Rope Rescue Course in Squamish

This weekend, I had an opportunity to attend a "Rope Rescue Team Member" course up in Squamish. This course is focused on rope systems to rescue and evacuate injured (or non-injured) subjects from vertical and steep ground. It focuses on accessing the subject from the top (i.e. lowering down to the subject). The rope systems used for this type of rescue are built quite differently from the systems used in rock climbing and mountain rescue - the primary difference is the requirement for a 10:1 safety margin - capable of a vertical raise of a subject & rescuer, or for a slope rescue of up to 6 rescuers carrying a subject in a stretcher.

Along with 5 members of North Shore Rescue (myself, Mike L., John B., Rich & Curtis), there were about 20 other members from other teams (Squamish, Lions Bay, Coquitlam, Ridge Meadows, etc.).

We spent the first day on the individual components of the rescue system. First, anchoring systems. Note the "high strength" anchors - the rope wrapped around the tree, and the "wrap 3, pull 2" webbing anchors - all equalized.

Then, we moved onto stretcher rigging. Here, Bob from North Shore Rescue (and a rope rescue instructor) explains a stretcher rigged for a vertical raise. It's worth noting that everyone tied into one of these systems always has both a belay and load connection.

And, the same stretcher rigged for a slope rescue.

Then, onto belay systems. The picture above shows a standard belay system, using tandem prussiks, and a radium release hitch used to lower the belay under tension if the system locks, or if a knot needs to be passed.

Then, it was on to raise/lower systems - 2:1, 5:1, 7:1, etc. raising systems.

Our instructor for this part - Mark - had a really good way of illustrating the forces created when using a pully to double forces - he used numbered clothes pegs to indicate the amount of force created by each part of the raise system.

The next day, we put the whole thing together in a few scenarios. The first scenario was a slope rescue - bringing a stretcher, subject & rescue team up a steep slope. The intent is that the raise system (and crew) exerts the power to bring the entire team up the slope - the rescuers thus "only" need to hold the stretcher up.

Then, onto a vertical lower/raise system. This picture shows the two edge people assisting the rescuer with the stretcher to get it over the edge.

Large pulleys are frequently used to ensure that the rope goes over the slope above the lip of the cliff, enabling the rescue team to be brought vertically upwards above the lip.

Finally, we also did a "pick-off" scenario, where a rescuer (me, in this case) is lowered down to the subject, clip the subject into the rescue system, and then the subject and rescuer are raised back up.

All in all, a very interesting weekend. Now, to become a full "rope rescue team member" requires another 20 hours of documented practice, followed by a weekend long exam in the spring.