Advanced Crevasse Rescue (3 Days)

GALLERY

DETAILS

Join Us on 3 Days Advanced Crevasse Rescue Course

In many crevasse rescue scenarios knowing how to set-up a simple 3:1 pulley system is not enough. A lip may create significant friction or be difficult to pass, large packs and sleds may make loads too heavy, the terrain around the crevasse may be steep and icy, the position of a fallen climber or injuries may make rappelling into a crevasse necessary, or a middle member of the rope team may have fallen requiring special systems and considerations. This three-day Advance Crevasse Rescue Course introduces students with previous glacier mountaineering experience and crevasse rescue training to the systems used by professional guides and rescuers. This course is ideal for rope-team leaders, trip organizers, aspiring guides, or anyone who is planning on spending time on crevassed glaciers where help is far away. This course takes place in crevasses on Mt. Baker unless timing or conditions prevent access to crevasses.

A good working knowledge of self rescue and how to arrest a fall and rescue a climber with a 3:1 pulley system (Z-pulley) is required for this Advance Crevasse Rescue Course . This experience can be gained on our standard Crevasse Rescue Course. If you have this experience but are out of practice our Crevasse Rescue Refresher can bring you up to speed.

Skills Covered during the Advanced Crevasse Rescue Course :

Rope management in rescue systems
Rope-team travel techniques and considerations
Load-releasable knots, hitches, and devices
Creating improvised snow anchors
Review of 3:1 system
Using a 2:1 system to overcome problems
Using a separate strand of rope to set-up an alternate system
Increasing mechanical advantage to a 5:1 an 6:1
Putting back-ups in the system
Methods of rappelling and ascending
Leave-No-Trace camping skills

Duration

3 Days

Passport

Not Required for Americans

Minimum Age

13 years old

Activity

Crevasse Rescue/Glacier Mountaineering

Accommodation

Tents

PRICE BASIS

PRICE INCLUDES

Stoves/Cook Kits
Tents
Group climbing equipment
Guide Services
Pre-trip Planning/Information session on packing and gear
Backpacking, mountaineering, and general outdoor safety skills

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Transportation (We will help arrange carpools or transportation can be provided for extra fees)
All Meals, Hot Drinks or Snacks
Gratuities for Guides

ITINERARY

Note:In the event of inclement weather, we may opt to do some of the course at a campground or in a classroom setting that is convenient for students and instructors.

Day 1:

Meet at a Park and Ride location in the Seattle Area around 6am, or alternatively meet at Graham’s Restaurant in Glacier, Washington on the way to the trailhead if the course location is Mt. Baker. Stop at the National Forest Service Visitor Center to get parking permits for Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead. Drive to the Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead and hike to Hogsback Camp. We set-up camp and walk to the toe of the glacier for skills practice. We practice using shovels, trekking poles, and ice axes as deadman anchors and review a 3:1 pulley system. Next, we practice load releasable systems before creating an alternate raising system on the back-end of our tensioned rope to overcome problems such as overhanging lips and heavy sleds. We finish the day with an overview of 2:1 pulley systems and how they can be used to assist climbers over the lip of a crevasse or haul out packs.

Day 2:

We wake-up early and head up to a higher camp close to crevasses for the remainder of our training. After setting-up camp we head to a large crevasse that is suitable for live practice. We practice the skills that we learned yesterday, including arresting a real crevasse fall (with back-ups) if students are prepared to do so. After dinner we demonstrate how to increase mechanical advantage on a snow slope close to camp.

Day 3:

We again wake early for our final day of training. We head back to the crevasse and again practice arresting crevasse falls. This time we choose whether to perform a rescue on the original strand or use a different strand. Guides will demonstrate rappelling into a crevasse to provide medical care, orient a victim for rescue, and attach an alternate rope or free strand. If students are well prepared then they will also do this. Students will then increase the mechanical advantage in the system and haul-out the victim and backpack. In the late afternoon we take down camp and descend to the cars and head to a restaurant for a celebratory meal.

FAQs

General FAQ's

Testimonials

Sandeep is possibly the best person (Miyar and guides) in the business to take you on the mountains. Anyone who has trained with him to summit Rainier over the years can tell you how much he cares about his peeps. Talk to him and he can always find a way to make it happen. I have been trying to climb Rainier for few years with personal constraints (need to be always available, can return anytime, 24*7 sat phone access etc) and many times I had to return mid climb from big ones like Baker and Rainier. It was really easy to talk to the guides about this situation. I never once felt unsafe on the mountains. This is a big deal given how much we learnt when it comes to snow skills and glacier training. Be safe and go with Miyar!
Vivek Garg
What an awesome experience to go on climbing Mt. Rainier with Miyar Adventures. Sandeep and his team of guides ( Kirk, Alexis, Joe, Ben, Chris, Jasmin ) did an awesome job to lead the multiple rope teams trough snow skill preparations and guiding through safely on glacier journey. The amount of efforts put into multi-month preparation, pre-trip meetings, accessibility to gears for rent and attention to details with food/weight/personal gears were all instrumental in almost all of us (in a group of 24) able to summit Mt. Rainier and have wonderful memories. We knew we were in best company and safe hands with prior experience with Miyar Adventures led climb to Mt. Baker and few other preparation trips. And guides calibrated their approach from novice climbers to experienced climbers to push enough to have an enjoyable experience. I highly recommend to go with Miyar Adventures on amazing trips they have lined up around the Puget Sound Area and internationally.
Harshit Shah
If you are interested in doing any climbing or hiking but need a guide , I highly recommend Miyar Adventures...Sandeep is a wonderful person and you will actually learn (and practice ) climbing and crevasse rescue techniques in addition to the trip/climb ...it is definitely beyond a just a "get you to the summit" experience. He genuinely cares and brings in other excellent guides for bigger groups. My husband and I recently successfully made it to the summit of Mount Baker with Sandeep, two other guides and a group of friends and we had a fantastic experience. He and the guides he works with are very knowledgeable so I had confidence in their abilities to lead us but they are also very friendly and fun so that overall trip was enjoyable. I will definitely climb with Miyar Adventures again!
Monica Henry