Sunday Skill-builders: Mechanical advantage in self rescue

Activity Notes

• Sunday Skill Builders: Mechanical advantage in self-rescue
• Class date: Sunday June 9
• Registration opens: May 9
• 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• Mazamas Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd and Stark, Portland)
• Mazamas members $35, non-members $45
• Recommended experience level: All levels welcome. Familiarity with basic climbing knots and friction hitches needed.

The Sunday Skill Builders happen on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, usually from 6 to 9 PM. The second Sunday is usually for more beginner/intermediate topics, and the fourth Sunday usually covers more intermediate/advanced techniques. Registration opens one month before the class. Most topics are taught twice a year.

Students are generally accepted first-come first-served. Please apply ASAP after the opening of registration to have the best chance of getting in the class.

If you need to cancel, please be courteous and do so early to give those on the waitlist a chance to get into the class. Don't be a no-show.

This class covers the theory and hands-on practice of 2:1, 3:1, and 6:1 mechanical advantage systems. We’ll focus on building them with minimal gear in the scenarios of crevasse or rock rescue. 

Gear needed: harness, 3-4 locking carabiners, 3-4 standard carabiners, rappel device, a few slings, friction hitch/prusik loop. (If you have fancier gear like pulleys, a Petzl Traxion or rope clamps like a Tibloc, please bring those also.)

If you don’t have this gear, no problem, we can share. This will be "ground school", so no helmet or rock shoes are needed.

Please read these web links before class. Having a basic understanding of these will make our class time be more effective, hint hint. They are from my website, alpinesavvy.com.

• Introduction to MA systems
• Overview of a simple pulley system
• A few questions and answers about MA systems
• 6:1 compound pulleys

See ya!

John Godino and Andy Nuttbrock, Clinic coordinators