Comprehensive Rock Climbing Rescue

I recently took a course through the Colorado Mountain School called Comprehensive Rescue. It was a two day program held in Boulder and taught by AMGA Rock Guide Tim Brown. The course covered everything from tying a prussik to executing multi-pitch rappels with an unresponsive partner. Tim didn't just teach us theories, he also supervised while we practiced the concepts in real-life scenarios: escaping belays, hauling with mechanical advantages, ascending and descending ropes.

I took this course in a effort to become more self-sufficient in the backcountry. Tim taught me that it doesn't take a rescue team or specialized equipment to perform most rescues. With just a standard rack and a little know-how, climbers have the ability to remove themselves from many troublesome situations without the assistance of other teams.

The skills taught in this course will make you more comfortable on the rock regardless of your current rescue-related knowledge and ability. After just two days, we had the skills and confidence to make solid decisions in stressful situations. I feel much better about taking a run at that long alpine route, knowing that my partner knows how to haul me through the crux in a sudden downpour, escape the belay in case of an accident, or bail quickly and safely when weather is moving in.

The info covered in Comprehensive Rescue includes:

• Knots and hitches
• Escaping the belay
• Ascending/Descending to an injured climber
• Raising/Lowering systems
• Simul-rappelling
• Multiple rappel transitions with an unresponsive partner
• Passing knots
• Improvising with your equipment

The information in this course is essential to anyone that climbs multi-pitch trad. All too often, climbers are injured or killed in the mountains or at the crag. Do yourself, your partners, and the climbing community a favor... don't go up unprepared.

Thank you to Tim Brown and the Colorado Mountain School.

- Luke Terstriep

Rocky Mountain National Park Conditions

The Park received about 14-16 inches over the past 48 hours from a storm that blanketed the Front Range and Central Mountains of Colorado. It’s just what we’ve all been praying for in hopes to keep our snow pack around longer and minimize the fire danger.

This morning Dan Mydans and myself made a few laps in the Terrain Park. We stayed below treeline to allow the new snow to set up a little longer before heading into the bigger terrain. The new snow came in heavy and temperatures were quickly on the rise (24 degrees at about 11am). I was surprised how warm it was this morning. I was definitely overdressed and we were happy to experience no wind at all in RMNP (you can’t say that often in the Park).

With that said, the CAIC (avalanche.state.co.us) reported this about the past two days in the Front Range zone: “There was lots and lots and lots of wind transport and drifting on Thursday. Easterly aspects above treeline are stripped or heavily drifted. The snow ended up crossloading and drifting onto other aspects. There were natural, human triggered, and explosive triggered avalanches on almost every aspect Thursday and Friday. The slides were all about a foot deep, and ran on the interface at the bottom of Thursday’s snow. On Thursday observers report, extensive cracking and easily triggered drifts or shallow wind slabs near treeline and in open areas below treeline. Signs of instability like these are indication to stay off steep slopes. Fortunately, the interface is a fairly transient instability and will be settling out through the weekend.”

The avy danger is Moderate with pockets of Considerable for today, Friday March 27th. I would expect this to change over today and tomorrow with the forecasted warm temps and abundance of sunshine. Our next wave looks like it will hit us Sunday night or Monday. Not sure at this time what it will produce.

We are running an AIARE Level 1 and Level 2 avy course this weekend so I hope to have a few more updates by the beginning of next week.

Don’t let the last few weeks of bomber stability lower your guard. These spring storms are great and amazing for skiing but can also produce instabilities in our snow pack.

Stay safe and enjoy the mountains.

Simon Fryer
Sales and Marketing Manager
Colorado Mountain School
sfryer@totalclimbing.com

Local Classics: The Yellow Spur

Eldorado Canyon's The Yellow Spur (5.9 or 5.10) is the first entry on our list of uber-classic local climbs. Richard Rossiter calls it "one of the all-time classics of Eldorado". It first went free in 1964 by Royal Robbins and Pat Ament. This spectacular, direct line tops out after six pitches on Tower One of Redgarden Wall.

Right away the climbing is fun and challenging. Pulling through the first roof is insecure at first until you reach the monster jug. Highlights of the climb include the stellar dihedrals on pitches 2 and 4. The crux pitch is airy, wild, and provides one of the best views in Eldo. Once you pull the crux moves the climbing gives way to the stunning, but cruiser 5.6 arete to the summit.

Temperatures can soar in Eldorado Canyon during the summer and you'll have a hard time getting up this climb before the shade disappears. The Yellow Spur is in prime condition today and will be for the next few months...get it while it's good. Call us if your looking for a guide on The Yellow Spur or the countless other classic lines found in Eldorado Canyon. There are loads of options from 5.4-5.12, one pitch to seven pitches. Hope to see you soon at the crags.