Rock season is (sorta) upon us! OK, there is another storm forecast for this coming weekend, but I trust most of you are jonesing for some time in the vertical. Right on!
Climbing outdoors requires a bigger skillset than slaying indoors. Even a minor issue/injury/annoyance can get out of control quickly once you’re off the ground–especially more than a pitch up. Just a few tools in your shed can prevent a bummer from becoming a disaster.
Want to pick up a few more tricks of the trade? Hot damn, then, Gociety, Upslope Brewery, Rab, Climbing magazine, and Vetta Mountain Guides (er, that’s me and my buddy, Mike Arnold) are psyched to give you an introductory look at the tools and techniques of rock rescue.
Mike and I are both internationally certified mountain guides (the 96th and 97th guides to complete the training through the American Mountain Guides Association) and the owners of Vetta. We love the super-psyched crew at Gociety, as well as the gang at Rab, the craft-brewers at Upslope, and the baller team at our favorite mag, Climbing.
Join us Tuesday, April 28, on the rooftop at Gociety HQ in Denver, for an evening of introductory rock-rescue. We’ll get you started learning the techniques you need to stay safe any time you’re tying in.
I’ll paste all the information you need below…and hope to see you there!
Rob Coppolillo is Contributing Editor at Elevation Outdoors magazine, as well as an internationally certified mountain guide.
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We know how important it is to learn from and share experiences with the rest of our outdoor community, so on Tuesday April 28, 2015, we are bringing you round two of our Rooftop Rescue Clinic.
If you’re leaving the ground, it’s a good idea to know how to get back down to it—safely! We hope you’ll never need to use your soon-to-be-dialed self-rescue skills, but even a sprained ankle can present real problems in the vertical. Congrats on taking your first steps to learning the skills and techniques to keep you and partners safe in the event of an accident, injury, or emergency.
The Pro’s at Vetta Mountain Guides will cover:
Fundamentals
- What’s on your harness?
- Basic knots and hitches, including the prussik, French prussik, and klemheist
- Ropes, webbing, slings—different materials, pros and cons within rescue
Top-rope basics
- Review belay techniques and belay devices
- Anchor considerations for safer climbing—edges, rockfall, pendulum potential
Rescue!
- Med kit—what do you carry to the crag?
- Common top-roping problems and situations
- The Fear—Can’t go up, won’t come down; the “pick off”
- Escaping the belay
- Ascending safely—with a plaquette, with a GriGri, with prussiks
- Getting back to earth
Other important stuff
Leave No Trace (lnt.org)
Getting your WFR (nols.org)
After the seminar, celebrate your newfound knowledge with some potential new (and safe) climbing partners, enjoy a cold craft brew from Upslope Brewing Co. and win some awesome gear thanks to our good friends at Climbing Magazine!
Cost: $25 per climber – Join this group then call Vetta Mountain Guides @ (720) 530-1188 to confirm your spot.
Where: The Rooftop at Gociety HQ (621 Kalamath Street Denver, CO)
When: Tuesday April 28th, 2015 6:30pm
What to bring: Helmet, Harness, belay device, weather appropriate clothing etc – All gear you would have on you during a day at the crag.
Previous climbing/belaying experience is required.
For all the details and information, go here:
