for Rescue instructors all across the US and Canada conducting training seminars. A couple of the highlights included return visits to both Yosemite Valley to work with the YOSAR rangers as well as Mount Desert Island, Maine to train with a cross-section of Maine SAR personnel from approximately eight different agencies.
The YOSAR seminar exercises included the ‘small teams’ San Juan Pickoff, a multi-pitch exercise on Turtleback Dome, a Guiding Line suspension system, and a Kootenay Highline System including the Norwegian Reeve hoisting variation.
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| San Juan Pickoff |
In Maine, the majority of the training areas included some of the spectacular sea cliffs of Acadia National Park. The photos below are from a day that we spent comparing and contrasting vertical versus horizontal litter orientation. Of course, both methods have their place in the technical rescue toolbox. There are numerous considerations for choosing one technique versus another. We explored these considerations and had a great day of training in a very scenic locale.
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| Guiding Line |
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| Half Dome at dusk |
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| Kootenay Highline System |
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| Acadia National Park |
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| Upper Attendant position |
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| At Great Head cliff |
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| Multi-pitch transition |
