Got Crevasse Rescue Skills???

It is time once again to help all of our friends interested in  traveling safely on glaciers....the Mountaineers Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue course  is about to take place so tell all your buddies you might be depending on to pull you out of a crack someday to:

watch this video:  Got Crevasse Rescue?

go here for more information:  www.foothillsmountaineers.org/winter/glacier

Please pass this info around to anyone who needs it...it's a great course....Jerry White

PS this message was pre approved by the man....thanks Charles

Great viddy, Jer.
Stewie's now a star.

Mmmmm.
Nothing like skiing smoooth summer glacier corn  .

This class continues to amaze me with the benefits and backcountry tools that both the students and instructors receive from it each year.

Thinking back to when I first went through it as a student, I went back to pre-TAY times to BRENT HOSTETLER'S ARCHIVE OF PRE-TAY TRIP REPORTS (and a great place to find lesser known and forgotten ski destinations, BTW), I went back and pulled up a couple of the old TR's of the glacier travel field trips:

"Sunday, May 18 [1997] - Middle Nisqually Glacier, MRNP backcountry (M2G)
This was the second day of the weekend-long Glacier Skiing Field Trip. We were nine students and four instructors. Dale Rankin led the show.
From near the base of Panorama Point we made a descending traverse to the Nisqually Moraine and roped up. Climbed to about 7200' on the glacier to a crevasse about 80' deep. Students took turns being a "victim" as the end-person of a three-person rope team. Each was lowered on belay 30-50' into the crevasse. After removing pack, skis, and poles the victim used Texas prusiks to ascend the accident rope for 10'. Then a pulley system was used to haul the victim and equipment the rest of the way. We used Z, ZxZ, and C pulley systems. The soft lip and overhanging wall of the crevasse required creativity in rigging the extrications.

It was a long and demanding day. A bit too long, as the sun dropped behind the ridge as we were skiing down the glacier. The surface began crusting adding to the demands of skiing with a pack and the weight of soaked ropes. All told, a first-rate piece of instruction and a valuable experience for glacier skiers. (Brent Hostetler)"

Here's another:
"Glacier Travel FT, Paradise - MRNP, Saturday & Sunday, May 15-16 [1999]
A group of roughly 25 Mountaineers convened on Paradise Saturday, intent on completing the annual Backcountry Skiing Glacier Travel/Crevasse Rescue class field trip led by course leader Dale Rankin and his staff of about 8 extremely talented instructors. Saturday was a very full day on a steep pitch up on Alta Vista practicing all the skills learned in the prior workshops. First, self arrest on skis, then roped team arrest on skis. Then, before doing it for real out on the glacier on Sunday, each student got a chance to practice and demonstrate the various crevasse rescue rope extraction methods from each of three rope positions: victim, middle person, and end person. Little recent snow fall and fairly stable temperatures produced a fairly stable snow pack albeit somewhat unconsolidated beneath the first one to two foot surface layer. Late in the day skiing down from Alta Vista was a bit challenging for some as the surface had warmed and softened through the day.
Shortly after 7:00 AM Sunday morning the group was skinning up through the fog towards Glacier Vista, wondering whether or not we would be allowed sufficient visibility to go safely out on the Nisqually Glacier. An occasional peek through holes in the clouds gave our leaders the confidence they needed to be sure they could safely find their way to their intended destination. After skiing down onto the moraine, skins on and roped up we made our way out onto the Nisqually. Anchors in and instructors in place we repeated Saturday's drills from each position with 3 major differences: 1) the "victim" was attached to a second safety belay rope, 2) the victim was actually lowered into the crevasse, and 3) the victim went into the crevasse with all travel gear, pack, skis, poles, etc, on, and then had to remove and properly stow them to prusik partway up the rope. Then the ski partners on the surface took over and set up an appropriate pulley system to extract the "fallen" skier. Practice over and out of time we made our way carefully back down the glacier through the fog via the well-placed wands the instructors planted on the way up. After skinning back up to Glacier Vista, as previously reported, we ran into the group that had lost one of their party on the way down from Muir... [Ed. Note - This later turned out to be climber John Repka, who's demise on the mountain was discovered later that year and described in the RAINIER SAFETY AND RESCUE REPORTS FOR 1999 ] a sad but nonetheless chilling testament to the diligence of our instructors in keeping our group intact, on skis to boot--not an easy task. We ski'd down through the soup from Glacier Vista on better snow than Saturday without incident and with all souls accounted for.

The course that culminated with this field trip deserves additional comment for those that may be unfamiliar with it. It was one of the most condensed and through hands on courses I have ever attended. An absolute must for any backcountry skier venturing onto glaciers. Now knowing the value, I truly wish I had taken it years ago. Now having experienced, first hand, the difficulties a skier would encounter getting out of a crevasse with skis, pack, equipment, life and limb intact, I will now have to rethink who I travel with on glaciers and what their capabilities are. Their graduation from this course will be a definite plus. Dale Rankin and his associates have put together an irreplaceable piece of the repertoire for the backcountry skier. So valuable, that, unless I can figure out an acceptable alternative, in spite of my aversion to the internal politics of large groups, I will have no other choice but to return the favor by giving back to the system and helping on subsequent courses. (ron jarvis)"

I think the second report pretty well summarizes how I feel about this course, with the exception that I now know the instructors benefit and learn more than the students.  And the best thing is the only thing you have to do to be an instructor is go through the course as a student!
How cool is that?!!
If you're skiing on our fantastic glaciers without the training, or thinking about it, better sign up now ... the class starts soon.

Anyone else have any endorsements for this class?

... in spite of my aversion to the internal politics of large groups... I now know the instructors benefit and learn more than the students. 

same for me.

will also add, I took the class to begin learning the skills, wanted something with low time commitment.  Didn't know would find that such a fun, welcoming, hip group exists in that large organization.

ahhh a ringing endorsement from me here, I was in that 1999 group that crossed paths with the group that lost Repka fellow, I remember to this day thinking "man! their just letting this guy come done in the fog by himself!!!I'd be worried!!"  I  remember Dale in front of me skiing by braile and not being able to see more than 3-5 feet in front of me. Made me REALLY APRECIATE map and compass skills.

great course, great folks, even if you do not like groups as this old squinty eyed loner does not, it is well worth it if you have not been intoduced to ski/glacier travel as I had not.




cheers
CW

This is a great class, where else can you actually (on purpose) go into a crevasse, learn to safely tie off your equipment, prusik up a rope, and come out with not a bump or bruise  .  We have met wonderful friends and ski partners, first by being students ourselves and then coming back each year to help with the instruction.  Not to worry, we're gentle with our students , and won't lower you to far down into the abyss  .   It's a great time to gain some new skills, ski a glacier and even do some roped, ski travel.

i agree! this class was a fantastic entrance into the world of glacier skiing. one of the coolest experiences i've ever had was seeing the up close and personal insides of a crevasse from the safety (and comfort! : ) of my harness. and i continued to benefit from the class by helping out each year thereafter too. plus, the folks that run the class are a total blast...i only wish i was back on that coast to do it again this year!! what am i doing out here??

have fun, and stay safe!