Alaska Guide School: Crevasse & Rope Rescue 1
The crevasse and rope rescue course is designed to instruct the guide trainees in the skills necessary to function safely in the high angle mountain environment we find so enjoyable. These skills begin with basic rope management and the fundamentals of knots, anchors, belaying, rappelling, etc. We then introduce high angle rescue skills that are a required element of being a mountain guide. This course is an excellent opportunity to learn the climbing and rescue skills required to operate in high angle and glaciated terrain, as well as refresh and share your skills.
As ski guides working on glaciers and steep mountains we always ski with ropes and rescue gear. We use this equipment often for snow stability studies and mitigation. We commonly set anchors and lower ourselves onto a slope to dig a pit, or we do a belayed ski cut in exposed locations, or we belay ourselves or another guide out to investigate a slope or cut a cornice. We use these skills almost daily. The rescues are few and far between, but without knowing how to extricate yourself or someone else from the bottom of a crevasse or off of high angle terrain you are in gross negligence of your duties as a ski guide.
Let it be known that this is an introductory course and if a person wishes to work professionally in the field they need to demonstrate a proficient ability in this department. Like every other aspect of being a mountain guide, you must be at the top of your game! Seriousness aside, this is a really fun course. If it's an activity you're unfamiliar with you'll really be hangin' it out there, which is why we are all here. We want to know how to safely hang it all out. The course itinerary is as follows
- Day 1: Course Introduction Harnesses Knots Belaying Ropes Software Hardware Anchors
- Day 2: Rescue Introduction Rappelling Ascending 2:1 3:1 6:1
- Day 3: Rescue scenarios in glaciated ski terrain 2:1 3:1 6:1 Ice climbing
Day 1 is spent in the classroom working on all of the basic skills. We begin with the basics of harnesses and ropes and then move onto all of the basic knots necessary to perform a high angle mountain rescue. After learning all of the knots, we move onto belaying techniques and all of the hardware we have available to us to utilize in the field to make anchors and build anchor systems. We practice this in the classroom using chairs and tables as anchors while we belay a participant across the room. Then we head outside to practice setting anchors in the snow.
Day 2 is spent in and out of the classroom. We begin indoors with rappelling and ascending. We practice lowering ourselves from steel I-beams in the roof of the fire hall, and then we ascend the ropes and lower ourselves back down. We follow that with a classroom session learning all of the rescue hauling systems and then we head outside to practice building them in the snow where we can test real conditions and confidence in our ability to pull a client out of a crevasse or lower them over a cliff.
Day 3 is the awesome culmination of what we have learned the previous 2 days. We fly into our ski terrain and find a crevasse that we spend the rest of the day putting people in and pulling people out. If you have never been down in a crevasse, we highly recommend you have this experience at some point in your life because it will truly blow your mind. This is a real highlight for everybody. Everyone has a chance to rappel down into the hole and have other course participants haul them out in a rescue scenario. If at the end of the day we have time guide trainees will have the opportunity to practice climbing out.
Required rope rescue equipment required of every guide: (*denotes equipment req'd by course participants) Harness * 3 locking carabiners * 3 non-locking carabiners * belay/rappel device * Crampons that fir YOUR boots * Ice axes 2 ice screws 35-50m of 8-9mm guide rope 2 ascenders 2 4' slings 3 6' slings Helmet.
