Learning Rescue Climbs

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Today is the start of the instructor level course work we will pursue in the spring semester. The class has split, half with Beth learning how to roll kayaks and the half I'm in, working with Austin to learn rescue climbs. We begin with technical handouts on belay devices, comparisons, appropriate situational use, as well as technical info on climbing ropes; materials and how they're constructed, types and appropriate use. We will be tested tomorrow. There is also info on Rockclimbing Leadership levels that OLP students can expect to attain and become certified by PCIA - Professional Climbing Instructor Association.

Austin has us quickly review knots that we learned in the fall particular to climb setups: bowline, munter mule, figure 8s on a bite, etc. I'm amazed to find myself teaching Joe and Erin how to tie the bowline. It was fun to hear others, especially Austin, notice that I was actually teaching the knot. I found the way Austin tied it to be the easiest to remember and mainly practiced his version at home when I created make-shift setups using my kitchen table legs. Then we had to create the top and bottom anchor systems on the classroom rock wall. I had some of it down but had never learned the munter mule.

After we finished the review of anchors needing to be SRENE: Strong/Solid, Redundant, Equalized, we also learned about LEADSTR: Limited Extension, Angle, Direction, Strong/Solid, Timely, Redundant.

This was all to set up for the rescue situations that call for transferring weight or load from base anchor to harness, or Base to Waist and Waist to Base. This ability allows the belayer to safely maneuver to rescue a climber. We're moving fast with the info and I'm trying to keep up but figuring out the process and physics has never been a strong suit. Today, it's like a shell game. But I stay with it as much as I can and it isn't until 4 pm when I'm trying to demo for Austin what I know or don't that my head starts wanting to explode and my guts are twisting in knots. I'm happy that I've managed all day to stay with the content and not freak because I'm not getting it right away. Huge improvement! It's still a shell game. More tomorrow and we'll practice rescues!