Summer Crevasse Rescue and Glacier Travel Course

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Day One 7:30 meet at GearUp Rentals, Canmore

Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, sign waivers, review current weather and day plan, Q & A session, brief on the days agenda, equipment check.

Drive to local outdoor rescue practice area

Lesson 1 Glacier formation, geomorphology, terminology and travel- hand out
Lesson 2 Introduction to summer Glacier Kit
Lesson 3 Knots The Münter hitch, clove hitch and figure eight on a bite
Introduction to prussics
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.

Lesson 9 Situational Awareness, review hazards.
Glacier Travel rope handling & Crevasse Rescue – direct haul system & 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 - which team member builds an anchor strategies, summer glacier anchor types – ice screw anchor and ice axe t-slot anchor
Lesson 14 Transferring the load and backing up the anchor - dealing with the rescue rope.
Lesson 15 Surface rope team members approach the anchor, approaching the lip. Above firnline: padding the lip, probing technique and securing the lip pad.
Lesson 16 Summer glacier direct haul technique as well as 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 falls into a snow plug, is injured, needs first aid and the rope bites into the lip. Descend to victim, administer, stabilize them, ascend rope and evacuate victim from crevasse.
Lesson 21 Problem Solving: insufficient rope, middle person is crevasse victim
Drive back to Canmore

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

Morning Meeting: Coffee or tea, review current weather,, review day plan, Q & A session, brief on the days agenda, safety discussion and equipment
Drive to a local glacier - 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, snow plug & crevasse bridge - integrity and evaluation
Lesson 28 Traveling in echelon
Lesson 29 When and how to belay across snow plug & crevasse bridges
Lesson 30 Re-grouping and spacing on a glacier
Lesson 31 Above firn line safety strategy
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 discounted accommodation packages (Economy - $30.00 a night w/ kitchen facilities at the Alpine Club of Canada, *Superior - $108.00 ($54.00 per person) a night based on double occupancy at the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge and Luxury - Prices range on luxury level depending on client requests, please inquire. These choices are made available during the booking process. *You are guaranteed the best price - in some cases during the off season, hotels may have special deals - we always check on these and will extend or credit our guests when this is the case.

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 (also available as in packages).

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation as that of their guide. We encourage car-pooling 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- $10.00 aditional per person after that (so if 3 guests want thier guide to provide transport the cost is $30.00). 

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 rescu kit. We also have the following two equipment rental options:
 

Rental package 1: $300.00 Includes glacier travel equipment; Mountaineering Boots, Crampons, Ice Axe, Harness and Helmet
  * Crevasse Rescue Kit: 4 locking carabiners, 6 non-locking carabiners, 1 double length sling, 2 X 5 meter prussic’s, 1 X .5 meter prussic, 2 ice screws.

Clothing

• Warm hat and ball cap
  
• Warm top  under layer
•  socks
• Mid layer fleece top
• Soft Shell top
  
• Hard shell Jacket
  
• Soft shell pants
• Gaiters
• 2 pairs of gloves
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
  
• Optional puffy jacket or down sweater
  

Equipment

• Harness
• Helmet
• Mountain Boots
• Crampons
• Ice Axe
• Walking Pole
• 3 locking carabiners
• 6 non-locking carabiners
• 1 double length sling
• 2 X 5 meter 7mm prussic’s
• 1 X 1 meter 7mm prussic
• 1 ice screw (optional)
• Rope: provided in course
• Backpack
• Write in the rain book and mechanical pencil-optional
• First Aid Kit with blister kit-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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