Sunday Skill-builders: Practical Self-Rescue

Activity Notes

• Sunday Skills Clinics: Practical Self-Rescue
• Class date: Sunday, May 26
• Registration opens: Apr 26
• Times: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
• Mazama Mountaineering Center (SE 43rd and Stark, Portland)
• Mazama members $35, non-members $45
• Recommended experience level: intermediate/advanced

The Sunday Skills Clinics happen on the second and fourth Sunday of the month, usually from 6 to 9 PM. The second Sunday is more for beginner/intermediate topics, and the fourth Sunday is more for intermediate/advanced techniques.  Registration opens one month before the class. Topics will rotate and repeat, so if you miss one and want to take it, keep an eye out for it again.

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.

Lots of high angle rescue classes focus on low probability, high complexity scenarios. How about practicing the opposite: higher probability of happening, with fairly simple solutions? Knowing some of the core skills can help you deal with small problems hopefully before they become big ones where you might need outside help.

This class may cover skills like:

• How to go hands free when belaying
• How to rig a 3:1 mechanical advantage haul to give your struggling follower a short boost past the hard part
• What to do if your shirt or hair gets caught in your rappel device
• Ways to lower your partner - redirected plate and Munter hitch
• Options to descend if you drop your rappel device. One way: Use three lockers to make a carabiner brake
• How to do a tandem rappel 
• Improvised rope ascending with Grigri or plaquette and friction hitch /foot loop
• If you fall and swing into overhanging terrain, how to reascend the rope to your high point with friction hitches. Hint: use the the gear you have, not dedicated "leg" and "waist" prusiks.) 

Gear: HELMET, harness, shoes suitable for climbing, belay device, friction hitch, single and double length slings, snapgate and locking carabiners.

Recommended pre-class reading: "Climbing Self- Rescue", by Ian Nicholson (2024) 

This class will be a mix of some practice on the ground and some practice on the Mazamas climbing wall.

The links above cover some of these skills. Our class time will be much more effective if you make some time to read these before we meet, hint hint. Most of these are links to my website, alpinesavvy.com.

See ya!

John Godino and Andy Nuttbrock, class coordinators