Snow Anchors, Multi Pitch Systems, and Crevasse Rescue

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July 25, 2013

Today was a skills day in the field. We started out at a more relaxed time of 08:00. We climbed the blocky, talus, and then up over the morraine to a small pocket glacier up above camp on Scotch Ridge. We spent the next few hours building snow anchors and testing them by having several people hauling on the rope. Kevin build a t-slot using an ice tool as the anchor point, and unfortunately we destroyed the tool. (Do not use Grivel Monsters in a t-slot!). Then we did a two pitch alpine ice climb on some fairly easy grade as a excercise in multi pitch systems and consecutive rappells. As this was my first lead ever on ice, Cyril soloed beside me coaching me on. Finally we did a quick crevasse rescue practice using a six-to-one drop loop pulley system. A race back to camp at the end of the day followed, arriving over the last ridge of talus just as the supper horn was blowing.

A t-slot anchor.


Testing various snow anchors.


Slightly modified ice tool after failing as an anchor.


Crevasse rescue practice.



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