Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel Course

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Day One 18:00 - 20:00
 

• Meet at the local climbing gym for glacier kit equipment, harness fitting, sign waivers, formal introductions, safety discussion and equipment check.
• Lesson 1: Introduction to Glacier Kit.
• Lesson 2: Equalized anchor.
• Lesson 3: The Münter hitch, clove hitch and figure eight on a bite
• Lesson 4: Rappelling with safety backup prussic
• Lesson 5: Ascending the rope with 2 prussics
• Lesson 6: Diverse ratchets (prussic, garda, reverso, plaquette, ropeman, t-bloc)
• Lesson 8: Ascend the rope with preferred ratchet, reverse and rappel.
• Briefing for the next days plan
• End of session

 

Day two 7:30 meet at GearUp Rentals, Canmore
 

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, brief on the days agenda, equipment check.
• Drive to local outdoor rescue practice area.
• Lesson 9: Situational awareness, review hazards.
• Glacier travel rope handling & crevasse rescue - Canadian drop loop
• Lesson 10: Dividing the rope - tying into the rope/triple action carabiner, stowing extra rope.
• Lesson 11: The prussic - tying in, daisy chaining and deploying.
• Lesson 12: Arresting the fall, strategies for holding the victim while building an anchor - testing the fall arrest.
• Lesson 13: Building an anchor including strategies to determine which team member builds an anchor, anchor types - snow anchors, t-slot & ice anchors - quality of snow/ice, anchor considerations and placement.
• Lesson 14: Transferring the load and backing up the anchor - dealing with the rescue rope.
• Lesson 15: Surface rope-teams approach to the anchor: approaching the lip, padding the lip, probing technique, securing the lip pad.
• Lesson 16: Canadian drop loop system demo - measuring, dropping and clipping the drop loop.
• Lesson 17: Incorporating a ratchet - different types of ratchets
• Lesson 18: First raise method, z-pulley raising system, adding advantage.
• Lesson 19: Reversing the raise to a lower, the block and tackle, the münter hitch and münter mule tie off - lowering & resetting to a raise.
• Lesson 20: Crevasse Rescue Scenario: Victim is skiing down a glacier and falls into a crevasse un-roped and is unconscious. Rescuer sets up anchor, rappels into crevasse, sets up victim with Canadian drop loop for rescue, ascends rope and hauls victim out.
• Lesson 21: Problem Solving: insufficient rope, middle person is crevasse victim, different snow anchors, large overhanging crevasse lips
• Drive back to Canmore

 

Day three 7:00 meet at Rocky Mtn Bagel Co. Main Street, Canmore

• Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather and avalanche forecast,  review day plan, Q & A session, brief on the days agenda, safety discussion and equipment
• Drive to a local glacier e.g. Athabasca, Lower Victoria, Crowfoot etc.
• Lesson 22: Rope up point strategy (map & altimeter)
• Lesson 23: White out plan discussion
• Lesson 24: Glacier formation, physiology, terminology and travel
• Lesson 25: Glacier travel rope handling - dividing the rope reviewed
• Lesson 26: Taking coils
• Lesson 27: Safe glacier travel route finding and track setting - crevasse avoidance, serac hazard mitigation, dealing with avalanche terrain, crevasse bridge integrity and evaluation
• Lesson 28: Traveling in echelon
• Lesson 29: When and how to belay across crevasse bridges
• Lesson 30: Re-grouping and spacing on a glacier
• Lesson 31: Downhill glacier skiing safety strategy - spacing, traverses, break-over’s.
• Lesson 32: Downhill glacier skiing in white out strategies and roped up downhill skiing
• Course debrief, return to Canmore, gear return
• Course closure
 

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Accommodation

Accommodation is not included. 

Should you require accommodation in Canmore, we have organized for your convenience excellent value accommodation packages with local providers: economy option at the Alpine Club of Canada Clubhouse $25 per night w/ kitchen facilities, superior option at the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge $123 per night based on double occupancy and luxury options - prices range on luxury level. These choices are made available during the booking process.

Food

Students are responsible for their own food. Canmore has an excellent choice of supermarkets and restaurants to meet any budget. Our Canmore accommodation options can include a kitchen and/or breakfast please inquire. Make sure you have a packed lunch with snacks everyday.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation. We encourage carpooling and usually this works out very well. Transport is available from your guide at a minimum of $25.00 per day which can be shared between 2 people and an additional $10.00 per person after that. For example for 3 guests, the cost will be $35.00. 

Equipment

This course includes a *crevasse rescue kit - everything you need to travel safely on glaciers and to perform a crevasse rescue. However we highly recommend that students purchase and use their own crevasse rescue kit. We also have the following two equipment rental options:
 

Rental package 1: $315.00 Includes course cost and all **avalanche safety equipment
Rental package 2: $355.00 Includes course cost, avalanche safety equipment and all ***ski touring equipment
 

* Glacier Kit: harness, 4 locking carabiners, 4 non-locking carabiners, 1 double length sling, 2 X 5 meter prussic’s, 1 X .5 meter prussic, 2 ice screws.
** Avalanche beacon, probe, shovel.
*** Backcountry ski equipment: boots, ski’s (split board $15.00 extra), skins, ski poles.
 

Clothing

• Warm hat, optional baklava or neck tube
• Warm top and bottom under layers
• Warm socks.
• Mid layer fleece top
• Hard shell Jacket & optional soft shell top
• Soft or hard shell pants
• Gaiters
• 2 pairs of gloves, optional mitts
• Sunglasses and sunscreen

Equipment

Glacier Kit:

• Harness
• 3 locking carabiners
• 4 non-locking carabiners
• 1 double length sling
• 2 X 5 meter prussic’s
• 1 X 1 meter prussic
• 1 ice screw (optional)
• Rope: provided in course
• Backcountry Ski/snowboard boots
• Backcountry Skis/snowboard
• Skins
• Ski poles
• Avalanche beacon
• Probe
• Shovel
• Ski goggles
• Backpack
• Write in the rain book and mechanical pencil-optional
• First Aid Kit with blister kit-optional
• Glop stopper-optional
• Ski scraper-optional
• Compass -optional
• Map-optional
• GPS-optional

Food & Water

Make sure you have a packed lunch with jhigh energy snacks and plenty of fluids for everyday (also available as an add on in packages).

Other
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